Innovista

[etwas]

Carolinagarnet - I believe I'm the only USC student actually happy that big a$$ surface lot will close for good Saturday!   Now let's hope they start as quickly on that new office building on the Horizon site!

[CorgiMatt]

Carolinagarnet - I believe I'm the only USC student actually happy that big a$$ surface lot will close for good Saturday!   Now let's hope they start as quickly on that new office building on the Horizon site!

Horizon II isn't supposed to be ready for occupancy until 2017, so don't expect the backhoes to arrive anytime real soon.

[lucjanrc]

Here are the renderings for the office building and the student housing complex on the parking lots, respectively.

[growingup15]

Here are the renderings for the office building and the student housing complex on the parking lots, respectively.

Wow Downtown is really going to look full in the next few years. Im excited.

Edited April 22, 2014 by growingup15

[carolinagarnet]

It looks like the Park 7 development at Huger and Blossom is going to start construction this summer. I have to admit, the rendering is a lot different than I recall seeing when it was announced last year. It should bring some nice continuity to the district, even if the color scheme is a little odd.

 

http://www.thestate.com/2014/05/28/3472294/student-housing-deal-at-blossom.html?sp=/99/205/&ihp=1

[TheCarolinaKing]

thats pretty darn fugly!

[CorgiMatt]

I think it's pretty cool-looking.  I love the blue and very soft greenish hue.  They will complement the capitol dome when it re-oxidizes completely.  I'm glad not every apartment complex in Columbia has to fit a preconceived notion of what apartment buildings are supposed to look like.  I'm glad a NYC-based company is eager to do its thing here.  To me CanalSide, developed by the Beach Company of Charleston, is an example to how the look of buildings can grow on you, especially since the trees there are taking on a mature look and complementing the facades in places.  

[growingup15]

I love the design it has a South Florida Beach Hotel look and the size is perfect for that area. Traffic is going to be a nightmare in this area in the next few years. I think its time to Tackle that problem along with this Dorm growth in downtown. 

 

I still think with all this growth its time for the City to look into and Invest into Street cars BRT and LRT. it will shuttle students and normal residents in and out of the city and around. especially with all these new and Future Dorm Condo and Apartment projects coming to Downtown

[mr. chips]

A lot has to do with the type of materials that will be used - we don't need the "ticky-tacky" look in the Innovista. Frankly this picture makes it look "cheap and ugly" - not what we need in the Innovista. It seems a bit like the apartment complex on Assembly and Whaley, which looks like it may fall apart in a few years…Let's hope for something more solid looking that will be around in a 100 years, like some of the historic buildings.

[CorgiMatt]

It's not like it's vinyl siding.  It's solid stuff.

[carolinagarnet]

I assume you're talking about Aspire at Assembly and Whaley and I tend to agree with you. Most developers have a shorter time span that we would like. They build complexes that are easier to construct than the kind of buildings that span the test of time. The dorms planned for the Colonial Life Arena parking lots will revert to USC after 40 years, so you can probably guess the type of material they plan to use. As great as it would be to have solid buildings, it's actually logical to maintain a 20-40 year timeline for new construction. Housing trends change over time, as evidenced by how outdated many places built in the '70s and '80s feel to us now. The color scheme might be an interesting addition since Huger and Blossom is a gateway to the campus. I just hope it doesn't overwhelm nearby projects.

[carolinagarnet]

I just reread an article in the Free Times predicting that the business school would be substantially complete by late June in preparation for student use in August and an official ceremony in September. For those of you in Columbia, does it look like this enough progress has been made for this timeline? The construction webcam only covers the Colonial Life side of the building, so it's hard to gauge progress.

[SouthernBorn]

Two years for a six story building was long. But yes I do feel it'll be done by then if they work a tad bit harder.

[SouthernBorn]

Site Plan/rendering for Assembly, Pendleton, and Park street (120ft building, scroll to pg 30-34 for rendering.)

 

http://www.columbiasc.net/depts/planning-boards-commissions/boza/agendas/20140610/boza-2014-06-10-pkt2-14-027-se.pdf

[etwas]

I walked by yesterday, and I must say it appears much work remains to be done in order to achieve "substantial" completion by months end. Although most of the work that remains appears internal, much remains to be done outside as well. For example, the main entrance is still uncompleted; and siding is missing on all facades, esecially the side facing Koger. Also, sitework/landscaping/concrete for sidewalks/plaza needs to be completed. Though I am no construction expert, that timeline seems a tad over ambitious.

Side note - when I walked by, around 6:45pm, the site was deserted. I thought they'd have some workers going overtime to get it ready..but I could have easily missed people inside that behemoth of a building!

[growingup15]

Site Plan/rendering for Assembly, Pendleton, and Park street (120ft building, scroll to pg 30-34 for rendering.)

 

http://www.columbiasc.net/depts/planning-boards-commissions/boza/agendas/20140610/boza-2014-06-10-pkt2-14-027-se.pdf

Wait where is this. i never heard anything about this.

[SouthernBorn]

Wait where is this. i never heard anything about this.

Lol, I've heard about this for a little over a month. But this'll be in the block in front of the hotel and garage. And in the same block as IHOP across from the capital complex.

Also can we do PM on here? Because I really need to talk to you.

Edited June 6, 2014 by SouthernBorn

[Spes]

I walked by yesterday, and I must say it appears much work remains to be done in order to achieve "substantial" completion by months end. Although most of the work that remains appears internal, much remains to be done outside as well. For example, the main entrance is still uncompleted; and siding is missing on all facades, esecially the side facing Koger. Also, sitework/landscaping/concrete for sidewalks/plaza needs to be completed. Though I am no construction expert, that timeline seems a tad over ambitious.

Side note - when I walked by, around 6:45pm, the site was deserted. I thought they'd have some workers going overtime to get it ready..but I could have easily missed people inside that behemoth of a building!

I remember when the completion date was scheduled for winter 2013. But then some stuff happened and the best thing that could have possibly happened was a postponement to May 2014. http://www.thestate.com/2013/07/10/2855749/new-darla-moore-school-of-business.html. This couldn't possibly be explained by the project just taking a long ass time to complete.

 

To be fair though, paying people overtime would make the whole thing prohibitively more expensive, considering there is no real loss in completing two months later.

Edited June 6, 2014 by Spes

[CorgiMatt]

I read recently in one of the local business journals that there is a shortage of construction workers in South Carolina and that if the state doesn't train more and quit encouraging everyone to either go to college or go to tech to train for a manufacturing job, this state will be in danger of losing out to more populous states where both construction workers and projects are more plentiful.  Maybe the shortage of workers is what's going on here.  Overtime is nice, but if you've been on the job since 7 a.m. it's about time to knock off at 4:30 or 5. 

[carolinagarnet]

One of the local newspapers (don't remember which) interviewed the project manager around the time of the capping ceremony. She seemed confident that they would hit the revised deadline and implied that the extension was not necessary, but would really just reduce the amount of overtime required. I wonder if they hit unexpected snags (weather maybe?), if they are just running behind schedule, or if a lot of the work is just superficial and will be pushed through in the next month or two? 

 

Also regarding the proposed apartments, the 14k sq. ft. of retail on Pendleton and the bike parking make me think that the developers really thought about how the building would interact with the area. With dorms going up in the CLA lots, this building will act as a bridge to the Vista. I know there are some retail spaces along the street already. They were empty last time I visited, but the new construction may create a small stroll district.

[SouthernBorn]

Does anyone else feel there will be more then needed in the market? There's nearly 4,000 beds about to be available by the end of next year.

500 Huger and Blossom

611-701 Park 

520 Pendleton

620 Blossom

710-724 Pulaski and Wayne

659-812 Greene

The Hub

1011 Assembly 1000 Park

Edited June 6, 2014 by SouthernBorn

[carolinagarnet]

Wow, that's a lot of inventory coming onto the market in a relatively small area when you look at it in total. Much of it seems to be geared toward college students and while there is plenty of pent-up demand, I think some of these places may need to compete to attract residents (i.e. first month free). That said, I think there still may be a gap in the market for affordable apartments, but at a slightly higher price point. Some of the older properties downtown will not draw college students, who want the tanning salon, pool, beach volleyball court, but rather young to early career professionals who want something more grown up. These properties lend themselves well to refurbs because the elements you find in those apartments- brick accent walls, higher ceilings, larger windows- cannot be easily replicated. This is definitely a smaller market, so we may not see huge complexes to fill these voids, but there should be a steady stream coming onto the market in the next few years. 

[CorgiMatt]

The head of the Columbia Development Corporation has said they won't all come on line at the same time.  I foresee the need for the apartments as they become available with USC's enrollment continuing to grow.  A record number of applications came in yet again this year.

Edited June 6, 2014 by CorgiMatt

[SouthernBorn]

The head of the Columbia Development Corporation has said they won't all come on line at the same time. I foresee the need for the apartments as they become available with USC's enrollment continuing to grow. A record number of applications came in yet again this year.

Even with them supposedly not all coming on line at the same time that's still a lot. The Hub is 1 month from completion. USC has started on theirs. And 500 huger and blossom will start in a month. The 3-4 housings around Pulaski last I talked to the head of CDC will start sometime in the fall. And not to mention Olympia's new apartments under construction which do attract a lot of college kids.

What I am questioning is how palmetto compress going to fit in with all these college associated things surrounding it?

[carolinagarnet]

I don't see Palmetto Compress coming on to the market for a very long time, if at all. With the number of challenges outlined just from the news stories about the property, I find it hard to believe that the women who took it on will be able to overcome everything. Then again, the Babcock Building is probably in even worse shape, so if that can get done then this probably can too.