$80 million Vista apartments approved by Columbia board

COLUMBIA — An $80 million proposal to build a seven-story, 200-unit apartment building on Senate Street in the Vista got final approval after weeks of negotiations over the complex’s design.

The city’s Design/Development Review Commission approved the project’s design at a Dec. 18 meeting.

Project developer Subtext had first brought the plans to the commission on Nov. 20. The commission deferred a vote on the project, asking the architect to add more brick to the building’s facade, adjust the placement of windows and to break up the massing of the building.

The commission’s final approval of the project came after two additional meetings with the developer and architect to work through the issues in November and December.

“I think we’re very pleased where this has ended up based on where it was to where it is now, and thank you for all the feedback,” Subtext Development Manager Matt Swedenburg said at the Dec. 18 meeting. “We’re really excited about the project and the changes that have been made.”

Subtext has made changes to the colors, detailing and amount of brickwork on the building’s exterior to better match surrounding historic structures in the Vista, city staff said.

City staff have requested some additional changes, such as adding entryways to the building along the street front. Swedenburg said the developer is “amenable” to those changes.

In the meantime, plans for the complex were approved by the city’s Planning Commission, which gives overall approval to projects, on Dec. 11. Columbia City Council and Richland County Council also granted major tax credits to support the development on Dec. 9.

The Dec. 18 DDRC vote is expected to be the last public hurdle Subtext will need to clear before moving on to the permitting process.

The complex will contain 221 apartments and a 198-spot parking garage at the corner of Senate and Park streets in the Vista, with some ground-floor retail space. Developer Subtext’s total investment with the project is estimated at around $80 million.

Subtext is also building The Verve, a 697-bed student housing complex at the corner of Blossom and Huger streets about a mile away from the Senate Street project. The Verve also received county tax incentives in 2024.

Despite Subtext’s student housing project a few blocks away, the Senate Street apartments will be marketed toward young professionals, the developer has said.

The project will displace the current building on the site, which houses Mexican restaurant Monterrey, burger chain Five Guys, and Republic Biergarten and Kitchen. City documents from Dec. 6 indicate Five Guys intends to move into a new retail space on the property when it is completed.

The apartment complex has garnered support from city and the Vista Guild neighborhood business association. Proponents say the project will bring more young professionals into the Vista and downtown.

“The Vista Guild has been wanting more density with residents, so in my world these guys epitomize what we’ve been looking for in this part of town for a really long time,” Rosie Craig, head of the Vista Guild’s Development Committee, previously told The Post and Courier.

City and neighborhood leaders have encouraged the Vista’s growth into a prominent arts and entertainment district, as they look to bring more tourists, events and investments into the area.

Numerous hotels have been built or are planned for the district, including the Lantern Hotel built in the former city fire station just across Park Street from the 931 Senate St. apartments, which is expected to open in January 2026.

The Vista is also experiencing additional attention in anticipation of the city’s planned park on the banks of the Congaree River and subsequent development in the area.

The 931 Senate apartments could be one of the last projects to go through the city’s Design/Development Review Commission as it is known today.

The city is pursuing a plan to split the commission into two boards — one focused on approving the design of new projects in neighborhoods with specific architectural guidelines, and one in charge of proposals dealing with existing historic properties.

The city believes the split boards will be more efficient than the existing system.