Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Driving on Laurel Street recently, I noticed that something is going on at the public housing development of Allen Benedict Court. I recalled that there had been a fatal gas leak there in 2019, but had missed the follow-up that all the residents had been moved out and the place scheduled for demolition this month.

The development, in the square bounded by Harden Street, Read Street, Oak Street & Laurel Street, was built in 1940 and in those Jim Crow days was the Black counterpart to the Whites only Gonzales Gardens, which was itself recently demolished.

This State article has some reflections on the history of the complex, which went from a safe place to raise kids in the beginning to problematic in recent years. According to WLTX final enviromental testing before demolition has begun.

Well I hope everybody had a great holiday season, and wish you all a Happy New Year! I know *I* am not sad to see 2020 in the rearview mirror, and now as the new year starts, it's time to ramp up to a more normal posting volume again.

Grilled Teriyaki in Five Points proves how wrong my intuition can be: I recall thinking when it opened that it would never last a year. In the event, while I'm not sure exactly when they opened anymore, I know it was closer to twenty years ago than one!

The State has a rather terse article noting the closing. Apparently few details are available, but I'm going to guess that COVID-19 played a big role here. As of yet, there is no new tenant in the offing.

(Hat tip to commenter Sidney)

UPDATE 5 January 2021: Added the map icon, which I forgot initially.

Sometimes I lose track of all the names a storefront in Five Points has had, and whether I have done a closing on it, but it appears I have never done one for any incarnation of 711 Harden Street.

Cover 3 was another one of the local bars caught up in the rule tightening last year, and decided to close when their permit ran out on 31 August rather than continue to contest the new restrictions. The Post & Courier has the story, along with a nice photo of Cover 3 in full operation. The State has basically the same story.

I note that the place has now been vacant for over a year, which to me argues that the city has allowed itself to be shot in the foot. Of course, once the pandemic hit, probably it was going to remain vacant for a while in any event.

Sunrise Florida chain Pet Supermarket opened in the old Eckerd's / Rite Aid on Harden Street in the fall of 2017, and The State had the story here.

Now, three years later, the place is having a liquidation sale prior to shutting down.

Interestingly, The State story mentions that the building was subdivided with about 25% left for another business to occupy, something, which as far as I know, never happened.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

The Barn was the follow-on operation in this Harden Street storefront to Pop's NY Pizza.

The State notes this place's closing in an October 2019 story, and puts it down to the Harpootlian crusade. Ironically in the story they ran to note the opening in February 2017 the focus was on how The Barn would *not* be just another college-catering late night joint.

This LoopNet listing for the property has a picture of The Barn signage still in place.

And so it begins..

When my parents were still living, we ate at Yesterday's fairly often. In recent years, I have only gone a few times, but never worried about it, as I figured it would always be there. Hopefully they will come back.

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I didn't have time to stop and get good shots, but longtime Five Points staple, Sylvan & DuBose is closing. The State has the story:

Sylvan & DuBose Jewelers in Five Points is closing after nearly a century in business.

Owner Bruce DuBose is retiring., and his children, Matthew and Laura, who are the fifth generation to work at the store, don’t want to take over the business, he said.

“”I’m old,” DuBose, 68, said with a laugh. “I’m tired. I don’t want to do it anymore.”

The store at 622 Harden St. will close at the end of the year, he said.

I only go to jewelers when I have wristwatch issues, so I don't think I've ever been in this store, but I've certainly been aware of the name for my entire life. It will be interesting to see what is next here. Apparently the family owns the building, and will nix a bar as the follow-on operation.

Currently, the closing sale is ongoing.

(Hat tip to commenter Beth)

Save A Lot was the follow-on operation here to Columbia Food Fresh Market which closed in 2010. This location closed briefly in December of 2018 when the operator closed this store and nine others. Since then, the place has been run by a unit of the Columbia Housing Authority, which seems like a bad idea, and in fact, has not worked out. I'm not even sure how they were able to take over the franchaise and branding.

At any rate, they are pulling the plug at 5:00pm on 24 August 2019, although as the WLTX article notes the shelves are already bare and the place appeared to be closed when I drove by at 6pm on the 21st.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

I noticed today that the One Stop / Shell at the corner of Gervais and Harden streets is remodeling. A lot of Circle Ks have been doing this recently -- I don't know if this is to compete, or if it was just time.

UPDATE 26 November 2019 -- Open again:

This bar in the Old Parthenon location is another casualty of the drive to enforce liquor license terms in Five Points establishments.

I don't know anything specific about The Thirsty Parrot, but it did make the news in 2018 when there was a shooting in the doorway.

UPDATE 23 July 2019 -- Commenter Sidney points out this place is not closed. I had read this State story which mentioned the building was being sold, and jumped to the wrong conclusion. D'oh!