Wanted in Columbia: Jillian's closes and Famous Toastery

in

Jillian's closes. Longstanding Columbia bar and restaurant Jillian's is closed. The owners blamed the closing on lost revenue from the floods, but honestly, increased competition is probably more likely to blame. A vacant Jillian's is a massive space in the Vista that is now open to redevelopment. Cola Daily reports "something" is already in the works to replace it.

Famous Toastery. Columbia could always use more breakfast/brunch spots. And one is on the way for Assembly Street. Famous Toastery is slated to take over a section of the old Moe Levy's.

Wanted in Columbia: Brookland, Finlay Park, Arcade Mall, Fresh Market

in

Brookland approved. Not surprising, but the Brookland development in West Columbia was approved last week. Should be a nice development for that side of the river. Now only if they can move the chicken plant.

Finlay Park renovation. Columbia City Council is considering a much needed renovation to Finlay Park. Will be interesting to see if Columbia can find the money to build a flagship park.

Renovation of the Arcade Mall. I discovered this gem walking at lunch on Main Street a few years ago. Excited to see it restored and renovated.

Fresh Market coming to Lexington. The mystery grocery store in Lexington is a Fresh Market. A nice addition to 378.

Wanted in Columbia: Office Space, Brookland and Blaze

in

The State has an interesting article on the office space market in Columbia. I talk to folks all the time who don’t understand how the city can support all the new construction. The reality is that the Columbia area — and especially downtown Columbia — is growing and expanding and demand is strong.

The battle continues in West Columbia about the Brookland development, but with 400 parking spaces, I assume this will win council approval. The Chamber of Commerce has expressed their approval of the project.

Blaze Pizza is opening at Harbison in a few weeks. And as I’ve mentioned before, Del Taco is under construction at Harbison and will be the first in the state.

I'll be rebranding and changing up Wanted in Columbia soon. Look for more details coming soon.

Wanted in Columbia: Forest Acres, Brookland, War Mouth

in

Despite some community resistance, the planning commission in Forest Acres has approved the Cardinal Newman redevelopment plan. It now moves to a council vote. And in West Columbia, the Brookland development is facing opposition to the density of the project. In both cases is that increased traffic is the biggest concern.

And I’m hearing good things about The War Mouth in Cottontown. More independent restaurants is always a good thing. Can’t wait to try it out. And I hope the momentum continues from downtown over Elmwood and up North Main Street.

Still trying to figure out what the next step for my retail blog will be, but until I figure that out, I’ll be posting here on Mondays...

Wanted in Columbia: BullStreet, Free Times and Forest Acres

in

I was traveling last week, but there was a fair amount of retail news.

The State reports that 85 storefronts will be built at the Commons at BullStreet*, opening in the second half of 2016. Still no details on tenants.

The Free Time has a Volume 3 of their “What Columbia Needs” list. A couple of good ones, including a downtown multiplex and downtown small boat landing with parking.

And finally, there is opposition to the development at the old Cardinal Newman school in Forest Acres. I guess, I shouldn’t be surprised, but whatever goes there is going to generate traffic.  I’m not really sure what opponents to the project are expecting… that the property will just sit there unoccupied. Unlikely in such a hot retail corridor. (And yes, I understand that traffic is bad. That’s why companies will want to locate there, because there are potential customers driving by…)

I mentioned in my post on my publishing schedule that I'm thinking about renaming Wanted in Columbia and finding it a new home. Still researching options, but until then, I'll continue to post on Mondays here.

* I hate it when corporations slam words together for unknown reasons. I think they are trying to be edgy by going with "BullStreet" as one word, but it just looks like a typo.

Wanted in Columbia: Mini

in ,

When I was first in the market for a car, many of the dealerships I visited were in one of two places: Two Notch Road in Northeast Columbia and Greystone Boulevard near the zoo.

Greystone still has a concentration of dealerships, but many of the Two Notch dealerships are moving to Killian Road off of I-77. The State has a story about the mass exodus.

Dealerships need a lot of land and really must be close to an interstate. They are moving out the interstates to less developed exits where land is more available and affordable. There is a Honda dealership in Lexington off of 378. Toyota on I-26 past Harbison. Chevy and Hyundai have dealerships at the Clemson Road exit at I-20. And of course, the explosions of dealerships at Killian Road at I-77.

In Columbia, we’ve got almost all the dealerships* that you would expect to find in a city our size with one exception: Mini**. 

2016 Mini Clubman

2016 Mini Clubman

Judging by the number of Minis*** that you see on the road, you’d think there was one in Columbia. But the closest dealerships are located in Charleston, Greenville and Charlotte.

Most Mini dealerships are connected to BMW dealers, and I think that is the problem. BMW of Columbia is located off of Two Notch in a pretty dated facility. I’ve assumed that at some point, that dealership will move and I’ve hoped that when they build a new complex, they’ll make room for a Mini dealership. I’ve long assumed that they will build out around the Killian Road area, but they aren’t mentioned among the dealerships planning to make the move from Two Notch to Killian Road. Until they move, Mini lovers will likely have to drive an hour or more for sales and service.

* I wouldn’t expect to see a Tesla dealership in Columbia anytime soon. But I’d love to see a Supercharger station.

** Mini is #5 on our Wanted in Columbia list.

*** I really like the new Mini Clubman. Might be a possible replacement for my Rabbit in a couple of years… unless I decide to go electric.

Wanted in Columbia: Bull Street and Costco

in

As the Christmas season approaches, I don’t expect much retail news. But there is a little bit:

Bull Street. We’re still waiting for details on Bull Street, which were promised by the end of the year. The Free Times has a story on the development of the property.

Costco. I drove past Piney Grove road the other day and construction is starting on the new Costco.

Wanted in Columbia: Palmetto Compress, Brookland, street names and Muschamp

in

Palmetto Compress. The State had an article about the Palmetto Compress site’s conversion into apartments. It’s an interesting look into renovating a historic building that has been underutilized for decades. The most surprising part to me: They are cutting an atrium into the center of the building.

Brookland. Looks like development will begin soon on the “Brookland” development in West Columbia. Right now, it’s just a big gravel lot on a major road, overlooking the Congaree River. West Columbia’s development is interesting to me. There’s a lot to like about that side of the river. State Street is awesome. The riverfront draws visitors. And then there is the chicken plant. They really need to move the chicken plant.

Street Names: Bull Street has street names. Soon, hopefully, we’ll know the names of some businesses located on those streets.

Muschamp: Welcome to Columbia, coach. We don't have an Apple Store, but we've got pretty much everything else you need.

Wanted in Columbia: New ballpark, Gold’s Gym and Del Taco

in

New ballpark. The Free-Times has a short update on Spirit Communications Park, the ballpark being built at the center of the Bull Street property. It seems to be coming along. I need to drive back in there and check it out. Still no word what will be surrounding it.

Gold’s Gym. Gold’s Gym is undergoing a name change, at least here in Columbia. The franchisee is switching from Gold’s to Müv. Kinda odd, but it sounds like it should pretty much remain the same. Driving through Lexington this weekend, they were in the process of taking down the old signage.

Del Taco. The old car wash on Harbison has been torn down and a Del Taco is under construction. Looks to be the first in the South Carolina. I've never eaten at one, but it looks like a Taco Bell.

Every Monday, I post a Wanted in Columbia update. See the most recent updates on the Wanted in Columbia page.

Wanted in Columbia: Mystery grocery store in Lexington, details x2 and food trucks in a vacant lot

in

Mystery grocery store. Hobby Lobby is coming to 378 in Lexington, along with an undisclosed grocery store. 

The identity of the new grocery store is the interesting thing here. The new Hobby Lobby in Northeast Columbia is getting a Fresh Market as a neighbor. The developer on the Lexington project – S.J. Collins Enterprises — does a lot of work with Whole Foods. Actually, almost all the example projects of their web site are Whole Foods developments.

Something like a Kroger seems more likely, but a Whole Foods or Fresh Market would make sense for the demographics in Lexington. And either of those stores would be a very big deal for that part of the Columbia area.

Details, Part I. The Columbia Star has lots more details, including renderings and site plans, for the Village Square development in Forest Acres that I mentioned last week. Looks like it could be a really nice development and a nice fit for the area.

Details, Part II. Mayor Benjamin commented this week that he expects significant details on the businesses coming to the Bull Street property by the year’s end. Personally, I’d be impressed with a couple of solid anchors and restaurants. I'm still betting on a P.F. Changs, here.

Food trucks in a vacant lot. In West Columbia, there are plans to turn a vacant lot into a food truck court. The idea would be that a selection of food trucks would always be there. Could be awesome, but doesn’t a food truck’s “magic” depend on the sometimes-it’s-there-sometime-it’s-not nature of the fact that it’s a truck. We’ll see, but it’s better than a vacant lot.

Every Monday, I post a Wanted in Columbia update. See the most recent updates on the Wanted in Columbia page.

Wanted in Columbia: Village Square

in

Quiet. Not much to report on this week as the focus for the Midlands area continues to be recovering from the floods. I don't expect many openings between now and the end of the year. Hopefully, we'll be getting updates on the Bull Street development soon. The 2016 minor league baseball season will be here before we know it.

Village Square. The plans to develop the soon to be vacant Cardinal Newman High School spot on Forest Acres looks interesting. The developers also appear to have addressed out-of-the-gate concerns about traffic. The new development will include around 300 apartments and local restaurants and boutiques.

Wanted in Columbia: Red Robin open, Forest Acres announcement

in

Red Robin at Harbison is open. It’s been a while since Spinnakers was open at Columbiana so it seems weird for there to finally be another restaurant in it’s place. With Red Robin and the addition of Dave and Buster’s next year, it’s clear that Columbiana is trying to give other people a reason other than shopping to come to the mall.

Forest Acres announcement. It’s rare for a large block of property to become available in a fast growth area. With Cardinal Newman moving from it’s current Forest Acres location to Northeast Columbia, that entire property will be redeveloped. The Beach Co. will be holding a press conference on Monday to discuss plans for redevelopment of the site. I’d expect some type of mixed-use development retail and condos. And I’d also expect serious discussion about the traffic impact of the project. That section of Forest has some wacky traffic issues.

Wanted in Columbia: Fresh Market, Richland Mall and Malfunction Junction

in

Fresh Market: The State is reporting that a Fresh Market is moving into Northeast Columbia, near Sandhills. A nice addition to that part of town. It’s interesting to me how much Two Notch by Sandhills has become the main conduit for retail growth out that way.

Richland Mall: I was in Richland Mall this week and there isn’t much there other than Belk and Barnes and Noble. When I lived downtown, that was one of my go-to destinations for shopping. I wonder what the future of that mall is. It’s literally built around Belk. Belk was just purchased and Barnes and Noble isn't in the strongest financial position. Seems like it's in a good location, but has been in a consistent slide for the last couple decades.

Malfunction Junction: Columbia really needs to fix Malfunction Junction. It’s a mess, but maybe there is progress on finding the money to fix it. 

Wanted in Columbia: First-to-market retailers

in

I’ve been thinking a lot about the new Bull Street Development. We know their recruiters are targeting first-to-market retailers — companies that are new to the Columbia market. And we also know they are targeting companies interested in reaching the business crowd and students.

I can think of numerous businesses already in Columbia that might want to open an additional location at Bull Street. But new to Columbia? That's a lot tougher. Looking over the Wanted in Columbia list, a couple of options stand out:

  • Ann Taylor
  • Apple Store
  • Chop House
  • Eddie Bauer
  • IMAX
  • Tupelo Honey
  • PF Changs
  • Teavana

None of these stores are in the Columbia market currently and all would be a pretty good fit for the target demographic. Problem is, I don’t see any of them locating to an unproven retail area. If you want to move into the Columbia market, though, your options are limited and Bull Street might be your best bet.*

Harbison** is getting much of the new investment, but it’s pretty much full. There really isn’t any room to build and Red Robin and Dave and Busters just took the last remaining large spots at Columbiana Mall. 

The Vista, Main Street, Forest Acres and Garners Ferry might appeal to some of these companies, but again, there isn’t that much quality space available.

Sandhills is really far out and off the interstate. Lexington is pretty far away from the core, too. If you want to build only one Columbia area store, it’s likely not going to be at Sandhills or in Lexington. And of course, Dutch Square and Columbia Mall are essentially dead. 

So that leaves the Bull Street Property as the best opportunity to move into the Columbia market. 

I think the new retail is going to be a tougher sell until we know what the foot traffic looks like. Restaurants would seem to be an easy fit with the baseball stadium, benefiting from pre- and postgame crowds. I think a top notch movie theater makes sense here because of it’s proximity to campus. (The Dutch Square Theater is nearby, but as we’ve established, Dutch Square is dying…)

We'll see. I'm in the camp that thinks Bull Street will be a success. In my opinion, the fact that no major retailers have been announced yet doesn't mean companies aren't interested. I really do think it's just the way retail works. But until the announcements start coming, we won't know if the types of businesses that will be occupying Bull Street will truly be new to the market, or just more of the same. 

* Another option is that companies don't want to invest in Columbia. And while that might be true, I think it's more likely that they are looking for the right place to invest in Columbia. 

** Look, I know that many of you hate Harbison… I get it. But it’s the place right now that hits most of the demographic check boxes in Columbia right now.

Wanted in Columbia: A new coach and a beer garden

in

Getting back to normal. Things are slowly returning to normal for much of Columbia, but please continue to support those who lost so much in the flood two weeks ago.

Spurrier fired himself. A rough week here in Columbia as Steve Spurrier unexpectedly resigned as football coach at the University of South Carolina. So Columbia needs a new head football coach. The interim coach, Shawn Elliott, beat Vandy. Maybe he wins the job at the end of the season. Maybe we get a new coach. We’ll see in December who gets the gig full time for next year.

Beer Garden. A couple of weeks ago — before the flood — someone had asked me to add “beer garden” to the Wanted in Columbia list. But before I could add it, Hunter Gatherer announced they were opening a beer garden/brewery/event venue in the old hanger at Owen’s Field. Should be cool. Love the look of the old, historical hanger.

I'm posting a weekly Wanted in Columbia update on Mondays. All the updates and the top 10 list are on my Wanted in Columbia page.

Wanted in Columbia: Support

in

So the worst of the flooding is over, but the recovery continues. It’s going to be a while before things are back to normal. So what Columbia needs right now is support. If you can volunteer, there are lots of people who need help. And you can make a huge impact by donating to one of the many organizations helping with the recovery, like Harvest Hope or United Way.

I’ve been amazed by how people in Columbia have responded to the flooding. Everyone has really come together to support the members of our community who lost so much. Just one more reason to love Soda City. 

Wanted in Columbia: Not more rain...

in ,

Wanted in Columbia talks about retail happenings in Columbia and the surrounding area, but right now, it seems silly to talk about a new store or restaurant.

Much of Columbia is underwater. Bridges are washed out. Homes are destroyed. The Forest Acres area – one of my favorite parts of town – is devastated. And this comes after Forest Acres lost a police officer in a shooting earlier this week.

(I’m in Columbia, so my mind is here. But much of our state is devastated, especially the coastal areas like Charleston.)

The Columbia area is hurting. So we need prayers and support. Be safe. Help your neighbors. Thank your first responders. Look out for each other. It’s a long road ahead for recovery and our strength is in our unity.

Red Robin, Vacant Corners, Fast Pizza and Bull Street

in

Red Robin to Columbiana. I ended up at Columbiana this weekend and noticed that the old Spinnakers is being converted to a Red Robin. I’m not surprised that a seated dining is making a return to Columbiana. A little surprised that it’s Red Robin, though. I’ve never seen a Red Robin in a mall. But there are very few locations left around Harbison for a stand alone restaurant so this might have been their best option.

The State talks corners. If you’ve spent any time in downtown Columbia, you’ve noticed that numerous corners at major intersections are undeveloped or underdeveloped. The State gets to the bottom of it. I’m not sure the “city needs to add parking to spur development” argument makes a lot of sense. Basically, until these landowners decide to develop, we’ll have parking lots at major corners.

Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza. The State reported this week that Harbison will be getting a new pizza restaurant endorsed by LeBron James. It’s over near Academy and Guitar Center. Never heard of the franchise, but it sounds interesting.

Recruiting business for Bull Street. I’m more optimistic than most about the Bull Street Development than most. I stumbled across the Lennar Commercial retail recruiting site for Bull Street Commons. They are promoting the baseball team, the University and the downtown professional crowd to help sell the property. My guess is that this will be mostly bars and restaurants first, with retail following. They’ve said in the past that they are lining up retail partners that are first in this market and some that are first to the state. We’ll see. It would make a logical place for a P.F. Chang's…

I'm going to start posting a Wanted in Columbia update every Monday. Check out past posts, and the top 10 list, at my Wanted in Columbia page.

Costco to Piney Grove? →

in

The State is reporting that Costco is in negotiations (again) to move into the 17 acre location off Piney Grove Road near Harbison. This is the same location they were close to securing a few years ago, but a disagreement with Richland County about who would pay for needed road upgrades sidetracked the plans. I had heard rumors that a few other locations were in play as well, but it looks like this is where they want to be. It really is the option in Columbia that best fits their typical store size and location. Will be interesting to see if it really happens this time.