Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I don't know much about Ricky's Tire & Auto, but they seem to been a well regarded shop and closed last month after struggling with first COVID and then the economy for a while.

Commenter Andrew sends this ColaDaily link which has much more information, including a video report.

(Hat tip to commenter Brandon Brown)

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.)

As mentioned by commenter James R, Chen's Chinese Restaurant in Lexington is now Friend's House Chinese & Seafood.

Here is a State story on the new place that deploys the word plethora.

(Hat tip to commenter James R)

This store closed as a Bi-Lo in January of 2020, and opened as a Pig not too long thereafter. Now that run, too, has come to an end. (You can actually see more pictures of it as a Pig in the linked post, as I did not get over there while the Bi-Lo was still open).

Given there are multiple groceries in the area (probably a big factor here), I doubt the next tenant will be one, but we'll have to see.

(Hat tip to commenter James R)

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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The address is a bit of speculation based on gazing at Google Maps, but I noticed this decrepit old house last week when I was driving down Sunset towards Lexington.

They are doing some wastewater work along the highway, and had trimmed the foliage back alongside the right-of-way, exposing this old place. It looks like at one time it could have been a starter-home with some character, but it has pretty much gone to the weeds at this point. I was surprised to see some furniture, newer than I might expect, still inside, but given the way the floor had collapsed under it, I did not venture from the (concrete slab) front porch any further inside.

If the address is correct, then this LoopNet listing suggests the house is on a four acre property that might go upscale someday, as the next lots to the south are a medical complex of some sort.

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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)

Here's another Zoe's Kitchen closed for the conversion to Cava.

I do like the facade on the endcap this one sits in.