300-unit apartment development seeks zoning exception in growing part of Columbia
A 300-unit apartment development could be coming to Fort Jackson Boulevard in one of the latest housing proposals in Richland County.
Ownership group FHT II of Richland County applied for a zoning exception to allow a vacant tract of land along Fort Jackson Boulevard slightly east of the Fort Jackson Boulevard/Interstate 77 interchange to be turned into a $60 million housing development, Columbia public records show. The proposed location is not far off the bustling Garners Ferry Road corridor.
Initial plans for the rental community include a walking trail, clubhouse with leasing office, resident lounge and fitness center, swimming pool, pavilion and grilling areas, according to the zoning request. Parking would also be provided.
The site this is proposed on has never been developed, and it “will positively impact the surrounding area,” the applicant said in the zoning request.
Single-family homes in Brandon Acres already exist on the site’s northern boundary, and interstate roads and wetlands surround the rest of the site.
If approved, the community, which the applicant describes as high-end, could be a catalyst for more growth along Fort Jackson Boulevard, according to the zoning request.
It would create a “village-like walkable environment” that compliments existing developments and would be compatible with the surrounding land which is likely to be developed with retail, hospitality or residential uses, the zoning request states.
“It will provide an economic boost to the area, its use is compatible with surrounding uses and will complement them, and it will diversify housing options in this corridor,” the zoning request states.
The request is set to be heard at Columbia’s March 2 Board of Zoning Appeals meeting.
The applicant declined to comment until at least March 2.
This story was originally published February 20, 2023 at 11:55 AM.
