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What Should Columbia Do

mainstreeter

By mainstreeter
in Columbia

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CorgiMatt Town

CorgiMatt

Posted
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With SCANA on the move, what should city and business leaders push to minimize the impact? Business? Entertainment? More residential? CITY NEEDS TO STEP UP NOW

The city does need to step up, as discussed in the article this morning, but to put this in perspective as far as bodies and office space vacancy, the city has three years to absorb 450,000 square feet of office space and gain 900 daytime downtown bodies. In the past three years it has absorbed 500,000 square feet. I don't know how many bodies. SCANA will be sorry. But they are not the be all and end all of our growing downtown. By the way, the Barringer Building was on WIS News because they begin leasing in October. And the Sheraton is opening Spring '07. Those will be night time bodies. The city center just has to stay focused and keep doing what it has been doing and we'll be fine.

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Doug L Whistle-Stop

Doug L

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Instead of one company with 500 employees on Main Street we need five new companies with 100 employees each. Once we have that then we should continue to search for more small companies to populate new office buildings in midtown.

Companies are such prostitutes. The bigger they are the bigger prostitutes they are. They care for nothing but their bottom line. Their attitude is to hell with everyone but the company. Many years ago the State Newspaper, the largest company on Main Street at that time, pulled the same trick as SCANA is pulling. Some years later Blue Cross, the largest company in midtown at the time, did the same. Each time a large company departs it causes large problems; so let's not cry over spilled milk and start our search NOW for those small companies.

Our current legislators, both state and federal, are sucking up to these big companies and giving them pretty much what ever they ask for yet the people keep voting these idiots back into office. Go figure!

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waccamatt Town

waccamatt

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Instead of one company with 500 employees on Main Street we need five new companies with 100 employees each. Once we have that then we should continue to search for more small companies to populate new office buildings in midtown.

Companies are such prostitutes. The bigger they are the bigger prostitutes they are. They care for nothing but their bottom line. Their attitude is to hell with everyone but the company. Many years ago the State Newspaper, the largest company on Main Street at that time, pulled the same trick as SCANA is pulling. Some years later Blue Cross, the largest company in midtown at the time, did the same. Each time a large company departs it causes large problems; so let's not cry over spilled milk and start our search NOW for those small companies.

Our current legislators, both state and federal, are sucking up to these big companies and giving them pretty much what ever they ask for yet the people keep voting these idiots back into office. Go figure!

Doug, you are so right; all they care about is the bottom line. What they don't understand is that a booming Columbia means they have more business so they're cutting off their nose to spite their face.

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Spartan Gigalopolis

Spartan

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I know I'd be pissed if I worked at SCANA now. Downtown is a great location for the entire metro. If you live in the Northeast you are pretty much SOL on this decision.

As for Columbia, they need to start marketing now. Start bugging people. If you don't get your name out there then you will never get any interest. Thats really all they can do.

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BryCola Whistle-Stop

BryCola

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But I'm sure the ones who work in Lexington County are pretty happy about that. We're not saying that NO businesses should locate in Lexington County, but an important one like this clearly belongs in DT COlumbia.

Well, I do live in Lexington County, but I imagine my commute will be the same. I'm pissed about this for lots of other reasons...instead of working in a vibrant and booming downtown with TONS of future projects on the way, I'm going to be working in Bum F*** Egypt. For those that don't know where in Lexington County Scana is moving, it's near Dixianna...close to the large postal facility off of 77. So it'll be either bring my lunch to work, eat in the cafeteria, or get in my car and drive...whereas now there are tons of choices within walking distance. I'm still steamed about this, but not a thing I can do. I actually do love working for Scana, just HATE this decision.

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Spartan Gigalopolis

Spartan

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Well, I do live in Lexington County, but I imagine my commute will be the same. I'm pissed about this for lots of other reasons...instead of working in a vibrant and booming downtown with TONS of future projects on the way, I'm going to be working in Bum F*** Egypt. For those that don't know where in Lexington County Scana is moving, it's near Dixianna...close to the large postal facility off of 77. So it'll be either bring my lunch to work, eat in the cafeteria, or get in my car and drive...whereas now there are tons of choices within walking distance. I'm still steamed about this, but not a thing I can do. I actually do love working for Scana, just HATE this decision.

Is it not off of the 12th St extension between Cayce and 77? That is the impression I got from the article.

You are right though. People won't go downtown to eat as much as they used to, as it will take more time out of your lunch hour to drive in to town and find a parking place (good luck) then get to the restaurant. My guess is that the restautaunts along Knox Abbott will see a boost in business.

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krazeeboi Gigalopolis

krazeeboi

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Already there are ideas about what needs to be done downtown to soften the blow of SCANA's eventual departure downtown. Prioreschi is already talking about the possibility of converting some former office space into residential. One good thing that might (should) come out of this is that the city will have to be more aggressive in luring new business downtown. As said developer Wade Caughman said,

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803metlife Hamlet

803metlife

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Already there are ideas about what needs to be done downtown to soften the blow of SCANA's eventual departure downtown. Prioreschi is already talking about the possibility of converting some former office space into residential. One good thing that might (should) come out of this is that the city will have to be more aggressive in luring new business downtown. As said developer Wade Caughman said, “It hurts, but it’s also an opportunity. We haven’t recruited a lot of new businesses to Columbia — now we have to.”

I really do think it's time Columbia get on the ball with recruiting new companies downtown or anywhere. Columbia is hurting when it comes to being a headquarter based city. Charleston and Greenville does a great job when it comes to luring headquarters. We need to step up and be more aggressive. I can't see how the other 2 of the big 3 attracts more head quarters than Cola. Either we need the previous people in charge of this remove or they need to step it up.

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CorgiMatt Town

CorgiMatt

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Posted
Already there are ideas about what needs to be done downtown to soften the blow of SCANA's eventual departure downtown. Prioreschi is already talking about the possibility of converting some former office space into residential. One good thing that might (should) come out of this is that the city will have to be more aggressive in luring new business downtown. As said developer Wade Caughman said,
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pricemiller Unincorporated Area

pricemiller

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I am profoundly disappointed with SCANA's decision to leave the city. Honestly, it makes me want to reconsider moving there. I do know that Columbia has a LOT to offer but I wonder why a Fortune 500 energy company is not enthusiastically involved in the exciting growth of the city and the energy future that the city and the university are doing such great things with. Cayce and its people are great, but imo, Cayce would be better off with the center city growing and being more vibrant than have a campus style office complex in its midst. SCANA must just be a big business rip-off company that does not really care much about the community and who's decision to leave downtown I find to be in direct contradiction to the statements I have read in their web-site: "SCANA and its subsidiaries are actively involved in the neighborhoods in which we live and work, helping them grow and prosper. We regularly invest in education, implement numerous strategies to protect the environment, and work to improve the quality of life for everyone in the communities in which we do business." Is it true that the CEO lives in Charlotte? I personally would rather live in Cola, with or without SCANA. It has the potential to grow up a lot smarter than Charlotte did -- but some leaders in business and the community are making some poor decisions, imo!

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waccamatt Town

waccamatt

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I really do think it's time Columbia get on the ball with recruiting new companies downtown or anywhere. Columbia is hurting when it comes to being a headquarter based city. Charleston and Greenville does a great job when it comes to luring headquarters. We need to step up and be more aggressive. I can't see how the other 2 of the big 3 attracts more head quarters than Cola. Either we need the previous people in charge of this remove or they need to step it up.

What headquarters has Charleston gotten? I know Greenville fairly recently got a bank headquarters.

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803metlife Hamlet

803metlife

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I personally would rather live in Cola, with or without SCANA. It has the potential to grow up a lot smarter than Charlotte did -- but some leaders in business and the community are making some poor decisions, imo!

With the potential of using hydrogen as alternate energy Columbia would be the new Houston. A hub for alternate energy.Its no doubt slowy but surely Columbia is going to be bigger and play a bigger role on americas economy than Charlotte.

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krazeeboi Gigalopolis

krazeeboi

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What headquarters has Charleston gotten? I know Greenville fairly recently got a bank headquarters.

Greenville got a headquarters expansion, not relocation (South Financial Group). As for the Charleston area, it landed the American LaFrance corporate HQ and assembly plant in June and BB&T moved its coastal HQ to Charleston in the earlier part of the year.

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Infinite1 Whistle-Stop

Infinite1

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Greenville got a headquarters expansion, not relocation (South Financial Group). As for the Charleston area, it landed the American LaFrance corporate HQ and assembly plant in June and BB&T moved its coastal HQ to Charleston in the earlier part of the year.

Hagemeyer North America also has its corporate HQ in Charleston and are completing construction of their ne facility and Automated Trading Desk (ATD) also Hq'd in Charleston a couple of years ago.

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803metlife Hamlet

803metlife

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I think Columbia CBD will be just fine, especially since we have 3 years to come up with a plan.

On a positive note... Collexis Inc just moved it's North American Headquarters in Columbia to the Capital City Building. Collexis builds software different from the standard search engine and its ability to search and discover concepts — not just simple text. Columbia's CBD will be fine. 3yrs will give Columbia CBD enough time to fill in the gaps.

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goodbye Metropolitan Area

goodbye

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Posted

Greenville got a headquarters expansion, not relocation (South Financial Group). As for the Charleston area, it landed the American LaFrance corporate HQ and assembly plant in June and BB&T moved its coastal HQ to Charleston in the earlier part of the year.

Waccamatt may have been refering to Palmetto Bank, which did recently announce its HQ move to downtown Greenville. :)

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