The City of Columbus will fund the next phase of the State Street Revitalization effort. The city council voted Tuesday night to approved Phase 2A, not to exceed $2.6 million. The project would stretch south from the Haw Creek bridge to about Mapleton Street and will include green spaces and trails for pedestrians and bicycles. Heather Pope, the city’s redevelopment director, talks about the timeline for this phase of the project…
The current timeline calls for this phase of the project to be completed by November 1st.
Councilman Frank Miller expressed concerns about the fact that the city’s Board of Public Works and Safety agreed to put the project out to bid last week, prior to receiving approval from the council. While Miller emphasized that nothing illegal took place, he was concerned about how residents would perceive the action. He noted that he heard from residents that the funding approval was “a done deal” and that the approval was already granted. Councilman Dascal Bunch, along with members of the State Street Area Association, explained that the action was taken to help ensure the work on Phase 2A could be finished by the end of this construction season.
Councilman Bunch, who represents the area on the council, has been an ardent supporter of the project…
The council’s vote to approve the funding was unanimous.