By Eric Curl / Savannahagenda.com
Aug. 30, 2022 – They call it the Hot City because they lack trees and shade and I felt the sun bearing down on me wherever I turned. Lots of asphalt. Lots of concrete. Lots of cars telling you to get out of the road. Columbia’s similarities to Savannah are plentiful, as I found cruising the city streets on my 1977 Peugeot (It’s got the same mileage as I do).We’ve got the Canal District in early stages. Columbia’s got what they call the “Bull Street District”, which is a bit further along.
Anchored by a minor league baseball stadium, as opposed to an arena, Columbia’s mega revitalization project involves the restoration of a former state hospital and the surrounding historic buildings, along with new construction to accommodate restaurants, retail, offices and multi-family housing.
Only a few blocks away stands the local housing authority’s Marion High Rise affordable apartment building, which – similar to Savannah’s Yamacraw Village – is being emptied of residents due to safety concerns and “obsolescence” of the building, as reported by Columbia’s News10. The building was listed for sale in June.
Another high-rise building across the street from the State House is being converted into a hotel and the new owner is not renewing the lease of a popular dive bar, the Whig, that operates out of the basement. The underground establishment is expected to close before the end of the year after 17 years in business.
But back to baseball. The stadium was built when the city of Savannah refused to replace historic Grayson Stadium with a modern facility as demanded by the owner of our former minor league baseball time, the Savannah Sand Gnats (a good call by the city at the time). The Sand Gnats are now the Columbia Fireflies and play at Segra Park. I’m not sure what Segra is and didn’t bother looking it up. I’m going to guess that it is a lemony flavored virtual fashion brand. Tickets were still available the night of the game, when I was in town. That hasn’t been the case for the past few years with the Savannah Bananas. On the other hand, it looks like Columbia’s stadium will still be hosting real baseball games, while Savannahians will be stuck with “Banana Ball” after abandoning the Coastal Plain League to only play the unorthodox, 2-hour limited game that includes audience participation and foil opponents cursed to always lose..
On my way back from snapping photos of the stadium and Bull Street District, I came across Final Victory Animal Rescue’s building, which brought me to a stop, despite the oppressive heat and exhaustion I was feeling at the time. It looks like the shelter is in a former fire station, but I haven’t confirmed that. I just thought it made for a good picture, but the story inside is what matters. The organization reminds me of Savannah’s Renegade Paws Rescue, with both dedicated to sheltering strays and finding them permanent homes. There’s good and bad when you look at every city. These groups are some of the good.
Babcock Building
Completed in phases from 1857-1885, the sprawling and iconic Babcock Building essentially served as the “front door” for the South Carolina State Hospital, a campus where hundreds of people lived and worked, according to Historic Columbia.
Williams Building
The Williams Building was constructed in 1938 as a housing facility for drug and alcohol patients, according to the Library of Congress.
Despite demands from the preservation minded public, proper protections (historic designations) weren’t put in place to protect this building, a majority of which was demolished following a development agreement approved by the city , according to Historic Columbia
2136 Sumter
Founded in 2017, Final Victory Animal Rescue operates out of this building to house and find homes for our four-legged family members.
And because I never waste an opportunity to post a picture of Yuki, a rescue who provided me with 12 great years of companionship up to this past June, here you go.
Segra Park
Located in the heart of the Bull Street District, the stadium is the home of Columbia Fireflies, the minor league team that once called historic Grayson Stadium home when previously known as the Savannah Sand Gants.
Historic Laundry Building
Dating back to 1883, the Historic Laundry Building in the BullStreet District is being restored for restaurant, retail and commercial office space, according to the the district website.
The Laundry Building is BullStreet’s oldest surviving service building, sitting on one full acre of land, and is located adjacent to the Bakery Building near Segra Park, according to News19.
The Whig
Located on the basement level of a high-rise across from the State House, the popular dive bar is expected to close in 2022 after 17 years in business, as the new owner of the building looks to convert it into a hotel, according to the Post and Courier’s Free Times. Fortunately, Savannah’s own beloved pub, Abe’s on Lincoln, will reportedly remain open as the buildings new owner plans a 7-story hotel inches away.
I left Columbia early, before the start of the downtown Latin Festival. Food tents were set, streets were blocked off. I rode my bike to the parking garage, where my car was. I hopped onto the trunk and drank my morning coffee while looking out on a city waking up. It wasn’t enough time to fairly compare our home towns, but it was a place, where people live and try. They keep trying and the work is caught in a photo or paragraph every now and then. Until the roots run dry. Try, try, try.
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