NAI Avant collaborates with three leading SC partners in historic rehabilitation project
July 14, 2016
COLUMBIA, SC – NAI Avant is proud to announce the collaboration with Sumter, LLC in a historic, $7.5 million rehabilitation project in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. After standing vacant and abandoned for years on two of downtown Columbia’s busiest streets, extensive renovations are commencing in July at 1519 Sumter Street and 1222-1224 Taylor Street to fully restore the properties to their historic integrity. Done over two phases, the end result will be ±23,000 square feet (SF) of authentic mixed-use space featuring 12 foot ceilings, exposed historic brick, detailed stone work, exposed spiral duct work, sky lights and large windows flooding the spaces with natural light.
“Any time you have historic buildings that haven’t been used in a while, it becomes a very exciting project for the area,” says Robert Lewis of Rogers, Lewis, Jackson, Mann and Quinn Attorneys at Law. “Once new retailers and businesses occupy these historic buildings, you will see a lot of activity and rehabilitation.”
1519 Sumter Street has been long recognized by South Carolinians as Powell Furniture. Built in 1920, it has been the home to Home Light and Power Company, Jenkins Auto Parts Service, Sears, Roebuck and Company, and in 1960, Powell Furniture. Rich in detail, the building has decorative stone work and terra cotta trim, detailed columns, a cornice over the second story windows, and a stepped parapet. The distinctive yellow brick façade will be revealed when the grey paint is stripped. The property is currently a contributing property in the newly designated Columbia Commercial Historic District making it eligible for state and federal historic tax credits. 1519 Sumter St. will be Phase I of the redevelopment process as it will be anchored by the Boudreaux Group with an occupancy date in spring 2017. Boudreaux will be occupying the entire 2nd floor of the 1519 Sumter St. building, leaving 6,000 SF of ground floor space available for another tenant.
“We are excited to participate in the continued growth and vitality of downtown and to create our new home in such a unique setting,” says Heather Mitchell of The Boudreaux Group.
1222 Taylor Street is formerly known as Rose –Talbert Paints. This two-story brick building was constructed in 1914. An aluminum slipcover façade was added in the 1980s, and removed in early 2016 to reveal the c. 1936 stuccoed brick façade, including the shadows of the letters spelling out “Rose-Talbert” that once hung above the aluminum and glass store front. 1224 Taylor Street is formerly known as Western Auto. Similar to 1222 Taylor Street, an aluminum slipcover façade was removed in 2016 to reveal the building’s original design, featuring full-length glass storefront windows over a masonry bulkhead on the first level with recessed double doors at the center. Now that their original character is revealed, the boundary of the Columbia Commercial Historic District is being considered for expansion to include both structures.
Phase II construction will be the Taylor Street buildings and will begin sometime in the 1st quarter of 2017, but that date could be accelerated based on tenant demand. Based on the state and federal tax credits available for all three buildings, those credits will help offset the considerable construction budget anticipated for the overall project.
The project is led by the areas trailblazers in historic preservation. Three partners have formed Sumter, LLC: Robert Lewis and Chris Rogers of Rogers, Lewis, Jackson, Mann and Quinn Attorneys at Law, Heather Mitchell and Randy Huth of The Boudreaux Group, and a silent partner. Lewis and Rogers have been recognized numerous times over the past 14 years for their historic preservation achievements. In 2009, Lewis was awarded the Governors Award for Historic Preservation by the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation. Mitchell and Huth have led design efforts on numerous award-winning projects, possessing extensive knowledge of historic preservation. Their interdisciplinary design firm will be the architect on the project and serve as the anchor tenant of 1519 Sumter Street.
In addition to the partners, Mashburn Construction will oversee the construction including, but not limited to, structural repair, roofing, floor system, store fronts and windows while maintaining the historic integrity. Just this year, Mashburn Construction was recognized by the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation for “exceptional accomplishments in the preservation, rehabilitation, and interpretation of South Carolina’s architectural heritage.”
“We have Columbia’s leaders in historic preservation overseeing every aspect of this project,” says NAI Avant Senior Broker Macon Lovelace. “This is a very unique project and we have already received interest from multiple tenants even while we are still finalizing the redevelopment plans.” Lovelace will facilitate all tenant transactions for the buildings. Anticipated completion date for both phases is the end of 2017.
About NAI Avant
NAI Avant’s commercial real estate business is one of the largest in the Southeast. With over 65 professionals, the firm provides comprehensive brokerage, leasing, development, property and project management services. For nearly three consecutive decades, the group has had more of its brokerage professionals recognized as top producers or recipients of the top awards than any other firm in South Carolina. As a member of the NAI Global Network, NAI Avant is affiliated with more than 375 offices strategically located throughout North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific, with over 6,700 local market professionals, managing over 380 million square feet of property. NAI Global is the single largest, most powerful global network of owner-operated commercial real estate brokerage firms and is a wholly owned subsidiary of C-III Capital partners. NAI Global Member firms, leaders in their local markets, are actively managed to work in unison and provide clients with exceptional solutions to their commercial real estate needs. NAI Avant’s Property and Project Management Group currently manages a multi-million square foot portfolio of properties across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Through its Avant Healthcare Division, the firm provides comprehensive services to hospitals, clinics, and physician groups. NAI Avant, founded in 1966, is headquartered in Columbia, SC with an office in Charleston, SC. Find out more about NAI Avant and its services at www.naiavant.com. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @NAIAvant and like us on Facebook.
