COLUMBIA, S.C. — The former Kline Iron and Steel Company site is set to become a mixed-use development after it has sat empty since it closed in 2004.
"I think there is a little energy in the air because people have been waiting for something to happen there," Director of Economic Development for the City of Columbia Ryan Coleman said.
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After receiving a tax break incentive from the City of Columbia and Richland County, plans are in store to redevelop that site.
"The ability of this project to pull more pedestrian traffic and to get the Vista developing westwards towards the riverfront, towards Cayce and West Columbia is one of the larger aspects about that," Coleman said.
Coleman said Windsor/Aughtry company in Greenville will be redeveloping the 7-acre site into a mixed used development. There will be two hotels,retail space, an office building and structured parking.
"There's so much traffic that goes through there everyday, so to be able to ride by that site in the future and instead of see an open green space to be able to see development, a project, some hotels and then restaurants and amenities they'll be able to go to as well will be really exciting for people," Coleman said.
One of the hotels will be a seven story AC by Marriott with a rooftop bar.
"It's probably going to take course over a couple of years," Coleman said. "The good part of that is it allows developers some flexibility in design so they can kind of see what is happening in Columbia and they can adjust their development to really reflect what the needs of the community are going to be."
The Executive Director of Columbia Development Corporation Fred Delk said this project will be worth the wait.
"Mr. Kline has looked for and played out some really amazing developments potential for this, but it had to come to exactly the right one that will benefit the community and this one is definitely going to do that," Delk said.
Coleman said there is no set date at this time for when construction will begin, but thinks it will be closer to the end of this year.