Vacant lot near a Columbia college set to become new housing. What to know
A new townhome project with a courtyard and green space is being planned for a vacant lot in Columbia’s Eau Claire neighborhood, across North Main Street from Columbia College, according to plans filed with the city’s Design/Development Review Commission.
The project could hold as many as 16 families, with plans for four townhomes, each with four, two-story units, according to the plans.
The new housing would sit near the corner of North Main Street and Columbia College Drive, behind the CVS already at that corner. An average of 16,000 cars traverse that section of North Main each day, according to state Department of Transportation data.
The plans also include a 6-8 foot privacy fence around the perimeter of the development.
The new project would join a number of other new townhome developments coming online in the Midlands.
A 52-unit townhome project is being planned in West Columbia, along with five other projects in the works in that city. Luxury townhomes are still in the works at Columbia’s BullStreet District, and Richland County approved 48 permits for townhome construction in 2024.
A $38.5 million “townhome-style” rental community has also been proposed for a parcel near Farrow and Clemson roads.
Local real estate experts say the projects are not overwhelming the housing market but they have picked up in popularity. Civic leaders agree that more housing is needed in the Midlands, as Richland and Lexington counties are projected to add more than 50,000 new people by 2040.
Columbia’s DDRC will consider the North Main Street townhomes at a meeting Thursday.
