First, a historic renovation. Next, new housing proposed in this growing Columbia corridor

Morgan Hughes
·2 min read

New housing could be coming near the corner of Gervais and Bull streets near downtown Columbia, as developers including City Councilman Will Brennan look to expand upon an existing historic renovation project.

In 2022, Brennan Design and Mashburn Construction rehabilitated the historic Whaley House on the corner of Gervais and Pickens streets.

The historic home’s namesake, W.B. Smith Whaley, designed and built some of the area’s most iconic cotton mills, including the Granby, Olympia and Richland mills, according to the state Department of Archives and History.

Now, the Whaley House has been updated to house upstairs apartments and the Knowledge Perk coffee shop downstairs.

Brennan said the proposed new housing on Pickens Street is the next phase of the Whaley House redevelopment project.

The property currently has several large parking lots that new cottage-style homes would be built on, while still preserving parking for Whaley House residents and Knowledge Perk customers, according to the site plan submitted to Columbia’s Design/Development Review Commission.

The plans include six two-story cottages with 1,160 square feet between the two floors, one two-story duplex with each unit also having about 1,160 square feet of space, and one larger two-story cottage with about 1,720 square feet. The site plans also include a courtyard in the center of the project.

The new housing would be across from the University of South Carolina law school and just over a mile from the growing BullStreet district, which is also adding new apartments this year.

City leaders have long stressed the need to add more housing options downtown, both to boost options for young professionals and retirees and to increase the chances of a new grocery store opening in the area. Experts say that in order for more grocery options, housing has to come first.

City staff have recommended the DDRC approve the project. The commission will consider the proposal at a meeting Thursday.

A site plan showing how nine new cottage homes would be laid out for a new development on Pickens Street near Gervais and Bull streets.
A site plan showing how nine new cottage homes would be laid out for a new development on Pickens Street near Gervais and Bull streets.
An illustration showing what new cottage-style homes proposed near Bull and Gervais streets could look like once finished. The proposal includes nine new units.
An illustration showing what new cottage-style homes proposed near Bull and Gervais streets could look like once finished. The proposal includes nine new units.