Plus, Festival of Gardens tickets on sale.
 
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From our friends at WLTX

 
📋 A blueprint for Cola’s future
Downtown Columbia
Downtown Columbia | Image via @sodacityaerials
The City of Columbia recently unveiled its new Downtown Columbia Strategic Plan and Design Guidelines master plan and is offering Soda Citizens a chance to share their voices for the city’s future.

The plan hopes to shape the future urban landscape, keeping community values and aspirations in mind. It’s been 25 years since the last City Center Master Plan and over a decade since its sister plan, the Innovista Master Plan, was developed.

Here’s a look at what the plan will cover and how you can help shape it.

What the plan entails

The strategic plan targets a range of objectives, including fostering a community-driven vision. The focus will be:
  • Preserving the city’s historic identity
  • Prioritizing public policies and investments
  • Establishing design guidelines for vibrant public spaces
Columbia-basemap.jpg

The map shows the area that the new plan will cover. | Graphic by City of Columbia

The area encompasses Elmwood Avenue to Catawba Street and Pickens Street to the Congaree River, covering key Cola districts.

Get involved

Community members are encouraged to engage through surveys, stakeholder roundtables, mobile workshops, and community meetings scheduled throughout 2024.

With a projected timeline of ten months, milestones included formulating draft guidelines and plans, culminating in a finalized Downtown Plan and Design Guidelines by November. Lucinda Statler, AICP, will lead as the Project Manager.

Future development

The plan comes at a time when the downtown area is on the cusp of several new developments.
Share your voice by taking this survey and signing up for the dedicated mailing list for this project.
 
 
Events
 
Friday, March 22
  • 2024 NCAA DI Womens BKB Championship | Friday, March 22 | 11:30 a.m. | Colonial Life Arena, 801 Lincoln St., Columbia | $30-$40 | Watch four teams compete to move on to the second round.
  • Palmetto Sportsmens Classic | Friday, March 22-Sunday, March 24 | Times vary | South Carolina State Fairgrounds, 1200 Rosewood Dr., Columbia | $10-$18 | Whether you hunt for your groceries or just enjoy the great outdoors, you’re sure to find something at this 350 vendor showcase.
  • Foraging Walks with Matt Kip of Full Belly Foraging | Friday, March 22-Saturday, March 23 | Times vary | Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main St., Columbia | $35 | Celebrate Art Blossoms a little differently on a nature walk with Kip at the Columbia Riverwalk to explore what’s right here in our city’s natural landscape.
Saturday, March 23
  • Irmo Cherry Blossom Festival | Saturday, March 23 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Irmo Town Park, 7330 Carlisle St., Irmo | Free | A one-day festival featuring art and food typically found at a Sakura viewing festival
  • Roses & Rosé | Saturday, March 23 | 4:30-6 p.m. | Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main St., Columbia | Sip into spring with wines paired expertly with Art Blossoms arrangements and nibbles from F2T Productions.
Sunday, March 24
  • High Tea | Sunday, March 24 | 2-4 p.m. | Stone River, 121 Alexander Rd., West Columbia | $30-$55 | Start your experience with a glass of champagne, then choose from the selection of premium winter Rishi teas.
Click here to have your event featured.
 
 
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5 deep discounts in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale
"Big Spring Sale" is written by a rotating gif of a tablet, Instant Pot, and electric toothbrush.
Shop savings through Monday, March 25. | Graphic by 6AM City
It’s Amazon’s first ever Big Spring Sale. Shop some of the best discounts we’ve seen:
 
News Notes
 
Civic
  • Columbia is moving forward with Columbia Canal repairs, a key source of the city’s drinking water, following the 2015 flood. The Army Corps of Engineers is now seeking public feedback on the project, estimated between $40-$45 million. Public comments are welcomed via email or mail. (The Post and Courier)
Sports
  • Good luck, Gamecocks. USC’s women’s basketball will play in the first round of the NCAA tournament today against Presbyterian, beginning at 2 p.m. in Colonial Life Arena. If they win, they will play on Sunday. Keep up with the tournament and scores on the NCAA website. Oh, and here’s a work excuse for today’s game.
Read
  • Tayler Simon, founder of “Liberation is Lit,” aims to open a physical bookstore in Columbia. Known for selling thought-provoking books at Soda City Market, she’s looking to create a space for discussions on social issues and community engagement through diverse literature. Read more of her story in The Post and Courier.
Festival
  • Tickets are on sale now for Columbia Green’s 2024 Festival of Gardens in Hampton Ridge, set for Saturday, April 27 + Sunday, April 28, showcasing eight to 10 private gardens with pools, kitchens, and play areas. Ticket sales support grants for enhancing Columbia’s green spaces.
Outdoors
  • Congaree National Park plans prescribed burns through April 30, targeting ~1,000 acres for habitat restoration and fuel reduction. Certain trails and facilities, including Longleaf and Bluff Campgrounds, may close temporarily. Visitors should expect visible smoke and possible reduced visibility on nearby roads.
Listen
  • The Panthers are checking off their offseason to-do list. Go beyond the scoreboard and behind the scenes of the Carolina Panthers with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
Finance
  • If your last credit card bill sent a chill down your spine, it might be time for a balance transfer. For that, The Ascent recommends these four cards with 0% APR for up to 18 months. (You could have almost two years to avoid interest charges on qualifying balance transfers.)*
Eat
 
 
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Eat
 
🌸 Add to cal: Boku’s Cherry Blossom Brunch
Two cocktails being held in front of cherry blossoms.
Celebrate cherry blossom season with special cocktails all month long. | Photo by @boku_cola
Brunch will bloom at Boku Kitchen + Saloon this Saturday, March 23.

From 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the restaurant will be decked out in pink cherry blossoms for an aesthetic brunch party, featuring:
  • Dim sum (think: shareable plates like dumplings and bao buns)
  • Bloom-inspired cocktails
  • Cherry blossom-themed desserts
  • A local DJ spinning fun music
Bonus: All guests will receive a free sake bomb + flower crown to share with the table.
 
The Buy
 
Coffee and tea. Shop our beverage selection to help avoid your mid-day slump.
 
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The Wrap
 
David Stringer wearing a dark button-down shirt Today’s edition by:
David
From the editor
Soda Citizens flocked into the reopened Drake’s Duck-In yesterday when it reopened its Main Street spot. Drake’s originally opened on Elmwood Avenue in 1907 and served meals to hungry mill workers. These days, you’ll see everyone from hungry lawyers to construction workers.
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