Growth is occurring everywhere in the Midlands, from Blythewood in the northeast to downtown Columbia. But for true evidence of how the area is rapidly evolving and changing, all you have to do is look west.
The city of West Columbia, the town of Lexington and areas around Lake Murray including the town of Chapin have experienced some of the most rapid growth in the area, with both local residents and people from out of town seeking out the areas for their family-friendly communities, access to Lake Murray, the area’s three rivers and rapidly growing business opportunities.
In recent months, plans have been announced for several significant projects that will bring new housing, retail and business projects to these areas.
The city of West Columbia recently gave approval for two new projects that will continue the rapid transformation of the city’s riverfront area, which has burgeoned in recent years with new development.
Trailhead Townhomes. The city of West Columbia in February announced plans for more than 50 new townhomes located along a major road, Sunset Boulevard, near the Saluda River waterfront.
West Columbia City Council in early February approved a zoning request for 3.2 acres of land for a development called Trailhead Townhomes to be located at 620 Sunset Blvd. The development is slated to have more than 50 two-story townhomes, each with its own driveway designed to fit two cars.
The development also will include a mail kiosk and a buffer between the townhomes and parking lot for the river walk, according to plans. A vegetation buffer will be left along Sunset Boulevard.
The development also will include new interior streets and a small lot for commercial space, according to the city.
The townhomes, planned by developer Dustin Johns, will be built on a site that currently is home to a janitorial equipment supplier.
Trailhead will be located on the west side of the Jarvis Klapman Boulevard on-ramp close to the Moffatt Street entrance to the riverwalk.
Capitol Square. The city of West Columbia in late 2024 also approved the Capitol Square redevelopment project, slated to be built on the property of the vacant Capitol Square shopping center at 469 Sunset Blvd.
Baker Commercial Properties of Columbia first proposed the project in May 2024, and plans call for a four-story 224-unit multi-family apartment building and more than 18,000 square feet of retail or office space. A new grocery store is a possibility for part of the retail space. City officials hope to bring in both locally based businesses and national retailers to Capitol Square.
The previous shopping center had been vacant for nearly two years.
According to plans for the site, a new parking lot will be built on the other side of nearby Leaphart Street to replace vacant parking spots on the Capitol Square site.
Capitol Square is located across from the House of Raeford Farms chicken processing plant at 410 Sunset Blvd., a long-time tenant there that has drawn complaints from local residents and the city. Currently there are no plans for the chicken plant to move, although West Columbia officials have discussed redeveloping the plant’s site.
Rumors circulated recently that Raeford was possibly considering a new site in the city of Aiken in the western part of the state, but those plans have stalled.
Although some area residents had wondered whether the new development project would work being so close to the chicken plant, the plant has not presented an obstacle to West Columbia’s rapid addition of new housing. The Flow Townhomes development is located adjacent to the processing plant at 136 Sunset Blvd.
Chapin Construction owners expand to business park. A little over 20 miles west of West Columbia, growth also continues to explode in the town of Chapin, which has been adding both new residential and business complexes at a rapid rate.
In late February, a homegrown, family-owned construction company announced plans for a business park in Chapin which will house both new businesses and the company’s offices.
Chapin Commercial Construction, owned by life-long Chapin residents Chad and Caroline Lindler, will build the new Lake Murray Business Park on eight acres at the intersection of Chapin Road and Primose Lane.
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The single-story development will be designed to accommodate a wide variety of business, from medical and professional offices to retail, restaurants and flex space. Chapin Commercial is working with Trinity Partners as leasing agent for the park.
“We have been here as a business since 2018 and the amount of growth we’ve seen has been amazing,” Caroline Lindler said in an interview with Columbia Regional Business Report. “I’ve lived here my entire life and we have seen a lot of businesses move into this area that have offered a level of convenience we did not have many years ago. As life-long residents of Chapin, it’s important for this development to be done responsibly in a way that benefits the community.”
The inclusion of medical use buildings in the new park will provide an important service for many Chapin residents, she said.
“We’ve seen a few medical providers come into the area, but we still have many residents who currently have to drive 30 minutes to Columbia or to Lexington to get to the services they need – that’s why we want the business park to have the potential for medical use,” Lindler said.
The company does not have specific information about what medical providers might be included, but Lindler said some preliminary discussions have occurred with Lexington Medical Center and other area providers.
Phase one of the business park is set to deliver by the third quarter of this year and will feature four subdividable buildings running from 3,000 to 5,000 square feet. This initial phase will provide flexible leasing opportunities for medical, office and retail. Phase 2 will introduce additional flex, office and retail space with build-to-suit options available on the rest of the property.
The site will offer ample parking and rapid access to Chapin’s growing residential and commercial corridors, as well as strong visibility to an area which sees up to 13,500 vehicles per day.
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