The Five Points neighborhood has seen a total of $5 million allocated in the past year for new developments that are looking to increase safety and grow tourism in the area.
A new parking garage and boutique hotel with office spaces are planned to be added where the old Wells Fargo bank used to sit at the corner of Devine and Blossom streets. Main Five Points roads such as Harden Street will also be under construction to make them safer.
In the most recent state budget, the South Carolina legislature allocated $2.5 million to build a new parking deck in the old Wells Fargo bank lot. The deck would hold 400 to 500 spaces and be close to many Five Points landmarks.
State Rep. Seth Rose, D-Richland, said the $5 million allocated over multiple years to the City of Columbia for the Five Points neighborhood would be used to fund the construction of the parking garage.
“We have $5 million right now, and it is my understanding that the city is doing a memorandum of understanding that parking for the parking garage would go, the funds will be used for that site, and the recruitment of these five star hotels,” Rose, who represents Five Points and its surrounding areas, said.
The parking deck would help attract new businesses such as a boutique hotel, office spaces and businesses that are hoping to open a location in Five Points, Rose said. He added that the new parking garage would allow for pedestrians to be closer to businesses within the area.
“We're trying to bring businesses that we want down there that thrive and want to employ people and shops," Rose said. "We think the pedestrian-friendly environment and having ample parking is something that would be obviously huge to the commercial district and those that are bringing businesses or looking to bring businesses to the Five Points area."
Charlene Slaughter, the director of communications for Experience Columbia, said the improvements will help improve tourism in the area by allowing tourists to be closer to one of the biggest and most well-known districts in Columbia.
“It's a big benefit for us just to, again, continue the messaging to talk about our districts and talk about things to do to have lodging in the area and parking in the area,” Slaughter said.
The new parking in Five Points will also aim to help local businesses such as Papa Jazz Record Shoppe, among others, to increase their revenue by allowing more customers to be closer to the area.
“On the days when we actually make our money, which is like Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays, that's when we're really tight (on parking spaces). Or, during the holidays, there's a real shortage of spaces when everybody's actually making most of their money," Tim Smith, the owner of Papa Jazz Record Shoppe, said. "So it should be really beneficial."
In addition to the new parking deck being added to Five Points, Harden Street, one of the main roads in the area, is being redeveloped to be safer for pedestrians.
The project, which started in April, is expected to be completed by October 2024. Once finished, the road will include a bike lane, a median, a lane for commercial vehicles and crosswalks for pedestrians.
Rose said that the improvements will make Harden Street safer for pedestrians, including college students.
“I was able to allocate $5 million in funding for a Harden Street road project that's currently underway, which is going to slow down traffic via more pedestrian-friendly environmental Harden Street," Rose said. "It is addressing what the South Carolina Department of Transportation calls and has ranked as the most dangerous stretch of blocks in the entire state for pedestrians."
Slaughter said Experience Columbia is ready to have more things to tell visitors about the area.
“We're excited for anything that we can continually talk about to raise awareness of Columbia as a place to travel to in the South, you know, things that will pique the interest of visitors of all ages,” Slaughter said.