SOCO and The Iron Yard Join Spirit Communications, Hughes Development Corporation, 1×1 Design, Buchanan Construction Services and Community Leaders in Celebrating the Launch of S.C.’s First Urban Gigabit Community
Bakery at BullStreet Photo by Burton W. Fowles
Opening day festivities, including a noon ribbon cutting, have been rescheduled to Friday, Oct. 21, 2016 at the Bakery at BullStreet, the latest historic building to be renovated as part of the 20-year redevelopment of the 181-acre former S.C. State Hospital campus in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. The first phase of the planned BullStreet Technology Village, the Bakery at BullStreet boasts gigabit-speed broadband internet service — powered by Spirit Communications’ world-class fiber and technology platform — for users at the SOCO co-work and event space and The Iron Yard Columbia web development school. The Bakery at BullStreet building is located at 1721 Saunders St., just across the street from Spirit Communications Park.
“We are two years into a 20-year plan to transform BullStreet into an integral neighborhood in downtown Columbia, filled with vibrant, walkable streets and a mix of residential, retail, restaurant and recreational uses,” notes Robert Hughes, COO at Hughes Development Corporation, master developer of the BullStreet district. “It has been incredibly energizing to work with this team to activate one of the most unique spaces on the campus – and I have to say, the view of the baseball stadium from the back porch of the Bakery is beyond cool.”
The Bakery’s new tenants, the SOCO co-working and event space and The Iron Yard Columbia code school, are serving as the trailblazers for the planned BullStreet Technology Village.
“To truly impact the city and make it prosperous, we need a community of
The Iron Yard Photo by Sean Rayford
doers and makers, and that’s exactly what we’re building at The Iron Yard Columbia at BullStreet,” says Heather Dughaish, campus director at The Iron Yard, a tech education school with 21 campuses nationwide. “We’ve got students in the classroom as we speak, and we’re accepting applications for our next Front-End Engineering class, which starts January 2017.”
SOCO, a co-working and event space founded in the Vista in 2013, is launching its second location at the Bakery. “We love this city; we love its people and we want to be a part of writing a new story for this place we call home,” notes Greg Hilton, co-founder of SOCO. “We want to build the largest community and platform in the Southeast for creators – independent workers, freelancers and entrepreneurs. Our customers want more innovative spaces where they can access the community, connections and resources they need to do incredible work. That’s why we’re adding a second location at the Bakery at BullStreet.”
“Congratulations to SOCO and The Iron Yard for their success in growing Columbia’s innovation ecosystem,” said S.C. Department of Commerce Sec. Bobby Hitt. “The combination of a homegrown tech talent business and a creative community hub, plus gigabit access, will create the right conditions for technology enthusiasts and entrepreneurs to create and be ready for the jobs of the future in South Carolina. We launched the Office of Innovation to support these kinds of initiatives and to help start and build high-growth businesses.”
Bakery at BullStreet Opening Day, Friday, October 21
Hughes Development, SOCO and The Iron Yard Columbia at BullStreet, along with project partners Buchanan Construction Services, 1×1 Design and Spirit Communications, will celebrate the repurposing of the Bakery at BullStreet with an all-day, public gathering on Friday, Oct. 21, 2016.
The public is invited to tour the newly renovated Bakery building, see what SOCO and The Iron Yard have to offer, co-work for free for the day and more. The schedule of opening day includes the following:
“Lighting Up the Gigabit” Ribbon Cutting (12 p.m.) – Join project partners and community leaders at noon for a short ceremony to celebrate the second life of this historic building and the launch of the region’s most powerful fiber connection.
Free Co-work Day (all day, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.) – Join SOCO and members of the creative community for a free day of co-working with up to 10 gigabit internet speeds and learn more about becoming a SOCO co-work member.
The Iron Yard Open House (all day, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.) – Drop in to talk to The Iron Yard code school staff about careers in web development and other programs and opportunities from The Iron Yard.
Bakery at BullStreet Launch Party (4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) – Enjoy beer, food trucks, lawn games and camaraderie at the free launch party at the Bakery at BullStreet, located at 1721 Saunders St., Columbia, SC 29201.
Directions to the Bakery at BullStreet, 1721 Saunders St., Columbia, SC 29201
The Bakery at BullStreet is located at 1721 Saunders St., across the street from (and directly south of) Spirit Communications Park in the BullStreet development. From the State House, take Gervais Street east and turn left onto Bull Street. Turn right onto Calhoun Street, then left onto Barnwell Street, then left onto Saunders Street, which runs between the Bakery and the ballpark. There is parking on Mills Street, directly behind the Bakery, as well as parking along Saunders Street.
About BullStreet
Located within blocks of Columbia, S.C.’s vibrant downtown neighborhoods, BullStreet is a 181-acre, mixed-use redevelopment of the former South Carolina State Hospital campus, set for completion on a 20-year timeline with an anticipated $1.2 billion annual economic impact. Master developer Hughes Development Corporation of Greenville, S.C., is using a new urbanist, form-based code, working closely with other developers who possess deep domain expertise to create a city-within-a-city, filled with spaces that maintain the integrity of the historic district; mix commercial and residential uses; create a walkable and bicycle-friendly place; provide parks and open space; maximize economic impact and increase the City’s tax base; and connect to the Midlands community. S.C.’s first urban gigabit community, BullStreet is home to Spirit Communications Park (awarded 2016 Ballpark of the Year by BallPark Digest), the First Base Building office/retail complex, the Parker Annex office building and the new Bakery at BullStreet building in the growing BullStreet Technology Village. BullStreet contains 125,000+ square feet of commercial/office and retail space and is zoned for up to 3.3 million square feet of commercial use and 3,553 residential units. For more information, visit http://bullstreetsc.com.
