24
STEWARD
CASE STUDY: A HISTORY OF PROGRESS AT CANALSIDE IN COLUMBIA, SC
Along the banks of the Congaree River in Columbia, SC, an ominous structure ruled the landscape for more than 125 years. South Carolina’s Central Correctional Institution housed the state’s most ruthless criminals just a stone’s throw away from the SC State House. After extreme overcrowding, the federal government forced the state to create a prisoner reduction program in 1990. After the order, the City of Columbia purchased the land from the State of South Carolina. The city attempted to develop the site themselves which eventually led to the demolition of the prison in 1999. Following a Request for Proposal process from the City of Columbia, The Beach Company was selected to purchase the parcels and lead the redevelopment of the newly vacant land. The Beach Company worked with resident groups to solicit input for what would eventually become the Canalside Lofts and Sola Station developments. The neighborhood was designed to tie into the existing street infrastructure network and to complement the adjacent Riverfront Park with access to the Three Rivers Gateway.
The new vibrant neighborhood provides a welcoming streetscape of mid-rise apartment buildings with more than 700 units and 30,000 square feet of retail space. The apartments have been named “Best of Columbia” by the Free Times for seven years in a row and the retail space is set to be home to Columbia’s first German-style Biergarten. This project reflects the best of our values and touches on each of our pillars: Conserve - clean up the contaminated land; Revitalize - create a vibrant, pedestrian friendly location for residents and citizens to enjoy next to the Riverfront Park walking trail; Impact - enter a new market and turn a place to be avoided into a local destination; Sustain - work with local groups like the Congaree Vista Guild and the Columbia Development Corporation to guide design and amenity specifications and further allow public access along the Esplanade area closest to the riverfront.
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker