Plans for development around Spirit Communications Park are taking shape, as new housing is slated for the area.
When it opened last year for the Columbia Fireflies (Low A; Sally League), Spirit Communications Park was touted as a major component of the BullStreet development. Located on the site of the former South Carolina State Hospital complex, BullStreet is expected to offer numerous amenities once it is complete, and development in the area continues to unfold after the ballpark’s opening.
One of the latest additions to BullStreet is Merrill Gardens at BullStreet, a 196-unit development for active seniors. The project–which is the result of a collaboration that includes Merrill Gardens, Pillar Properties, and Second Fifty Communities–will lead to housing that is located along the third base side of Spirit Communications Park, and is slated to be across the street from a 20-acre park. The housing will be constructed in two phases, with 115 units planned for the first and another 81 to follow in the second, and the first residents are expected to arrive in 2019.
A formal announcement is slated for Wednesday. According to one official involved in the development, the presence of Spirit Communications Park played a part in the decision to move forward with the project. More from The State:
Second Fifty Communities chief executive Clayton Mozingo said he has been working on locating the project at BullStreet for two years, and the baseball stadium and the new city park were big factors in the decision.
“Seniors are the No. 1 purchasers of minor league baseball tickets,” he said. “And there’s not another 20-acre park that’s going to be built in downtown Columbia.”
The complex will welcome residents age 55 and over.
Spirit Communications Park has received high marks since its opening, and is even serving as a model for the planning of a new ballpark in Fayetteville, NC. It was also awarded with our Ballpark of the Year honor for 2016, with its role in the BullStreet development cited as one of its strengths.