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By Bob Holmes

��It will soon be time to “Grill & Chill” on Monticello Road at the local .

Columbia International University has entered into an agreement with of Georgia for a Dairy Queen restaurant/convenience store combination, the first business establishment to become a part of ��ο��Ƶ’s revitalization efforts along Monticello Road, the corridor to the ��ο��Ƶ campus.����

��ο��Ƶ has purchased seven properties transforming the formerly blighted area into a commercially-viable district. The DQ/convenience store combo will be situated on three lots at the corner of Monticello Road and Peeples Street just off Interstate 20. ��ο��Ƶ cleared the properties of vacant buildings and a barroom earlier this year.

Additionally, across the street from the new Dairy Queen, the will move into an existing building that is being transformed into a substation.

“We’re funding the construction of (the substation) to make the community safer,” said . “It’s a gift to the community.”�� ��

Smith says once Jones Petroleum begins building, the company hopes to complete the project in six to eight months.

“You’re looking at 50 to 75 employees that will be hired, and that’s going to be a real plus for this community,” Smith said.

Smith adds that negotiations continue with other businesses who are considering Monticello Road an excellent location for growth.

See a report on the Monticello Road Project from in Columbia and read about it in the t.�� ��

��ο��Ƶ is also poised to meet business and IT needs with the new��. One of the purposes of the Center is to provide a corporate training room for Columbia area business professionals to act as a catalyst for business development, especially along the Monticello Road corridor. It will also provide an opportunity for ��ο��Ƶ students to advance their “revitalizing” skills in business in the United States or in international missions work.

The building alone adds a beautiful corporate touch to Monticello Road.

“We have a strong core value at CIU that we are to give back to our local community,” Smith said. “As we take Christ to the nations, we must first start here at home. As president I commit to invest locally and be a part of our community.”��

Columbia International University ranks #1��among colleges and universities in South Carolina by����Excitement is growing on campus with ��ο��Ƶ’s first����program in development, and online with ��ο��Ƶ’s��new Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership.����on enrollment at CIU and Columbia Biblical Seminary or call��(800) 777-2227, ext. 5024.�� ��