Historic Congaree Vista Developments

[Captain Worley]

I honestly don't think that population is large enough to make the argument that we should provide (more) on site parking.

Oh, that wasn't what I was saying. I was trying to point out that people who want to park close to where they are going may have other reasons to do so than laziness, as Waccamatt said.

In general, I agree with him, though.

[krazeeboi]

Per Mayor Bob, the city is concluding the negotiations with the property owner for the 650 space garage on Lady and Lincoln. So I assume once that's wrapped up, construction should begin shortly thereafter.

[Spartan]

I hope that we won't be dissapointed with this garage.

At the very least it should be like the Bookends/Spring St garage in Greenville, though ideally like the garage they were going to build in Five Points.

[krazeeboi]

Something like the Spring St garage would be a good fit, especially given the fact that it has a brick exterior, and we know how much Columbia loves brick in the Vista.

[CorgiMatt]

I hope that we won't be dissapointed with this garage.

At the very least it should be like the Bookends/Spring St garage in Greenville, though ideally like the garage they were going to build in Five Points.

Last I read about this garage, you won't even see the garage from the street, only retail at the sidewalk and residential or offices on the upper floors. It might have been subject to change, though.

[krazeeboi]

There's an article in The State today about how the parking issue associated with the Center Vista proposal might affect the sale of two landmark Vista properties, City Market antiques and Charlton Hall Auctions & Galleries (each are on the market for about $3 million).

The Columbia Planning Commission heard the request by the Miller Valentine Group for the elimination of the parking requirements for Center Vista earlier today.

[krazeeboi]

Something told me that a compromise would be struck. Center Vista is required to provide 100 parking spaces instead of 180.

To break it down, the have developers agreed to:

[krazeeboi]

The Columbia Star's coverage of the CPC meeting with Center Vista on the agenda gives a few more details about the development.

The first phase of the project consists of Parcels I & II and total 89,498 sq ft. Parcel III is left open and paved at the back half of the lot facing Lady Street. Total lot area is 1.35 acres, and the Parcel III lot is .59 acre. Parcels I & II include the existing Columbia Supply building, which becomes a restaurant, and the adjacent new five- story building with the ground floor dedicated to retail. The upper four stories are commercial office space.

Here's a black and white rendering, looking from the southeast block of Gervais and Lincoln:

I like how the office portion of the building is set back from the retail portion. As far as height is concerned, that's no worry at all. It looks like it might be only a little higher than the neighboring Dupree building (which isn't drawn to scale in the rendering), if that.

[krazeeboi]

So what other vacant parcels are there along Gervais between Assembly and Huger that could be filled? Of course, there are the ones at the corner of Gervais and Assembly. There's also one west of Rust. It would be nice to see the Jillians parking area filled in too; a building on that parcel could have the same long and slender configuration as the Jillians building and create something of an alleyway between them.

[Spartan]

just for clarificaiton, we're talking about the darker building in that rendring?

[krazeeboi]

Yes. The Columbia Supply building is to the right of it, and Gervais Place (which houses Starbucks) is on the end. It's somewhat of a crude rendering, but it's the only one we have so far. I hope a more detailed one becomes available soon.

[krazeeboi]

It's too bad that City Market is up for sale; it makes a unique contribution to the Gervais streetscape, and losing an antiques business is always undesirable. It appears as though the Vista has become too successful and is pushing out the very business that helped it become the success that it is today, particularly antiques dealers. It's just a common phenomenon everywhere, sadly.

[krazeeboi]

No comments on the changes happening on Gervais, the heart of the Vista?

[Spartan]

Its a shame that this place is going away, but its now an opportunity for something better. The downside is that its a shift away from the artsy/historic vibe that the Vista seems to want to maintain.

[BrasilnSC]

I heard Hiller Hardware in the Vista is being torn down as we speak. Can anyone confirm that? What's planned for that site?

Edited August 23, 2007 by BrasilnSC

[CorgiMatt]

I heard Hiller Hardware in the Vista is being torn down as we speak. Can anyone confirm that? What's planned for that site?

Only the west wing of it is being torn down. A second level is going to be built on top of the main part of the building for an ale house of some sort, and if I remember correctly from their presentation at the architectural review board hearing, they're going to have rooftop dining. The dumpsters are going to have a built, enclosed area.

[BrasilnSC]

^ Thanks. I had forgotten about the ale house.

[krazeeboi]

Taken 9/1

Battery at Arsenal Hill site:

Colorful, affordable townhomes:

More townhome construction adjacent to the Battery at Arsenal Hill:

CDA Architects and Business Carolina building construction at Huger and Taylor:

[CorgiMatt]

The architectural review board (DDRC) sign is up on the lot at Lady and Huger across from Trustus Theatre for the hotel to present its plan. Also, Trustus is going to have an open house soon to show off its renovated digs. And the interior of the space next to American Apparel is being upfitted.

[krazeeboi]

Can't wait to see renderings for the new hotel. Now if the Kline project could get off the ground, you'd really have a nice stretch of built environment along Gervais and Lady from Assembly all the way to the river.

[johnpro318]

that area by canalside is changing fast. i like it though.

[krazeeboi]

This is from the latest agenda of city council (the 19th):

24. 823 Gervais Street, 816 thru 820 and 824 Lady Street (Center Vista), TMS# 08916-01-04; rezone from M-1, -DP, -DD to PUD-C, -DP, -DD.

Council District: 3

Proposal: Rezone from M-1, -DP, -DD to PUD-C, -DP, -DD to allow the construction of a mixed-use building that will contain office and retail.

Applicant: Gervais and Lincoln, LLC c/o Doug Putlock, Miller-Valentine Construction

PC Recommendation: Approve, 7-0 (8/6/07), provided:

(1) The applicant complies with the staff changes to the Descriptive Statement (revised July 25, 2007), requiring that the development provide at least 97 parking spaces at all times;

(2) The applicant provides bicycle racks and lockers to accommodate 10 bicycles each;

(3) Upon page 8 of the Descriptive Statement, the first sentence of the fourth full paragraph shall include the following underlined language at the following location: At the time that the non-regulatory surface parking is no longer available, the Center Vista project regime shall contract for and have made available the same number of parking spaces . . .;

(4) Parcel 3 is not included in any parking compromises. The reduction to the required number of parking spaces only applies to Parcels 1 and 2; and

(5) Where the Descriptive Statement refers to the applicant contracting with the City to provide parking spaces within the Wayne Street lot, that language shall be amended to allow the City to provide the requisite number of parking spaces within 1,000 feet of the property, generally 2 blocks.

Staff Recommendation: Approve subject to conditions recommended by the Planning Commission

So it looks like the project is officially a go. A gap in the urban fabric of Gervais Street will be filled in rather nicely:

[TheCarolinaKing]

is there gona be a center vista thread?

[krazeeboi]

This thread will suffice, as it was broadened to include all developments in the Vista. If a project is sizable or significant enough, it may warrant its own thread (i.e., Innovista).

[krazeeboi]

Here is the article in The State about this project officially getting the green light. The article said that the parcel facing Lady could have a hotel built there. I think it would be ideal for an Aloft or Hyatt Place or Element. Having two hotels anchor Lady (the other one is about to begin construction at Huger and Lady) would be pretty neat and would definitely raise the status of that corridor. Hopefully that would spark some development towards Park and Wasington; that would help to round out the Vista pretty nicely.

Also, here are detailed renderings from LTC Associates, which is designing the project:

I'm not too keen on the gray part of the facade; to me, it makes the building look somewhat suburbanish--then again, it appears this will be the company's first urban commercial project from looking at their portfolio on the website, so that's not too surprising (I think LS3P or Watson Tate Savory would have been good choices myself; they have designed excellent urban buildings). But on the flip side, it will provide some variation from the brick that dominates Gervais and it is contextual (although it wouldn't be too bad if it tried to make a statement of sorts). It could be one of those things where the finished product looks better than the rendering. So far that's been the case for 1520 Main and the Hilton (in my opinion), so it might happen here as well. The height is somewhat dominating, but having the "tower" portion set back from the street will help it not to be too intimidating to pedestrians. I would like to see the restaurant entrance more prominent and at front and center; I think it's too inconspicuous.

The rendering also has some new windows on the second story of the Columbia Supply building. I actually like the opaque blocks that are there now, but I'd understand the need for regular windows.

In other news, looks like I ran across renderings for the garage to be constructed at Lady and Lincoln:

Not really sure what I think about this. I would have preferred if the entire facade was brick; however, the description talks about "thin brick inserts in the pre-cast panels," so I'm thinking along the lines of the pre-cast panels of the convention center garage (which I don't really care for), but I hope I'm wrong. At least the Lady Street side will get some retail or office space at street level; that will definitely help in making Lady a truly urban corridor.