Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Well, at least nobody was hurt.

When I heard about this fire, my first thought was It probably started in the Self Storage, and it seems I was right. The self storage (and office) facility was carved out years ago from the old Spring Valley Commons Theater, and I figured there was probably somebody storing something they shouldn't. It seems I was wrong about that second part though: The Fire Department is calling it arson.

The blaze looks to have taken out stores starting with Adams Cabinet Works and working clockwise from there, through @ The Office, Tatiana, the self storage facility and Tripp's Fine Cleaners.

Just from the looks of it, I think they'll have to knock down most of that wing. Given that there are a number of vacancies in the plaza, perhaps some of the stores can re-locate within Spring Valley Commons.

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This little cell-phone storefront is in the Food Lion shopping center at the corner of Two Notch & Pine Belt Roads.

Judging from the Facebook page, they opened in late May of 2012 and closed possibly as early as late June 2012, or at least that's when the updates to the page stopped. At any rate, I don't think they made it into 2013.

There are currently several other vacancies in this plaza, despite Food Lion drawing fairly well.

Update 22 November 2013: It turns out this place has moved. The current address is 3950 West Beltline Blvd, Columbia, SC 29204, phone: 803-363-1353.

Local butcher shop Ole Timey Meat Market has moved their Rosewood Drive location from the former Keg O' Nails building to the former Edens Food Stores / bodyFit / Jaime Scott Fitness building a number of blocks east.

As you can see, there is already ongoing work on the 3008 building, so apparently it will not be vacant long.

(Hat tip to commenter Mike)

Here's a two suite consignment shop in the little Irmo strip that has figured so often here over the past week or so. One more, and I think we're done..

UPDATE 6 October 2021: Adding "North" to "Woodrow Street" in the title & tags. Adding map icon.

Nothing fishy here... anymore.

UPDATE 6 October 2021: Adding "North" to "Woodrow Street" in the tital and tags. Adding map icon.

I noticed earlier this month that the little liquor store next to the Subway in the old Sears Plaza on Garners Ferry Road was going out of business. At the time of the first shot, they were doing fairly deep discounts, and by the time I got by there again at mid-month, they were already gone.

I noticed this little liquor shop in Irmo on Woodrow Street behind the Bi-Lo. It was raining a bit so I didn't get out and peer inside, but I believe that at this point they are still in close-out mode, though the space is already listed with a real-estate sign.

UPDATE 6 October 2021: Adding "North" to "Woodrow Street" in the title. Adding map icon.

According to WIS, Bella Vista closed their doors in late August filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

An update to the story notes that the owner plans to sell the inventory during the bankruptcy procedings. Unfortunately it seems that this inventory includes already spoken-for (and deposit-paid-on) wedding dresses for soon-to-be-brides. Certainly not a good situation. When I took these pictures on 8 September 2013, that sale had apparently yet to take place (though signs for it were in place), as the store, while closed, looked fully stocked.

The adjacent bakery, Lady Antoinette's, is apparently associated and also involved in the bankruptcy.

(Hat tip to commenter Tom)

Interesting tidbit in The Sun News.

Here's the thing, this store, the one at Pawleys Island / Litchfield Beach and the recently closed store on Garners Ferry Road are all relatively new and upscale stores. This one in Forest Park is especially nice, and the one at the beach is in the same class (though a bit smaller, I believe). When you're abandoning your best stores, that can't be a good sign.

I believe the El Cheapo branding for this Millwood laundromat is fairly recent. Before that, it was Suds or something like that. I don't think the convenience store was an El Cheapo until recently either.

At any rate, apparently both were now under the same ownership and failed together early this month.

I wonder if they will sell off the commercial washers -- those can be quite hardy units.