Residents will soon see some familiar holiday decorations on Cummins, Inc. property in downtown Columbus.
The Columbus Board of Works approved a temporary license agreement Tuesday with the company regarding the display. According to City Director of Administration and Community Development Mary Ferdon, Cummins is allowing the city to put up decorations in front of the company’s parking garage.
Director of Finance, Operations and Risk Jamie Brinegar explained that, for the past few years, the city has had a Christmas display on the company’s property.
“I believe it’s been the singing penguins,” he said. “And each year, we try to have an agreement with them for us to use that space with their permission.”
Per the agreement, the city will have access to Cummins’ property from now through Jan. 14.
“Bring on the penguins,” joked Mayor Jim Lienhoop after the contract was approved. “It’s starting to look a lot more like Christmas.”
Brinegar said he believes the decorations will go up early next week, once the Exhibit Columbus installation near the parking garage is removed.
For the past few months, the grassy lawn on the 600 block of Washington Street has been home to “This Appearance Is ____”, a maze made up of curved lenticular plastic sheets.
The project design was led by founding partners of Lateral Office and 2021 Exhibit Columbus University Design Research Fellows Lola Sheppard and Mason White, who are both professors.
