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Kenny's Auto Supply, 700 Saluda Avenue: 2000s (moved)   10 comments

Posted at 8:08 pm in Uncategorized

I never visited Kenny's Auto Supply, in fact, I don't believe I ever knew it was there by name, but after it moved from Five Points to 1106 Knox Abbott Drive, it became something of a local cause celebre in that you were always seeing or hearing "the site of the former Kenny's Auto Supply".

That's because it was one of the fairly rare chances to build something new in Five points, and there was quite a lot of controversy about what to actually do with the site. I never could keep up with all of it, but apparently there was a plan for a public parking garage which fell through, and more than a little angst when the final use for the lot, a Walgreen's drugstore was announced.

It looks like the Walgreen's is pretty far along now, although I'm sure it won't open until next year. I'm not exactly sure what the metal-beam structure being built behind it is -- that one looks considerably less far along.

Here's Kenny's on Knox Abbott:

Written by ted on November 20th, 2009

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10 Responses to 'Kenny's Auto Supply, 700 Saluda Avenue: 2000s (moved)'

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  1. The original Kenny's was across Devine Street in the buildings that are an empty Devine Interiors and a fully alive Jimmy John's in the current google street view. Those two storefronts together were the original Kenny's. I say original like I really know if there was something before that or not, but when I first became aware of them and bought the occasional item for my 1967 VW microbus it was in 1974 or so. I couldn't tell you exactly when they moved across the street to the Saluda Street location if my life depended on it, but can place it to somewhere between the late-'70s to the early-'80s. Before Kenny's moved across the street to Saluda, that location was a Winn Dixie if I'm not mistaken.

    Click here for google street view of the "original" location

    [it may take a few seconds, but the street view will load]

    Michael Taylor

    20 Nov 09 at 10:00 pm

  2. I shopped at that grocery store til at least 1979 when I lived two blocks away while going to USC. It was a Winn Dixie for a long time but I think it became Piggly for a short time before Kenny's moved in.

    While Kenny's showroom was on Devine St. they used the small part of the Winn Dixie on the east end facing Santee Ave. as their garage. Their specialty was installing trailer hitches.

    Dennis

    23 Nov 09 at 12:57 pm

  3. The rumor is the less finished metal building is going to be Qdoba though too me it does look a little too small to be one but it'll be officially announced soon. BTW there' s another mystery building behind the Walgreens

    Mike D

    24 Nov 09 at 1:55 pm

  4. It's rumored that they're hoping for an Apple store in that mystery building.

    Mike

    24 Nov 09 at 7:55 pm

  5. the electric xylophone indeed ... Mikey T likes!

    Michael Taylor

    24 Nov 09 at 8:35 pm

  6. See, that's what happens when you leave the window open on the computer screen and cook dinner: you miss the latest comment. I posted my comment before I read the "other Mike's" comment about an apple store being installed in this location.

    This is what really drives me crazy about all these people tearing down great old buildings to build new stuff and then putting in a store that does nothing but sells apples. If that ain't so chi-chi and trendy. Dang dog, people can go down Harden Street to the Food Lion and get all the apples they want plus oranges, bananas, cherries, and any other kind of fruit one could desire. Jeez, why don't they just put up a store that sells computers that very few people buy ... bada bing, bada boom!

    It would be so sweet to have a store in Columbia so that I could actually walk in and buy stuff for my Mac and not have to mail-order every damn thing I need. That gets old really fast, especially since I don't use credit cards.

    By the way, this string of comments illustrates why I use my full name on any given forum board. People think, "that guy is so full of himself that he takes the risk of putting his full name up just to differentiate himself from the other Mikes." But the joke is on them because in a city the size of Columbia, just which Michael Taylor am I in that page long column of Michael Taylors in the phone book? If you've read the clues I've put down in the last couple of months since I took up residence on Ted's blog, you could perhaps triangulate who I am, but you know what, I don't care; if you're that interested in me to begin with, I'm flattered.

    Michael Taylor

    24 Nov 09 at 9:56 pm

  7. Apple isn't opening a store in Five Points, or anywhere else in Columbia.

    The ubiquitous mega-chain drug store. What a soulless thing.

    I welcome redevelopment, but we need quality places in Columbia. This development is a place-making travesty.

    Brian

    17 Dec 09 at 12:51 am

  8. Most folks know this, is was covered in The State, but the original plan for the site was commercial on the first floor, public parking on 2-3, and then condos, parking and rooftop garden on 4-5. Various issues came up with City and plans for that were scrapped; now just the commercial buildings - Wachovia, and Qdoba. The other space has not been leased yet.

    The scoop

    8 Jan 10 at 1:37 pm

  9. I think the picture of a Dixie-Home (forerunner of Winn-Dixie) at http://pleasantfamilyshopping.blogspot.com/2009/05/winn-dixies-family-tree_03.html gives a bit of an idea of what the old building looked like.

    David H

    15 Jul 10 at 8:16 pm

  10. tonkatoy

    6 May 11 at 2:07 pm

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