You may associate Columbia with being a college town because of UofSC’s position in the city, but did you know student housing is now the main source of property taxes?
Student housing brings in $47 million in taxable value. Three student complexes alone account for 22% — approx. $10.5 million — of that total. Columbia currently has 10 student housing complexes with 3 more on the way, including a $210 million dollar project, Campus Village, the University’s largest student housing project in history.
Before moving forward, let’s go back to see how student housing became the main source of property taxes for Columbia.
Timeline:
- 2014: Columbia City Council passed a resolution on March 4, stating a 10-year, 50% tax cut could only apply to privately owned student housing projects if those developments met certain criteria.
- 2017: Four student housing developers were approved to receive the 10-year tax break for their properties.
- 2019: City Council mimicked 2015 tax break, and passed a new tax break. The tax break was extended to large commercial and residential projects, giving them an up-to 50% joint property tax break for 10 years as long as the developments exceeded $30 million in investment and they spent the money saved on improvements to benefit the general public.
- 2021: Tax breaks will begin to expire in 2027, so it will take some time to fully see the impact of these tax breaks. Mayor Steve Benjamin thinks over the next decade, hundreds of millions of dollars will come back to benefit public schools, support police + fire departments, and all the things that go into having a city function properly.
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Today
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
- Riverbanks ZOOfari | Fri., Sept. 17 | 7 p.m. | Riverbanks Zoo | $80+ | Support wildlife conservation while enjoying food, cocktails + silent auctions. 🐘
Saturday
- Oktoberfest | Sat., Sept. 18 | 3-7 p.m. | The Main Course | Free | Enjoy live music, beer + traditional German food. 🥨
- Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture | Sat., Sept. 18 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site, 1403 Richland St. | Free | The festival will bring together musicians, artists + storytellers to create a vibrant celebration of SC’s black history + culture.
Sunday
- Y’all-Mart | Sun., Sept. 19 | 12-4:30 p.m. | New Brookland Tavern | Free | A flea market with 15+ vendors, food, drink specials, and more.
We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
A few weeks ago, our team got the chance to check out Craft Axe Throwing, and as people are looking for fun + unique activities to participate in, we wanted to share how you can #TryThis.
An axe-ceptional time team building | Gif via 6AM City Team
What we tried (with pricing):Our group of 8 booked 2 lanes for 1 hour of axe throwing. Axe throwing is $20 per person per hour for up to 8 people. For groups of 8+, a 25% non-refundable deposit (or $150 for facility rental) is required. Craft Axe Throwing made it easy to pick our lanes + schedule our time online. Ⓟ
Weather
- 89º | Mostly sunny | 10% chance of rain ☀️
Ranked
- No. 1. The ranking UofSC received for best first-year student experience of any public college in the country for the third year, according to US News and World Report. The University also ranked No.1 for best International Business School for 23 years in a row.🤙
- No. 4. The ranking Newberry College — a college approx. 45 min away from downtown — received as 1 of the best value colleges in the South, according to the US News & World Report. Newberry also placed in the top 10 colleges for social mobility in the South.
Community
- Blythewood — approx. 30 minutes north of Columbia — is 1 of the top 5 fastest growing towns in the state, and has grown 135% since 2010. The population has doubled for the past 2 census counts. (The Post and Courier)
- The annual Walk for Life and Famously Hot Pink Half Marathon + 5K is now a virtual event due to the rising COVID-19 cases. The event was originally scheduled for Oct. 23, but participants can still register online and walk anywhere, any time in the month of October to participate. 👟
Civic
- Lexington County wants residents to weigh in on how they would handle its growth when it comes to developments, Lake Murray, waste efforts, and sales taxes. Visit their website to review the county’s long-term comprehensive plan, and the deadline to submit feedback is this Sunday. (The State)
Development
- Plans to tear down Allen Benedict Court have been drawn and environmental testing will begin this week, 3 years after a deadly gas leak. Built in 1940, Allen Benedict Court is 1 of the nation’s oldest remaining public housing complexes. (The State)
Biz
- SC’s 2021 fastest growing companies have been announced by the SC 25 Fastest Growing Companies and you may recognize a few local businesses. We’re sending a big congratulations to Capital Waste Services, KRJ Consulting, LLC, and TerraStride, Inc. for making the list. 🎉
Edu
- East Point Academy was awarded 2 Green Step Awards for developing a student recycling program and was named the “Green Steps School” by the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina for conservation. ♻️ (Cola Daily)
Cause
Sports
- You may know that this Sun., Sept. 19 marks the Fireflies’ last home game of the season. But did you know one of the best seats in the house is on the Merrill Gardens rooftop? Residents can enjoy rooftop tailgating + fireworks right over their building. 🎆 Ⓟ
Finance
- Score an easy $200 bonus after spending just $500 in the first 3 months with this no annual fee cashback card. (That's like getting 40% cashback on your first $500 spent.) After that, keep racking up rewards with unlimited 1.5% cashback on every purchase. Ⓟ
Job
- Want to write this newsletter (or know someone who should)? We’re looking for a COLAtoday City Editor with strong writing skills, social media savvy, passion for all things local, and plenty of curiosity about what’s happening in Soda City. See details and apply.
Colonial LIfe Arena announced the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is returning on Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. for the annual winter tour and performance of “Christmas Eve & Other Stories.” This year marks 25 years of the concert, so if you don’t want to miss out on the celebration, make sure to grab your tickets this Friday at 10 a.m.
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Yesterday, we asked what would you like to see come to the available property at Bull Street + Elmwood Avenue? Looking at the 280+ answers, if it we're up to you 46% want to see more restaurants and businesses and 42% think the space would be great for a grocery store.
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