A Walk Along the River of Time

by Jackie Perrone

Not very long ago, the idea of a stroll along the Congaree River in mid-town Columbia was only a pipe dream.

Warehouses, slums, the state penitentiary and inaccessible riverbanks occupied the turf now considered among Columbia’s trendiest real estate.

The 21st century is seeing the riverfront come into its own, with the first installments of a planned 12-mile greenway through the urban setting. It’s the fruition of a dream long in the making, and it plays a key role in the transformation of Columbia’s Vista area.
Konstantin Doxiadis must be smiling down from above.

Long-term Vision
Konstantin who?
In 1969, Columbia paid $50,000 for a study by the world-renowned Doxiadis Associates Inc. urban planning group to make recommendations for the South Carolina capital city’s future.
The principal suggestion in that report: “Utilization of the riverfront for recreational use... A choice area for future residential development, pedestrian-oriented, ground floor commercial uses, and a permanent park area.”
Mr. D. would feel right at home there now. The natural endowment he called “Columbia’s greatest undeveloped asset” is blossoming with just the sort of development he envisioned almost 40 years ago.

The ramshackle buildings and weedy vacant lots are disappearing, and in their place, condominiums, shops, office buildings and green spaces are taking shape at a breathtaking pace.

To be sure, none of this happened by chance. And the decades during which the Doxiadis Report seemed to be gathering dust were not wasted. Patiently, persistently, city government pursued the necessary preparation for development.
Mayor Kirkman Finlay shepherded the re-routing of traffic-blocking railroad tracks into corridors below street level.
The building of alternate detention centers around the state made it possible to demolish the Central Correctional Institution, which stood on the most desirable piece of land on the riverfront.

Later, a painful and slow process produced a beautified Gervais Street to serve as the gateway from the west. At last, metropolitan Columbia could start to enjoy its ribbon of water in a gracious urban setting.

River Revelry
Columbia’s Riverfront Park allows a visit to the old canal and waterworks of the past. On the opposite banks, Cayce and West Columbia opened their Riverwalk in late 2002. Eventually, the greenway will be completed on both sides of the venerable Congaree.
The Congaree, formed by the junction of the Broad and Saluda rivers, at the fall line, has always been important to Columbia. It undergirds Columbia’s very origins. When early settlers sought to move the state capital from Charleston to a more central location, Columbia was in close competition with the town of Stateburg in Sumter County. The Three Rivers confluence gave Columbia the edge, as water transport was expected to bear heavy commercial traffic. In 1786, Columbia got the nod, one of this country’s first planned cities.

(Visions sometimes have to be altered. Soon after this momentous decision, the arrival of railroading upstaged water transport. The rivers just took a back seat and continued their quiet flow. Until now.)

Walk along the Congaree River today and you’ll share your stroll with joggers, kids, dogs and couples, young and not-so-young.
You’re likely to spot a fishing boat or a cluster of brightly colored rafts moving with the current. On balmy evenings, crowds gather at the amphitheater at the Gervais Street bridge for music and picnicking at the water’s edge.

“Sleepy Hollow on the River” is an annual Halloween performance which this year will include video backdrop scenes on a large screen. (Check www.sleepy
hollowontheriver.com for updates.)

Downtown Upside Down
Upscale housing is rising along the walkway, with much more to come. Among the most highly touted is the development called Canalside, which will occupy the formerly infamous waterfront site where the crumbling penitentiary stood for more than 100 years.
“We’re turning downtown upside down,” proclaims Canalside’s developer, The Beach Company of Charleston, S.C.
The 25-acre tract at the foot of Taylor Street is to become a neighborhood of 750 single-family homes, apartments, condos and town houses, within a short walk of the State Museum and EdVenture children’s museum.

Canalside’s site plan borders on the spectacular. Two eight-story condo towers are to face the canal. The ground floors will feature shops such as a drug store, dry cleaners and coffee shops. The rooftops will sport bars and restaurants with an unmatched view of the city. An extension of Taylor Street will provide a wide boulevard through the center of the property. Six blocks of single-family homes will form a traditional neighborhood.

The University of South Carolina is adding its expertise to the planned InnoVista portion of this vibrant stretch of city life, focusing on scientific research which could attract high-tech entrepreneurs and scientists to the area. Also USC plans a modern baseball park nearby.

No doubt about it, Konstantin Doxiadis would be gratified. The successive city leaders in charge of Columbia’s future might be described as ecstatic. The River of Time is finally flowing.

Related Directory Categories

Sticky Businessby Mary Ann Hester

The Guys of Sticky Fingers Take Friendly Ribbing to a Whole New Level read more

Wish You Were Here!by Kristi Keenan

Forget about that timeshare rental this summer. You have a standing reservation in your own condo on wheels read more

Race of the Yearby Tecla Markosky

For one day in late March, amidst the din of the cicadas and the velvety blooms of the azaleas, the population of the idyllic town of Camden, S.C., multiplies by ten. This year will mark the 75th anniversary of the Carolina Cup, one of the most popular cultural events in South Carolina. read more