Lady Street is construction central in downtown Columbia. Where 3 big projects stand
Cranes are at BullStreet and work is set to begin on a new student apartment tower on Assembly Street, but downtown Columbia’s construction central is Lady Street.
Three major projects representing tens of millions of dollars in investment are underway along a four-block stretch of the downtown corridor running through the Vista and Main Street districts. When they’re complete — one as soon as this fall, one early next year and the third by next summer — they’ll add hundreds of new residents, rooms for visitors and retail and entertainment space to the capital city.
“Downtown’s rocking and rolling. I mean, we were very careful, even in the heat of the pandemic, to make construction an essential service so that we wouldn’t slow down the wonderful private development happening in the city,” Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin said. “This is an attractive place to invest.”
The three construction projects underway on Lady Street are The Lady apartments, at the corner of Sumter and Lady streets; The Palms apartment and retail complex expansion at the corner of Assembly and Lady; and the Choice Cambria hotel at the corner of Park and Lady.
“We haven’t had a new-construction residential project (like The Palms) for probably 20 years; they’ve all been historic rehab projects. So this will bring a new element,” said Matt Kennell, director of the City Center Partnership and Main Street District. “Then you’ve got the beautifully done historic property there on The Lady, where they’ve fussed over every detail. ...
“We’ve got two great (residential) projects coming online, plus an upscale hotel. It’ll be one of our most upscale in town.”
These three join other new developments underway or planned downtown, including The Nine student apartments, which are nearly completed on Huger Street, and The Standard student apartment tower, which will break ground soon on Assembly Street beside Richland Library. Just beyond the Main Street District, the BullStreet District is home to multiple construction crews as work moves along on the Babcock Building apartments, the WestLawn office building and upcoming parking garages.
Here’s an update on the Lady Street projects, including when they’re expected to be complete.
The Lady apartments
With 109 apartments built into three renovated buildings — spanning a century of construction and design eras — The Lady is the newest residential historic rehabilitation project to open downtown.
Starting next month, residents will begin moving into units that range from studios to three bedrooms, with rents starting around $1,200 for studios, up to around $1,400 for two-bedroom units, and more for the limited three-bedroom units, according to Julie Tuttle, a representative of Styx Co. development group.
Construction on the entire complex, which includes a three-story, six-story and 10-story building, should be complete by the end of October, Tuttle said.
“We’re excited to get some folks in there and living there. That will put more people on the street for downtown Columbia,” Tuttle said. “Main Street’s done very well; it’s thriving at this point, so we think our block is the next iteration.”
In addition to the apartments and amenities that include a fitness and yoga room, shared dining space, business and coworker space, bike storage and pet-washing station, The Lady complex includes available commercial space. Already, Tribe yoga studio has opened on the ground floor of one building, and a dentist office is on the sixth floor of another.
“I think there’s some pent-up demand for being downtown, in general, and being as close as we are to the action of Main Street and the Vista, the market is really right for our type of community to come online,” Tuttle said.
The Palms apartments
Only a few months after The Lady opens to its residents, another 83 apartments will be completed at the new extension of The Palms complex by Arnold Companies development group.
Work is well underway on the $20 million, six-story construction at the corner of Assembly and Lady streets, which will feature one- and two-bedroom apartments accommodating around 120 residents, who should be moving in early next year, said Ben Arnold, CEO of Arnold Companies.
Arnold described the new phase of The Palms apartments as “something exceptional” and a different look and feel compared to the complex’s earlier apartments, which sit above Cantina 76 restaurant at Lady and Main streets.
“Sometimes you want something brand new with all the bells and whistles,” Arnold said. “I think there’s a segment that wants a real urban, ‘class A’ feel.”
The apartments will come with modern finishes, 8-foot windows in some units, 10-foot ceilings in some, and features such as keyless entry. They’ll also have on-site parking, a shared pool and fitness space with the existing Palms apartments, and a new indoor-outdoor social area on the top floor.
On the ground floor, new restaurant and retail space will become another bridge between the Main Street and Vista districts, Arnold said.
Cambria Hotel
Choice Hotels chain broke ground earlier this year on its 144-room Cambria brand hotel at the corner of Park and Lady streets.
Already rising from the ground, the Cambria is on track to open next summer, said Brad Davis, vice president of business development for McCrory Construction, which is building the project.
“The cool thing about this one, I think, that really brings Lady Street to life is the corner entry,” Davis said. “(It will be) welcoming for foot traffic for people on Park and Lady and story of pulling them in. ... They’re hoping that it’s not just another hotel that people kind of walk past, if they’re local, but it welcomes people in.”
In addition to upscale rooms, the Cambria also will have a restaurant and bar area, aimed at drawing in more than just hotel guests.
A local interior designer plans to draw elements from the character of the Vista to create a unique, local feeling inside the hotel, Davis said.
“It’s going to be a cool place in a great location,” he said.
