CVS?

[digital_sandlapper]

It is ironic that this CVS is being built on Assembly in an era of finally

[Doug L]

Because I feel so strongly against the awful building that CVS is constructing on Assembly Street, I sent them the following e-mail.

_______________________

"I am exceedingly unhappy with CVS pharmacy in their choice to construct a suburban, box type store in the shadow of our state capitol building in Columbia, South Carolina. This tacky architecture is just what this city does NOT need in its city core, especially surrounded by yet another open parking lot.

Take your ugly store back to the suburbs and return only when you have decided to construct a building that is an urban compliment.

I will NOT patronize such an architectural disaster in our city; and I will actively discourage anyone I know from patronizing it."

________________________

I encourage everyone to contact CVS and express your displeasure with this tacky building! For your convenience I have posted below the link to their web site.

http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/gateway/help/helpContact#email

[waccamatt]

Because I feel so strongly against the awful building that CVS is constructing on Assembly Street, I sent them the following e-mail.

_______________________

"I am exceedingly unhappy with CVS pharmacy in their choice to construct a suburban, box type store in the shadow of our state capitol building in Columbia, South Carolina. This tacky architecture is just what this city does NOT need in its city core, especially surrounded by yet another open parking lot.

Take your ugly store back to the suburbs and return only when you have decided to construct a building that is an urban compliment.

I will NOT patronize such an architectural disaster in our city; and I will actively discourage anyone I know from patronizing it."

________________________

I encourage everyone to contact CVS and express your displeasure with this tacky building! For your convenience I have posted below the link to their web site.

http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/gateway/help/helpContact#email

Go get 'em Doug. While we're at it, let's avoid all CVS stores and support locally-owned pharmacies.

[Doug L]

Go get 'em Doug. While we're at it, let's avoid all CVS stores and support locally-owned pharmacies.

Good idea, Matt! Maybe Long's will come to midtown with an urban style store. The unused portion of the Confederate printing plant next to the Publix would be a good spot!

[waccamatt]

Good idea, Matt! Maybe Long's will come to midtown with an urban style store. The unused portion of the Confederate printing plant next to the Publix would be a good spot!

I agree; I try to support locally-owned businesses as much as possible, and since Lexington County doesn't like to spend much money on projects for the good of the metro, I tend to also spend most of my money in Richland County.

[Spartan]

Wait a minute, how do you guys know what the building will look like on the outside? Have there been renderings somewhere that I haven't seen? Who is to say it won't fit in with architecture in the area? I will try to get you a picture of the new CVS in Spartanburg. It looks nothing like your generic CVS (though it is sitll a suburban box store).

Downtown may have a design review committee like the Vista does. I'm not certain though. You should probably contact someone at the planning department to find out who to talk to about it.

I rode pass there earlier and the CVS does seem out of place. It's defintely not a urban CVS!!!! I guess it'll work well for USC but it still should have been located else where. They already have one on Rosewood and another on Harden St. by Palmetto Richland I don't see the use for another one.

That one on Rosewood is not conventient at all. Neither is the one on Harden (not to mention that you don't generally go to that area of Harden St unless its the hostpital. There is also on on Taylor St (or maybe Hampton) that is downtown. None of these are convenient to USC. Eckerd is sort of convenient, but I think this new store will do well since it is within walking distance while Eckerd is not as much. It really depends on where you are coming from. They are probably all equally inconvenient to anyone living in south campus.

[CorgiMatt]

Wait a minute, how do you guys know what the building will look like on the outside? Have there been renderings somewhere that I haven't seen? Who is to say it won't fit in with architecture in the area? I will try to get you a picture of the new CVS in Spartanburg. It looks nothing like your generic CVS (though it is sitll a suburban box store).

Downtown may have a design review committee like the Vista does. I'm not certain though. You should probably contact someone at the planning department to find out who to talk to about it.

That one on Rosewood is not conventient at all. Neither is the one on Harden (not to mention that you don't generally go to that area of Harden St unless its the hostpital. There is also on on Taylor St (or maybe Hampton) that is downtown. None of these are convenient to USC. Eckerd is sort of convenient, but I think this new store will do well since it is within walking distance while Eckerd is not as much. It really depends on where you are coming from. They are probably all equally inconvenient to anyone living in south campus.

Columbia's architectural review district (other than neighborhoods that are designated as protected neighborhoods) encompasses everything from Blossom to Elmwood and from the Congaree to Pickens, so the Assembly Street CVS had to get past them.

[Doug L]

Wait a minute, how do you guys know what the building will look like on the outside? Have there been renderings somewhere that I haven't seen? Who is to say it won't fit in with architecture in the area? I will try to get you a picture of the new CVS in Spartanburg. It looks nothing like your generic CVS (though it is sitll a suburban box store).

1) There is a retaining wall that lifts the base of the store above the sidewalk and above eye level for most of its length.

2) There is a large, eye level, open parking lot.

3) The structure supports are identical to the suburban box stores indicating generic construction.

4) There are no signs that there will be anything other than blank walls facing both Assembly and College Streets.

5) The entrance to the store faces the tacky parking lot.

I think there is more than sufficient evidence to raise red flags. If CVS is so unconcerned that they do not involve the community in addition to the permits procedure then they are up to no good! It is all about just how cheaply they can build the box.

[waccamatt]

Columbia's architectural review district (other than neighborhoods that are designated as protected neighborhoods) encompasses everything from Blossom to Elmwood and from the Congaree to Pickens, so the Assembly Street CVS had to get past them.

I picture an army of 75 year old women with their hair up in buns looking very sternly at all of the architectural drawings.

[Spartan]

1) There is a retaining wall that lifts the base of the store above the sidewalk and above eye level for most of its length.

2) There is a large, eye level, open parking lot.

3) The structure supports are identical to the suburban box stores indicating generic construction.

4) There are no signs that there will be anything other than blank walls facing both Assembly and College Streets.

5) The entrance to the store faces the tacky parking lot.

I think there is more than sufficient evidence to raise red flags. If CVS is so unconcerned that they do not involve the community in addition to the permits procedure then they are up to no good! It is all about just how cheaply they can build the box.

1) so? name one city that is on a hill that doesnt have this somewhere

2) Same thing with Eckerds, etc

3) True.

4) There are no signs that there won't be either. They will most likely have architectural features and windows of some sort. I would expect to see a minor entrance of some sort, given its location.

You are assuming all of this based on a steel frame. I am going to hold my final opinion until I see a more finished product, or at least one with walls.

[krazeeboi]

LOL @ Matt! Let's just hope that Rose isn't chairing the committee!

[waccamatt]

LOL @ Matt! Let's just hope that Rose isn't chairing the committee!

What? You don't want it to look like the Zerpflugensprechen Pharmacy in St. Olaf?

The Pharmacy in St. Olaf

[krazeeboi]

LOL, actually the structure itself isn't half-bad, considering it's obviously from the 70's.

[waccamatt]

I kind of liked the Scandinavian garb in the pharmacy picture in the link; it wouldn't let me post the picture.

[JT Boy]

I think there is more than sufficient evidence to raise red flags. If CVS is so unconcerned that they do not involve the community in addition to the permits procedure then they are up to no good! It is all about just how cheaply they can build the box.

I haven't seen the images or construction for this CVS, but can add some insight about CVS here in DC. DC is absolutely riddled with CVS stores. Because of land values and density in DC, almost all the stores are part of larger buildings, so you don't see stand-alone stores. I can say however that CVS has made many very unpopular building conversions in the city, most notably the beloved Biograph theater in Georgetown is now a CVS. COmmunity protests and boycotts have done little to change their ways, except their stores now feature mid-century photographs of Washington, instead of blank spaces littered with dust bunnies and dead bugs. I've found CVS to be a horrible corporate citizen with an apparent complete lack of employee training programs, as their employees are universally apathetic and misanthropic. I avoid them at all cost. I was back visiting Columbia this spring and my wife and I stopped at the CVS on Knox Abbott in West Columbia for diapers. There were two grandmother types behind the counter and I thought "Wow, I'll finally get some pleasant service at a CVS!" In fact these two grannies turned out to be as surly and bitter as the most hardened DC CVS employee. Maybe that is the goal of whatever training program they do have...

How about all the local UP'ers stage a major "stamp out bad architecture" rally in front of the CVS site and get yourself on the evening news? Might be a good way to draw some unwelcome attention to what sounds like a real oversight on the part of the city.

[CorgiMatt]

I picture an army of 75 year old women with their hair up in buns looking very sternly at all of the architectural drawings.

I've been to three or four of their hearings. There are men and women ranging in age from about 40-ish to about late 60's.

[Istvan]

Leave it to Krazee to inject reason into the conversation. I still can't believe that it was economically feasible for CVS to tear down a 4 story office building on prime land to build a drug store. It could have at least been a Walgreens. Hopefully the design will have some merit to it.

there used to be a 4 story building there? i remembered there was something, but it felt very suburban...more suburban than the CVS plot, even if it is generic, feels right now.

i'll be pissed if it looks like crap (probably,) but IMO there's bigger fish to fry, like getting more infill on surface lots. Assembly and Gervais anyone?

[Doug L]

I haven't seen the images or construction for this CVS, but can add some insight about CVS here in DC. DC is absolutely riddled with CVS stores. Because of land values and density in DC, almost all the stores are part of larger buildings, so you don't see stand-alone stores. I can say however that CVS has made many very unpopular building conversions in the city, most notably the beloved Biograph theater in Georgetown is now a CVS. COmmunity protests and boycotts have done little to change their ways, except their stores now feature mid-century photographs of Washington, instead of blank spaces littered with dust bunnies and dead bugs. I've found CVS to be a horrible corporate citizen with an apparent complete lack of employee training programs, as their employees are universally apathetic and misanthropic. I avoid them at all cost. I was back visiting Columbia this spring and my wife and I stopped at the CVS on Knox Abbott in West Columbia for diapers. There were two grandmother types behind the counter and I thought "Wow, I'll finally get some pleasant service at a CVS!" In fact these two grannies turned out to be as surly and bitter as the most hardened DC CVS employee. Maybe that is the goal of whatever training program they do have...

How about all the local UP'ers stage a major "stamp out bad architecture" rally in front of the CVS site and get yourself on the evening news? Might be a good way to draw some unwelcome attention to what sounds like a real oversight on the part of the city.

Count me in![/color=#CC0000]

[krazeeboi]

The last tag should have been [/color=#CC0000] (the blackslash should have been included).

[waccamatt]

I haven't seen the images or construction for this CVS, but can add some insight about CVS here in DC. DC is absolutely riddled with CVS stores. Because of land values and density in DC, almost all the stores are part of larger buildings, so you don't see stand-alone stores. I can say however that CVS has made many very unpopular building conversions in the city, most notably the beloved Biograph theater in Georgetown is now a CVS. COmmunity protests and boycotts have done little to change their ways, except their stores now feature mid-century photographs of Washington, instead of blank spaces littered with dust bunnies and dead bugs. I've found CVS to be a horrible corporate citizen with an apparent complete lack of employee training programs, as their employees are universally apathetic and misanthropic. I avoid them at all cost. I was back visiting Columbia this spring and my wife and I stopped at the CVS on Knox Abbott in West Columbia for diapers. There were two grandmother types behind the counter and I thought "Wow, I'll finally get some pleasant service at a CVS!" In fact these two grannies turned out to be as surly and bitter as the most hardened DC CVS employee. Maybe that is the goal of whatever training program they do have...

How about all the local UP'ers stage a major "stamp out bad architecture" rally in front of the CVS site and get yourself on the evening news? Might be a good way to draw some unwelcome attention to what sounds like a real oversight on the part of the city.

It doesn't take much to get me out on the street protesting something I don't like, lol.

[Spartan]

The last tag should have been [/color=#CC0000] (the blackslash should have been included).

I added in that slash, and apparantly hex code doesn't work. Its easiest just to type out the color you want like red, green, blue, etc. You can modify it by adding "light" or "dark" infront of it. For example:

[color=blue]BLUE[/color][color=lightblue]LIGHT BLUE[/color][color=darkblue]DARK BLUE[/color]

BLUELIGHT BLUEDARK BLUE

[CorgiMatt]

there used to be a 4 story building there? i remembered there was something, but it felt very suburban...more suburban than the CVS plot, even if it is generic, feels right now.

i'll be pissed if it looks like crap (probably,) but IMO there's bigger fish to fry, like getting more infill on surface lots. Assembly and Gervais anyone?

I walked along the College Street side of the building yesterday. Judging by the framing, it appears that it will have major windows along there, as well as a large door. It might just be a fake door for aesthetics, but I can't think of anything else it would be other than a door or "door." There are already maple trees all along the sidewalk there. Some of the lower limbs could be pruned to give them more of a shade tree appearance. The design looks very interesting so far. Other than the fact that it apparently will not have even the look of a two-story building, I'm holding out hope for a nice looking addition to that area. The building that was there before was not built to the corner as the CVS is.

[Spartan]

Thanks for that update CorgiMatt. I suspect you are right. I refuse to believe that the City would allow a generic suburban box downtown.

[citymouse]

Maybe the Assembly Street CVS will look good, too. If not, we need to call the architectural review board on it. We could flood one of their hearings or meetings or whatever they're called and let them know we won't stand for slackness anymore, no matter who the chain is.

Going to a meeting is a great idea. Although it is much more effective to go when the project is under consideration, but better late than never. We need more people in Columbia to be supportive of good urbanism and strong design regulation. The current design guidelines are better than nothing, but they aren't as strong as they should be. The architectural review board can only enforce the rules that have been adopted by Council. They are doing the best they can with what laws are currently in place. The only people who are vocal to the politicians (the folks who are adopting ordinances) are the developers, many of whom want less and less regulation of downtown property. When this is all the City leaders hear, they have little choice but to respond to it.

[CorgiMatt]

I walked along the College Street side of the building yesterday. Judging by the framing, it appears that it will have major windows along there, as well as a large door. It might just be a fake door for aesthetics, but I can't think of anything else it would be other than a door or "door." There are already maple trees all along the sidewalk there. Some of the lower limbs could be pruned to give them more of a shade tree appearance. The design looks very interesting so far. Other than the fact that it apparently will not have even the look of a two-story building, I'm holding out hope for a nice looking addition to that area. The building that was there before was not built to the corner as the CVS is.

Also, the framing looks like even bigger windows will be along Assembly Street.