Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Here's another Rite Aid this one where the River Roads come together at Boozer Shopping Center. I am having a little trouble thinking of a Walgreens within a mile of here, which is the usual closing criteria for this transition.

Apparently the LoopNet folks decided they already had a photo on file and didn't need another one -- that's certainly a blast from the past.

UPDATE 20 June 2021 -- As mentioned in the comments, this place has been razed:

Also adding a map icon.

UPDATE 24 June 2021 -- The canopy for the Murphy USA already going up:

UPDATE 11 August 2021 -- Construction continues:

UPDATE 27 September 2021 -- Getting there (picture from 18 September):

UPDATE 26 February 2022 -- It's open:

I believe the only reason this former banquet hall is counted as being on Bush River Road is that it predates the massive re-working of the area which was entailed by I-26 coming through. (If I'm right, the same work eventually put paid to Boardwalk Plaza). At any rate it is certainly not "on" Bush River Road now.

I don't know much about the place other than the the LoopNet listing says it was built in 1975, and it was listed in phonebooks up through the February 2014 one.

I would have thought that there would have been enough traffic going to the Days Inn to keep the taggers and vandals mostly off of this property, but apparently not.

As reported by commenter Ralph, HobbyTown USA, home of

Radio Control, Models, Rockets, Games & Toys and more!

has left Two Notch Road for the former Tuesday Morning location at The Clusters Of Whitehall:

At one time, I was very into model rockets, having only the slight problem that my father was adamantly against my ever having any (I believe now, having read more, that he was probably thinking of "amateur rocketry" from the 50s where people would regularly manage to blow themselves up rather than "model rocketry"). There used to be a store on Forest Drive with either Centauri or Estes rockets, and a store at Boozer with both if I recall correctly, and I would go to look whenever I could. In the end, he kind of had to agree when it was an approved school project, but darned if one guy didn't manage to set the polo field on fire anyway..

All of which is to say, I'm sure I would be checking out out HobbyTown if I were still 14!

(Hat tip to commenter Ralph)

As reported in The State as the plan was announced, West Marine, has moved from Dutch Square to Columbiana Station.

I have not yet gotten a picture of the new location, but here is the company announcement of the opening and ribbon cutting at the new store on 19 March 2018.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew, I believe)

I don't think I've ever seen another setup like the one Thee Whiskey Tavern had: A strip club running inside a former hotel suite, in a hotel which was still a going concern. Of course it's not exactly unusual for hotels to have active and sometimes rowdy bars (see for instance The Wicked Witch Lounge or The Pirate's Cove), but those are generally in facilities designed as lounges and part of the hotel business proper (whatever it says on the business license).

However the situation came about Thee Whiskey Tavern survived the reflagging of the hotel from Budget Inn to Hawthorn, and an associated major remodel. It also survived an onsite stabbing in 2016. In fact, going by the closing story in The State, it's not crystal clear exactly what *did* close the place down. The article and linked RCSD twitter cite aren't very forthcoming other than operating illegally as a sexually oriented business. If anyone was arrested, or if there was a particicular incident that triggered things, it's not mentioned.

In these two shots, you can see the sign now crumpled behind the hotel, and the sign that used to sit by Bush River Road:

(Hat tip to commenter palmettoconnection)

This 9 May 2017 State story is a bit inspecific, but we can conclude two things from it:

1) Tuesday Morning is opening a store in the old Hancock Fabrics location on Harbison, and

2) As of May 2017, this store on Saint Andrews Road was still open.

What they *don't* say is that *this* store was moving to Harbison, but given that the Harbision store is apparently now open, and has the same phone number that this one did, I think we can safely conclude that.

Also somewhat interesting, is that the story still refers to this plaza as The Clusters of Whitehall.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

UPDATE 9 October 2017 -- Here is the new location of the store in Harbison Court:

UPDATE 22 June 2018 -- The old Tuesday Morning is now HobbyTown USA:

UPDATE 2 March 2023: Updating tags and adding map icon.

These photos come courtesy of commenter Homer, whose gentle reminder prompts me to finally post them. Looking at them, I can certainly see the former Hardee's that both he and commenter Andrew mention. I am pretty sure I took some photos of my own when the place ceased being The Wild Hare, but apparently I never did a closing on that operation, and don't now have them to hand.

I've often wondered at this intersection where Old Bush River Road branches off from Saint Andrews Road. Given the odd way the main stretch of Bush River turns into Tram and the way the road picks up again here, some major work must have been done once.

Anyway, I'm guessing the Tiki Bar is *not* open.

(Hat tip to commenter Homer)

UPDATE 15 February 2017 -- Remodeling is underway:

UPDATE 11 March 2020: Added map icon.

UPDATE 19 June 2021: Update tags.

Furniture stores are generally kind of invisible to be, so I'm not sure exactly how long Havertys has been across from Dutch Square, but cerainly for decades. Now, like everything else, it is moving to Harbison.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

UPDATE 21 March 2018 -- The Harbision location is now open:

This little Wal-Mart outparcel in fact predates Wal-Mart and may have actually existed while the late, lamented Bush River Mall was still going.

At any rate this was one of several Butterfly Life locations in the metro area. The Feb 2008-2009 phonebook actually lists four, though they were all gone by the Feb 2010-2011 book. As best I can determine, Butterfly Life was some sort of a day spa.