The Vista in Columbia is getting a $1M beautification upgrade. Here’s what’s changing
Work is now underway for a nearly $1 million beautification project five years in the making in Columbia’s Vista district downtown.
The renovations will be made on Park Street between Gervais Street and Senate Streets facing several restaurants, according to the Congaree Vista Guild, a nonprofit organization that represents businesses in the district. The project came about in 2016 after board members from the guild reached out to the city to make improvements in the area with “an emphasis on pedestrian safety,” Columbia utilities spokesman Robert Yanity said in an email.
The project, which is projected to be finished by this fall, will involve adding outdoor seating, better lighting, landscaping and sidewalks, according to the guild’s website. It was given a budget of $947,204 with funding from a transportation penny sales tax funds and city funds, Yanity said in an email.
There are currently sidewalks in the area, Yanity said, but the new sidewalks will be updated to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Some ADA compliance regulations for sidewalks include having curb ramps, sidewalk slopes and ensuring that the sidewalk is a minimum of 3 feet wide. If the sidewalk is less than 5 feet wide, passing spaces must be available every 200 feet.
Restaurants and bars on Park Street will remain open during the construction, according to the guild, including:
- The Oyster Bar of Columbia
- Republic Biergarten & Kitchen
- Pot Smokers BBQ
- Monterrey Mexican Restaurant
- Pearlz Oyster Bar
