Five Points

[carolinagarnet]

Great, now our football players can live there violation free (assuming they pay this time).

[SouthernBorn]

Specialty Doughnut shop planned across the street from food lion. http://www.thestate.com/2014/11/11/3805241/specialty-doughnut-shop-planned.html

Edited November 11, 2014 by SouthernBorn

[krazeeboi]

New businesses calling Five Points home: http://www.thestate.com/2014/11/15/3815121_five-points-attracting-new-businesses.html?rh=1

[SouthernBorn]

Student housing going at the corner if Gervais and Harden it's official.

 

"1239 Harden Street, 1225 Harden Street, 2015 Gervais Street, 1220 Laurens Street, Lady Street, 

TMS#406-13-01, -02, -03, -04; request site plan approval for the construction of a private dormitory with a 

+/- 212,000 sq. ft. associated parking deck parking deck. The property is zoned C-3 (General Commercial)."

http://www.columbiasc.net/depts/planning-boards-commissions/pc/agendas/20141201/pc_2014-12-01_draft_agenda.pdf

Edited November 24, 2014 by SouthernBorn

[colasc]

I know some will question how safe a location this will be for the students, so I'm sure there will be lots of security amenities advertised. Perhaps, once we can finally say goodbye to that dreadful Greyhond Bus Station, the area might have a cultural transformation, too. Dum Spiro Spero. 

[carolinagarnet]

I think it may have a really positive effect on that corner actually. Gervais should act as a great connector to Main Street, the Capitol, and the Vista, but parts of it feel dark and dodgy. It will probably take at least a decade to make it pedestrian friendly at night, but this is a great first step. The area is hugely underutilized considering its proximity to USC, great neighborhoods, and downtown.

[CorgiMatt]

I think it may have a really positive effect on that corner actually. Gervais should act as a great connector to Main Street, the Capitol, and the Vista, but parts of it feel dark and dodgy. It will probably take at least a decade to make it pedestrian friendly at night, but this is a great first step. The area is hugely underutilized considering its proximity to USC, great neighborhoods, and downtown.

I'll just be glad that when I arrive at Harden on Gervais or at Gervais on Harden, the ugly Greyhound bus building won't be in my face. That has got to be the ugliest sight in downtown Columbia. 

[SouthernBorn]

We have a site plan and seems to be a pretty large project...just take a look at the renderings at the bottom.

 

http://www.columbiasc.gov/depts/planning-boards-commissions/pc/agendas/20141201/pc_2014-12-01_pkt8_spr_harden_gervais_laurens_lady_peak_campus_private_dorm.pdf

Edited November 27, 2014 by SouthernBorn

[growingup15]

are they going to make a new Greyhound bus station?

[SouthernBorn]

Student housing has been approved by planning commission, just a couple of more hurdles to go.

 

http://www.thestate.com/2014/12/01/3846907/columbia-planning-commission-gives.html?sp=/99/205/&ihp=1

[growingup15]

Student housing has been approved by planning commission, just a couple of more hurdles to go.

 

http://www.thestate.com/2014/12/01/3846907/columbia-planning-commission-gives.html?sp=/99/205/&ihp=1

Nice. but i still wonder what is going to come of the Greyhound bus station. I think its time to move them to a new hub somewhere all the buses can meet. you know so COMET, Megabus and Greyhound main hub will be at.

As for the student housing. Thats great to see its coming along. I wonder how its going to impact that area.

[waccamatt]

Nice. but i still wonder what is going to come of the Greyhound bus station. I think its time to move them to a new hub somewhere all the buses can meet. you know so COMET, Megabus and Greyhound main hub will be at.

As for the student housing. Thats great to see its coming along. I wonder how its going to impact that area.

The bus station should move back to their old location on Blanding at Sumter or next to the Amtrak Station.

[growingup15]

The bus station should move back to their old location on Blanding at Sumter or next to the Amtrak Station.

Actually with a meeting with the mayor i had a few years back I remember he was telling me something about movin the main bus station down to the Amtrak station. and have something slightly similar to the hub station in Charlotte with Business living and restaurants in the hub area

[CorgiMatt]

City Councilman Brian DeQuincy Newman, who is on the COMET board, told me a while back that COMET had reached out to Greyhound to talk about swinging a joint deal. I don't know the status of that.

[carolinagarnet]

Actually with a meeting with the mayor i had a few years back I remember he was telling me something about movin the main bus station down to the Amtrak station. and have something slightly similar to the hub station in Charlotte with Business living and restaurants in the hub area

 

That's a great idea. I wonder if the proposed student housing developments know that such a move is a possibility.

[krazeeboi]

The 900 block of Harden Street is poised for redevelopment now that two properties have been purchased by Richard Burts, an active force in Columbia development, and Elizabeth Ward.

 

The buildings’ location, across the street from the Food Lion shopping center, is a potentially lucrative spot – a block away from the Greyhound bus station that is to be replaced by a $50 million, private student dormitory...

 

Retail is the likely direction for future tenants, Burts said, though he and Ward are exploring the possibility of mixed uses. Since the roofs of the buildings are already caving in and have to be replaced, there is a good opportunity to consider building upward and putting residential units above retail or restaurant businesses on the street, Burts said.

 

http://www.thestate.com/2015/01/15/3930825/development-on-tap-for-low-traffic.html#storylink=cpy

[colasc]

Does anyone have renderings of the proposed student apts at the corner of Harden and Gervais? I had looked at a link someone had posted earlier, to a zoning board application, but for whatever reason, the image(s) did not reveal themselves. That would be a true miracle if that block could be redeveloped. Also, has anyone else heard whether those plans would get that damn bus station out of there? I really liked the proposal which came out several years back of making one transportation centre where the Amtrak station sits, on Pulaski.

[colasc]

An earlier article in the State stated it was unclear if the apts/condos on this corner would force the bus station to move. I hope the development takes up that entire block. The bus station is truly an eyesore. 

[carolinagarnet]

My understanding was that the bus station was going to close even before the lot was sold. Perhaps they realized that the owner would sell the corner lot and thought it was a good time to move. It seems the local business community is confident that the new apartments will bring a lot of traffic, because the developers of 701 Whaley is redeveloping two storefronts on the opposite side of Harden (across from Food Lion):

 

http://www.thestate.com/2015/01/15/3930825_development-on-tap-for-low-traffic.html?sp=/99/205/&rh=1

 

This area is prime for retail- it's far enough away from the bars and couched by other businesses. Let's hope the trend continues up Harden. The area could use a more solid day time presence to improve the negative nightlife image.

[SouthernBorn]

Does anyone have renderings of the proposed student apts at the corner of Harden and Gervais? I had looked at a link someone had posted earlier, to a zoning board application, but for whatever reason, the image(s) did not reveal themselves. That would be a true miracle if that block could be redeveloped. Also, has anyone else heard whether those plans would get that damn bus station out of there? I really liked the proposal which came out several years back of making one transportation centre where the Amtrak station sits, on Pulaski.

Those were the only type of renderings up.

An earlier article in the State stated it was unclear if the apts/condos on this corner would force the bus station to move. I hope the development takes up that entire block. The bus station is truly an eyesore.

The housing is taking up the whole block including the bus station.

[growingup15]

COLUMBIA, SC — Some north Columbia residents are upset not only to discover that the Greyhound bus station plans to relocate to their community, but that the OK slipped by without anyone notifying them.

A city building permit was issued last month that will allow Greyhound to renovate and move into a leased facility at 710 Buckner Road in an industrial park area just south of I-20 between Fairfield Road and Monticello Road. The company’s lease at its current Gervais Street terminal in downtown Columbia is set to expire soon.

Several dozen people met Thursday night to discuss with elected officials how this happened without their knowledge despite overwhelming objections that were raised with Greyhound a year ago. Since then, residents said, it has been their understanding that the bus company was no longer interested in locating in north Columbia.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2015/02/12/3985391_tired-of-being-a-dumping-ground.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

Edited February 13, 2015 by growingup15

[MAJIKMAN]

COLUMBIA, SC — Some north Columbia residents are upset not only to discover that the Greyhound bus station plans to relocate to their community, but that the OK slipped by without anyone notifying them.

A city building permit was issued last month that will allow Greyhound to renovate and move into a leased facility at 710 Buckner Road in an industrial park area just south of I-20 between Fairfield Road and Monticello Road. The company’s lease at its current Gervais Street terminal in downtown Columbia is set to expire soon.

Several dozen people met Thursday night to discuss with elected officials how this happened without their knowledge despite overwhelming objections that were raised with Greyhound a year ago. Since then, residents said, it has been their understanding that the bus company was no longer interested in locating in north Columbia.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2015/02/12/3985391_tired-of-being-a-dumping-ground.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

This real familiar to what happened up here in Greenville. Grayhound moved out of there facility in the downtown transfer center to space they leased on the affluent eastside of Greenville. Causing the same kind of uproar about a year or so ago. But the world didn't end like they thought it would. It turned out fine. Edited February 14, 2015 by MAJIKMAN

[vicupstate]

Greyhound has been moving to Interstate oriented sites lately everywhere.  It has seemed to have helped DT Greenville and will do the same for Columbia.

[Spartan]

It's too bad that they are moving out of downtown. Believe me, I understand the issues that come with Greyhound stations - but downtowns are the place for transit hubs of any kind. Co-locating with with Amtrak would have been ideal too. Oh well.

[colasc]

Driving home today, I was so happy to see demolition of the Greyhound terminal underway!! Now, I've not seen renderings of the apartments, but I'm willing to say they will be a major upgrade from a bus station. If anyone has any renderings, apart from the drawings presented to the city for zoning, please share. I believe we can all begin to get excited about this project and its potentially transformative impact on this stretch of Gervais.