Vista beautification projects near completion
December 14, 2021
Vista Improvement Projects Nearing Completion New Businesses Opening in Area
New development is occurring in the Congaree Vista with improvement projects nearing completion and new businesses opening soon.
The Park Street beautification project is essentially finished with ADA compliant sidewalks and landscaping. Additionally, outdoor seating for visitors and improved lighting are still to come. Restaurants along the street are open for guests. Improvements have made the area more welcoming and attractive to Vista patrons.
Boku Kitchen and Saloon, a taco and ramen restaurant, will be opening soon at 916 Gervais Street. It is dog-friendly and offers igloo dining outdoors for year-round seating.
The Donut Guy will be opening soon at 1215 Lincoln Street, offering hot mini yeast/cake donuts with a variety of toppings (including maple glaze and bacon).
Cambria Hotel, part of the Choice Hotel chain, will be opening in the spring of 2022 at the corner of Park and Lady Streets.
City Grit is a new food and specialty market offering artisan goods, house-made dips, sweets, beer, wine and gifts. It also offers gourmet take-away and family meals, including seasonal and holiday dinners. It is now open at 707 Gervais Street.
The Greene Street Phase II improvement project taking place in the Congaree Vista is scheduled for completion in January. It is part of an overall plan by community and business leaders to open downtown Columbia to the Congaree Riverfront. Visitors to the area will see much-needed improvements including more pedestrian and bike access to the area.
Part of the Richland County Transportation Penny Program, the project is a $21.2M project that continues improvements along Greene Street from Gadsden to Assembly Streets. It includes the addition of sidewalks and dedicated bike lanes from Huger to Gadsden Streets as well as the construction of a new two-lane bridge with sidewalks and dedicated bike lanes over the Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation railroads to reconnect Greene Street.
The installation of a shade structure along the bridge over the sidewalks is expected to be installed by June of 2022. At that time, Greene Street will be open to drivers and pedestrians. Devine and Gadsden Streets at the Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation railroad crossings will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians once the Greene Street bridge is open.
About the Congaree Vista Guild
The Congaree Vista Guild is a nonprofit, membership-based organization charged with seeing that Columbia’s Vista, which is an official South Carolina Cultural District, is a vibrant symbol of our progressive Southern city. Led by a 14-member Board of Directors representing a variety of business sectors, the Congaree Vista Guild and its members are dedicated to making the Vista the place of choice for shopping, dining and entertainment, a national and international tourist destination, and a high-energy urban environment to live and grow businesses.
