From Lots to Paradise: 4 Parcels in Downtown that Columbia must Develop Pt. 1

Everyday during my drive through Columbia I am absolutely amazed at all the development that is going on through the city. With the recently completed Standard adjacent to the Richland County Library that is now home to 800 bright students, the Palms on Lady St. that is the first luxury apartment project in the urban core, and the addition of a new hotel at 1200 Main, amidst a plethora of other developments not listed, our city has continued to grow at a gradual yet blistering pace for a relatively small city, and I am very excited to see what the next 10 years have in store for our city, considering the growth that has occurred in the previous decade.

However, like many cities Columbia has its "dead zones", or areas where there is very little foot traffic, development, and activity that is usually characterized by abandoned buildings or lots that are used for nothing or just simply used as parking. In fact, by looking at imagery of the city from satellite view, one can see several unused lots that, rather than be underutilized, can be developed to create a better Columbia not only for the 130,000 residents, but students and potential transplants from all across the country. Cities all across the US are investing heavily into their downtowns from small towns to large metropolis', so I say why not Columbia? Why not have our city be an inspiration for future smart growth that will transform not only how people live, but how cities are built and viewed. With that being said, here are 4 key locations that I think will change the dynamic of our city for the better. This is part 1 of a two piece series as I try to go in depth about these ideas and proposals.

1. The Vista Parking Lots

Now, many of you guys might be thinking about the Ben Arnold proposal that is occurring behind Tsunami Sushi that is hoping to see a 4 story hotel of 301 rooms and 185 luxury apartments, but this is not the case. Rather, there are two lots that are in a prime location at the NW and SW corners of Gervais and Assembly St, one of the busiest intersections in the city that are occupied by a... parking lot? If you've ever driven through the Vista, right next to Mellow Mushroom and across the street there are two parking lots that, while occasionally busy with locals looking to pay an expensive ticket to park, are otherwise empty and is occupying what could be a game changing location for the Vista, which has a lot of retail... but very little apartment space. For districts such as the Vista, while tourists and college students are nice to drive local spending, adding apartments to the area will ensure that the district will have a steady and constant source of patrons that will help businesses build relationships and a community with locals. There is a reason why cities all across the nation are specifically trying to add apartments in entertainment districts as they are seen as highly desirable locations where residents can walk or take a short drive to work, leisure at the nearby district during their free time, and then call it a night a couple of buildings away.

For these two parcels, the city should look to encourage a developer who would target a mid rise mixed use project, similar to the Palms project in the city which is of similar size. Ideally, a 6 or 7 story mid rise that consists of a timber frame + concrete podium with about 80-100 units per lot would be ideal; it will lower the cost to construct and will allow about 200 residents to occupy a highly desirable location in the heart of the city's entertainment district. Even better would be the addition of amenities such as a rooftop pool or bar that will overlook The Vista and Truist Tower or a courtyard that will allow residents to gather and host events. To further source income to the developers while giving opportunities to entrepreneurs in the area, ground floor retail should be built to give retail owners and restaurateurs a chance to make an impact on our retail and culinary scene. In addition, if the project is able to mirror the brick fa?ade and architecture of the early 1900s, then it will be a huge bonus and will allow the project to fit right into a district that has seen many of these buildings be furnished for modern use while keeping its old charm.

2. 1400 Assembly Street

The northeast corner of 1400 Assembly Street has always intrigued me as a development nerd. It is located right across from the Standard and the Richland County Library while being just one block away from Soda City, the Columbia Art Museum, and thousands of jobs, yet its just a paved parking lot, adding no value in terms of growth and development. This is possibly Columbia's best spot for future development, yet there is no news regarding any prospective ideas. However, I believe that the city should be going all out on getting something built at this surface parking lot, and there is one company that I have in mind that will allow an anchor tenant to be secured for a mixed use high rise that will be a game changer in terms of local development, jobs, and growth.

Scout Motors.

Recently, Richland County has secured a deal with Scout Motors, an affiliate of Volkswagen, to build a $2 billion dollar plant that will be home to EV manufacturing and bring up to 4,000 high paying jobs to the county. While this is absolutely terrific for our county, I think we can do more.

As a supply chain major, I learned that a business is a lot like a mini supply chain; the flow of information within a company must be precise, quick, and reactive with limited distance from headquarters to plants across the nation to ensure quality and communication; think of it in the idea of Last Mile and Stem Distance. This part of the journey of information, services, products is the most important of all the stages because it allows the company to be closest to its consumers, which in this case would be the plant as it serves as Scout's source of manufacturing. In Scout Motors case, their headquarters is in Tysons, VA, which is some 468 miles away from its manufacturing plant in Blythewood, SC. This means that there is quite a distance separating the two, which in turn means that some problems may arise such as a lack of assured quality as monitoring of the plant may be inadequate (executives and employees would need to travel from VA to SC to do so, a lot of time and corporate money wasted when they can simply move close to the plant) and slow implementation of changes to the plant itself as it goes through continuous improvement in the early stages.

If Scout Motors is able to relocate to Columbia however, the plant will be close to the parent company and key information related to Finance, Accounting, HR, amongst all the other departments that are vital to keeping the plant and company running at maximum efficiency. It will also allow a large community of Scout Motors employees from all these departments to call our city home, allowing for further community engagement and development, and the hub of that would be at 1400 Assembly St. This would be our equivalent of Detroit's Renaissance Center, a project that transformed Detroit's Downtown and still does to this day.

When building a high rise, an anchor tenant must be secured to ensure funding and commitment, but once its secured, it will bring with it jobs and companies looking to do business with the anchor tenant. In addition, an anchor tenant will usually pay lower rents and naming rights for advertisement. Combine that with tax breaks, incentives, and other programs, a skyscraper and major employment center will be secured for this address. Furthermore, what's not to like about the surrounding area? 2 blocks away from the Vista and a plethora of dining and leisurely venues, a bustling downtown home to Soda City and other street festivals, and prime talent from the University of South Carolina that will help feed Scout's growth as it takes on internships and entry level jobs. The area is just primed for a major employer, and Scout Motors can be the one we are looking for.

I can just envision it right now, The Scout Motors Tower. A 30 story, 475 ft. high rise mixed used development (would be the tallest in the city) partially designed by our architecture students at the University of South Carolina that features 750,000 sq. ft. of state of the art Class A office space for 3,000 finance, accounting, marketing, HR, and R&D employees, 250 luxury apartments and condominiums for the city's residences and employees, a possible nearby 4 star hotel for executives and prospective clients to stay at with a skybridge connecting the tower and hotel, and of course parking for the many employees that would work at the building.

The impact of this on our downtown and urban core would surpass anything Columbia or the surrounding areas has seen. Apartment projects would be popping up left and right as demand for housing skyrockets across the city. Prospective students would be more likely to attend USC as they see job security and experience with a rapidly rising car giant. Transplants from all across the nation will come to our city, bringing money and experience along with them. The city's reputation in the private sector would increase, making our city more attractive to potential companies for future growth and development. Economic impacts will be in the billions over the next few years. Increased foot traffic and potential for more retail, entertainment, and annual festivals. The potential for growth for the city would be unlimited and rapid.

This would be a monumental achievement not only for the city and region, but for Scout Motors itself and will signal a partnership that will last decades while also opening the doors for rapid downtown development within a growing city, all while we stare at the new landmark skyscraper that occupies 1400 Assembly.