The summer-long closure of a vital end of Wade Hampton Boulevard is over as realignment of the highway is complete — but in exchange drivers will lose a popular cut-through permanently.

This week, crews have removed barriers on a newly constructed intersection of Wade Hampton with East Stone Avenue as part of the expansive Northpointe development, which will bring a Harris Teeter grocery store, apartments and commercial space.

Now, Column Street — a popular shortcut between downtown and the North Main community — will be closed for good, said Tori Wallace-Babcock, senior analyst and development coordinator for Central Realty, which is developing the 9-acre triangle-shaped piece of land at the incongruous meeting point of Wade Hampton Boulevard, Stone Avenue and Church Street.

Column's transformation into a passive entry point into Northpointe is a vital aspect of the development's design.

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The project that will remake a key gateway into downtown Greenville is expected to be complete in 2019.

The construction of an upscale Harris Teeter grocery store across from 101 Espresso Bar and The Community Tap is on schedule along with the rest of the project, Wallace-Babock said.

The new grocery store will rise "contemporaneously" with the rest of the project, which includes nearly 300 apartments, restaurants and other commercial space

The closing of East Earle Street at Wade Hampton will continue for a few more weeks, she said. It has been closed to cut-through traffic while work on Wade Hampton continues.

The city of Greenville pledged $800,000 from its economic development fund to complete street and lighting projects that will help with pedestrian access and aesthetics for the project.

A remaining $2 million will be aside over the next 15 years, money that will come from the increase in property tax values that are created directly as a result of the project,

Central Realty promises to invest at least $45 million in the project.

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