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Investigators have determined that back-to-back fires at two long-vacant former restaurant buildings on Columbia’s Decker Boulevard were set intentionally. The properties are tied to prominent local developer Alan Kahn and Kahn Development, and have sat empty for years.
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Here are key takeaways:
- The Richland County Fire Marshal’s Office ruled the June 9 and June 10 fires “incendiary,” meaning arson, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department has opened an investigation.
- Columbia-Richland firefighters responded to three fire calls in four nights at the neighboring former Olive Garden and Red Lobster buildings on Decker Boulevard, with the third blaze believed to be a rekindle of the Wednesday fire.
- A Kahn Development spokesperson attributed the fires to break-ins and said property managers have been working to better secure the buildings.
- Companies tied to Kahn or his family members have owned the Decker Boulevard parcels for decades through various LLCs.
- The Olive Garden and Red Lobster both closed in the mid-2000s, and Google satellite imagery shows almost no change in the buildings’ appearance from 2007 to present day.
- Kahn’s company also owns a vacant former Chick-fil-A directly across the street, part of a struggling stretch known as Richland County’s “International Corridor” that has long battled vacant properties despite past county revitalization plans.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
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