Five Points

[krazeeboi]

I see that ground has been broken for the Saluda Street fountain.

[krazeeboi]

A party will be thrown Friday to celebrate the end of the Five Points streetscaping project. But that doesn't mean that construction is over, as Five Points is certainly catching the eye of developers these days. The article in The State contains a lot of information. I didn't know that Maxcy Gregg Park was being used to store equipment used during the project. I saw the equipment but didn't know why it was there. There are plans in the works to restore the park.

[JT Boy]

Nice to hear the streetscaping project is wrapped up in Five Points. Looked at the special section pdf attached to the article in The State, and was really struck by how there was just acres of surface parking showing in the aerial shot of Five Points. I remember when I was growing up that Five Points seemed a very crowded and urban place, but it doesn't look that way in the aerial shot.

I guess the good thing about the surface lots is that it provides room for new development and growth!

[Spartan]

The 200 parking spaces in the 5 Points South building are probably going to be metered. While I think this is good news, and also inevitable, the article in The State speaks of doom and gloom because of these metered spaces. One merchant apparently pays his customer's parking tickets ($7) and he can no longer afford it (lol)

Whats wrong with the concept of validating parking like they use in other parts of the city (like the CBD)? And are people so inept that they think they won't get a ticket if they don't feed the meter? IMO that merchant is stupid for paying his custormer's tickets. Its their fault, let them deal with it. Its just $7.

Article

[BrasilnSC]

Can they install parking meters that except Credit/Debit cards? PLEASE!!!! Those do exist right?

People would be less agravated about paying to park if they didn't have to search around for change.

Edited October 18, 2007 by BrasilnSC

[Scoopbth]

Can they install parking meters that except Credit/Debit cards? PLEASE!!!! Those do exist right?

People would be less agravated about paying to park if they didn't have to search around for change.

The City of Columbia has smart-cards that you can load money on them and recharge it whenever you want. I have one of them and it is great because I never have any change on me. I believe most of the meters in Columbia take them.

[BrasilnSC]

^ Sweet, I did not know that. Thanks for the info.

[Captain Worley]

The 200 parking spaces in the 5 Points South building are probably going to be metered. While I think this is good news, and also inevitable, the article in The State speaks of doom and gloom because of these metered spaces. One merchant apparently pays his customer's parking tickets ($7) and he can no longer afford it (lol)

Whats wrong with the concept of validating parking like they use in other parts of the city (like the CBD)? And are people so inept that they think they won't get a ticket if they don't feed the meter? IMO that merchant is stupid for paying his custormer's tickets. Its their fault, let them deal with it. Its just $7.

Article

I haven't gone back since they installed the meters and know plenty of people who haven't either. The parking meters stick in a lot of people's craw.

I've heard it is hurting the merchants, but haven't seen hard data one way or the other.

[Spartan]

I agree that they are annoying, but in the long run its the only fair way to do business. If they have the card things then there is no excuse. They need to have some kind of public awareness campaign.

[TheCarolinaKing]

I agree that they are annoying, but in the long run its the only fair way to do business. If they have the card things then there is no excuse. They need to have some kind of public awareness campaign.

The only problem I have with the meters is trying to find friggin change in my car. I rarely carry cash, and i empty my pockets every night of the little change that might be in them. Other than that I really dont have an issue with the meters. I see it as a typical part of living in a CITY. I grew up here so in my mind all i remember are meters. I think the validation part is the best idea, but for that to work there have to be parking garages/lots with attendees. I think Atlantic Station in ATL has the concept right with automated pay before you leave parking. I think for the upcoming lots and garages that would be a great idea. Even Charleston uses pay when you park and put the stub in the car.

[Spartan]

Right, obviously validation doesn't work on city streets. But I agree that it would be beneficial to set up a system that allows meters to take cards. Have on central kiosk that dispenses the appropriate sign for your car or something.

[waccamatt]

I drove by the new fountain today and it is coming along nicely. The fountain looks much taller than it appeared to be in the renderings. I had been thoroughly underwhelmed by the drawings, but the live version appears to be the real enchilada.

[krazeeboi]

Make sure you take some pictures!

[krazeeboi]

Found some construction photos of the Saluda Street fountain, courtesy of coolumbia.net:

[Spartan]

Good find. Thanks for the update!

[BrasilnSC]

An article in the Free-Times talks about how the owner of China Garden is looking into possibly tearing down the establishment along with Jungle Jim's in order to make way for a new 4 story retail/office building.

Article here

Edited November 17, 2007 by BrasilnSC

[Spartan]

Good find. Thanks for sharing that.

A quote: [The owner of China Garden] predicts a wave of revitalization and development in Five Points if the Kenny

[CorgiMatt]

Here's an article on the future of Five Points from today's "The State."

http://www.thestate.com/local/story/237497.html

[Spartan]

Its important that the businesses there recognize what can happen and they are actively trying to keep that from happening.

[krazeeboi]

What Five Points is facing now is the same thing that other successful districts have had to deal with: how to manage new investment without diluting local flavor. I do hope that a balance can be sought.

[Spartan]

Are there any examples of this transition happening successfully? Little Five Points in Atlanta maybe?

[krazeeboi]

Depends on what you mean by "successfully" here. Some would say that King Street in Charleston (between Broad and Calhoun) represents a success, and some would disagree due to the plethora of chains that now exist on that stretch.

[CarolinaSouth]

True Krazee! I feel like it would be totally subjective to each person you asked. I personally would love to upgrade the look of 5points...i mean it's the people and shops that make the area funky....not the facade of the buildings...When i'm in that area...the buildings aren't what i get ecstatic about...the people, fountain and businesses are.

[Doug L]

True Krazee! I feel like it would be totally subjective to each person you asked. I personally would love to upgrade the look of 5points...i mean it's the people and shops that make the area funky....not the facade of the buildings...When i'm in that area...the buildings aren't what i get ecstatic about...the people, fountain and businesses are.

DITTO! I'd personally like to see all of midtown Columbia with a much higher density; but then I am accustomed to living in a much larger city. I have no problem with taller buildings......much taller.

[krazeeboi]

True Krazee! I feel like it would be totally subjective to each person you asked. I personally would love to upgrade the look of 5points...i mean it's the people and shops that make the area funky....not the facade of the buildings...When i'm in that area...the buildings aren't what i get ecstatic about...the people, fountain and businesses are.

But the buildings are part of the built environment that actually help to attract the people, whether this happens consciously or subconsciously. One reason why you don't see a lot of people along Main Street after business hours, particularly north of Hampton, is because the crappy state of many of the building facades just turns people off.

Concerning Five Points South, The State reports that Columbia City Council today is expected to take the first of two required votes on the mixed-use project. The vote comes as a rival group is pushing for the 200 spaces of city parking to be taken out of the project — lowering the height — and the $5.8 million council has earmarked for it used to build a garage about three blocks away, behind Claussen’s Inn on College Street.