By Tammie Maddock
Photo by Coates Crew

Alan Kahn at the Village at Sandhill

Through the years, the Columbia area has been blessed to have citizens with vision, leadership, determination, and a will to help the community develop into a better place.

Alan Kahn is one of those people. Kahn’s family has helped shape Columbia’s skyline and others throughout the US, since 1927 through the operations of M.B. Kahn Construction Company and Kahn Development Company. Corporate offices for both entities are located in Columbia. M.B. Kahn Construction Company is the 106th largest building firm in the US specializing in industrial, commercial, and institutional construction.

In 1965, Alan Kahn began his association with the construction company after obtaining a BA in history from Duke University and an MBA in finance from George Washington University. In 1968, he became president of the development company which develops, finances, and manages real estate holdings.

Over the past 35 years, Kahn’s projects have helped meet the needs of the area’s growing population. Most recently, Kahn developed a 300–acre site on Clemson Road in northeast Richland County to create a lifestyle center for residents of an area of the county experiencing explosive growth.

According to Dougal Casey, a nationally known market research specialist, the site was chosen because of its “remarkable confluence of roads.” The proximity of the site to Hwy 1, I–20, I–77, and Two Notch Road provides the roadway infrastructure to facilitate growth and meet the needs of the area’s residents.

Kahn said people in the northeast wanted a town square they could call their own but had fears about disrupting the land which had previously been used by Clemson University as a research station. Kahn knew the site would eventually be developed. His roots in the community motivated him to develop the site in a way that met commercial needs while addressing environmental concerns.

While it is not possible to please everyone, Kahn’s hope is The Village at Sandhill will have something for everyone in the area. The master plan is based on a pedestrian friendly common area central to the design and flow of the center. Growing outward from the majestic centerpiece fountain is a mix of upscale retail, office space, and dining facilities connected by 12 to 15 foot well–lit bricked sidewalks that can accommodate strollers, wheelchairs, and large groups of people comfortably.

The look is described as crisp and clean and includes more than eight acres of Bermuda grass, trees transplanted from the original site, and over 39,000 new pieces of landscaping with more to come. The center is architecturally designed for function and longevity.

Larger out–parcels at The Village include Home Depot, JC Penney, Bi–Lo SuperCenter, and the largest stadium screen theatre in Columbia. Kahn is exploring the possibilities for residential use in the mix.

The Village at Sandhill will celebrate its grand opening September 24. Many stores have already opened, and new retailers are being added weekly.

For more information on offerings or events at the Village, log onto www.villageatsandhillonline.com.