A rendering of the proposed Columbus riverfront project as seen on columbusriverfront.org.
The Columbus Redevelopment Commission’s next meeting will feature a presentation recapping the details of the “Our River…Our Riverfront” project.
The meeting is set for 4 p.m. on Monday, in the council chambers of Columbus City Hall. The riverfront presentation is on the agenda as a discussion item.
Randy Royer with Hitchcock Design Group and Jason Larrison with consulting firm JS Held will present the information, said redevelopment project coordinator Mikala Brown. No formal action will be taken on the project during the meeting.
“We just wanted to remind everybody, including the current redevelopment commission, about what all the project entails, all the steps associated, all the safety measures it aims to address along the riverfront, especially because this project started a couple commissions ago, and we have new members,” Brown said.
She added that the department wants to make sure everyone is “up to speed” with the latest estimates, renderings and projected schedule.
According to Columbus’s redevelopment department, plans for the riverfront project include a multi-use trail, river overlook areas, lighting, removal of the low-head dam, “improvements to increase use of the river for recreational activities,” addressing and preventing erosion, beautification and areas of public art.
The city recently received its permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the project. Additionally, the redevelopment commission voted in September to engage James Lima Planning + Development for an economic benefit analysis of the project.
“This project’s been going on since 2017,” redevelopment director Heather Pope said at the time. “I don’t have to remind you all of that. But I think a legitimate question would be what’s the economic impact, because we know this is going to be a significant project. And with large projects come large price tags.”
She hoped to schedule a joint meeting of the redevelopment commission and Columbus City Council in mid-November to hear the firm’s findings.
