Redevelopment is more than construction or renovation; it empowers the community to have a hand in improving quality of life and the surrounding environment as a result of sound planning practices.

The City of Columbus Indiana Redevelopment Department plays a key role in the enhancement of the quality of life of the City of Columbus and Bartholomew County.  Commission staff work with the Mayor, City Council and members of the Redevelopment Commission to ensure that the City of Columbus develops projects that include: benefiting the overall community; retaining and creating good-paying jobs; supporting local businesses; providing quality housing options; redeveloping properties; and reinforcing our community’s commitment to innovative design and responsible development.

The Redevelopment Department’s staff includes an Executive Director, a Project Coordinator and an Administrative Assistant. The Director works in conjunction with diverse community interests and potential developers on all Redevelopment projects.  A variety of economic development options are utilized to make Columbus competitive for future job growth and development, including Tax Increment Financing (TIF). This innovative economic development tool provides the Commission staff and locally-elected leadership the option of providing financing to support future growth and development.

We are committed to being consistent, accessible and transparent in all of our actions and decisions to improve our community.  We believe in balanced growth and revitalization.  This is achieved through creative public and private engagement that seeks to promote and encourage business growth, expand economic and employment opportunities, and improve our quality of life.  The Redevelopment Commission administers and funds projects after extensive public review and approval.

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission is composed of five (5) voting members with three (3) appointed by the Mayor and two (2) by the City Council. In addition, membership includes one (1) non-voting member of the school corporation and one (1) non-voting liaison from the City Council.   All of the members are local residents. The Commission meets in regular session – open to the public, once a month.  Records of the Commission’s meetings and agenda are maintained online and posted to this website

Ground Rules is back! At the end of the 2023 Exhibition, Public by Design, the City of Columbus, the Redevelopment Department, and Landmark Columbus Foundation, along with the designers of the project, University Design Research Fellows Jessica Colangelo and Charles Sharpless (Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design), pursued the opportunity to reinstall Ground Rules in two sections on 4th Street in downtown Columbus. The plans were publicly presented and approved by the Board of Works last December.

Ground Rules was originally located under the concrete colonnade of the Cummins Corporate Office Building. Ground Rules featured an elevated platform, or boardwalk, accessed by step or ramp. The installation also featured several seating options and a space for games and gatherings, with materials sourced from reclaimed lumber. The installation is built in sections originally designed for relocation into compact parking spaces, otherwise known as parklets. Parkets are commonplace as a tactical urbanism approach, which have become popular as a method for short-term or temporary improvements that drive long-term activation in cities.

We are excited to see Ground Rules repurposed into two compact parking locations adjacent to Washington Street! Considering the chosen parklets are smaller in size than a standard parking space, Jessica and Charles reconfigured the design to fit within the motorcycle-sized parklet—Ground Rules’ new temporary location.