COLUMBIA, S.C. — Changes are planned for Columbia's Congaree Vista District. Richland County Council approved a plan Tuesday which will bring a $181 million development to an area in Columbia, adding housing to what has traditionally been known for shopping and entertainment.
“It very much is definitely the next wave for the Vista,” said Rosie Craig, a founder of the Vista Guild and current chair of its development committee
The city and county approved the plan which is called the Project Vista Depot District.
Ryan Coleman is the director of economic development for the City of Columbia.
“I think it's going to do a lot to kind of tie the whole area together and centralize it,” Coleman said. “It'll make it easy and more walkable and more friendly to get around.”
According to paperwork filed with the City of Columbia, the plan calls for a new hotel, an apartment complex, a parking garage and more at 700 Gervais Street and 1100 Wayne Street.
“It's a 300 room hotel project,” Coleman said. “It'll be one of our largest hotels. It's a four-star full-service hotel amenity. There's 183 units of multifamily attached to it. The hotel is 11 stories, going to have a rooftop restaurant and bar so awesome visibility all across the city of Columbia and down to the Vista riverfront.”
Craig says she’s looking forward to the development.
“It's a sizable piece of land--it's 11 acres," Craig said. “They're going to make it a great asset for all of us. So my first reaction was excited.”
Richland County says the development will bring 160 permanent jobs and the development group will be taking on infrastructure upgrades in the area. These include making Wayne Street a two-way rather than one-way street, putting pedestrian access to connect Gervais Street to the Colonial Life Arena area, making sidewalk repairs, and adding streetlights and landscaping.
“Anything that can help the Vista out and bring more people downtown and make it look good, I think it's a great idea,” said Chris Miller.
Miller is a supervisor at Whit Ash Furniture, a business on Gervais that will be a neighbor to the new development.
“There's a couple of businesses especially on Gervais Street that really don’t have much parking at all and people have to walk to it,” Miller said. “and it's a little bit difficult for them because people have to walk to it from a distance but if they can park and make it closer, it would definitely help out some of the new restaurants coming to town.”
Guy Jones owns River Runner Outdoor Center. He hopes the development will help increase foot traffic and support businesses.
“We'd like the Vista to be walkable, friendly to pedestrians,” Jones said. “So any improvements to the streetscape would be a very useful thing.”
The county says construction is expected to begin early next year, and finish in around three years.