From lawsuit to listing: Columbia moves to sell former Constan Car Wash land
The city of Columbia plans to sell the former Constan Car Wash property in Five Points, after acquiring the land in a legal settlement with the car wash’s owner, O. Stanley “Chip” Smith.
Local leaders say the site could be redeveloped into housing, though that is just an idea at this point. The city plans to list the property for sale, though a spokesperson could not say when or at what price the property would be listed.
“There is no listing price or agent in place at this time. Now that the purchase is confirmed, the City of Columbia is evaluating next steps to begin the listing process, and a timeline has not yet been finalized,” a spokesperson said.
The city paid Smith $5 million to settle a lawsuit in which a judge had previously sided with Smith and ordered Columbia to pay nearly $6 million with interest factored in. Smith filed the lawsuit against the city after the city removed a retaining wall Smith had built to prevent the car wash business from flooding.
Constan Car Wash operated on Gervais Street in Five Points for more than 70 years, but was forced to close in 2022 and was demolished the next year after the removal of the retaining wall caused the business to flood beyond repair, Smith’s attorney Dick Harpootlian argued in court.
In July 2025, circuit court Judge Robert Hood ruled that Columbia was indeed responsible for the business closing and ordered the city to pay Smith $4.2 million plus interest going back to March 2021, when the wall was removed.
The city settled the lawsuit for $5 million earlier this month, a deal that included the city getting the Constan property at 1950 Gervais St. Ownership of the surrounding property remains with the Smith family, who are also looking to sell the land. Real estate firm Wilson Kibler has listed that property for $1.295 million.
“I definitely think it’s going to be some type of housing, probably market-rate housing,” Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said Wednesday in a meeting with reporters, adding that he would like to see someone purchase the entire site, including what the Smith family is selling and the newly-acquired city property.
“The ideal situation is we want to sell it and whatever we can recoup in that,” Rickenmann said, noting that he thinks the property makes sense for housing because of its size and location. “What can go there depends on how it all plays in zoning.”
Rickenmann added that whatever gets built on the site would have to address flooding issues at the site.
Housing would be a good addition to the district, said Steve Cook, a longtime Five Points restaurateur and member of the Five Points business association, because Five Points does not have many housing options within the district itself.
Most people who live in Five Points live on the periphery of the district, in adjacent neighborhoods like Wales Garden, or in nearby condos or student apartments. “The more people that live in Five Points … is better for everybody,” he said.
Cook said Five Points needs three things to continue to evolve: housing, a hotel and office space. Area businesses would benefit from more customers who can access their favorite shops by just walking out of their homes, Cook said.
A hotel project is already in the works at the former Wells Fargo site at 705 Saluda Ave. For over a year, Gunnar Burts with We Love Five Points, LLC and Webb Yongue with Capstone Property Group have been developing plans for the 8-story hotel and parking garage on the property.
