Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I always wondered about this place on US-501 in Marion heading towards the beach. From the signs, it sounded like it should be a big deal, but I never saw any activity there, or heard about any shows scheduled.

As it turns out, the complex started as Carolina Ampitheatre, opening some time in the early part of the century, I guess, and closing in 2009. It was revamped and re-opened as Swamp Fox Entertainment Complex in 2015, but never got a lot of traction due to the location being prone to storms and cancellations (as well as being rather out of the way), and closed again in 2020.

At that time, the plan was to redevlop it as housing, but it was early 2020, and the pandemic was coming on, so as far as I can tell, that never got off the ground and I am not sure of the current status of those plans, though *something* happened in 2021.

During the whole life of the Swamp Fox, the area also housed a locally popular bar called the Fox Hole Bar & Grill, which closed in March of 2021.

You can read about the complex in these stories from WMBF, and WBTW. If I ever go by there in the daytime, and it's not locked down, I may try to see what's left.

I keep meaning to go by and get some better pix and try to see what's really going on, but it looks to be the case that the whole pump plaza of the Circle K just east of Woodhill is being remodeled. I think I saw the actual store still open in the background, but I couldn't tell for sure.

Anyone know the story?

I'm a little unclear about whether Kim's ever actually operated in this space once used by Hanna Beauty Supply. For certain, they put their name on the marquee over the Hanna name, and it seems that for several months I saw a lot of cleanup and construction activity in the space, but I'm not sure I ever saw it open.

There is currently a permit on the door for more work, but the only name I saw was for the company doing the work, so I don't know if Kim's is still involved, or if it will be a new operation here.

UPDATE 12 June 2024 -- Now Rib City, the "MaMa Slappin' Good" barbecue place:

I don't know much about this vet operation other than, judging by the Google reviews, it seems to have closed around 2020 and is right next door to the former Liberty Tax. I also am a bit surprised to find the Seven Oaks name this far towards I-26. I generally think of Seven Oaks as starting below Tram, but then I didn't grow up in the area and didn't really know the name until recent years.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

Here's another Jamil Road vacancy due to the ongoing/upcoming/never-ending Interstate work on I-26.

Lanier has moved to 267 Riverchase way in Lexington on what appears to be an I-20 frontage road west of the river and before the US-378 exit.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

Ironically, the work crew around Busted Plug when I took the first set of pictures on 22 February actually added a bit of verisimilitude to the setting, as it's exactly what you would expect to see working at that faux barricade, but not normally something that was there. From what I could tell, at this point they were sort of figuring out what exactly they were going to do to unearth the Blue Sky installation, which had been in this spot (with beloved sister installation Tunnel Vision) for over twenty years, having been set up in 2001 as an "anniversary gift for the Federal Land Bank".

By the time of the second set of pictures, they had figured it out, and the hydrant was long gone.

I encourage you to follow this link to The State which has a really incredible video of the plug on the move.

The city plans to reinstall Busted Plug *somewhere*, but apparently no actual plan yet exists.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

UPDATE 4 September 2024 -- Over a year later, and the parking lot isn't even re-paved so people could park on the Busted Plug spot, but it was urgent somehow to pull it up! If the city has announced any plan for the sculpture yet, I haven't seen it.

I drove right by this place the other day when I was looking for it, because I forgot to write down the address, and I thought a vacant used car lot would be pretty easy to find. In fact I must have driven by hundreds of times while it was in business, and never noticed it. I can't find a standard review site but reviews on some of the smaller sites lead me to believe they were in business at least until fall of 2022.

At any rate it is good to see that the building is still being watched over.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

This Island restaurant replaced Applebee's in 2020, not a great year to start a restaurant.

As far as I can tell, they were open up until a month or so ago, at which time they closed for renovations. As there is an actual construction dumpster on the property, I trust that is actually happening, in which hope I'm bolstered by the "Now Hiring" sign.

UPDATE 9 May 2023: As it turns out they re-opened as a new business, so I am taking the temporary tag off the post title. The new name is Tha River Sports Bar & Grill:

The Seafood Academy started in the old TGI Friday's location in Richland Mall in, I believe, 2014. After that, in 2016, they moved to East Pointe Plaza on Garners Ferry Road.

I'm unclear exactly when they closed, but I can't find any reviews later than 2018, so I will round up a bit and say 2019.

The suite is currently being refitted as a blood plasma center.

(I'm pretty sure this came up recently, but looking at the comments, I'm not seeing who it was to give a hat tip.)

At one time Tandy Leather was under the same coporate umbrella as the now defunct Radio Shack, but that's all water under the bridge now. Apparently the current regime dates from 1999, and I don't see any news about them being in trouble, but nonetheless this store has closed, and apparently the next nearest is 100 miles away.