COLUMBIA, S.C. — A former retail site at the corner of Huger and Laurel streets is soon to be converted for use as the new site for Columbia Presbyterian Church. The building that once housed Cogdill Carpets and Cromer's P-Nuts was purchased by the church at the end of 2022 and is undergoing transformation to house the growing church congregation.
Renovations have already begun to create a 700-seat sanctuary, a large children's ministry area, staff office space, and room for partner outreach ministries. The church plans to use just over half of the 45,000 square foot building and lease the attached warehouse space to help defray the cost of the $6.4 million project. Also, the space that was once occupied by Cromer's cafe will become a coffee shop and meeting space.
After renovations are complete sometime this summer, Columbia Presbyterian Church will move from it's current location in the heart of Cottontown at 2244 Sumter St. to 1700 Huger.
The church was formed in 2013, first meeting in the former Tapp's Building on Main Street before moving to it's current location on Sumter Street in 2017. As the congregation grew, it became necessary to look for a larger space.
"We could not be more thankful to God for this space. It's perfect. After years of hard searching and a lot of disappointment, the Lord provided the right space to serve our church family and our great city," said Pastor David Gentino. "The space is very visible downtown, right on Huger Street and between the soon to be renovated Finlay Park and the new police headquarters. The church is excited about sharing the love of Christ with those who will visit and those who we will meet serving the city," Gentino said.
Hill Construction Company of Columbia is the general contractor for the project and Catalyst Architects is the architect. The new location will have 225 parking spaces.