The city of Columbia has recently accomplished a number of redevelopment projects and has several more planned. The historic Congaree Vista, a 1,200-acre (5 km2) district running from downtown toward the Congaree river, features a number of historic buildings that have been rehabilitated. Of note is the adaptive reuse of the Confederate Printing Plant on Gervais and Huger, used to print Confederate bills during the American Civil War. The city cooperated with Publix grocery stores to preserve the look, and now Columbia is one of a handful of cities in the Southeast with a full-service market in its downtown. This won Columbia an award from the International Downtown Association. The Vista district is also where a new convention center Hilton and a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse recently debuted. Other notable developments planned include high-end condos and townhomes, hotels, mixed-use structures, and the establishment of a retail corridor along Lady Street.
The older buildings lining the Vista's main drag, Gervais, now house art galleries, restaurants, unique shops, and professional office space. Near the end of Gervais is the South Carolina State Museum, and the Colonial Center adds to the draw as it is just a few blocks away. Private student housing and some residential projects are going up nearby; the CanalSide development at the site of the old Central Correctional Institution, is the most high profile. The development will have 750 residential units and provide access to Columbia's waterfront.
The next few years should see the University of South Carolina's research campus, dubbed "Innovista", stretch from the university across the historic Congaree Vista district on over 200 acres (0.8 km2). The project demolished a piece of the city skyline: the old university visitors center Carolina Plaza, which was 14 stories. In its place the university is building a multi-use second campus which will not only provide space for university-sponsored research, but will rent some out to private residents, private research firms, and a few shops. The university touts the project of an example of its ongoing "private-public" partnership with the city.