Major Huger Street projects were pitched in 2023. Why hasn’t anything been built?
Two highly-visible, long-time vacant lots on Columbia’s Huger Street have since 2023 been slated to see new development, but so far, nothing has been built.
So where do those projects stand today?
Plans for a 250-unit apartment tower on a 2.5-acre portion of the former Kline Iron and Steel property are moving forward. Site plans for the project have been approved, and Trinity Partners earlier this week announced the sale of that property to Silver Hills Development is now final.
But building permits for the project have not yet been issued, the city of Columbia confirmed.
“Because of that, we do not have a confirmed timeline for construction to begin,” a city spokesperson said.
The State has contacted the project’s developer to learn more about the construction timeline but did not immediately hear back.
It’s unclear what the status is for a separate project next door at the former SCANA bus garage site. In 2023, a $100 million apartment project dubbed Huger Flats was approved to receive tax incentives by Richland County. That project is set to take up nine acres on the former bus garage property across the street from The Nine student apartments. It’s also expected to include new sidewalks, a pocket park and a 643-space parking garage. The city of Columbia said it has no information on that project.
The State has reached out to Stratus Property Group, the entity listed on the county tax incentive documents, for more information.
Trending up
New development on Huger Street has boomed in recent years: one new hotel at the corner of Huger and Gervais streets is now operational. A separate hotel project at Senate and Huger streets is also underway. Student apartments on either side of the Blossom Street intersection are also currently under construction.
The Greene Street bridge project, which connects Greene Street to Huger Street, was finished in Dec. 2022. Another road project is in the works between Huger Street and the Congaree River.
That road project will extend the currently dead-ended Williams Street between Blossom and Senate streets, and city leaders expect it to lead to more development near the Congaree riverfront.
Once that roadwork is finished, the city plans to build a “world-class” park on the river’s edge. The City of Columbia is currently considering several high-profile designers for that park.
This story was originally published November 10, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
