Devine Street improvements, Lexington conference center could get millions in state money

Traveling along Devine Street can be a challenge.

Because of the tight quarters on the four-lane road, parked cars sometimes feel like they’re sticking out into the roadway. Drivers will even pull up onto the curb to avoid having their side mirrors hit while parked.

But state money proposed in the House budget could help improve the corridor.

A $1.5 million earmark sponsored by state Rep. Seth Rose, D-Richland, is meant to help accessibility along the Devine Street corridor to make it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well for motorists parking on the road.

“If you live in Columbia, you are aware of the parking issues on Devine Street,” Rose said.

The $1.5 million is is part of the more than $700 million worth of legislator-initiated projects in the House and Senate budget proposals. Not all of the funding will necessarily make it through because the projects are subject to negotiations between the two chambers, which are expected to begin Tuesday.

After the two chambers come to an agreement on a spending plan, Gov. Henry McMaster will have an opportunity to review it and veto items he opposes.

McMaster’s office has said if it does not receive sufficient information about individual earmarks when the budget reaches his desk, the governor will veto them.

This year’s spending plan includes money for infrastructure upgrades, local attractions, nonprofits and economic development work initiated by individual members for their districts.

In Richland and Lexington counties, earmarks include $15 million for the development of a quantum computer curriculum, $10 million for the Lexington Conference Center project and $3 million for the Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens.

As for the $1.5 million for Devine Street, Rose said discussions will be held on whether to reduce the number of lanes from four to three, with one lane in each direction and a middle turn lane. He added no plans for improving Devine Street from Five Points to Beltline Boulevard will take place without public input.

Accessing a quantum computer

For the second year in a row, legislators are trying to get South Carolina students access to a quantum computer. But this year’s proposal is for $15 million, instead of the $25 million ultimately vetoed last year by McMaster.

State Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D-Richland, has requested $15 million for a South Carolina Quantum Association Curriculum Development and Use study to allow high school and college students in the state to learn about quantum computers. The money would be used to build quantum computer curriculum.

“We’re going to have the ability for them to come here and hopefully have support for them to begin their own startup, if you will, tech startup involving quantum,” Harpootlian said. “This is one of the few areas of the country where you’ll have that kind of access for high school and college students.”

Harpootlian said a new non profit, the South Carolina Quantum Association, will rent time on a quantum computer.

Harpootlian in the past has been critical of the lack of transparency surrounding earmarks. Last year he tried to get $25 million in the budget to buy a quantum computer, but it was ultimately vetoed by the governor.

“It was my fault I didn’t explain enough last year,” said Harpootlian, who has provided more than 50 pages of documentation for the project this year. “Since then, I’ve gone around to you know, all the leadership.”

The project has support of Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, Richland County Director of Economic Development Jeff Ruble and Benedict College among others.

“Technology-forward initiatives, like quantum computing, will create opportunities — and high-paying jobs — in the fields of finance, drug discovery, aerospace design, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and data security, all of which are extremely important to Columbia’s economy,” Rickenmann wrote in supporting the project.

Richland Mall project has support from both chambers

Taxpayers may also fork over between $1 million and $2 million to help with the redevelopment of Richland Mall in Forest Acres.

Both the House and Senate budgets propose money to build a park with a possible amphitheater as part of the Richland Mall redevelopment. The Senate budget proposed $2 million. The House proposed $1 million.

“It’s a huge eyesore (that) needs to be rehabilitated terribly,” said state Rep. Heather Bauer, D-Richland, who pushed for the money along with state Rep. Beth Bernstein, D-Richland, and state Sen. Mia McLeod, an independent. “It’s a long-term project.”

The $2 million will go along with the $23 million in incentives over 20 years from the city of Forest Acres and Richland County for development firm Southeastern to overhaul the 32-acre mall property. The project is estimated to cost $100 million.

The mixed-use project is slated to include a 100,000-square-foot grocery store, more than 500 apartments, a public park, a brewery or taproom and more.

For the second year in a row, budget writers are proposing money for a Lexington County Conference Center on Lake Murray. Last year lawmakers put in $1 million for architectural plans for the center.

The $10 million allocated in the House budget for the town of Lexington would go towards building water and sewer infrastructure for the center, said state Rep. Paula Calhoon, R-Lexington.

“We’re missing out on a lot of expos. A lot of wedding venues,” Calhoon said. “Lexington is a small community but we are missing out on a lot of conference success bringing businesses to Lexington County.”

Fixing railroad issues in Columbia

More money is proposed to go to the city of Columbia to address the long-time issue of trains blocking traffic. As a follow-up to the $20 million lawmakers gave Columbia last year, House budget writers proposed giving $10 million more for the project.

“The railroads have been a disruptive influence and something that we’ve been trying to tackle for years,” House Majority Leader Todd Rutherford said. “This is the continuation of trying to fund the city and give them the availability to deal with railroads honking their horns blocking intersections. And again, it’s not all that I asked for, but it’s what we could get. And we’ll continue to ask for more as the years go by.”

Rutherford, D-Richland, also is sponsoring $2 million to help redevelop Beltline Boulevard, an area with a lot of blight. He added a community center could be considered to built along the roadway.

“It’s about investing in the community to stop people from feeling like they need to get involved in crime, and this will go a long way towards doing that,” Rutherford said.

Rutherford also sponsored projects to increase access to the rivers in the capital city, including $7 million for a Williams Street Gateway project.

Two senators also pushed for money for a facility that provides a place to stay for relatives of patients at the Columbia V.A. hospital.

Friends for Fisher House received two earmarks in the Senate budget, a $300,000 earmark sponsored by state Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Richland, and a $250,000 earmark sponsored by state Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-Lexington.

The facility is similar to the Ronald McDonald House program, which provides a place for families to stay when they have children at a children’s hospital.

“It’s to help them defray the cost so people could stay for free,” Jackson said.

Richland and Lexington County member projects

State Rep. Nathan Ballentine, R-Richland

▪ $5 million: Unumb Center for Neurodevelopment

▪ $500,000: Town of Irmo infrastructure upgrades

▪ $387,713: Brain Injury Association of S.C.

▪ $250,000: Camp Cole

▪ $100,000: Camp Kemo

▪ $100,000: Greater Chapin Community Foundation

▪ $65,000: Palmetto Learning Academy

State Rep. Heather Bauer, D-Richland

▪ $400,000: The Therapy Place (with Bernstein)

▪ $250,000: Lourie Center

State Rep. Beth Bernstein, D-Richland

▪ $1 million: City of Forest Acres Redevelopment for the Richland Mall redevelopment (with Heather Bauer)

▪ $1 million: Richland County Recreation Commission

▪ $175,000: S.C. Cervical Cancer Prevention Initiative (with Heather Crawford, Spencer Wetmore, Chandra Dillard, Cobb-Hunter and Carla Schuessler)

State Rep. Paula Calhoon, R-Lexington

▪ $184,000: Lexington County Fire Services

State Rep. Kambrell Garvin, D-Richland

▪ $500,000: The Hive Community Circle

▪ $250,000: Greater Waverly Foundation

State Rep. Leon Howard, D-Richland

▪ $300,000: Midlands Community Development Corporation

▪ $300,000: Trinity Educational Community Center

▪ $250,000: Dianne’s Call

▪ $250,000: Building Better Communities — College Place Healthy Living Project

▪ $250,000: Palmetto Project

▪ $150,000: Wiley Kennedy Foundation

State Rep. Jermaine Johnson, D-Richland

▪ $500,000: Town of Eastover

▪ $50,000: Town of Eastover Healthy Community Program

▪ $50,000: JUMPS: Youth Mentoring Program

▪ $25,000: Bridge Over Foundation

State Rep. Russell Ott, D-Calhoun

▪ $200,000: Lexington County local stormwater management

State Rep. Seth Rose, D-Richland

▪ $1.5 million: Devine Street Corridor and accessibility

▪ $600,000: Epworth Children’s Home

State Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland

▪ $10 million: City of Columbia Assembly Street Railroad

▪ $7 million: Williams Street Gateway

▪ $2 million: City of Columbia Beltline Boulevard Redevelopment

▪ $1 million: Vista Greenway Extension

▪ $1 million: USC Civil Rights History and Research Center (with Gilda Cobb-Hunter)

▪ $500,000: Mental Illness Recovery Center

▪ $500,000: City of Columbia Saluda River Access/river boat ramp

▪ $400,000: Individuals Pilot Program (with Sylleste Davis)

▪ $250,000: United Way of the Midlands

▪ $200,000: Brookland Baptist Fifth Quarter Cafe

▪ $100,000: Randolph Cemetery

▪ $50,000: EMS Closet (with Seth Rose and Leon Howard)

State Rep. Chris Wooten, R-Lexington

▪ $1 million: Lexington Conference Center (with Paula Calhoon)

▪ $300,000: The Courage Center

▪ $250,000: Dickerson Children’s Advocacy Center

▪ $156,760: Lexington County Sheriff - Crime Scene lab (with Micah Caskey, Nathan Ballentine, Calhoon, Cal Forrest, Jay Kilmartin, Russell Ott)

State Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D-Richland

▪ $15 million: South Carolina Quantum Association Curriculum Development and Use Study

State Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Richland

▪ $300,000: Tri-City Visionaries

▪ $300,000: Town of Eastover Infrastructure upgrades

▪ $300,000: Friends of Fisher House Columbia

▪ $300,000: Antioch Senior Center

▪ $300,000: New Capernaum Life Services

▪ $200,000: Building Better Communities Ambassador Program

▪ $150,000: Community Wellness Outreach Opioid Addiction Program

▪ $100,000: The Holistic Wellness Center

▪ $100,000: Congaree Complex Community Development Corporation

▪ $50,000: Kingville Historical Foundation

▪ $25,000: Lower Richland Diamond Festival

▪ $25,000: Southeast Rural Community Outreach

State Sen. Mia McLeod, D-Richland

▪ $2 million: City of Forest Acres Redevelopment of Richland Mall

▪ $200,000: James R. Clark Sickle Cell Foundation

State Sen. John Scott, D-Richland

▪ $700,000: SCIII program

▪ $450,000: Morris College - partnership with the U.S. military

▪ $100,000: Vorhees University rebranding efforts

▪ $50,000: Wiley Kennedy Foundation

State Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-Lexington

▪ $7 million: City of West Columbia Riverwalk Expansion and Connectivity

▪ $1 million: City of Cayce 12,000 year history park

▪ $250,000: Fisher House of Columbia Dorn V.A.

▪ $25,000: Palmetto Boys State

State Sen. Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington

▪ $1 million: S.C. Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers (with Brad Hutto)

▪ $550,000: PACE Center for Girls

▪ $400,000: K-12 concussion protocol

▪ $350,400: Men Against Domestic Violence U.S.A.

▪ $300,000: Special Olympics of South Carolina

▪ $276,250: Safety Blitz Foundation Child ID program

▪ $100,000: Paths to Wholeness Transition Program

▪ $65,546: Canoeing for Kids facility repair (with Sandy Senn and Ronnie Cromer)

▪ $25,000: Palmetto Girls State

Natural Resources and Economic Development subcommittee

▪ $3 million: Riverbanks Zoo and Garden