The final draft of the city’s strategic plan for development of downtown Columbus is ready to be shared publicly.
Local residents can attend the final Envision Columbus public meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, where they will learn what initial focus points will be and next steps for implementation.
The city has been working for about a year with Philadelphia-based DAVID RUBIN Land Collective, the landscape architecture and urban design firm hired to guide the project. Rubin will present the plan during Wednesday’s meeting.
Columbus’ current strategic plan, created in 2005, had been mostly fulfilled, city leaders said, and a new one was needed. That plan yielded projects such as the redeveloped Commons, Hotel Indigo, The Cole apartment complex, the redesigned Fourth Street, three parking garages and the Cummins downtown office space.
Rubin will present the final draft Wednesday, when residents can learn more about four initial focus points:
- Hotel/conference center with performance venue opportunities
- Urban grocer
- Townhomes
- Neighborhood revitalization
“We think these have the highest potential to be catalytic projects. If we get these done first, then they should spur additional private development that would be beneficial to the community,” Mayor Jim Lienhoop said.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
