Rendering/Courtesy Innovista

That aggressiveness and imagination today is blossoming in a tangible way along the banks of the Congaree River in downtown Columbia as an integral part of the city’s Congaree Vista, one of Columbia’s most vibrant arts, dining, and entertainment districts.

The university’s 500-acre Innovista project is expected to transform the city of Columbia, arriving on the heels of projects such as the Colonial Center, the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center and the Greek Village. Rising in an area adjacent to the Vista district, Innovista will run from the Horseshoe on the campus of USC west to the river.

The project, a mixture of “world-class, high-density, high-tech workplaces, medium-density housing, retail and commercial space, combined with waterfront recreational opportunities and abundant green space,” is designed to integrate public- and private-sector research and researchers, within a contemporary, urban landscape.

Funding is being provided by the university, the city of Columbia, Richland County, federal agencies and State Research Infrastructure Bonds provided for under the S.C. Life Sciences Act.

Ask where the idea for Innovista originated and most people on the USC campus will point you in the direction of Dr. Harris Pastides, vice president for research, and tell you that the project is “Dr. Pastides’ baby.”

Pastides is a bit more modest.

“Vice presidents for research are charged with developing research campus-type projects,” he said, “but it was really Dr. Sorensen. In 2003, he outlined his vision to create a research campus. It was at that point that I began looking at urban and rural models around the country.

“What we have here in Columbia is a medium-sized capital city with a unique mix of urban and rural, which allowed us to begin shaping Innovista. It’s no secret that the name ‘Innovista’ was the result of several marketing studies. The ‘Inno’ was the innovation component and the ‘Vista’ paid tribute to the downtown area that is already an artistic and creative hub here in Colombia. The city, I think, was happy that we chose the location. We have worked closely with the Vista Guild and the city and its various development arms have worked closely with us.

Asked to compare and contrast the present move toward innovation and the drive for entrepreneurship, Pastides said, “South Carolina has changed a great deal, but all too recently. The zeal meter is up. We have nationally qualified leaders in business and universities that believe in innovation, but that is not an historical legacy. There were past successes, such as Gov. (Carroll) Campbell’s successful recruitment of BMW, but our state is trying to catch up for lost time. North Carolina, Georgia and Texas were doing in the 70s and 80s what we’re doing now.”

Pastides, while optimistic about Innovista’s future, expressed a note of caution.

“A bold future begins with dreams such as Dr. Sorensen’s, but so do nightmares. We are embarking on a competition, but I like our assets. Competition is everywhere. We do not have a lead position, but we do have a great physical master plan, a lot of governmental support, plus a favorable climate, low costs of operation and a great transportation system. We have our foot on the gas pedal. We also have to consider how we will put on the brakes in an intelligent way when it becomes necessary.

The first phase of the project is due for completion this year.

“Zoning and funding took a long time, but things are now moving ahead rapidly,” Pastides said. “We have hired our new director who will join us in the first quarter of this year, and with buildings finally coming out of the ground, we can begin to recruit companies. We will have floor plans and opportunities to show a potential research partner.

Pastides noted that Innovista will help solve dual problems for the university: providing the additional space necessary to accommodate the additional faculty and the companies that can serve as research incubators.

“We are not a manufacturing location, so we will have to choose wisely,” Pastides said. “The university retains a veto power over which companies will be invited to the Innovista site. We want to attract companies with staffs numbering from 15 to 100, companies that can create the tools and applications, which in turn will be used by business in other parts of the state.

“While I don’t want to be overly optimistic, I am betting on our success, while continuing to work every day, treating that day as a battle to be won or loss.”

From the Horseshoe to the river

In 1786, John Gabriel Guignard surveyed and defined the boundaries of what would become the city of Columbia.
In April 2006, the Guignard family and the University of South Carolina, announced a historic collaboration, with the family providing 500 acres so that the university could expand its campus west to the Congaree River.

The university’s Innovista project will become a unique intellectual ecosystem comprised of research facilities, residences, retail space, restaurants and recreation areas. The crown jewel of the development, a 56-acre waterfront park, will feature an amphitheater as well as walking and biking paths.

The project also will include the new USC baseball stadium along the river, a few blocks south of the main park.
Innovista will serve as a bridge from the river to the University’s main campus and will offer a tree-lined sculpture garden along Greene Street. A Greene Street promenade will lead to an overlook on the river bluff, with terraced steps to the river 50 to 80 feet below.

An analysis conducted by USC’s Moore School of Business projects that the project will generate annually more than $270 million in retail sales and more than $17 million in additional property taxes.
The combined economic impact of Innovista and the waterfront district is estimated at $1.6 billion from construction and new jobs.