Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I was driving down the Old Bush River Road section of Bush River Road the other weekend, coming from Lexington into Irmo, and I noticed that Century Glass has moved their Bush River location to the other river road at 4059 Broad River Road. I believe they may still be using this building for non-customer space though as it is still listed in the phonebook, and Google Street View from March 2017 shows the moving sign already up.

I think my dermatologist would prefer I dig a tunnel to the mailbox and not come out into the sunlight at all, so I have never really understood the allure of tanning studios, but there are still a number of them around. This one is next to the former Springleaf Financial Serveices at Garners Ferry Crossing, and you can see it in operation in the first picture above. They listed in the Feb 2016 phonebook, but not more recently, so I'm guessing this storefront has now been vacant for at at least two years. (And the same plaza Hibachi Grill P&G Buffet has now been vacant over five years.)

Here is another of Harbison Boulevard's Mattress Firm stores. It looks like they already have a new tenant, Rainbow, lined up, though I have no idea what that is.

I confess I have very little reason to go to Harbison Court anymore with both Barnes & Noble and Chili's being gone though I guess I did eat at Olive Garden once last year.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

Commenter Beth noted a while back that this Chick-fil-A location was being torn down and rebuilt with double drive-through lanes.

The last time I looked at it, it was still open, though with some lot construction going on. Now they have definitely gotten into the rebuild phase.

Eat mor bef!

(Hat tip to commenter Beth)

Tijuana Flats closed their Forest Acres store back in March. Apparently the Greenville stores closed in March as well. This store opened after the Forest Acres one, and soldiered on for a few months longer, but with this closing, it appears the chain has totally left the state, which is a shame as I rather liked it (though their salsa policy was rather odd).

These pictures were taken shortly after the closing date, and the store was still being stripped.

(Hat tip to commenter TahoeChic)

I think the concept of Urban Cookhouse, as I understand it, is interesting: Fresh cooked meats done over a charcoal grill with fresh local vegetables and bread as well. I'm a little surprised I don't see a burger on the menu; that would seem be be a natural. At any rate, I have never gotten around to an Urban Cookhouse, either this one in the old Atlanta Bread building on Lake Murray Boulevard, or the other one in Shandon.

I still think this is an attractive building, and hope they find something that sticks.

(Hat tip to commenter Heath)

After commenter MJ mentioned that this place, at the corner of Bush River Road & Morninghill Drive, might be closed, I went to check it out, but I could never be completely sure. The delivery notice post-its stuck to the door made me 99% sure, but there were no actual posted hours I could verify it not being open at, and looking in the windows, all the furnishings and glasses seemed to be in place. There was a sign on the door, but it was facing inwards, and illegible.

That was in June. Going back a few days ago, the situation is now clear, with a sheriff's notice and a real estate sign. However, the interior still looks largely untouched.

(Hat tip to commenter MJ)

As far as I can tell, Accessible Mobility Center was a Concord NC based chain for selling wheelchair accessible vans, and lately as the sign notes, mobility scooters. They were bought out earlier this year by Akron based MobilityWorks and the storefront for the combined company is now at 3624 Fernandina Road.

It remains to be seen what is next for this Dutch Square area storefront.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

Old time hardware stores are a vanishing breed. As a kid, I remember visits to the old Forest Lake Hardware at Forest Lake Shopping Center, the old Hiller downtown, and Hiller in Five Points, and various stores at the beach and in Fernandina. They were mysterious places with big revolving bins of loose nails and odd brackets, and men behind well worn wooden counters who knew how to do stuff.

After Thanksgiving, there will be one less in Columbia, as Cedar Terrace Hardware is packing it in. The State has the story, and it's a case of the owner's well deserved retirement with nobody else willing to take the store on.

To the best of my memory, I have never been to this store. It's quite tucked away in the back of the plaza, and a case of out-of-sight-out-of-mind, but there's always something I need from a hardware store so perhaps I'll take a look before it's too late.

(Hat tip to commenter Sidney)

This storefront in Garners Ferry Crossing was once Springleaf Financial Services, as you can see in the first picture (especially if you click through to the large version). At some point recently, Springleaf was acquired by One Main Financial, at which point it seems they consolidated offices leaving a vacancy here. (Actually there are two adjacent vacancies at this time; I'll do the other one at some point).