Early Columbia Main Street fixture to become restaurant, apartments
A fixture of Columbia’s early Main Street is poised for new life. The nearly 130-year-old J. L. Shull Building at 1612 Main St. is set to become a restaurant and apartments as the property’s owner plans a renovation of the historic site.
Built in 1897, the property has been host to various storefronts over the years, including the men’s clothing store National Shirt Shops that had locations across the country in the early and mid 20th century.
Property owner Jin Young Paik received design approval Thursday from a city board to rehabilitate the site. The plans include a restaurant on the ground floor, and two apartments on the second floor.
The owner plans to keep much of the existing 1950s storefront, while adding a separate entry for the upstairs apartments. The work will also restore some features that have been lost over time, including reopening second-floor window openings that were bricked in.
Documents submitted to Columbia’s new Historic Preservation Design Review Commission don’t specify what kind of restaurant may go into the first floor space. The project also includes plans to build a new deck for outdoor seating at the back of the property.
The design board signed off on the plans at a regular meeting Thursday, and also approved historic tax credits for the project. A timeline for the project was not immediately available.
