City officials have once again extended the temporary closure of the Columbus Area Arts Council (CAAC) Sixth Street Arts Alley Parklet for another three months.
Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety members approved an event application to continue the temporary closure of the parklet through Jan. 31. The closure is to support a range of programming— concerts, art installations, community gatherings and general creativity.
The space has been closed temporarily since May with the aim of activating the half-block area between Washington Street and the alleyway to the east as a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly community space.
Board of works members agreed to a previous three month extension in August.
The parklet is technically a city street and can often be found with people reading or sitting down on custom stools to take a break.
It was designed by the LAA Office architectural firm and created with support from Force Construction, Force Design and Heritage Fund: The Bartholomew County Community Foundation.
It features a 10,000-square-foot ground-plane mural, colorful furniture, lots of shade, free public Wi-Fi and the electrical capacity for concerts and vendors.
In addition to regular CAAC programming, it’s been used to host a wide spectrum of events through Landmark Columbus Foundation, Viewpoint Books, Turning Point and Black History Month Columbus.
Casual use of the space is first-come-first-served, and it remains open to the public even during planned events. However, people interested in organizing an event in the parklet where more than 50 people are expected to attend, or if alcohol is being served, are required to apply for an event permit through the city first.
Anyone interested in using the space is encouraged to follow this decision tree to get an idea of what sort of procedural steps need to be taken.
CAAC Executive Director Brooke Hawkins said the space may be too chilly for concerts over the next couple of months, but that they may use it to provide opportunities for glass blowing, for example, as well as art tailgating with the use of overhead warmers and portable fireplaces, if permitted by the Columbus Fire Department.
