Driving School in The Vista Columbia, SC

Columbia’s Vista district is thriving with new businesses and projects.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Columbia’s Vista is seeing a boom in the number of new businesses popping up in the entertainment and housing district.

In 2025, the Vista saw several new additions to its community. The Vista Guild recently shared some of those updates on social media, including Manhattan Pie, a pizza restaurant; Cat’s Kettle, a gourmet delicatessen; and Sylvan’s Jewelers, which moved from its longtime location on Main Street to Gervais Street.

Another new addition was Harcourts Carolina real estate agency, which opened its doors in August.

Co-owner and head broker Tara Morawski said the Vista was always the plan for their first brick-and-mortar location.

“Not only because of its central location downtown and proximity to everywhere we wanted to represent, but because we really liked this part of the downtown area that Columbia presents,” Morawski said.

Morawski said they enjoy being in a fast-growing district and that the growth feels intentional.

“It creates opportunity for us and builds a connection with the community,” Morawski said. “We’re able to collaborate with other businesses, be visible and accessible, and really embed ourselves in the community. We’re not only hoping to meet people interested in buying and selling real estate — we love being a part of the community.”

As 2026 gets underway, the Vista is also expecting new developments. One major project announced is for the former Whit-Ash Furniture store property, which will be transformed into a mix of residential living space and retail shops.

Hundreds of apartments were also approved last month for a new building to be constructed on Senate Street. That project will include space for stores as well.

Other businesses expected to open soon include the Vonton Hotel and the Lantern Hotel in the former Columbia fire station.

Restaurants coming to the area include a downtown beach bar and grill, Amiriya Coffee and a Qdoba. The former Bitty & Beau’s Coffee will also be rebranding as Shiloh Trading Company.

As the Vista continues to grow and reuse former buildings, the City of Columbia’s Design Development Review Commission is splitting into two separate boards focused on historic and urban design.

Richland County and City of Columbia have agreed to incentives for Subtext developers to redevelop 931 Senate St. in the Vista

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A proposed $80 million mixed-use development in Columbia's Vista district is moving forward after the city and Richland County approved an incentive package for the developer, Subtext.

The development, which will be known as LOCAL Columbia, is being billed as a "young-professional" housing complex -- not student housing -- with commercial space and recreational amenities to be located at 931 Senate St., about three blocks away from the State House. Currently, that is the site of Monterrey's Mexican and Five Guys restaurants, Republic Biergarten, and a smoke shop with some surface parking.

Subtext, which is also developing VERVE Columbia at the corner of Huger and Blossom streets, proposes a seven-story building that will have 221 units/512 beds (1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units), a 185-space two-story parking garage, and 2,500-square-feet of retail/commercial space on the ground level.

Plans for LOCAL Columbia were presented to City of Columbia's Design/Development Review Commission meeting on November 20, and Richland County Council voted on the incentive package at a special called meeting on December 9.

A description of the public infrastructure credits Subtext will receive can be found in the agenda of the county's December 9 meeting. It reads in part:

EXHIBIT C (See Section 2.3) DESCRIPTION OF PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE CREDIT

The County shall provide a 50% Public Infrastructure Credit against the Fee Payments due and owing from the Company to the County with respect to the Project as provided in this Agreement, provided, the cumulative total amount of the Public Infrastructure Credits provided to the Company shall not exceed the aggregate investment by the Company in the Company Public Infrastructure. The Company is eligible to receive the Public Infrastructure Credit against its Fee Payments due with respect to the Project for a period of 10 consecutive years, beginning with the first such Fee Payment due with respect to the Project following the Verification Date and ending on the earlier of the 10th year or the year in which the cumulative total amount of the Public Infrastructure Credit equals the aggregate investment in the Company Public Infrastructure (“Credit Term”)

Preconstruction planning will now begin with the goal of starting construction in summer 2026. Completion is anticipated in the summer of 2028.

Two Columbia development families are partnering to restore four historic buildings in the Vista as part of a mixed-use redevelopment called Seaboard Vista.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Two well-known Columbia development families are partnering to restore four historic buildings in the Vista as part of a mixed-use redevelopment called Seaboard Vista.

The Avant and Mashburn development teams are leading the project, which will revitalize four National Register properties along Gervais and Lady streets. The plan calls for restoring the century-old structures while adding housing, restaurants, retail storefronts and office space.

Todd Avant, managing partner of Avant Holdings, said restoring buildings on the National Register comes with strict oversight at every stage of planning and construction. He said developers must comply with federal and state preservation requirements, follow the Secretary of the Interior’s standards and work within Columbia’s protected overlay district rules. Despite the complexity, he said those regulations also unlock financial tools that make large-scale historic rehabilitation possible.

“There's a lot of guidelines. There are a lot of rules, but there's also some very lucrative tax incentives.”

Avant said state and federal historic tax credits, along with the Bailey Bill program offered through the City of Columbia, were critical to making the Seaboard Vista project feasible.

A significant focus of the redevelopment is its connection to the former Seaboard Air Line Railroad, which once operated on the same block. Several of the buildings previously housed rail-related businesses, including the former Seaboard Cafe, which opened in the 1930s.

“The smaller building which is over to my right is actually the oldest building… that was built in nineteen hundred. It was the dispensary building so it was a county liquor dispensary and at a later date we think around 1934 it became the Seaboard Cafe for the Seaboard Hotel.”

To highlight the area’s railroad history, the developers purchased a restored vintage caboose that will anchor a public courtyard designed for pop-up events and community gatherings.

“We're going to paint it to exactly mirror the bay window. Caboose from Seaboard Air Line Railroad. So we're we're super excited about that. There's all kinds of cool we can do. Monthly pop ups, all kinds of exciting flexibility with the caboose there.”

People who frequent the Vista say they hope the redevelopment creates more walkable retail areas and places to gather.

Tatum Hartsell said she hopes to see more shopping options in the area.

“I would love to see more shopping. Maybe some, like, clothing retail stores would be a lot of fun.”

Sabrina DiGianvincenzo said she wants more gathering spaces that bring people together.

“It just needs something to bring the community more together.”

Avant said the project is designed to bring that sense of activity and connection back to the block.

“The vision is really kind of live, work, play, enjoy, eat, dine, kind of take it back to its roots.”

Construction on Seaboard Vista is expected to begin in early 2026, with tenants including a corporate headquarters moving in before the end of that year.

Developers said additional tenant announcements are expected in the coming weeks as the project moves closer to breaking ground.

Are you ready to say goodbye to 2025? Whether you’re looking for a ball drop, fizzy drinks or a day-time celebration, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a selection of events happening in and around the Capital City for New Year’s Eve.

The Drop on Main Block Party

Countdown to midnight at a free block party on Columbia’s Main Street. The Drop on Main brings together a handful of Main Street businesses offering with bar specials, entertainment, late-night food vendors and a downtown ball drop ceremony at midnight.

It’s also one of the few Columbia New Year’s Eve events that’s free to the public and doesn’t require an advanced ticket.

Gold and Glitz New Year’s Eve Block Party

The Senate and Tin Roof in Columbia’s The Vista district are holding their own block party, complete with DJs, live music, and a champagne toast at midnight.

Noon-Year’s Eve at Saluda Shoals Park

Knock out your New Year’s celebration early at a family-friendly daytime celebration at Saluda Shoals Park. Bring the kids to Leo’s Landing playground and watch a mirror ball drop at noon Dec. 31.

NYE at Studio Savage

Savage Craft Ale Works in West Columbia will transform into Studio Savage, an homage to Studio 54, during a New Year’s Eve celebration that promises five parties in one venue.

Five different stages promise DJs, live music and festive costumes. There is no cover to attend and parking is free. Attendees are encouraged to dress up in their most over-the-top 1970s garb.

For more Columbia-area New Year’s Eve celebrations, check out Experience Columbia’s events calendar.

COLUMBIA — An $80 million proposal to build a seven-story, 200-unit apartment building on Senate Street in the Vista got final approval after weeks of negotiations over the complex's design.

The city’s Design/Development Review Commission approved the project’s design at a Dec. 18 meeting.

Project developer Subtext had first brought the plans to the commission on Nov. 20. The commission deferred a vote on the project, asking the architect to add more brick to the building’s facade, adjust the placement of windows and to break up the massing of the building.

The commission’s final approval of the project came after two additional meetings with the developer and architect to work through the issues in November and December.

“I think we’re very pleased where this has ended up based on where it was to where it is now, and thank you for all the feedback,” Subtext Development Manager Matt Swedenburg said at the Dec. 18 meeting. “We’re really excited about the project and the changes that have been made.”

Subtext has made changes to the colors, detailing and amount of brickwork on the building’s exterior to better match surrounding historic structures in the Vista, city staff said.

City staff have requested some additional changes, such as adding entryways to the building along the street front. Swedenburg said the developer is “amenable” to those changes.

In the meantime, plans for the complex were approved by the city’s Planning Commission, which gives overall approval to projects, on Dec. 11. Columbia City Council and Richland County Council also granted major tax credits to support the development on Dec. 9.

The Dec. 18 DDRC vote is expected to be the last public hurdle Subtext will need to clear before moving on to the permitting process.

The complex will contain 221 apartments and a 198-spot parking garage at the corner of Senate and Park streets in the Vista, with some ground-floor retail space. Developer Subtext’s total investment with the project is estimated at around $80 million.

Subtext is also building The Verve, a 697-bed student housing complex at the corner of Blossom and Huger streets about a mile away from the Senate Street project. The Verve also received county tax incentives in 2024.

Despite Subtext’s student housing project a few blocks away, the Senate Street apartments will be marketed toward young professionals, the developer has said.

The project will displace the current building on the site, which houses Mexican restaurant Monterrey, burger chain Five Guys, and Republic Biergarten and Kitchen. City documents from Dec. 6 indicate Five Guys intends to move into a new retail space on the property when it is completed.

The apartment complex has garnered support from city and the Vista Guild neighborhood business association. Proponents say the project will bring more young professionals into the Vista and downtown.

“The Vista Guild has been wanting more density with residents, so in my world these guys epitomize what we’ve been looking for in this part of town for a really long time,” Rosie Craig, head of the Vista Guild’s Development Committee, previously told The Post and Courier.

City and neighborhood leaders have encouraged the Vista’s growth into a prominent arts and entertainment district, as they look to bring more tourists, events and investments into the area.

Numerous hotels have been built or are planned for the district, including the Lantern Hotel built in the former city fire station just across Park Street from the 931 Senate St. apartments, which is expected to open in January 2026.

The Vista is also experiencing additional attention in anticipation of the city’s planned park on the banks of the Congaree River and subsequent development in the area.

The 931 Senate apartments could be one of the last projects to go through the city’s Design/Development Review Commission as it is known today.

The city is pursuing a plan to split the commission into two boards — one focused on approving the design of new projects in neighborhoods with specific architectural guidelines, and one in charge of proposals dealing with existing historic properties.

The city believes the split boards will be more efficient than the existing system.