7.10.10
Downtown development plan up for public hearing
www.columbus.bizjournals.com
Columbus City Council is giving the floor to residents at an upcoming meeting over a new development plan for downtown that’s quickly approaching final approval.

A public hearing is set for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday at City Hall, hosted by council members Andrew Ginther and Priscilla Tyson along with officials from the city Department of Development. They’ll be taking testimony from attendees on a proposed downtown strategic plan that’s already undergone rounds of public meetings and resulted in the drawing up of 10 guiding principles and 12 ideas to be catalysts for improving the downtown.

Mayor Michael Coleman and city leaders began the process for the next phase of downtown development in February after largely completing objectives established in a 2002 plan. The new plan will set the development course after the scheduled 2011 opening of the $44 million Scioto Mile project.

From the more than 1,000 public comments received in the planning process, overarching principles in the plan are to create an interconnected, walkable and vibrant downtown, maintain downtown’s status as the employment center of the region, increase the amount and variety of downtown housing, continue to develop signature parks and public spaces, invest in arts and culture, and continue collaboration between the public and private sectors.

The city’s Downtown Commission has endorsed an early draft of the plan. Council is set to approve it as early as July 19.

Index of all news articles