New apartments for senior veterans planned across from busy Columbia park. What we know
A developer hopes to build 30 new apartments for senior veterans near downtown on Columbia’s North Main Street, according to documents filed with Columbia Board of Zoning Appeals.
Steve McNair with Palmetto Alliance Property Group is proposing the new veterans facility on a property previously occupied by the charter school Midlands Arts Conservatory. That former school, across from Hyatt Park, closed suddenly in 2023 amid budget problems.
The roughly 2.1 acre property at 3806 North Main St. has an existing 21,690-square-foot building, which the developers plan to convert for the new apartments.
The project’s value is estimated at $1.2 million, according to the Board of Zoning Appeals documents.
“There is not only an existing dire need for these facilities but an ever increasing requirement to meet the care of an aging veteran community,” McNair’s application to the city board adds.
The project would seek to build 30 single-occupancy apartments with exercise, recreation and social spaces for the residents, the documents also note.
The developer plans to work with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to staff the apartment complex with physical therapy providers “or other needs including shuttle transportation if needed.”
Columbia’s Board of Zoning Appeals will consider McNair’s application at a regular meeting Thursday at 4 p.m at City Hall.
