County announces $94.5 million investment, 300-bed apartment complex near Earlewood

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A new 300-unit market-rate apartment complex in Columbia is in the works for Columbia, according to officials with Richland County.

The $94.5 million development plan was approved during a third reading Tuesday night by Richland County Council as part of the Commercial Development Program it operates in collaboration with the City of Columbia. The City approved the plan at a prior meeting on Jan. 23.

The investment is expected to create a total of 10 new full- and part-time jobs, as well as hundreds of construction jobs.

The Streams at Earlewood is planned for 301 Sunset Drive, just outside of the historic Earlewood community and will offer a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, along with a 520-space parking garage and 42 surface lot spaces, subject to planning departments’ design approvals. 

Developers also plan to incorporate "modern lifestyle amenities" into the complex, such as a swimming pool, dog park and EV charging stations. The 8.46-acre site was purchased by Central Baptist Church of Columbia and originally used as a shopping center in the 1960s. 

Alex Dmyterko, Chief Executive Officer at Streams Development, said numerous factors contributed to the selection of the site, including proximity to the North Main development corridor, the ability to construct a large-scale property so close to the city center, and the opportunity to increase the availability of housing and neighborhood choices in the area.

“The support our teams have received has been vital in fulfilling the long-standing vision of Central Baptist Church and SVN Blackstream to revitalize the River Drive Corridor. We are grateful for the collaboration and assistance from the City of Columbia and Richland County,” said Brent Chitwood, SVN Blackstream Managing Director.

“Richland County welcomes the construction of The Streams at Earlewood,” said Richland County Council Chair Jesica Mackey. “The multimillion-dollar development project brings new growth to historic downtown with the creation of new jobs and living amenities. It also underscores Council’s continued commitment to economic development.”

“Columbia needs roughly 16,000 housing units to accommodate our growing population and workforce, so we are thrilled for this transformational investment that will provide high-quality apartments in Columbia’s accessible North Main Corridor, just one mile from the River Park North entrance,” said City of Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann.

Upon determination of final investment decisions, construction on the complex is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025, with completion slated for the first quarter of 2027.