If you’re home for the holidays and drive across the Gervais Street bridge, it might be hard to believe what you see. West Columbia is changing fast, with new businesses opening on State Street and the Brookland apartment complex rising on the skyline with its views of downtown Cola.

Early this week, the City of West Columbia shared its year-end report, including a recap of the year and a look forward at upcoming projects.

Several upcoming key initiatives include:

Meeting Street and US-1 corridor beautification

Major transformations are planned along Meeting Street and the US-1 Corridor to enhance the area's entertainment, retail, and restaurant hub. The project will include on-street parking, dedicated left turn lanes, planted medians, pedestrian crosswalks, and shared-use paths for walkers and bikers, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and SCDOT.

Enhancing safety

West Columbia is focusing on pedestrian safety and beautification in key redevelopment areas. This includes extending street lighting along 12th Street, complemented by landscaping additions along Charleston Highway between 12th Street and Meeting Street. Traffic calming is underway in the Avenues, along with six solar-powered speed limit signs in various locations to address speed concerns.

Infrastructure

Expanding sewer services along Sunset Boulevard/US Highway 378 is anticipated to spur economic development.

Triangle City revitalization

Aesthetic upgrades include refurbishing the WeCo Fountain and introducing city-branded bike racks to boost local appeal.

Community engagement

New developments like the Bark West dog park and a pedestrian bridge near the Botanical Gardens are designed to foster community spirit and enhance recreational opportunities.

With these initiatives, West Columbia is prepared for future growth that will come along with major announced projects like Langley Pointe and the new USC College of Nursing facility.