Shopping center growth in Lexington Co.; West Columbia bar denied zoning request

The South Carolina Senate passed its version of the state's more than $15 billion proposed budget on April 23. Included within the budget are significant amendments impacting data centers: a measure to study the tax incentives they receive and a new requirement for data centers to report their annual water use, accompanied by a $10,000 daily penalty for non-compliance. These legislative actions, which originated with Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, indicate a growing focus on the economic and environmental accountability of data center operations across the state. Elsewhere in the article, local news focused on various developments in Lexington County and West Columbia. The West Columbia Board of Zoning Appeals issued a final rejection on April 21 to Ruckers, a proposed membership-based social club at 735 Meeting St., ruling that alcohol was the primary driver of the business and thus it did not qualify as a "club." Owner Shay Winslow expressed disappointment on Facebook over the decision. In Lexington County, the new Victory Village Shopping Center at 2550 Augusta Highway is actively leasing retail spaces, with a planned Target and an Academy Sports + Outdoor store under construction. Additionally, the Columbia City Council gave initial approval on April 21 to sell the former post office at 1601 Assembly St. to the U.S. Postal Service for $3.2 million, and Lexington Health acquired the 77,000-square-foot Berkeley Building in Columbia for $16.1 million for administrative relocation. The first phase of the Saluda Shoals Riverwalk in Irmo is also slated to open in August.