Construction nears end at West Columbia neighborhood

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Only two homes remain for sale in St. Anns Alley, the in-town community of single-family homes bounded by Center, Spring, Herman and Augusta streets in the booming West Columbia River District.

The final phase of St. Anns Alley includes eight homes along Center and Herman streets adjacent to the original St. Anns Alley development of 34 single-family homes and one live-work unit, according to a news release from the Wheeler Group.

All of those homes are occupied and construction on the live-work unit is wrapping up with occupancy expected by mid-November. The live-work unit at the corner of Center Street and St. Anns Alley will house the Columbia office of United Home Loan Services, a Greenville-based mortgage company.

Billy Howard, president of United Home Loan Services, said the opening of a Columbia office was facilitated when one of his employees moved to the city. The upstairs living unit will be used by Howard or other company employees on trips to Columbia and may also be available for some short-term rentals. United Home Loan Services lends in seven states, Howard said, “but South Carolina is our main state. So we're expanding; we'd eventually like to get into Charleston.”

Of the eight homes in the last phase, five are 1,400-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath models known as the Taylor, and three are 1,100-square-foott, two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath James models. Two of the Jameses remain for sale. The Taylor is named for recently deceased Columbia City Councilman Joe Taylor, who as a partner in Spring Street Partners, along with developers Tyler Baldwin and Mark James, created St. Anns Alley. The additional property was acquired by Spring Street Partners in the third quarter of 2022.

“We are pleased to deliver another eight homes — now 43 in total — to complete St. Anns Alley. This development — situated on just 2.5 acres of property — has played a small part in the transformation that is occurring in the River District,” developer Tyler Baldwin said in the news release. “What was an area of vacant commercial buildings and unoccupied houses is now home to a host of new residents who are within walking distance to all that West Columbia and downtown Columbia have to offer. The project has been extremely well received — as evidenced by our sales volume and the price appreciation we have witnessed in the few houses that have re-sold.  We look forward to the opportunity to work on other projects in West Columbia.”

Construction on the eight homes, which began in May of this year, is wrapping up and they are expected to be ready for occupancy by mid to late September, the release said. Haven Homes, headed by Matt Mungo, was the builder for the final phase of St. Anns Alley. The initial 34 homes were built by Mungo Homes.

“I am so excited about this project. It will help to push the redevelopment activity centered around the Riverwalk and State Street further up Meeting Street into our more established neighborhoods and will keep our positive momentum going,” said West Columbia Mayor Tem Miles. “These will be great homes in our wonderful city. I am also excited for the commercial use that it will bring to Center Street.”

St. Anns Alley takes its name from the St. Ann’s Rescue Mission, a home for boys, that sat in the area during the late 1800s.

St. Anns Alley is marketed as a neighborhood that provides easy walkability to some of West Columbia’s biggest attractions including restaurants such as Savage Craft Ale Works, Black Rooster, Café Strudel and Terra; State Street shopping; the West Columbia Riverwalk and Amphitheater; Carraway Children’s Park; and the Interactive Art Park, site of the Saturday morning Meeting Street Artisan Market. In addition, St. Anns Alley is only a bridge away from the Congaree Vista, downtown Columbia and the University of South Carolina campus.

Allison Ramsey Architects of Beaufort (www.allisonramseyarchitect.com) designed all of the homes with varying interior layouts and color schemes. Each house is uniquely designed by plan and color for each lot to ensure the character of the neighborhood.

Marketing and sale for St Anns Alley is being handled exclusively by The Wheeler Group licensed with Coldwell Banker.