ColaTown: Telling our Stories: Learn more about the Vista Guild

Welcome back into ColaTown. Our city, our stories, really happy to have you on [music] board. 9:33 on this Monday morning. In the studio with us, I want to welcome into the program Abby Anderson who joins us from the Vista Guild. She is here to talk all things Vista. >> Hi. >> Hey, how are you? >> I'm good. How are you? >> I'm doing great. Abby and I have known each other a long time back from the old baseball days. >> That's right. >> And um I'll tell you what, the community continues to change, evolve, grow, a lot of fun things since you were with the Fireflies and now you basically are running the the the Vista. You've you've basically become the mayor of the Vista. Is that >> know that I'm the mayor, but I definitely do what we can to help and support the district. >> Well, tell me about First of all, I I always like to start off. Like I said, I've known you for a long time, but I always like to start off by getting to know our guests a little bit. So, kind of take me through a little bit about how long you've been in the Midlands area, uh where you came from, uh and and and how you got your job with the Vista, and and what your role is. What is your job description? All that stuff. >> Yeah. So, um Abby Anderson, I'm the executive director of the Congaree Vista Guild. Um I've been in Columbia for 11 and 1/2 years now. So, that was when I met you was kind of right off the bat. >> Sure. >> Um I moved here to help work with the Fireflies and they moved me here before we had a name or a ballpark or >> Part of all that. >> Any of that. Yeah. So, um that was great. Um I left that position exactly 7 years ago right now. Um and I got [clears throat] this job with the Vista Guild. So, um we I loved Columbia and this was an opportunity to stay and you know, really have an impact on the city. So, what the Vista Guild does is we're a 501c6. We're a membership-based nonprofit. So, any of our businesses can become members. We do marketing and events on behalf of the district. And then we also represent the district when it comes to things with the city or the county. Um a lot of our businesses are working 9:00 to 5:00 or even actually later if they're restaurants or even earlier. So, um we will go in and on behalf of the businesses speak to city council, speak to the mayor, speak to, you know, Richland County um on different issues that affect our district. >> Where were you from before you got to Columbia? >> I was in Indiana before this, but I actually grew up in Fort Lauderdale. >> Okay, very good. Very good. Well, >> [snorts] >> it happens to a lot of us. We come to Columbia and you think, "Okay, I'll stay for a little bit here and there and go on to the next." And then you fall in love with Columbia. And and yeah, and it's it's pretty cool thing. >> Yeah. >> Um and that's a good thing and you know, that's what happened to me. I was you know, came here from from Florida, from Gainesville and then I thought, "Ah, 3 4 years, next market." And then I'm falling in love with Columbia, then I fall in love with a Columbia girl and next thing you know, you know, I'm a lifer and I I'll never leave. I love it here. >> I fell in love with a Columbia boy, so I get it, right? >> Yeah, it's pretty cool. It really is though. Um and it's it's fun especially when you have a story where you come from somewhere else and it's nothing against where you came from because those are your roots and all that, but there's something about this community that's very special. Working with the Vista as you get a chance to do, it's it's very much a an interesting thing I would imagine Abby because it's so um things come, things go, things come. I mean, in all districts, obviously, whether we're talking about different districts around the city or even around the country, you know, restaurants come, restaurants go, hotels come and go, you know, businesses come and go. We want them to stay, we want them all to succeed and be here forever and ever and ever, um but but that's not the reality. But for a lot of them though, it is and you do build relationships. So, take me through like like what an average, not that there is an average week for Abby, but what is what is it like basically in terms of are you putting out fires for helping businesses to put out fires or is it a is it a recruitment thing or a little bit of that? How how does it all work? >> It It really is a bit of everything. When I started this job, I thought it was a marketing role and it is, right? We do marketing on behalf of the district, we put out billboards why you should come to the Vista as opposed to other places. Um but it's a lot of meeting our business owners, speaking to them, you're right, putting out fires. We have a clean and safe program that are constantly out in the street meeting visitors, you know, working with the transient population and just picking up trash, etc. So, working on different things like that. We host ribbon cuttings for any of our new businesses. And we'll do what we can to work directly with the economic development department with the city of Columbia. Any of our vacant spaces. Additionally, the Vista is unique as opposed to some of the other districts around town cuz we have a lot of property that isn't built upon yet. We have a lot of vacant property. And actually in the last two or so years, we're kind of seeing a lot of that growth and coming up. We could talk about the river and the William Street project and what's about to start happening, you know, down there on the Ginyard property. So, that's still part of the Vista. >> I was going to ask you that is like define the Vista for me. What part do you say is the cuz I mean obviously you get to now Main Street and that's got its own district now. Main Street has its own district. So, from is it is it is it from basically Assembly down? >> So, it's essentially Assembly to the backside of sorry, the backside of Assembly which doesn't make sense. But like Cola's for instance is a part of the Main Street district. They have all those businesses that face Assembly. But we have the backside of them. And then all the way to the river. And then technically the Vista goes from Elmwood to Whaley streets. So, it's huge. Everyone assumes that if they're standing on the corner of Gervais and Lincoln, they're in the Vista. But the Vista's a lot of it. And we have so much of the university that's technically part of the Vista. We've got, you know, the Koger Center, Colonial Life, and then everything down to the you know, the baseball stadium essentially. So, there's a lot. >> I mean we just had Nate on last week actually from from the Koger Center. And I was talking about a busy August heading into fall with them. You know, it's interesting because I've been here now 32 years as of last week. It was my 32nd anniversary in Columbia. And I as I said, you know, I I try to be the greatest ambassador cuz I love love love our city. It's interesting. I've watched the Vista explode and then kind of tamper down a little bit and now getting bigger again. And as other districts around the It used to just be almost like there was only two places. There was the students went to Five Points and the adults went to the Vista. That was the perception. >> everyone told me when I moved here 12 years ago. That's exactly it. >> That was the perception was the [clears throat] the the kids play here, the adults play here. And that certainly changed. Right. I mean now I think the Vista's got a little something for everybody. But but certainly that's a fair perception of what it was or what what I mean almost how it was like like like roles were defined a number of years ago when you first started 7 years ago over at the Vista. How has it changed? >> I mean it's changed like I started 6 months before COVID hit. And so yeah, that was pretty wild, right? Cuz it was just trying to do what we can to support these businesses. There was a lot of figuring out who was doing takeout, who was doing, you know, all of these different things to try to survive. Um but things have changed significantly. We survived COVID. So many of our businesses made it through that. And now there's just all these smaller projects to see what we can do to support these larger developments that are coming. We've got student housing that just opened at the corner of Huger and and Blossom Street, the Verve. We've got one across the street from them. That's apartments that's about to open. We've got apartments that are going up on Huger Street further up closer to the State Museum. And then we've got more apartments that are about to happen right in the heart of the district on the corner of Senate and Park. So there's all of these large things which is going to change the Vista drastically because now there's going to be so many more people that actually live in the heart of the district which we have some vacant storefronts. It is. And so all of these, you know, we're suddenly shifting. In addition to that, the Vista for a very long time hasn't really been a shopping district. If you want a shopping district, you go to Five Points for that. You go to Divine Street. But, last December Sylvan's opened in the Vista, which is a game changer. That is a hotbed for shopping. Now, last week right behind it opened Adam's Bookstore or Adam's Comic Gear. And so, now you can really come and shop in our district and also visit restaurants and different things. So, >> Sure. >> we're really starting to see that retail push again, um which is very very exciting for us cuz it's nice to be that one-stop shop. >> The convention center, obviously, is a huge part of of the district. And we are hearing, you know, the mayor's on with us all the time and we desperately want to get that hotel attached to it and then we want to grow the convention center and all that stuff. How much of a game changer will it be or would it be to be able to add a full-service hotel in addition to expanding the convention center? >> I mean, that would change everything for not just the Vista, but for downtown. I mean, having those We've We got to see the NCAA come through here, right? Years ago because they made that promise and they came and then afterwards they said we can't we can't come anymore. We can't have teams everywhere. And so, it would change everything. It would open things up for large-scale things like NCAA basketball in addition to any other large conventions that we're just a little bit too small for because we have a lot of smaller hotels. >> Right. >> And so, it would change everything. If we could expand that convention center to give us a lot more, it would it would really change everything. People would be able to easily walk into the Vista to explore all of our restaurants and retail. They could get up to Main Street easily. >> Sure. >> You know, and the the city's also been working hard on the Vista, um Main Street connector and making Assembly safer so you don't feel like you're walking across a highway. So, there's all of these projects that are happening. And so, in 10 years, I mean, things are going to be drastically different from they are right now. >> May I may I recommend talks all one of his favorite words is connectivity. Yes. He loves that and he's right. I mean he's you want to be able to obviously get from Soda City to the Vista on a Saturday without worrying about dodging cars crossing Assembly and all that stuff. So yeah, we got to make sure we're doing that. But it's it is interesting because Abby when you think about where we were at versus where we are at now and and the potential, you know, there's no knock on any of the other districts whether we're talking about Main Street which has exploded and Divine has done really really well. Of course Bull Street as you know, you were there when it first started and launched before we even like you said even before we knew the name of the park and knew knew the name of the team. What's interesting about that is right now the Bull Street seems to have all the momentum because they're adding big things and and and there's that. But when you look at what might happen in the Vista and you look at what we just talked about with the hotel being the biggest game changer allowing for conventions, you're talking about a flow of traffic in a good way that is going to result in so much more foot traffic for the restaurants and for the retailers and things like that. But you're also talking about for for people in terms of adding to our tax base and adding to growth of the city, you're talking about people coming in instead of spending one night spending three nights. That kind of stuff with much bigger conventions. >> Yes. >> That's game changing. >> It's a big deal. It's a big deal and we I mean I'm so glad he mentions connectivity. We talk about that on our board all the time. That word is used every other sentence sometimes it feels like. And we have a great relationship with all the other districts. We meet and talk with Main Street district all the time. And what can we do? You know, we love all of our restaurants and everything, but how can people go to Bourbon and then walk to the Koger Center for a show or you know, kind of do both? It's I mean parking, right? Everybody talks about parking non-stop. It's one of those things where you're just like, oh, we know parking is hard." So, how can we make that easier for people to really be able to explore? It's three blocks. It just feels so much further because of Assembly and Huger Street. And so, yeah, connectivity is a big deal. >> Good stuff. All right. Well, we are visiting for a few more minutes with Abby Anderson from over at the Vista Guild and we're going to tackle a quick break. Come on back with more. Our final segment right around the corner. Stick around as we continue. You are listening to Cola Town, our city, our stories right here on the point. This is Cola Town on a Monday in the capital city. Thank you for being with us. Our city, our stories. My name is Kevin Cohen and in studio with us really, really enjoying a visit kind of rekindling a friendship with Abby Anderson from the Vista Guild and we're talking all about all things Vista and its growth and its bounce back after COVID and all of those things. Um and and not just that, but all the potential. Two things I want to focus on here in this second segment. One is I want to kind of talk about the expansion involving Huger Street and and the river district. And then I want to talk about the arts and and that aspect because there's tremendous arts when it comes to the Vista and and what all that means. But let me first go with you because I think there's a lot of confusion. Huger Street is about to explode. >> Yeah. >> Um I think people are just waiting to see what's going to happen in terms of because people ask all the time on this radio program and and and in general when I'm doing my local shows at they're always asking me about well, why can't we have something where we have all these restaurants on the water and this and I I I keep explaining flood plain. Okay? You're not going to be able to do that kind of of river walk type thing like you see in San Antonio or this and that. But we're going to have a park. We're going to have But then when you go more up towards Huger Street, that's where the potential is going to be for more of this nightlife and more of this opportunity, what are we expecting in the next 5 years? >> I You mentioned the park. I mean, I think the park is going to be a real game-changer. We have Finley Park, which is gorgeous. It's incredible. This one it's it's it's outstanding. This one is I It seems like kind of focus more on nature, right? Like you're The whole point is to be, you know, on the river and experience the nature that's down there. But, you're right. There's also going to be development. There's a lot If you drive down Huger Street, it kind of feels it it's not fully downtown, you know? But, there's a lot of vacant parcels. And so, I think that there's a real opportunity. Um and the city's been working really hard on that and it it looks like there's going to be a lot more that's going to be shared with the public in the next couple months. Um as far as what they see as a vision for Huger Street, Williams Street, which they're starting to work on to expand that all the way to Blossom. Um and then would be the park down to the river. But, you're right. I mean, the flood plane. If you were here in 2015, which I was, I had just moved here a few months before. You know, you kind of see that there's only so much you can >> You don't want to put your heart and soul into a restaurant that's going to be underwater potentially. And not even with a 1,000-year flood, just in general. It's just a It's in a flood plane. So, there has to be some things that are built there that can handle flooding. And And they'll do that. I mean, they'll build some things that are flood-proof in the sense that if they were to be underwater for a day, it's not stuff in you know, we're talking about stuff in a playground or or that kind of stuff. But, as you go further toward the street up to Huger, um the potential is is is mind-boggling because that is an undeveloped area in terms of a lot of parcels, as you said, and a lot of people who own that land are doing a wait-and-see to wait and see exactly what's going to be and see what's going to be It's just going to be another It's going to be part of the Vista, but it's going to be a big segment of the of the Vista district that is completely different than what you think of cuz most people that think of the Vista today, they think of a stretch right down Gervais. And they think of what's on each side of Gervais as you go down to the convention center one way, you know, as you Yeah. >> Yes. It's it's huge. And I mean, what we talked about with connectivity, it's how do we get people down there? We've been discussing that with them a lot. We talk about that right now. Like, how do you get someone to the State Museum on foot, right? Like, if they're staying at the Hyatt Place, it's not that far. It just feels far with Huger Street. So, it's trying to sort out and, you know, a lot of the roads in Columbia, you can be on a road and it's a state road and then suddenly it's a city road. So, it's hard to know. There's a lot of discussions with DOT because they own Exactly. So, there's been a lot of good conversations with both. Um and so, it seems like the city has great relationships with DOT. We have a great relationship with DOT. So, it's how we can work to make it more pedestrian friendly and connect it all. >> You mentioned that you have a great relationship with the other districts, but there's still a rivalry, isn't there? >> There's really not. >> No? >> No, we've gotten to a point I assumed that before I started this role, but we have meetings together with economic development with the city typically, and it's Divine Street, North Main, Rosewood, Main Street, Five Points. All of us get together and it is our goal to just further downtown Columbia and do what we can to just make it better. There's no rivalry. We do what we can to meet with Segra Park, too, like the Bull Street folks. >> Sure. >> And kind of say, "Hey, it's Vista Lights this night." We do it one night a year. I know you guys do your lights now. Let's make sure that we don't overlap, right? Like, we try to have those conversations so that we're not fighting with each other. You know, I mean, obviously, I would prefer people come to Motor Supply than something else, you know? But, no, we do everything that we can to make sure that we support each other because you know, we all have such incredible things. >> Right. >> And there's a little bit for everyone. >> Right. And but that's what I was going to ask you though about was because if you have a specific event that is your event and it's really important one night night a year, you do want to go to the other districts and say, "Hey guys, >> Right. >> can you can you make sure that you don't have one of your galas type of event on the same night because there's only so many dollars and so many people to spread. So, you just want to That's what I was saying from the horizon. >> days for St. Pat's in Five Points and nobody books anything. I mean, you'd be silly to, right? >> also make sure not to >> also. >> Yes. And then we try to share information. Hey, St. Pat's is going on at Five Points. That's the place to be. And we kind of do that with Vista Lights and you know, some of the other things the the Divine Street, >> Sure. >> you know, all of those. So, we do a good job to share our calendars calendars with each other cuz it is what's best for the city. >> Yeah, it really is. I mean, it's a win-win. And obviously, if if if it's reciprocated and they don't do anything on your big day, then you're not going to do anything on their obviously, that's good cohesion. And again, that's another form of of connectivity. I mean, it's another >> on patrons or you know, visitors, anyone who live residents. It just makes it easier on them cuz they don't kind of go There's plenty going on in Columbia as it is. You know that. I mean, we're constantly out and about. We're constantly reading the calendar. >> Sure. >> So, what do we do to make sure that there's not huge things that overlap that forces someone to go, "Well, we always go to Vista Lights, but you first night of blah blah blah, you know? We we try to make it easier on everybody. >> Yeah. Well, I get that and I and I think it's that that's a good that that type of cohesion is is a win-win for everybody. Let's talk about the the art aspect of the Vista because um I think it's something Abby that that I don't think people realize just how much you guys do to promote the arts and promote culture. Uh you mentioned we have some museums obviously that are right there in the smack of uh of of the district also. >> Yeah. Yeah, so um Columbia is the only Columbia, sorry, the Vista is the only South Carolina official cultural district in the city of Columbia. And that's through That's a designation that we got through the South Carolina Arts Commission uh back in 2015. So, we were one of the first cultural districts with them. I think now they have 13 or 14. So, that program is really expanding across the state. But, it's a way that we really focus on the arts. The way that the Vista became cool back in the day was because artists. It was a warehouse district. No one came down to our district. And so, artists said, "Oh, a dollar a square foot that I can pay a month to, you know, put my studio, my gallery here." >> Sure. >> And it's really what made it cool. And then the train tracks moved and businesses started to come. So, we like to appreciate that. >> [clears throat] >> We We install a new public art piece every year. There's a lot of art in the Vista. And you probably notice it as you're walking around, but maybe you don't really think. Like patrons, you probably do, but, you know, regular patrons just walking around. But, there's the Vista we are supporting, but also implementing three new public art pieces just in 2026. >> That's great. >> And so, it's really a a passion of the Vista Guild and what we do, but it's also a way to just make our city better. We work directly with One Columbia. We work directly with the city on what we can do, but each year we look to add additional public art. We've already unveiled two this year, and there's one coming um this fall that's going to be a huge game changer as part of the Lincoln Street Tunnel. >> Yeah. I I feel like it's for me, at least, I can't speak for anybody else. It's truly a sense of civic pride. It It really is. When I see something new come along, you want to make sure when people are coming to visit that you you bring them to the Vista. You want to make sure that they see this is and and I can I'll kind of walk someone past something and I'll just be like, "Mhm, what do you think of that?" kind of thing. And and they'll they'll be the one to comment on it. And and like, it's just a sense of a civic pride for me when when when I have the opportunity to kind of show off. And it's not just the Vista. Whenever I'm in any part of our of our Midlands area in Columbia, um most recently adding Finley Park and all that, you know, we'll take people to Finley Park always. We always take people to Soda City when we come when when people come visit, that kind of stuff. But there's just so many things um to to take pride in now. And that wasn't always the case. Now you you know, you 11 years for you, for me 32 years in Columbia, but it wasn't always the case where when people came here, you were like, um you know, but now there's an endless supply of things to do and uh the nightlife is great uh for all different ages. You don't have to be a college student to enjoy. You can be an adult. You can be a little bit older. Uh you can there's something for everybody in in the in the city and there's also great great culture. Our museums in the city are phenomenal and what you guys have done uh in the Vista in terms of promoting it. We were talking about the Koger Center earlier. Perfect example of what I'm talking about with culture. You know, you can go to the Koger Center. On one night you'll see a concert, next time you'll see a speech, next time you'll see a dance. My my kids used to My daughter had a dance and my you know, her her dance Yeah, graduations, all of that stuff. forever. Yeah. forever. And they have these incredible shows that come there. We have some art galleries in the Vista that have been around for a really long time. One-Eared Cow off of Huger Street and then Storm Water Studios is right behind that. They've got all those studios. There's so much arts and culture in the Vista and we we we love to celebrate it and talk about it all the time and just make sure that people are aware of it. We do we do a large-scale arts event every spring, Artista Vista, and that's been going on for 35-plus years. All right, we got about a minute minute and a half here. The food. >> Yes. >> I mean, come on. We haven't even talked about the food. >> The food. >> I mean, we have something for everybody. >> Michelin recommended restaurants within a block of each other in the Vista. Right. Right. Yeah, there's there and there's something for everybody. And one of the things that I like about it is you can go to the Vista every weekend if you wanted to and every weekend find a new place to eat whether it's something that's that's very very nice, something you know, moderate, whatever. There's a price point for everybody also. It's great. Abby, thanks for coming in. [music] >> Thank you for having me. >> Had a great time as always. Appreciate it. Go see everybody in the Vista. Go see Abby. [music] Thanks for listening to Cola Town on the Point.