Cause and Effect:
A market-driven redevelopment strategy rejuvenates a city
Located in the heart of South Carolina, Columbia (population 124,818) first experienced industrial growth along the Congaree, Saluda, and Broad Rivers. Plantations, cotton mills, trains, and other industries lined the riverbanks. The City claimed numerous vacant, dilapidated structures in the neighborhoods of the Congaree region. They included industrial, railroad, and petroleum properties. Uncertainties related to contamination inhibited redevelopment efforts in the region. Brownfield assessments helped the city to resolve some of the uncertainties, and increased the marketability of the sites to prospective purchasers and developers.
You may need a PDF reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more.- City of Columbia Success Story (PDF)(1 pg, 893 K)