Last week, we shared the new 26-story and 22-story towers set to change Columbia’s skyline and house apartments for both residents + students. We wanted to know your take on the scale, design, and location of the new development. Today, we're sharing your feedback.

Survey says...

"I don't like it." Out of almost 200 responses from our readers, ~48% of folks voted not in favor of the development, while ~39% voted for either "I like it" or "I only like parts of it."

After taking the survey, we wanted to know why you felt that way. Here's what you said:

"I don't like it."

By far, the most common complaint was — can you guess it? — student housing.

"I don’t like that downtown is being overrun with student apartment complexes." — Nick K.
"Enough with the student housing, pleassssseeee. 😪" — Deborah A.
"Stop building student housing." — LS

Other dislikes:

Height/scale with several mentions of the building being "too tall," "too big," or "out of scale" with Main Street.

"It's just too tall. Sometimes bigger isn't better." — Cathy A.

Infrastructure concerns, mostly about density, lack of parking, and overburdened infrastructure

"Downtown does not have the infrastructure to support this building and all the new people it will bring." — Ann S

Some folks think the design is "ugly," "uninspired," "outdated," or "generic."

"The building is uninteresting. The street level lacks any real detail to make the pedestrian's experience worthy of walking by it." — Anonymous

"I like it."

The main sentiment around why folks voted for "I like it" was because they see it as a sign of progress and a way for Columbia to stay relevant.

"Columbia is our capital city, and is far behind on development. It’s a Big change, but it’s time for Columbia to compete with Greenville." — Brian D.
"We need something like this for our downtown. Great job to the City for doing this." — Michelle W.
"Change is most welcome." — Gregory A.

"I only like parts of it."

These folks show cautious optimism, mostly appreciating the idea of growth for the city, however, some disagree on aspects of design or worry about the congestion.

"It is too tall. The design looks good." — Mary M.

"I like the design, but am extremely concerned about the additional amount of traffic because of it." — C. C.

"I like the fact that a developer sees enough in Cola to invest big, but I think the scale is too large for that location." — Bill C.

"I love that they're adding life to our skyline but the buildings look kind of bland. Nothing about them stand out." — Lamark B.

If you missed the original article, get caught up. Don't worry — you didn't miss your chance to share your thoughts. Participate in our survey + add your remarks.