January 13, 2022 - Farewell to a Columbian pastime + avoid these traffic spots

Hello Sunday.

January 23 2022

It’s official — no really — Columbia’s 90-year-old Capital City Stadium is set to be demolished before June.

After almost 10 years of debate, plans of demolishing, and contracts, the minor league baseball field has been sold to a developer who plans to build a mixed-use housing + retail court currently coined as “The Ballpark.” Construction is set to start in 2023 and is expected to open in the summer of 2024 if everything goes according to plan.

Capital City Stadium | Photo by COLAtoday team

Let’s break down this new development into numbers:

310: The number of apartments to be built at the new mixed-use development.
2,000: The square footage of retail space will house a national sandwich chain, a coffee chain, and “a pretty well-known sports restaurant.”
$60,000: The amount the developer will pay to Historic Columbia.
$250,000: The amount Weddle is required to contribute for a greenway extension from Olympia Park to the new development.
$1.625 million: The amount Weddle Real Estate Investments paid to buy the property from the City of Columbia.
$8 million: The amount Weddle will invest in infrastructure improvements

Capital City Stadium | Photo by COLAtoday team

Decades of history will be replaced once the baseball stadium is demolished, so before construction starts, Historic Columbia will capture some of the legacies left behind. A documentary + oral history of the park will be produced with local filmmaker Lee Ann Kornegay.

While we wait for that to be produced, we found an oral history from 1985 that shares some history of the baseball stadium told by Robert “Bob” Fulton — The voice of the Gamecocks for 50+ years. He was a sports announcer that came to Columbia + broadcasted for the Columbia Reds baseball team — Columbia’s minor league baseball that played at the stadium when it was called Capital City Ball Park.

Use the buttons below to share this story with your BFFs, your neighbors, and anyone else

who remembers the baseball field in its prime.

EVENTS

Today

The grand opening of Sports & Skate Station | Thurs., Jan. 13 | 6-9 p.m. | Sports & Skate Station — where the old Skate Station USA used to be | Free | The grand opening day (and weekend) will include special events such as DJs, skating competitions, and other activities.
UofSC Women’s Basketball vs. Texas AM | Thurs., Jan. 13 | 7 p.m. | Colonial Life Arena | $6+ 🏀
Research Roundtable: We’re Here! Preserving Columbia’s LGBTQ+ Stories | Thurs., Jan. 13 | 12 a.m.-1 p.m. | Virtual | Free members + $10 non-members

Friday

MLK Freedom Fest | Fri., Jan. 14 | 7 p.m. | Colonial Life Arena | $73+ | Line up featuring Rod Wave, Moneybagg Yo, Latto, and Young Bleu. 🎶
Festival of Laughs | Fri., Jan. 14 | 8 p.m. | The Township Auditorium | $59+ | Laugh at a lineup of 5 comedians.

Saturday

Beethoven and Blue Jeans | Sat., Jan. 15 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Koger Center for the Arts | $22+ | Wear your favorite pair of blue jeans for a comfortable experience with world-class music. 🎶
Winter Desolation | Sat., Jan. 15 | 8 a.m.-2 p.m. | Art Bar | Price of purchase | The cool place to be in famously hot colatown.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

MORE JANUARY EVENTS

EDU

GSSM 2022-23 application deadlines are approaching

The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science + Mathematics (GSSM) offers e-visits that can be scheduled online | Photo by the CHStoday team

Enrollment is open for the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM), a public, tuition-free high school for SC residents. (We took our own tour of the campus, and we must say — it’s awesome.)

The school offers not just STEM courses, but also arts and award-winning athletics, plus residential, remote, and virtual programs.

Application deadlines:

Residential program: Feb. 15 (priority), March 8 (final)
STEM Foundations program: Feb. 15
Virtual program: Feb. 22*

LEARN MORE + APPLY

NEWS NOTES

Weather

60º | Mostly cloudy | 10% chance of rain 🌥️

Coming Soon

A new Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken restaurant, VIVA Chicken, is coming soon-ish to Harbison and will be located at 275 Harbison Blvd. Customers can expect fast-casual dining with a taste of street food from Peru. The expected opening date will be in 2023. 🍗 (WLTX)

Eat

One of the Columbia Chick-fil-A locations will be relocating from Decker Boulevard to 7500 Two Notch Rd. near Interstate 20. The new location is expected to open in the second half of this year. 🐔 (The Post and Courier)
This recipe for blackened fish tacos with cabbage mango slaw features superfood cabbage, which is packed with vitamins, low in carbs, and an excellent source of fiber. Taco ‘bout a healthy dinner. 🌮*

Closed

Richland Library’s Lower Richland branch located at 9019 Garner’s Ferry Rd. is temporarily closed due to a staffing issue. The local branch will reopen Jan. 18 at 9 a.m., and all other branches will remain open. 📚 (The State)

Health

Due to the high demand, DHEC is moving its COVID-19 testing location from Bull Street to Columbia Place Mall at 7201 Two Notch Rd. The new location will feature eight testing lanes and have at-home saliva test kits available for pickup. Services are available from 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. every day. (ABC Columbia)

Edu

Schools around the Midlands are shifting to virtual classrooms until Tues. Jan. 18 due to staffing shortages and COVID-19 precautions. See this compiled list to see which schools are virtual. 💻 (WLTX)
Deadlines are quickly approaching for enrollment at the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science + Mathematics. Applications for the residential program, online diploma program, and STEM Foundations are due Tues., Feb. 15, and the Accelerate application deadline is Tues., Feb. 22. Learn more and register. 🧪*

Ranked

No. 11. The ranking Steel Hands Brewing’s Coffee Lager was ranked on Untappd’s list of the Top 18 Highest Rated Lagers of 2021. Visit Steel Hands Brewing in Cayce for a pint or take a six-pack to-go in celebration.

Traffic

We reported earlier that a main water break last week caused closures on Devine Street. Six drivable lanes have been condensed to two until drivers reach the light at Rosewood Drive. The city says repairs could cost upwards of $140,000 and could take weeks to repair. 🚧 (WLTX)
The City of Columbia is starting the annual vegetation clearing this week, aka maintaining the trees, roots, and other aspects of the park to avoid erosion. The maintenance will take up to three weeks, and visitors should expect detours from 4122 River Dr. to 312 Laurel St. 🌳 (WLTX)

Travel

In case you missed it, nonstop flights to New York City have resumed via Delta at Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE). We’re already planning a trip to the Big Apple — start planning yours. 🛫*

Featured Space

Office building for lease along Columbia’s prime corridor | $20/SF NNN | A combination of private offices, open area, training and conference rooms, and break areas built with modern finishes, located on Huger St.*

*This paid content, brought to you by our advertising partners, helps make this newsletter free.

POST OF THE DAY

Wee wee wee all the way home

📸 @Countylex

Looks like this little piggy went to the market. If you head out to the farm today and you’re down a piglet, this one may be yours.

It was found on Old Wire Rd. + Highway 321 in West Columbia. This feels very on-brand for South Carolina, but if you lost your pig, you can contact Lexington County Animal Services or stop by the facility at 321 Ball Park Rd.

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