BullStreet lands Downtown Church

Downtown Church, a Presbyterian congregation based in Columbia, is moving to BullStreet.

The congregation, which now meets at 701 Whaley in Olympia, will relocate to BullStreet's Central Energy Facility, located near the corner of Calhoun and Gregg streets.

The 12,731 square foot building was donated to the church by BullStreet master developer Hughes Development Corp. of Greenville. The church plans a $2 million renovation project, but no construction schedule has been set.

“We are interested in the success of the BullStreet neighborhood, and we are excited about the move,” said church co-pastor Amos Disasa. “Hughes has been supportive of our mission from the beginning, and I think we’ve all been energized by the creative process that would result in a new use of an energy building.”

BullStreet is the name of the redevelopment of the 181-acre former S.C. State Hospital campus in Columbia. Envisioned since the 1990s, it is considered the largest land deal in Columbia history.

The church joins several tenants who have moved into renovated or new structures on the site, which is anchored by a year-old $37 million mostly taxpayer-funded minor league baseball stadium called Spirit Communications Park.

Among other BullStreet developments:

▪  TCube Solutions, a software services provider will move into the 25,000-square-foot third floor of the First Base Building, a four-story, 100,000-square-foot office and retail building built by Hughes Development adjacent to the ball park.

▪  The Ogletree Deakins law firm currently occupies the entire top floor of the First Base Building.

▪  Founders Federal Credit Union. The credit union has opened a 2,900-square-foot branch on the First Base Building’s first floor.

▪  SOCO and The Iron Yard co-working collaborative have located in the The Bakery, a renovated building on the property.

▪  Parker Annex, which used to house African-American patients, has been renovated and is for sale.

▪  Ensor, the hospital’s former morgue and research laboratory, is being gutted and renovated for a restaurant and offices.

▪  The massive and landmark Babcock Building is being targeted for apartments.

▪  And the University of South Carolina has announced it will move it medical school to the campus.

Downtown Church was founded in 2012 and has since outgrown its space at 701 Whaley, said co-pastor Dawn Hyde.

The church doesn’t intend for the new building to be a typical church structure, she said. It will keep the industrial look of the building and feature a stage situated in front of a roll-up garage door to support indoor and outdoor events.

“We want the space to be like a public park – a place where the community can gather,” she said.

This story was originally published February 28, 2017 at 11:12 AM with the headline "BullStreet lands Downtown Church."