Project Summary
What’s New?
The City of Columbus issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a CMc (Construction Manager as Contractor) on September 27th. The deadline for CMc RFP submissions was on October 23rd.
On November 14th, the Riverfront Design Concepts and an Economic Impact Analysis of the Riverfront Project was presented in a public meeting to the Columbus Redevelopment Commission and City Council. These presentations are represented in the links below.
Our River… Our Riverfront
We have been diligently working to ensure public input on all plans to refocus attention on our Riverfront. We realize that this is “our” River and that the future of our community will continue to be tied to innovation and creativity. Having a vibrant Riverfront that is developed based upon considerable community and public input is important to the future of Columbus and the state of Indiana.
Since 2017, the City of Columbus and Redevelopment Commission have worked with multiple divisions within the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to review our recommendations for redevelopment of a tremendous community asset. Those plans made a priority of protecting our environment, ensuring safety in all aspects, being fiscally responsible and continuing Columbus’ history and legacy of architectural quality and innovation throughout all design aspects.
Citizens Committee Goals
- 10’-12’ Multi-use trail on the east bank of the river that connects to other pathways and trails in the vicinity.
- River overlook areas
- Low-maintenance materials, including those that will withstand flooding
- Lighting to promote safety
- Removal of low-head dam
- Improvements to increase use of the river for recreational activities, including but not limited to the addition of riffles, rapids, or other water features to replace the dam
- Repair of the erosion on the west bank of the river due to the low head dam and protection of both banks from future erosion
- Beautification of the land on the west bank of the river, which may include trails or park- like features
- Areas of public art to be incorporated in the future. It is anticipated that the selected design team will coordinate with the Columbus Area Arts Council for placement of the art.
For more dedicated detail of the Riverfront Project, visit the Riverfront website.