Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Bricks And Stones is in Woodberry Plaza, along with Big Lots and behind the former Fat Boy. While I was not aware of them, the menu looks pretty good, and perhaps I will try to sneak in there over the next few weeks.

Commenter Robin reports that their facebook put the closing down to inflation, COVID and staffing issues, like all too many places lately. Commenter Andrew sends in this ColaDaily item about the closing as well.

(Hat tip to commenter Heath)

According to the Thompson web site, this building was built by the company's founder in 1935 and was

the first building in this area that was built strictly for the use as a funeral home

According to this WestMetroNews article, Thompson's moved their area facility to larger quarters at 4720 Augusta Road in Lexingtion in early 2021.

It's a very nice looking, rather churchlike building and I certainly hope they find a buyer who wants to keep it standing. Currently the lot is apparently being used for paid parking.

Happy China Buffet was in the Westland Square storefront which used to house Gooney Birds. Last year they moved into the new building built on the old Quincy's lot a few blocks down Sunset towards Lexington.

According to this ColaDaily article, they originally planned to keep the same name, but in the event, they reopened as Blossom Buffet (you can see that the phone numbers are the same).

Here is the new building:

In the meantime, an Olde Country Buffet is to open in the old location:

I was not really aware of Ready To Play but apparently it was a gaming center for table-top and card games like Magic The Gathering. Their Facebook page has posts into early January 2022, so I'll use that as the closing date.

(Hat tip to commenter Nobody)

It was a very unpleasant, rainy day, so I did not get out of the car and try to get better pictures, but this U-Haul storage facility was acquired by the SC Department of Transportation as part of their ongoing effort to widen I-26 and the renters, as reported by commenter Gypsie, were requested to be out by August of 2021.

I confess I don't really understand how this property will be affected by the I-26 work. It is on the far side of Jamil Road from the Interstate, and unless the road is to be closed, at least in part, I don't see how they use the property -- especially with new construction on the *near* side of the Interstate.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

UPDATE 16 August 2023 -- As noted in the comments, this place is being razed:

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UPDATE 27 September 2023: Update tags.

This is one of the times it would be nice if the AT&T still deigned to give me a phonebook yearly as I have no real idea when this place closed. The latest Yelp reviews are all quite old, but I can't believe the actual closing date is that long ago, so I am going to punt and say 2021 until I hear otherwise.

At any rate, this Boozer Shopping Center storefont was a sewing machine sales and service operation and had apparently been there for quite a while.

UPDATE 26 February 2022: Commenter Gypsie found evidence that this place probably closed in 2016, so I am updating the closing date in the title to that.

From what I can gather, Bluff Road warehouse was a SCANA property that then went to Dominion Energy.

According to this realty flyer it is a 9000 square foot building on a on a 1.6 acre site. Obviously Dominion is still in business, but I guess they just decided they didn't need this facility for whatever SCANA needed it for.

Veranda Grill was at least the third restaurant in this Elgin-ish spot on Spears Creek Church Road. I wasn't really aware of it, but apparently it was a well regarded Chop House. Based on the timing, I would guess it was a late casualty of Covid-19.

The spot is now occupied by a Peruvian Tapas Restaurant, Ratio, whose fixtures you can see on the paito. (For some reason, I barely got a shot of the actual restaurant storefront -- it's on the right).

The Marion Street Highrise was part of the Columbia Housing Authority's portfolio, and was built in 1975. Recently the Authority has been evaluating its properties (one imagines due to the deadly problems with some of its units), and has decided that the cost to refit this building is so close to the cost to do new construction that keeping it doesn't make sense.

I was mainly aware of the place because I would often park on Marion Street during the Greek Festival, and always had the feeling that it didn't really fit in with the area. (Though it is not a bad looking building, really).

Given that the building is not to be rehabilitated, I assume it will be taken down, but I have not seen at date for that, or a plan for what is to follow (I assume the land will stay with the Authority).

This WLTX story has more details, and says that the residents started being moved out in May of 2021. It appears that they are now all gone.

As an aside, I had assumed that Marion Street Highrise was just a description of the building, but according to the street sign, that is the actual name.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)