OPEN HOUSE! Oct 23rd

You're Invited!
701 Whaley
OPEN HOUSE
Thursday, October 23rd
5:30-7pm Tours
8-11pm Party

There is a new roof, a new life and a new purpose for 701 Whaley.
Oct 23rd, 701 Whaley will be open to the public.
Come see the whole building!

This historic gathering place, built in 1903 has been saved, restored, renovated and is getting ready for the next generation of community.

October 23rd includes:

5:30 -7pm
Tours of the building by Richard Burts and Robert Lewis

7-10pm
Historic Columbia Foundation's Palladium Society presents its 5th Annual Silent Auction in conjunction with the Open House of 701 Whaley! Unique items and packages will be auctioned to the highest bidder while guests enjoy food, beer, wine, and music from national recording artist Danielle Howle. All proceeds will benefit the Historic Columbia Foundation. Advance tickets are $25, $20 for members. Call 803.252.7742 x 27 or email ewalsh@historiccolumbia.org to buy your tickets today, and be a part of this historic event!
HCF will throw its party in the bottom back left of the Grand Reception Hall

Restaurateur Kristian Niemi (Gervais & Vine, Mr. Friendly's, Solstice Kitchen, Rosso Trattoria Italia) will be on hand, sharing his plans for his newest venture, The Black Rooster and The Apartment at 701. The Black Rooster will be a French Bistro-inspired restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a classic, neighborhood bistro tradition. The Apartment at 701 will be a full-service event facility within a modern loft apartment in 701 Whaley and can be rented for private dinners, meetings, wine tastings or cocktail parties for anywhere from two to twenty guests.

The local neighborhood associations including Granby, Olympia Alive! and Whaley Street will be present and representing the rich history of the community.

Danielle Howle will rock your soul with her sublime music and The Next Door Drummers will kick it with some West African percussion.



Emile DeFelice is supplying his Caw Caw Creek delectable pork that will be smoked right out back for a fingerlickin pig picking. “Pigs on me!” he says.






701 Center for Contemporary Art continues its Inaugural Exhibition Textile Tales, an exhibition with work by: Ellen Kochansky, Beth Melton, Phil Moody and Scotty Peek
701 CCA, a non-profit, is unique in South Carolina. It has a gallery space for museum-quality art exhibitions, a live-work unit for artists in residence and interdisciplinary programming with performing, literary and media arts.

Tom Chinn from the always eclectic and fantastic Bohemian Home shows off one of the last cool, hip loft spaces still available with furniture for office and home. All the pieces will be for sale or go for it all and just move right in!

The past presents itself in an excerpt from Lee Ann Kornegay’s documentary film,
701 Whaley on the history of this magnificent building, the folks that have spent time there and the enormous renovation project that has taken place over the past couple of years.

For more info contact:
Richard Burts
RichardBurts@aol.com
or
Lee Ann Kornegay
lakorn@bellsouth.net

Molly Harrell takes photos of Richard for the upcoming issue of Skirt magazine!
Thankfully Richard has nice legs!


Construction crew get treated to lunch.

Doors, Visitors and Sinks

These front doors will soon be welcoming faces old and new!



Richland County Conservation Commission gets an update and tour from Richard.



The extra iron pieces from the turn buckle trusses are being used in the live/work lofts as a VERY sturdy and heavy leg for the vanity. Great idea! Richard has been extremely mindful of saving all he can from the previous lives of the building.
There is interest in 3 of the live/work spaces with 2 left as of today's date.


























An artist is working!
Well...I missed Beth Melton this visit but you'll soon hear more about what this artist is creating for 701 CCA's first art show.

Upstairs front office floors get new lease on life.


Artist Billy Mustard and Richard check out the railings in lofts. Billy is doing a good bit of the iron works and other finishes.

Painting Beams in 701CCA Gallery

Tile going in bathrooms

There has been a good bit of debate on saving the walls with their history of paint and plaster and life...
Some of us (Richard, myself and many more important people....) would like to keep as much of the old wall look as possible while others would rather see the clean white sheet rock walls. The brick was not an option according to the historic magic wand that gives tax credits.

The walls have been sprayed with a sealer.

Closer than it was...

Everything is really taking shape now.

It is AMAZING how this building is transforming.

Remember the big pink building that sat here a couple of years ago?


Check out this short video that shows how 701 is coming along.


SAVE THE DATE!

OCT 23rd will be the official OPEN HOUSE for 701 Whaley along with Historic Columbia Foundation's annual fundraiser.

The evening will include participation from the local neighborhood associations, live entertainment and other surprises.
More info to follow.


The State Paper came by to check out the space and ran a couple of articles.





Here are the updates:
Applied for Certificate of Occupancy for Sept. 1st.!
Tile, curb, gutter and pavers are going in.
All dry wall is up, priming has started.
Colors are being selected.
Wood floors being sanded.

Tile in loft bathroom.

Interest in the space is accelerating!
701 Center for Contemporary Art is setting up shop in the upstairs gallery and will occupy one of the live/work spaces with an artist in residence. 701 CCA plans to open in Oct. A local restaurateur is planning to open an organic bistro in the right hand storefront and a collection of non-profits are interested in the upstairs offices.

It all fits the vision for this grand old building.
It is confirmation that saving this building is well worth it.

Reflections

The glass has gone in the storefront!

Is that one of the reported ghosts in the window - Oh, maybe it is just Richard.


The live/work lofts are coming along!

701 Updates

Things are taking shape inside and out of 701.
This is the new stairwell that is on the back west wall.

New copper piping.

The impressive turn buckle trusses and new beams upstairs.

This view is of one of the lofts in progress and you can see where the old bead board ceiling meets the new roof.

When you consider all the progress, updates and renovations that have taken place in the past year it really is amazing how this building is getting new life.