Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Here's another Wells Fargo branch "pruning", this one on Columbiana Drive at Afton Court. (And next to the former Monterrey Mexican).

You may also bank at any Wells Fargo location that is convenient for you.

Well, that's big of them.

(Hat tip to commenter Tom)

UPDATE 1 May 2019 -- Added map icon, updated tags.

UPDATE 19 September 2022 -- The building has been razed, and something else is going up there now:

UPDATE 10 May 2023 -- A Valvoline Instant Oil Change operation is now on this spot:

I noticed the other day that the Forest Acres location of Ed Robinson is gone. They were sidelined by the great flood but did come back after that (though the co-located Corma's did not).

I'm not exactly sure when this happened, I think I would have noticed sooner had it been too long ago. At any rate, google maps has them open as of March 2017, with a nicer picture than mine here.

I'm guessing from the extended canopy and islands that this building was originally a gas station. Does anyone know what kind?

UPDATE 12 July 2018 -- Added the door sign to the pictures above.

This is rather an odd building to have a cellphone store in, as you can see from the rollup door in front and the reinforced door on the side. It seems a much better fit for the scooter company in the other half. Maybe Cricket thought so too, as they have moved to 4121 West Beltline, not far from the old Piggly Wiggly.

I was not really aware until recently that Sumter Street crossed Elmwood, but Dave's Transmission was on that end of Sumter, and more or less behind the old Jim Moore Cadillac property.

The Free Times says that the property is to become a restaurant, although details were sparse at the time of the article. Just looking at the pictures, it seems to me parking might be an issue.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

Here's another abandoned branch bank, this one at Midlands Shopping Center which, as far as I know, is still for sale.

The real estate listing says it's a 2240 square foot building on a 1.46 acre lot, which is bigger than I would have guessed. They also say:

The site has high visibility as 18,400 vehicles per day pass the site.

which is undoubtedly true, but leaves out the fact that *stopping* at the site is another matter entirely.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

UPDATE 20 October 2022: Updating tags & adding map icon.

I noticed this large brick warehouse on Shop Road last month, but haven't been about to find out much about it online. Apparently it was Colonial Warehouse. This LoopNet listing has some details, though it says the property is off the market, which I am pretty sure is incorrect. Anyway, it's a 266,488 square foot building on a 10 acre property. The listing also suggests "The site is ideally suited for a multi-family or student housing development", because heaven knows we don't have enough student housing in Columbia.

If you look at the Google Maps aerial view, you can see that, at that time anyway, the property is well supplied with porta-potties. Not sure what that is about, as otherwise there does not seem to be any work going on there.

Commenter James R mentions that this former Golden Wireless location is vacant again after having been another cellphone operation in the interim. Judging from this this Carolina Panorama article, I think that operation must have been Phone Tech 4 Hire.

Looking at the article, they handled a wider range of electronics & electrics other than just phones. Intriguingly, barber shop clippers are mentioned. I never even considered that those might be fixed rather than replaced.

(Hat tip to commenter James R)

I noticed back in May 2017 when I did the Smart Choice closing that piercing salon Knotty Heads was closed for remodeling. I see that as of early October, it still is.

UPDATE 31 August 2018 -- Took the "temporary" off the post title. It now appears to be Sirius Sage and/or Dogon:

According to The State and ColaDaily, this Shandon gallery started out in this nice little house as a fine tea emporium in 2000, gradually adding other, art and botique, items. I was still living in Aiken in 2000 otherwise I might have heard and stopped in as I certainly like my tea. In the event, I missed out, but 17 years is certainly a very good run.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

It's not entirely clear to me if Farm Bureau occupied two suites in this building and remained for part of the time that the west side of the building was being outfitted for a restaurant, or if they left when that started, but at any rate they are gone entirely now, and their signage is off the building. (They are of course still in business and have other locations in the midlands).

I pulled a real estate flyer from a box at the location, and it seems that the restaurant (First Class Bar & Grill) which never opened was very far along, as the flyer mentions that all the hood work and venting is complete and that even televisions and a sound system are installed.

Other offices in this building remain in operation.

(Hat tip to commenter Sidney)

UPDATE 14 May 2020 -- The Farm Bureau and doctor's office spaces are now Smart Laundry. The space that was setting up to be First Class ended up being the new location for Pho Viet: