Cason Development Group relocating this fall; pizzeria to open

Listen to this article

Columbia commercial real estate development company Cason Development Group will officially relocate its offices to Cottontown in September.

The company is renovating a 3,000-square-foot building at 2144 Sumter St. Cason acquired that property, along with two others and a nearby parking lot, in late 2017.

Citta del Cotone, a new pizzeria run by area restauranteur Rick Marzan, is expected to open in the 1,000-square-foot, Cason-owned building at 2150 Sumter St. in early fall, according to a news release. The name means Cottontown in Italian, and the pizzeria will serve authentic, Neapolitan-style pizza, Marzan said. It will have around 32 seats and offer carryout service.

Marzan ran Noah’s Antico Pizzeria in Irmo from 2012-2015. His business partner, Tommy Price, developed Za’s Brick Oven Pizza on Devine Street and was involved with Congaree Grill in Five Points, Mill Pond Steakhouse in Boykin and Crescent Grill in Camden.

Seed Architecture, McKay Consulting Group and a local attorney will join the Cason Development Group at 2144 Sumter St.

Cason also owns an adjacent 4,000-square-foot building at 2146 Sumter St. and is in search of a restaurant tenant which would share a common courtyard and outdoor dining area.

“We remain excited about the continued growth that Cottontown and North Main have experienced and want to be more of a part of the energy that so many businesses have created out there,” said Frank Cason, owner of Cason Development Group.

Cason has purchased and redeveloped eight properties along Franklin and Sumter streets, including area pioneer The War Mouth, a popular gastropub.

Boyer Commercial Construction is the contractor for renovations on all three properties, Seed is the architect and The Landplan Group South is the site engineer. Landplan recently relocated to 1206 Scott St., less than a block from the Cason developments in Cottontown.

Cason is also seeking a tenant for the 6,000-square-foot former Loomis Armored Trucks building at 2204 Sumter St., a property which includes a large bank vault.  Cason said the building would be perfect for a brewery or distillery or a gym.