{"id":3192,"date":"2026-07-15T09:37:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T09:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=3192"},"modified":"2026-07-15T09:37:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T09:37:08","slug":"after-years-of-talks-usc-strikes-deal-that-could-spur-south-main-revitalization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=3192","title":{"rendered":"After years of talks, USC strikes deal that could spur South Main revitalization"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>For the past decade, the University of South Carolina\u2019s development arm has steadily acquired properties along a drab stretch of South Main Street with the goal of transforming the tract into a veritable \u201ctown and gown\u201d district where students, State House staff and the wider Columbia community can shop, grab a bite to eat and even lay down their heads.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=3190\">European shares subdued as Middle East tensions offset ASLM, Cartier results<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>While progress has been slow, a recent deal between the USC Development Foundation and the last remaining holdout on one largely vacant block of South Main Street could mark a turning point in the revitalization process.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The foundation, which acts as USC\u2019s private real estate arm, has agreed to transfer a property at the corner of College and Main streets to the South Carolina Baptist Convention in exchange for a midblock property critical to USC\u2019s development plans.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<div> <iframe aria-label=\"Locator map\" data-external=\"1\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"559\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-hdQxT\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/hdQxT\/2\/\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" title=\"USC's Main Street holdings (pre-swap)\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Once finalized, the swap will give the foundation ownership of an uninterrupted swath of land along Main Street that has eluded it for years, and allow the university to begin realizing its vision for the area.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you look at the layout of that block currently, they are right in the middle of the block,\u201d said R. Jason Caskey, president and CEO of USC\u2019s Development Foundation. \u201cSo for us to assemble the necessary property for a potential future development, it was very beneficial to us to have at least the majority of their property.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<div> <iframe aria-label=\"Locator map\" data-external=\"1\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"559\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-4eRjU\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/4eRjU\/1\/\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" title=\"USC's Main Street holdings (post-swap)\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The parties have been discussing a real estate deal for several years, Caskey said, but only recently reached an agreement to swap parcels. He credited the Baptists for \u201cagreeing to pick up and move to the corner,\u201d despite being \u201cvery comfortable\u201d in their existing building.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey were really just trying to help us with the master plan work we were doing for the university,\u201d said Caskey, who described the transaction as a \u201cwin-win for both parties.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Per the terms of the deal, the foundation will purchase the Baptists\u2019 single-story property at 817 Main St., home of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, and transfer the group an adjacent parcel it owns at the corner of College and Main.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The Baptists plan to demolish the vacant building on their new property, which most recently housed a Domino\u2019s Pizza, and construct a three-story mixed-use building in its place.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Caskey declined to disclose how much the foundation agreed to pay the Baptists for their property, but said the group would use the proceeds of the sale for its demolition and construction costs.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Bryant Sims, the South Carolina Baptist Convention\u2019s chief operations officer, confirmed via email that the group had made plans to swap properties with USC, but declined to share specifics of the deal at this time.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe look forward to expanding our capacity to serve students and remain committed to a vibrant campus ministry for many years to come,\u201d Sims said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>A proposal for the demolition and replacement of the former Domino\u2019s, located at 825 Main St., is set to go before Columbia\u2019s Urban Design Review Commission on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=3188\">As GOP cries fraud, Newsom backs Medicaid spending on housing and food<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>If approved, Caskey said the project would likely get underway in the next several weeks and take about 10 months to complete.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re shooting for June 2027,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The Baptists\u2019 new building will include first-floor office and event space, two second-story apartment units and a rooftop patio, according to a proposal submitted by Garvin Design Group, a Columbia-based architecture and design firm the Development Foundation hired for the project with input from the S.C. Baptist Convention.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The Baptist Collegiate Ministry\u2019s new corner property will have 13 surface parking spaces and will add another 25 spaces after their current building is demolished, the proposal states.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Caskey said he hopes to begin demolition of the Baptists\u2019 existing property within 60 days of their new building\u2019s completion.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The university has engaged in high-level discussions about developing their soon-to-be contiguous portion of the 800 block of South Main, but doesn\u2019t have any firm plans yet, officials said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Broadly, the university is looking at a mixed-use development with retail at ground level and market rate housing above it, USC architect Derek Gruner told The State Media Co. earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The concept, he said, is to create an area that is student-focused, but still attractive to city residents.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe idea here with Main Street is to not make it quite so university-centric, but to make this a place that the citizens of Columbia might come and shop here or the people who work on the State House grounds walk down to Main Street and they eat in the restaurants,\u201d Gruner said. \u201cSo it\u2019s really what you\u2019d call a town-gown environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>One preliminary proposal calls for moving many of the retail services found in USC\u2019s student union to that block of South Main.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Exporting those services, which include a campus bookstore\/spirit shop, hair salon, post office, print shop, credit union and retail dining, would revitalize the moribund block while simultaneously creating space in the Russell House, which was recently approved for a renovation and expansion.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cFinal decisions on what could go there are a ways away,\u201d USC spokesman Jeff Stensland said Monday via text, \u201cbut securing that property will make it possible to do a substantial project that benefits students and the greater community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=3186\">India-UK trade pact takes effect, promising tariff cuts and services boost<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After years of discussion, the University of South Carolina and the South Carolina Baptist Convention have agreed to swap properties on South Main Street in Columbia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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