BOUDREAUX is proud to announce the completion of the new Richland County Decker Center to revitalize a dilapidated shopping mall into a vibrant business district of Richland County. After standing vacant and abandoned for years on one of Columbia’s main corridors, extensive renovations were completed to bring a new central courts and Sheriff’s regional headquarters facility to the area. The end result delivers over 112,000 square feet of customer service space, courtroom facilities, and public community rooms to Decker Boulevard. The project was a successful collaboration between BOUDREAUX and CGL to perform comprehensive programming and needs assessment services for Richland County. “The new facility was designed to be customer focused,” said Chloe Jaco, Senior Vice President, CGL. “It features generous, light-filled public spaces and dignified courtrooms while providing a safe and secure environment for visitors, staff, and detainees.” A primary goal of the project was to address the current issue of pollution from storm water runoff into the waterways. “It was paramount to the design team that we meet with local community leaders and work with Richland County to meet and exceed the current storm water guidelines recommended by Richland County’s Storm Water Management Division” said Chris Beard, Project Manager, BOUDREAUX . As a result, innovative solutions were implemented on the site, as well as educational signage to inform the public of the steps taken to address these concerns. The previously known Decker Shopping Mall was selected as the ideal site for the County but also serves as an economic development generator for the International Corridor. The revitalization of the center will generate new activity and business growth to create a win-win for the community and business owners alike. Chad Fosnight, Project Manager, Richland County stated, “This was only possible due to a first class Design, Construction Management and General Contractor team that helped guide this project from its original inception to where we are today.” The true success of the project will be evident by the activity generated in the area because of this project.
