The city of Columbus is preparing an application for the proposed riverfront redevelopment, planning to submit it to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources by the end of October.
Redevelopment director Heather Pope said the city is awaiting a response to its jurisdictional determination from the Army Corp of Engineers. The Army Corp of Engineers is studying the area between the Robert N. Stewart Bridge and the Third Street bridge where the city has proposed an $8.6 million riverfront project.
Pope said the response from the Army Corp of Engineers is expected in October and must be included in the city’s application to DNR.
A jurisdictional determination by the Army Corp of Engineers must be completed when proposing a project that would manipulate the United States’ jurisdictional waters, the waters that make up the country’s rivers, streams, lakes and oceans, said Jason Larrison, project manager.
“Anytime you manipulate the waters where you’re providing capacity or taking capacity away, it impacts the waterway up and down stream, which could cause issues like a loss of wetland habitats or flooding,” Larrison said.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
