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Thousands of condos coming to downtown

Spartan

By Spartan
in Columbia

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distortedlogic Town

distortedlogic

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I agree with Vicupstate. Hopefully Cola can learn from Gville's mistake of overpricing their condos. Gville still has yet to propose a project in the 100k to 200k (there are a few for that price beside West End Field). But almost all of the condos have been waaay to much for 98% of the market. If Cola can get a handle on condo prices, it will really open up the door for a lot to happen.

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waccamatt Town

waccamatt

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I agree with Vicupstate. Hopefully Cola can learn from Gville's mistake of overpricing their condos. Gville still has yet to propose a project in the 100k to 200k (there are a few for that price beside West End Field). But almost all of the condos have been waaay to much for 98% of the market. If Cola can get a handle on condo prices, it will really open up the door for a lot to happen.

It's not really a case of anyone learning from anyone's mistakes; these developers are not newcomers to their jobs and the downtown Columbia area is no newcomer to condominium projects. In the area usually considered downtown (the original Columbia city limits of 1786), there are many highrise condos and apartments: The Heritage, Senate Plaza, Marion Street Highrise, Christopher Towers, Claire Tower, Cornell Arms, The Pavilion, etc., etc., etc. I realize many of the people that post on here aren't old enough to remember most of those projects being built, but I remember when The Heritage, Marion Street Highrise and Middleborough were built and, honestly, they were much bigger projects than any condos currently being developed. From reading the posts on here and on The State website you'd think nobody has lived in the downtown Columbia area in 50 years, lol.

Cornell Arms, 1949 - the tallest apartment building between Baltimore and Miami when it was built (no I'm not old enough to remember its construction); this is true urban living with USC across the street, 11 restaurants within a block and the State House a block away. This is prime real estate, my friends.

cornell%20arms%20apts.jpg

The Heritage Condos; 1977-ish

heritage%20tower%20condos%20senate%20st.jpg

Senate Plaza, 1965

senate%20plaza%20and%20fountain.jpg

Wilshire House, 1986

wilshire%20house%20condos.jpg

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waccamatt Town

waccamatt

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About 3 weeks ago I discovered a highrise on Middleburg that is residential. I can't believe I didn't even know it was there....How many floors is that one?

Those are Middleborough Condominiums in Middleburg Mall and they are 18 stories and used to be nice. I haven't been in them in awhile, but the west facing view of the city is beautiful.

A high rise I've always wondered what was it????Residential or Business???......Is the tower located in the area behind Benedicts new stadium. You can see if from Two Notch and Forest Drive by Richland Fashion Mall.

That's the one.

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vicupstate Metropolitan Area

vicupstate

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The area that Waccamatt is referring too is about four square miles, and includes more than the true CBD. Granted the streets are on a grid, but historically many of those neighborhoods were residential in nature for most of Columbia's existence, and largely continue to be.

The new wave of Condo development is based in the Vista and the Main Street corridor. These are residential units being built in commercially-dominant areas and are not geared toward USC students/faculty.

While in the last decade or so there have been small to medium for-sale projects in these areas (Parkside, Governor's Hill), and a handful of rental projects (Capitol Places, Pavilion), what we are seeing now is on a different level, IMO.

These a large-scale projects that are majority or exclusively for-sale units. The true "city" lifestyle is being marketed, not just the 'hassle-free' condo lifestyle of Middleburg/proximity to USC of SEnate Plaza, etc.

I think it would be wise for these developers and the city to heed the experience of Greenville and numerous other markets that have missed a lot of the market by targeting the high end only. The city needs to work with developers to keep sanity up and prices down.

The original city limits of Columbia does have a significant population, but that is a large area, and many such residents are USC students. The anticipated infusion of new residents will be a different demographic and will fill in the non-residential pockets within the original city limits. To that extent, this does classify as a new and emerging market. Therefore, no one can say with much certainty how broad or deep it is. As I said earlier, Canalside will be the first real test, IMO.

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CorgiMatt Town

CorgiMatt

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I discovered a tax delinquence notice on the door of the McCrory building at Main and Taylor this morning. It was posted yesterday. As it reads, the building is going up for auction. Does anyone know anything about this? Could it mean the condos are a no-go? Construction workkers were still steady working on it yesterday.

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waccamatt Town

waccamatt

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I discovered a tax delinquence notice on the door of the McCrory building at Main and Taylor this morning. It was posted yesterday. As it reads, the building is going up for auction. Does anyone know anything about this? Could it mean the condos are a no-go? Construction workkers were still steady working on it yesterday.

That would be too bad, if the project didn't happen. You have to pay your taxes, though.

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waccamatt Town

waccamatt

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The area that Waccamatt is referring too is about four square miles, and includes more than the true CBD. Granted the streets are on a grid, but historically many of those neighborhoods were residential in nature for most of Columbia's existence, and largely continue to be.

The new wave of Condo development is based in the Vista and the Main Street corridor. These are residential units being built in commercially-dominant areas and are not geared toward USC students/faculty.

While in the last decade or so there have been small to medium for-sale projects in these areas (Parkside, Governor's Hill), and a handful of rental projects (Capitol Places, Pavilion), what we are seeing now is on a different level, IMO.

These a large-scale projects that are majority or exclusively for-sale units. The true "city" lifestyle is being marketed, not just the 'hassle-free' condo lifestyle of Middleburg/proximity to USC of SEnate Plaza, etc.

I think it would be wise for these developers and the city to heed the experience of Greenville and numerous other markets that have missed a lot of the market by targeting the high end only. The city needs to work with developers to keep sanity up and prices down.

The original city limits of Columbia does have a significant population, but that is a large area, and many such residents are USC students. The anticipated infusion of new residents will be a different demographic and will fill in the non-residential pockets within the original city limits. To that extent, this does classify as a new and emerging market. Therefore, no one can say with much certainty how broad or deep it is. As I said earlier, Canalside will be the first real test, IMO.

I never referred to those 4 square miles as the CBD, I said they were what Columbians generally would refer to as downtown. If you asked most Columbia residents where USC was located, they would say: Downtown. If you asked most people where the Vista was located, they would say: Downtown. These are just parts of Downtown, which the CBD is, also.

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Spartan Gigalopolis

Spartan

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I never referred to those 4 square miles as the CBD, I said they were what Columbians generally would refer to as downtown. If you asked most Columbia residents where USC was located, they would say: downtown. If you asked most people where the Vista was located, they would say: Downtown. These are just parts of downtown, which the CBD is, also.

This is correct. I have always reffered to it this way too- though I'm not a native Columbian.

Here is a question for you guys... What do you call the neighborhood downtown that is east of the CDB, south of the Bull St Campus, and North of USC?

-I have a possible answer for this, but I want to see what you guys say first.

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waccamatt Town

waccamatt

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I think the Waverly community

Waverly is southeast of that spot, roughly the area from Gervais to Taylor Street between North Millwood Avenue and Harden Street.

As far as the neighborhood that Spartan mentioned, it does not have an official name to my knowledge. It, along with the USC Horseshoe, is the neighborhood with Columbia's oldest remaining buildings that were not destroyed when Columbia burned in 1865.

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emerging.me Burg

emerging.me

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This is correct. I have always reffered to it this way too- though I'm not a native Columbian.

Here is a question for you guys... What do you call the neighborhood downtown that is east of the CDB, south of the Bull St Campus, and North of USC?

-I have a possible answer for this, but I want to see what you guys say first.

I have seen it referred to as the Robert Mills District in Historic Columbia Foundation literature.

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waccamatt Town

waccamatt

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I have seen it referred to as the Robert Mills District in Historic Columbia Foundation literature.

The Robert Mills House and the State Asylum, both designed by Robert Mills, are in that neighborhood, but doesn't that sound kind of lame? I've got an idea, let's name areas of Columbia that don't have a name!!

We can start with that neighborhood since I don't like "The Robert Mills District". Here goes

The Antebellum District

Eastside

University North

anymore?

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Spartan Gigalopolis

Spartan

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Thats about what I expected. That eighborhood does not have a strong identity like most others in Columbia. I never knew what it was either, but I read that it is called the Northeast Side and was formerly known as the Hampton neighborhood. My guess is that the development of Northeast Columbia has overshadowed that neighborhoods name. The Northeast Side is not really the best moniker.

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