Streetscaping projects painful but essential

By BOB COBLE - Guest Columnist

I wanted to comment on Robert Ariail’s Sunday cartoon. While it certainly depicts the disruptive negative impact a streetscaping project can have on the effected businesses, I believe that failure to invest in and modernize our infrastructure has proven to cause not just a business to fail but an entire area to fail.

Columbia has completed a number of streetscaping and infrastructure projects over the last two years that have dramatically changed our city. Main Street, Harden Street in Five Points, Two Notch Road and Lady Street have seen significant improvements. Now the city is beginning to streetscape and upgrade the infrastructure on additional blocks of Main Street and North Main Street.

Streetscaping projects are done to both replace aging infrastructure and revitalize an area. The Harden Street project in Five Points was done to replace aging water, sewer and storm mains that threatened to collapse at any moment. Facing the need to replace those mains immediately, the city had an opportunity to make other improvements that would improve safety and mobility, enhance a major commercial corridor and promote economic development. We will do the same for North Main Street. The evidence is clear that while the construction period is very painful for the public and especially the small businesses in the area, not replacing aging infrastructure is irresponsible and devastating to an area in the long run.

Additionally, it is critically important to the Columbia region’s economy that we have a vibrant and strong downtown. Columbia’s Main Street, a part of our downtown along with the Vista, Innovista and the riverfront, has gone through a transformation in the last five years. The critical part of this transformation has been the streetscaping project. Two new office towers, the Meridian and the First Citizens building, have been completed, and a third office tower is staring construction now. Wachovia chose to locate its headquarters on Main Street. The office occupancy rate for class A space for 2007 is 89.44 percent. The Marriott has replaced the Adams Mark. The new Sheraton in the renovated historic Palmetto Building is almost complete. The city and the City Center Partnership have completed the retail strategic plan, and they have hired a retail recruiter.

Citizens and the media have asked legitimate questions about why we start a streetscaping project before we have all the money necessary to complete the entire street, and why we start more than one project at the same time.

The city does many of our streetscaping and infrastructure projects in phases, such as Main Street and the Five Points. North Main Street will also be done in phases. These projects are funded through various revenue sources including city funds, state funds and federal grants. We are very appreciative for the hard work of Congressman Clyburn, Sen. Graham and former Sen. Hollings to secure federal funding for both North Main and Harden streets. We are also appreciative of the S.C. Department of Transportation and former Commissioner John Hardee for funding for the Two Notch Road and North Main Street projects, which are state projects.

It is impossible to secure all the funds needed for a major streetscaping project in one budget year. Additionally, it is virtually impossible to continue to receive federal funding over the years for projects that have not started. Just as importantly, construction inflation runs between 10 percent and 20 percent per year, meaning that if you waited to start until all the money necessary was awarded, the cost of the project would have risen dramatically.

Since funding sources and construction inflation make starting in phases necessary, the city will have more than one project occurring at the same time. The city must bid and start these projects when enough funding is in place for a beginning phase, the engineering and design is complete and the necessary easements are secured. To do otherwise would mean we would never replace obsolete infrastructure.

Columbia is going through the greatest renaissance in our history. Innovista will transform our economy and create high-wage jobs. The heart of Columbia from the riverfront, downtown and Five Points to Read Street has been revitalized. Private investment, both residential and commercial, has exploded. We have stronger neighborhoods with more residents, more homeowners and greater home values in Columbia. We have achieved this growth with a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Investment in our infrastructure is a critical part of this renaissance.

Mr. Coble is mayor of Columbia.