Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

United Auto Sales moved to this location in 2012 after their old location on Forest Drive was torn down to build Cook Out. Although Google is labeling this location as Temporarily Closed, I think it is more likely that United has shut down for good after a 12 year run here.

(Hat tip to commenter Payne)

I was never really aware of Hitch RV on Garners Ferry though I must have seen it driving past many times. LoopNet has a picture of the lot in operation, and gives the size of the place as 4.63 acres, which is a pretty good plot. They also say the building dates to 1972, while I might have placed it earlier than that.

(Hat tip to commenter badger)

I don't believe I've ever been to a National Tire & Battery, though I see they spun off from Sears in 2003, so I guess you could say I did business with them in a roundabout way through that Diehard connection.

As far as I can tell from the Google reviews, this location closed around three months ago, so I'm calling it late 2003. It seems like a pretty decent location, so I would not be surprised to see another repair operation set up shop here.

(Hat tip to commenter badger)

I've wondered about this place over they years, and a couple of times actually had the impression that it was closed, and stopped to get some pictures. That appears not to have been the case until recently. It's an odd, boxy building with opaque glass windows,and I don't think I would have cared to work there, unless you can see out better than you can see in. The place is now being demolished, and commenter Larry says a 7 Brew Coffee is to be built there.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

As far as I can tell, A1A has rebranded, or was bought-by/merged-with Covenant Insurance Group, and is now at 7356 Garners Ferry.

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.)

This building featured here a while ago as a Hot Spot, which was closed for a while, re-opened, and then converted to an O M Mart.

Now it appears that the O M Mart reflagged as a Sunoco at some point, and is now closed again, though apparently on a temporary basis.

(Hat tip to commenter Cindy)

UPDATE 6 March 2023 -- Not a good picture, but open again:

Here's another drycleaners which has recently shut down. Michael's was in a somewhat oddly situated lot in the midst of all the intersection crazyness at the Garners Ferry Road/Leesburg Road/I-77 interchange. It struck my notice a few years ago because their signboard was advertising a computer position, and I had to wonder what that would entail.

From their closing sign, it apppears that Halloween was their last day of operation.

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I believe that Swamp Fox Armory is basically in the same location at the old Wateree Arms though there is a slight address difference, and of course that building was torn down.

According to their Facebook, they have been "currently closed" since March of last year. As the signage has been taken down or reversed, I wouldn't expect them to re-open at this point.

(Hat tip to commenter badger)

As pointed out by commener Justin S., the Advance Auto Parts store across from the Aldi at 7613 Garners Ferry Road has now moved just a little up the street to 7531 Garners Ferry. In the meantime, this, very checker-boarded, storefront is empty.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin S.)