EXCLUSIVE: Luxury town homes planned for former State Hospital
Plans for the first new luxury town homes in the BullStreet redevelopment project will be announced Thursday.
The Terranova Group of Greenville intends to build 28 luxury town homes at BullStreet, site of the former State Hospital. The town homes will be on Calhoun Street, between the historic Parker Annex building, which has recently been remodeled for offices, and the iconic Babcock Building, which is being pegged for apartments.
The development, called TownPark at BullStreet, will be two and three stories with prices ranging from the low $300,000s to the low $400,000s, respectively, said agent Graeme Moore of The Moore Company, exclusive broker for the project. The development is just inside the site’s historic brick wall, a short walk from the Spirit Communications Park minor league baseball stadium.
“It’s the first for-sale residential offering at BullStreet,” Moore said. “We think it’s a great location, tucked away just enough.”
BullStreet is considered the biggest land deal in modern Columbia history. At 181 acres, it is a mammoth undertaking that has not been without its drawbacks. An ambitious, planned 80-store retail and residential district has yet to take off, and plans for a luxury 10-screen theater project were canceled at the first of the year.
However, the centerpiece of the development – the $37 million, mostly public-funded Spirit Communications Park, home of the Class A Fireflies – set all-time professional baseball attendance records for Columbia last season. And the Fireflies, whose second season in Columbia begins today, have landed a coup – quarterback turned celebrity turned baseball hopeful Tim Tebow.
Also, plans have been announced for the Babcock apartments, a new medical school campus for the University of South Carolina, and an active senior living development.
“I think town homes fit perfectly with our vision for the development, which is to create a dense urban environment,” said Robert Hughes of Greenville’s Hughes Development, which serves as master developer for the entire campus. “Having people living on the site in the neighborhood 24-7 will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the neighborhood while also serving as catalyst for further development.”
Construction of TownPark at BullSteet should begin in September, with move-in set for the first of next year, said developer Matt Grandy of Terranova.
“I think (BullStreet) is going to be a go-to spot for Columbia,” he said. “Centrally located. Eight blocks from the State House and the university. And we like the historic nature of the BullStreet development.”
The town homes are in a neo-classical style somewhat echoing the style of the Babcock building. They are to be built in an open square with a private park in the middle. All the homes will have a garage, rooftop terrace and contemporary finish.
“It’s classic meets modern,” Moore said. “Urban. Sleek. Convenient.”
About BullStreet
▪ Site of former S.C. State Hospital, which accepted its first mental patient in December 1828.
▪ The state Mental Health Commission announced plans in 1998 to move patients to northeast Richland County, freeing the Bull Street property for redevelopment.
▪ TownPark at BullStreet will have 28 luxury town homes costing up to the low $400,000s.
▪ Construction on TownPark will begin in September, with residents beginning to move in early next year.
This story was originally published April 6, 2017 at 12:01 AM with the headline "EXCLUSIVE: Luxury town homes planned for former State Hospital."