Vacant auto shop in growing Columbia neighborhood slated for new life. Here’s what’s planned
A long-vacant former auto-shop will soon become one of the largest gathering spaces for artists in the Midlands.
Ron Hagell has been dreaming about launching the Gemini Arts studio space and artists’ collective since 2022, and now the work is close to finished. Hagell is seeking renters for studio space and thinks artists will be able to start working in their studios in the next few months.
The building at 2847 Commerce Drive is just around the corner from the Hunter-Gatherer Brewery and City Roots farm, near the Rosewood and South Kilbourne neighborhoods.
The building’s current owner is Richard Burts, who ran several famous Five Points establishments over the years, including Saluda’s. Burts also restored the historic 701 Whaley building into a successful event space in Columbia’s Olympia neighborhood.
Hagell is leasing about two-thirds of the Commerce Drive building for the art studios and gallery space.
The property was built in 1963 as an automotive business, but it’s been empty for years. Burts purchased the property via a Limited Liability Company in 2022.
Hagell said this was around the time he was trying to start a nonprofit arts organization and while he was seeking studio space of his own for painting. After a few conversations, Hagell decided to lead the charge on a new gathering space for Midlands artists.
He said while studio space is available in the Columbia area, there are not many places where artists can gather and work together.
“It’s something that’s needed in the cultural scene of Columbia,” Hagell said.
The city of Columbia is helping with the renovation with a $50,000 grant, former councilman Howard Duvall confirmed.
Gemini Arts will include rentable, private studio space for local artists, a ceramic workshop space with pottery wheels and a kiln, and other flexible-use space, as well as a rotating exhibit of art from Midlands creatives. Hagell is hoping the space will accommodate up to 25 artists at a time.
“When this thing is fully operational, it will be the largest group of artists in the Midlands working in one place,” he said.
The building still needs some work. In the last year, Hagell and Burts have worked to clear the 1970s decor and two-toned wallpaper from the old-school office space.
Hagell is just beginning to rent out spaces in the studio, but he said he’s had dozens of interested artists reach out. Hagell has hosted a number of pop-up art exhibitions in the Commerce Drive space while renovations have been underway. When people come by, they tell him it feels like when the Vista first started taking off as an artists’ hub.
With City Roots, Hunter-Gatherer and a new event space on Edisto Avenue, Hagell said now feels like a good time to be adding something to the growing South Kilbourne/Rosewood area.
“This is kind of a happening location,” he said.
