Mortgage Broker in Forest Acres, SC

Georgia-based restaurant chain Takosushi will soon be opening a second location in the Columbia area. The restaurant will be opening a location in the Forest Park shopping center in Forest Acres, moving into space that formerly housed a Pizza Hut and a Baskin Robbins.

The shopping center, anchored by Lowes Foods, is located at 4711 Forest Drive. Colliers South Carolina’s Rox Pollard, Danny Bonds and John Gressette represented the landlord, Forest Park LLC in the lease of 2,400 square feet in the shopping center to Takosushi, according to a news release.

Takosushi serves eastern Asian and southwestern United States-inspired cuisine. Forest Park will be Takosushi’s eighth location across Georgia and South Carolina and the second location in Columbia.

The other Columbia location of Takosushi is in the historic Arcade building at 1332 Main St. downtown. The restaurant also has locations in Georgia and other South Carolina locations in Aiken and Greenville.

“We are excited to be a part of the Forest Acres community,” said James Williams, co-owner of Takosushi. Whether you are looking for a light lunch, a place to grab a drink or a hearty dinner, we feel that TakoSushi has something for everyone. Being headquartered here in the Midlands, this location is especially important to us.”

No opening date for the Forest Acres location has been set. Forest Acres officials confirmed that the restaurant has already sought construction permits from the city.

The 90,000-square-foot center’s tenants include Lowes Foods, Eggs Up Grill, CVS and UPS Store, along with a mix of local and regional boutique retailers and national brands. This center is adjacent to the mixed-use development on the former Cardinal Newman School site, Cardinal Crossing, consisting of 256 apartments, complemented by 42,000 square feet of commercial space including ground-level shops fronting Forest Drive.

"Takosushi will be a welcome addition to Forest Park and all of Forest Acres with its excellent cuisine, top-notch service, outdoor seating and fun atmosphere," Pollard said. "The space, formerly occupied by Baskin Robbins, will be completely renovated which keeps with the landlord’s commitment to keeping Forest Park a highly important amenity to the Forest Acres community."

Pollard is a vice president and director of Retail Services at Colliers specializing in the sale, leasing and development consultation of retail properties across the state. Bonds is a senior brokerage associate specializing in the leasing of neighborhood shopping centers and Gressette is a brokerage associate working with tenants, landlords, sellers and purchasers to lease, purchase and sell retail properties of all sizes.

FOREST ACRES — Forest Acres City Council approved a $2 million grant from the state toward a city park as part of the Richland Mall redevelopment project .

The money came from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, and will be utilized during the $100 million redevelopment plan, which will replace the Richland Mall with a roughly 6-acre park, more than 500 apartments, new restaurants and retail space, which will include a grocery store and a brewery.

Forest Acres Mayor Thomas Andrews thanked state Reps. Beth Bernstein and Heather Bauer and Sen. Mia McLeod, whom he said helped secure the grant for the town. The City Council voted in favor of the grant at a Dec. 12 council meeting.

Richland Mall, which has stood at 3400 Forest Drive for a quarter century, was sold for redevelopment in an $18.6 million deal that closed Jan. 4.

The retail phase of the 32-acre redevelopment could take four or five years to complete, The Post and Courier previously reported.

Richland County has approved up to $20 million in tax breaks for the project over a 20-year period. The city of Forest Acres approved nearly $3 million in tax credits for its assessments, also lasting for 20 years. It also will spend $3 million to buy part of the parcel to create the park, which is slated to be built next to a proposed brewery.

LEXINGTON — An overhaul of U.S. Highway 1 near downtown Lexington is expected to wrap up this year as crews work to revamp the interchange of Lexington County’s two highly traveled roads.

The improvement project for U.S. 1 over the I-20 Interchange will replace the bridge on U.S. 1 that crosses over I-20. Plans also include road improvements to help ease congestion where the thoroughfares converge.

To ease congestion in the high-traffic area, the South Carolina Department of Transportation is building a bridge over U.S. 1 to Cedar Road, near where the highway passes over I-20.

The bridge is planned to be complete by summer 2024, said Hannah Robinson, a spokeswoman for SCDOT.

In the final weeks of 2023, crews began installing retaining walls on the bridge, which is expected to continue in the coming weeks, Robinson said.

The rest of the work at the interchange is set to be finished by the end of 2024.

U.S. 1, which runs from downtown Columbia through Lexington, is one of the area’s main thoroughfares. The road — known as Gervais Street in Columbia, Meeting Street in West Columbia and Augusta Road and Main Street in Lexington — is notorious for its rush-hour traffic congestion in downtown Lexington.

In October, crews added a left-turn lane and a commercial driveway on Dooley Road next to the U.S. 1 and I-20 interchange, helping drivers access Augusta Road businesses more easily and prevent traffic backups.

The work on U.S. 1 comes as SCDOT takes on a monumental project nearby, making major renovations to the I-20 and I-26 interchange, known to locals as “Malfunction Junction.” The near-decadelong project is intended to overhaul the Midlands’ most nightmarish highway interchange.

City officials say the cost will be $4 a year for pets spayed and neutered, $20 a year for those that aren't.

FOREST ACRES, S.C. — If you have a furry friend, they will soon no longer live rent free in the greater Columbia area. You're soon going to have to pay a price for their license to live in Forest Acres.

The City of Forest Acres has officially approved their intergovernmental agreement with Richland County for animal control services.

According to the city's attorney, the city previously had this agreement with Richland County, but this time around, dog and cat owners have to pay a license fee to Richland County to register their pet.

It's $4 a year for those spayed and neutered, $20 a year for those that aren't.

"There are exceptions to that for service animals, I think hunting dogs, a few specific categories that are exempt from that," said William Dillard, Forest Acres city attorney.

Dillard tells News 19 other Richland County jurisdictions already follow this rule.

"Everybody in unincorporated Richland County is subject to that, basically every other municipality within Richland County is subject to that. Blythewood, Eastover and the portion of Irmo within Richland County all have this agreement and work under the county ordinance," Dillard said.

Local dog owners explain that they have no issue with the fee.

"You want a government to have an idea of what animals are actually in its jurisdiction, I mean especially if some of the animals are dangerous," Elizabeth Franklin-Best, Forest Acres resident said.

"It's very easy and I think it's a very reasonable amount," Kathleen Taylor, city of Columbia resident said.

Leaders in Forest Acres explain there's a fine if you don't register your pet. It's $500, but folks in Forest Acres will have a 30 day grace period after the ordinance is adopted.

And according to city leaders in Forest Acres, the pet licensing portion of the ordinance in the intergovernmental agreement is expected to be adopted into law by August.

Also, Forest Acres council members tell News 19 once you're registered, you'll get a notification from Richland County every year.

The city tells News 19 they plan to get the word out to residents about this fee following Tuesday night's meeting.

For more details about how to register your pet, click here.

Village Idiot Pizza, long a well-known name in the Midlands dining scene, says it will close one of its three current locations by the end of the month.

Co-owner Kelly Glynn told The State Monday morning that the Village Idiot at 4517 Forest Drive in Forest Acres will close, likely by the end of December. The location, which is in the Forest Village shopping center, has been open since 2009.

“We have decided not to renew our lease,” Glynn said. “So we will be closing at the end of December, right before the Christmas holiday. ... It’s very bittersweet.”

Kelly Glynn said she and husband Brian Glynn, who have long owned Village Idiot, recently were notified the property where the Forest Drive restaurant is located was being sold. Considering that sale, and the fact that Village Idiot has recently launched a franchising model for new locations, Kelly said it was simply time for Village Idiot to exit the current space on Forest Drive.

However, she said Village Idiot is open to establishing another storefront in Forest Acres at a different location.

“We are hoping to find a better space in Forest Acres that is better suited to our franchise model, which is more like the Olympia location,” Kelly Glynn said, referring to the company’s store at 612 Whaley St., near the Olympia Mills apartments. “We’ve been there (in Forest Acres) and done so much in that community. It’s definitely a neighborhood we would like to keep a Village Idiot in. ... We love the community, so we hope something will emerge soon.”

The original Village Idiot is at 2009 Devine St. in Five Points, where it was founded in 1990. The Glynns bought the business in 2003, and the brand has been a mainstay on the Midlands food landscape. In 2022, readers of The State voted it the area’s favorite pizza joint in a widely read poll. Village Idiot has long been known for its New York-style pizza, which comes in whole pies or by the slice.

In May, Village Idiot announced it planned to expand, offering franchise opportunities for the first time. Kelly Glynn said the expansion plans are still proceeding, and they have been in talks with potential franchisees.

Glynn said there are about 15 employees at the Forest Acres Village Idiot. She said those employees would be offered the opportunity to transfer to one of the other two locations.

This story was originally published December 4, 2023, 10:16 AM.

Chris Trainor is a retail reporter for The State and has been working for newspapers in South Carolina for more than 19 years, including previous stops at the (Greenwood) Index-Journal and the (Columbia) Free Times. He is the winner of numerous South Carolina Press Association awards, including honors in column writing, government beat reporting, profile writing, food writing, election coverage, social media and more.

Trenholm Road, Willingham Drive, and Percival Road are listed on SCDOT's project map for potholes and cracks.

FOREST ACRES, S.C. — The City of Forest Acres will discuss current road projects underway during its regular city council meeting on Tuesday, July 25.

State Representative Heather Bauer and leaders with the SC Department of Transportation (SCDOT) are scheduled to be on hand to provide an update and to hear residents' concerns about roads in the area.

This past legislative session, Bauer said one of her top goals was the Richland Mall Revitalization Project in Forest Acres. Now that that project is underway, she’s expanding her focus to roads in the area.

“I would say over a dozen in Forest Acres proper will be at least rehabbed or resurfaced, and then there are several bridges throughout the city that are going to be looked at as well," Bauer said.

Trenholm Road, Willingham Drive, and Percival Road are listed on SCDOT's project map for potholes and cracks in the road.

While resurfacing those roads is in motion and expected to be completed within the next year, Bauer is looking to hear from residents about the other problem areas.

Grace Hubbard grew up in Forest Acres and said she’d like to see some traffic solutions.

“I know there’s been talks of some roundabouts and I would like to see those, I think it would help the traffic a lot, especially on Forest Drive," Hubbard said.

Jennifer Feinberg said she comes to Forest Acres to shop but has noticed some congestion as well.

“Widen and fix the potholes, otherwise things seem to be working smooth," Feinberg said. "The more people shop over here, they’re going to have to improve it."

Bauer said this is where SCDOT will come in at the meeting. The representative from the department could bring potential solutions for roads and pedestrian walkways.

“I know that speaking with city council, they want Forest Acres to be more walkable and safe," Bauer said.

Bauer said in addition to listening to concerns, her job is getting the money to make these solutions a reality.

The meeting will also include a public hearing over the proposed zoning changes for Forest Lake Place leading into Gills Creek Memorial Park.

Council will also swear in new Mayor Thomas Andrews and City Council Members Stephen Oliver and Ryan Newton.