Five Points to get face-lift
BY GABRIELLE SINCLAIR
THE GAMECOCK
Columbia is setting up a $31
million campaign to bring Five
Points and its surrounding area
into the 21st century. The project
will use the money to restore old
sewer lines and install wider
curbs, new pavement, trees and
lighting.
The Beauty-5 project has been
raising money for renovation for
about 12 years, and finished phase
one in 1997 with the Five Points
fountain.
The goal of the sewer work is
"to stop a cave-in before it starts,"
said David Brandes, project man
ager for Five Points Sewer
Rehabilitation.
The project will use $4 million
of its funds to replace a mile and
a half of sewer lines and repair an
additional 1,000 feet in the com
mercial areas. Brandes said it
would fix several problems dis
covered more than a year ago, in
cluding cracked, tum-of-the-cen
tury pipes that lie under buildings
and foundations. The project will
also address Five Points’ perpet
ual flooding problems, which have
long plagued store owners.
The aboveground work will ac
count for about $15 million of the
budget. It includes parking, land
scaping, wide sidewalks, new
trees in the medians and along the
sides of the street, trash cans,
benches, power lines and attrac
tive lighting.
Safety issues and security are
also being discussed, said Mike
Frick of architecture firm
Boudreaux Group, which will
help with the renovations. He
said a traffic light on Harden and
Pendleton streets is a possibility .
"The plan is not only to make it
look nice but to improve safety as
well," he said.
The project will take around
two years to complete. Initial con
struction is "not going to be per
fect for everyone but they're try
ing to make it something where
everyone has a voice," said Liz
McNeely, director of public in
volvement for the project.
Businesses in the area are ex
cited but concerned about how
their traffic flow and sales will be
affected.
"Supposedly they have it
worked out so that it won’t affect
parking or traffic," said Phil
Norris, owner of Adriana's in Five
Points. The project plans to stag
ger construction to avoid heavy
traffic areas and take into account
heavy retail seasons. Additional
parking behind stores will allevi
ate some of the problems. ’Tm hop
ing it works out that way," Norris
said.
Initial construction will begin
January. The first stage will be in
a section near the Norfolk
Southern railroad on Saluda
Avenue. The only effect to the gen
eral public will be on Saluda
Avenue itself.
The goal of the project is to con
tinue down Harden to where the
railroad trussle crosses Harden
Street, near Calhoun Street.
Engineering group Wilbur
Smith Association and landscap
ing firm Grimball and Cotterill
will participate with the
Boudreaux Group and many oth
ers. Funding for the project came
from fund raising, the city and
federal grants.
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecockudesk@hotmail.com
Rachal Hatton contributed to this
article.
I -'-:
PHOTO BY PASCALE SEXTON/THE GAMECOCK
Stores are worried that the planned sewer repair and street
renovations will create parking problems in Five Points.
CALENDAR
Wednesday, July 9
NON-STOP HIP HOP LIVE: 9
p.m. New Brookland Tavern.
$5.
"LAUREL CANYON": 7 p.m.
and 9:30 p.m. Nickelodeon
Theatre.
Thursday, July 10
KING HIPPO: 10 p.m.
Sundance. $5.
"LAUREL CANYON": 7 p.m. and
9:15 p.m. Nickelodeon
Theatre.
Friday, July 11
JOHN COX WITH JACK
BEASLEY: Jammin' Java. $6.
I
Saturday, July 12
ROBERT NEWTON AND
LUTUSFETE: 7 p.m.-lO p.m.
Finlay Park.
SLEEPYTIME GUERILLA
MUSUEM: 9 p.m. New
Brookland Tavern. $6 in
advance.
"SPELLBOUND": 7 and 915
p.m. Nickelodeon Theatre.
Sunday, July 13
JAM ROOM SHOWCASE: 2
p.m.-10:30 p.m. Art Bar
Outdoor Stage. 18 and up.
Monday, July 14
BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 9:45
p.m. New Brookland Tavern.
$5.
Tuesday, July 15
"ON GUARD": 7 p.m. and 9:30
p.m. Nickelodeon Theatre.
THE SUPERVILLIANS WITH
POP 39 AND RUDY: 9 p.m.
New Brookland Tavern.
July 30 - flag.3,2003
Departure - Wednesday. 7:00 p.m.
Return - Sunday 7:00 p.m. -
$525.00 Hi Hum incurs: 4
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