COLUMBUS, Ind. — Redevelopment officials are allocating a little under $500,000 in tax increment funds to cover master planning for external aspects of the NexusPark campus.
The Columbus Redevelopment Commission voted Monday to engage design firm MKSK to complete exterior master planning, design and construction documents for the NexusPark project. The commission also approved a grant of $450,000 from the Central TIF District to the Midtown TIF to cover the cost of this work.
According to City Director of Administration and Community Development Mary Ferdon, the proposal from MKSK — which will also subcontract engineering firm Strand Associates, Inc. on the project — has a contract amount of $426,500.
Redevelopment Director Heather Pope said that the resolution approving this contract has a not-to-exceed amount of $450,000 in case additional services are needed.
MKSK was previously hired to guide the city and Columbus Regional Health through the process of redefining FairOaks Mall, Donner Center and surrounding areas. The firm created a conceptual master planning report for this purpose, with other consultants such as architecture firm Perkins & Will also involved in the process. The final version of this document was approved by the FairOaks Community Development Corp. Design Committee in July of 2020.
Ferdon told the commission that officials expect work on NexusPark’s exterior campus to take place “a little bit later” than other phases of the project. However, the city does want to begin looking at the design of these improvements.
“We’re trying to change the whole layout of that mall,” she said. “We want it to be a welcoming place. We want it to have green space. And we wanted it to look less like a mall and more like a community center.”
For the complete story, see Thursday’s Republic.
