Main Street thriving with business and people, but gaps remain with North Main

On Tuesday, at the dedication of Nickelodeon Theater’s second screen on Main Street, executive director Andy Smith recalled for the audience that when the group first purchased the building 10 years ago, “everyone thought the street was going in the wrong direction.”

“On the weekend, you didn’t have to look for a place to park, you just pulled up in front of the building,” he said. “Now, good luck finding a parking spot on the block on a Saturday morning because it’s going to be packed with people.”

Everyone applauded. Such is the turnaround on Main Street.

Main Street is booming with the influx of new businesses such as Mast General Store and from the 850 or so students now living at The Hub in the 21-story former Palmetto Center building. But the gap between Main Street and any development on North Main – or even north of Laurel Street, for that matter – is wide.

It’s a development gulch that many say should be bridged before success starts moving north.

The Main Street streetscaping project, completed in 2010, only went to Blanding Street, just south of the Richland County Courthouse. The North Main Street streetscaping started at Elmwood Avenue and went north.

That left a four-block section unimproved and lined with government buildings, large office towers, two homeless services centers and one magnificent new Greek Orthodox Church.

“Part of the challenge is making an attractive, easy connection between Main and North Main,” said Matt Kennell, president and CEO of City Center Partnership, which guides and encourages investment in Columbia’s central business district.

“That connection, and getting people across Elmwood is important, and it’s not easy,” he said. “But we need that intersection improved.”

Kennell noted that “to do it right,” streetscaping the stretch would cost $2 million a block – or $8 million, not including intersection improvements.

“But I would argue that there is a tremendous return on investment,” he said.

While plans are being developed to complete the project at a cost of $12 million, no money has yet been allocated and no timetable has been set, according to the city engineer’s office.

Kennell estimated that for each $2 million spent per block, Main Street has seen $100 million in investment.

He predicted that if properly connected, the two districts would work hand in glove.

North Main “lends itself well to urban in-fill development,” he said. “You can develop those lots with parking, something we can’t do on the lower end. A City Wal-Mart couldn’t be in the Vista or Main Street. But (Main street residents and visitors) could support what is going on there.”

One perceived problem with bridging the gap is the presence of large numbers of homeless people who access services at the Transitions service center at the southwest corner of Main and Elmwood and Hope Plaza, a homeless service center operated by Christ Central Ministries, on the southeast corner.

But Kennell noted the same concerns were voiced about Main Street. “I don’t think it really is a problem,” he said. “I think there was some legitimate concern, initially, but really no problems have materialized. Those facilities do a good job. People were just worried about the unknown.”

This story was originally published April 19, 2015 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Main Street thriving with business and people, but gaps remain with North Main."