The multi-million-dollar West Columbia development named “Brookland” will result in an explosion of growth, said Fred Delk. And Cayce is leading the area in development along the Congaree River, and in job creation.

Delk is the executive director of the Columbia Development Corp. He spoke at the Greater Cayce-West Columbia Chamber of Commerce September Breakfast, Tuesday.
Delk said Downtown Columbia is experiencing a boom.
“There is an investment of $1.3 billion pouring into Downtown Columbia,” he said. And so much of the activity in Columbia is within a stone’s throw of Lexington County.

Delk said the Congaree Vista in Columbia accounts for only four square-miles of the 136-square-miles that comprise Columbia. But 25% of the city’s Hospitality Tax funds are generated in the Vista. It has 90 of Columbia’s 500 restaurants.

In addition to restaurants, Delk said there are 7,000 residents in Downtown Columbia. Up from about 1,250 just two years ago. There are seven hotels that draw 22,000 heads-in-beds- per year.
And what is good for Columbia will spill into Cayce and West Columbia.

Delk said he expects two-to-three new restaurants will be spawned by the Brookland development that is planned for the corner of State and Meeting Streets. He said the mixed-used complex will attract an upper-scale clientele of young professionals and empty-nesters.
In Cayce, the new Tremont complex of luxury apartments on Knox-Abbott Drive is already paying off by drawing higher-income residents.

Delk also lauded Cayce and West Columbia for utilizing the natural resource of the river for recreation and residential development.
He called the area a “pioneer” location and said the opportunity for growth is rich.
Delk said one of the challenges Columbia faces is connecting the communities of each county, so that it takes advantage of the river as well as the cities in Lexington County.