OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Columbus Redevelopment Commission Meeting – February 23, 2026

Meeting Portal — Monday, February 23, 2026
BodyColumbus, Indiana
SessionMeeting Portal
DateMonday, February 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:03:09

Transcript — Verbatim
0:30

Okay, just talk about it.

0:38

Yeah.

0:59

Yeah.

1:28

Yeah.

1:37

Yeah.

1:45

So while we're waiting, you'll be telling a joke, a dog walked into a bar.

1:51

Looking for a job.

2:02

Nobody here can see.

2:33

Hello, everyone.

2:35

Now hello everyone.

2:38

Um this is our regular Columbus Redevelopment Commission meeting, and I'll begin the meeting with roll call.

2:46

Cindy Bowl.

2:46

President.

2:47

Trina Carter, present.

2:48

Shannon McCoy.

2:50

Okay.

2:50

Jim.

2:51

Scott.

2:52

Okay.

2:52

Also with us today is Heather Hope, Director of Redevelopment.

2:56

Grace Kessler, City Council liaison.

2:58

Jason Major liaison from the BCSC board.

3:01

Mary Strowe, CRC legal council, Mayor Mary Perdon.

3:05

We also have Tom Dell, City Council member with us.

3:09

Present.

3:12

Okay.

3:12

This is our regular monthly meeting of the redevelopment commission.

3:16

We have one organizational item, one discussion item, and five action items on the agenda today.

3:22

We'll begin with the swearing in of Cynthia Bowl to the redevelopment commission for 2026.

3:28

Cindy Bowl is a mayoral appointment.

3:30

Mayor Mary Perdon will formally swear Cindy.

3:47

Is this this this year for the Bible?

3:50

Um I don't know.

3:52

Okay.

3:53

Okay.

3:54

So we're gonna say that this is our fourth or fifth year, like at least.

4:01

So we are so thrilled to have continued to have you on the redevelopment commission.

4:05

So thank you for your work and bringing your legal brain along to all this.

4:10

So repeat after me.

4:11

I say you name I send to all do solemnly swear.

4:16

Solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States.

4:19

I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Indiana.

4:25

And the Constitution of the State of Indiana, and then I will faithfully and I will faithfully, impartially, and partially and honestly and honestly discharge the duties of my office, discharge the duties of my office as a member of the redevelopment commission of the city of Columbus.

4:42

As a member of the redevelopment commission of the City of Columbus, according to law.

4:47

According to law to the best of my ability and the best of my ability.

4:51

So help me.

4:53

Congratulations.

5:00

We are happy to add you to the serving on the redevelopment commission.

5:02

And we appreciate participation of our second last month.

5:08

Yeah.

5:11

Next we'll proceed with our discussion item.

5:26

Thank you.

5:28

Um so it's about that time of year again, and um the redevelopment commission has certain reporting requirements to the state, to the overlapping taxing units, to the mayor and the fiscal body of the city, also to the fiscal officer of the redevelopment commission, which would be the controller of the city.

5:48

So I'll just run through real quick some of those reporting obligations.

5:53

Uh there's the April 1st deadline, which is basically a report from the fiscal officer or Regina's office of the controller to the redevelopment commission, as typically handled by me.

6:06

I prepare the report, then I send it to the redevelopment commission through Heather, and it's a pretty basic report.

6:13

Uh it has everything less than everything that's in this report that we'll be looking at here shortly.

6:20

It just checks a box that we have to check.

6:22

Uh and that email will go through before April 1st, and then we have the April 15th annual uh report, which is in the uh email or one of the documents that you all received.

6:37

Um that one we have the um the report.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Redevelopment█████████████████████████████████████████████52%
Animal Welfare██████████12%
Downtown Development██████7%
Fiscal Sustainability█████6%
Cannabis Regulation████5%
Procedural███4%
Community Engagement███4%
Economic Development███3%
Water And Wastewater Management██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Columbus Redevelopment Commission Regular Meeting – February 23, 2026

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission held its regular monthly meeting on February 23, 2026, at 9:00 AM. The meeting included the swearing-in of a commissioner, a discussion of annual TIF reporting requirements, and several action items. Key actions included approving $750,000 in TIF funding for a new Animal Care Services building, authorizing $46,700 for design and engineering work for the Airplex Commerce Center Phase 2, and recommending a riverfront liquor license. The meeting also received updates on downtown redevelopment projects.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the minutes of the January 29, 2026 regular meeting (Commissioner Cindy Bowles abstained as she was not present).
  • Approved claims for the month totaling $2,064,703.26, including an additional $82.28 added for a Verizon bill.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • An audience member expressed strong support for the new Animal Care Services building project, noting it had been neglected for years and would be a valuable community asset. The speaker urged the commission to pass the funding resolution.

Discussion Items

  • Annual TIF Reporting Requirements: Andrew (Controller) presented an overview of the redevelopment commission's reporting obligations, including an April 1 report to the fiscal officer, an April 15 annual report to the state and local bodies, and a public presentation to the city council scheduled for March 3, 2026. The annual presentation to overlapping taxing units was also conducted at this meeting. Andrew reviewed the 2025 TIF report, highlighting total revenues of $18.6 million, expenditures of $27.48 million, and an ending cash balance of $24.358 million for the central allocation area. He explained the circuit breaker impact concept, noting that the TIF areas' assessed value siloed to the side reduces the tax rate and circuit breaker losses for overlapping units. For 2025, the estimated circuit breaker impact on the City of Columbus was $2.8 million (loss of levy collectibility if TIFs were removed), and for the school corporation about $2.097 million, offset by workforce development grants. The airport, midtown, and other allocation areas were also summarized. Andrew noted that the 2026 projected surplus line on some worksheets incorrectly said 2025, and he would correct that.

Key Outcomes

  • Swearing-In of Commissioner: Cynthia Bowles was sworn in by Mayor Mary Ferdon for a new term on the redevelopment commission for 2026.
  • Resolution 01-2026 (Animal Care Services Building): Approved unanimously to grant $750,000 in TIF funding from the central allocation area ($500,000, split equally between 2026 and 2027) and the midtown allocation area ($250,000 in 2026) toward the construction of a new Columbus Animal Care Services building. The total project cost is estimated at $9.7 million, with other funding from the city general fund ($5 million), a major donor ($1 million), a READI grant ($1.3 million), EDIT funds ($250,000), and an additional $450,000 for sewer line relocation from the airport allocation area (to be requested later).
  • Resolution 02-2026 (Airplex Commerce Center Phase 2 Design): Approved unanimously to engage Milestone Design Group for design and engineering work for the Airplex Commerce Center Phase 2 initiatives, including the Osville sewer main relocation for the animal care services, at a not-to-exceed cost of $46,700. The project is the first step toward extending Supercroop Drive and related infrastructure.
  • Riverfront Liquor License Recommendation: The commission unanimously voted to send a favorable recommendation to Mayor Ferdon for a riverfront liquor license for Casey Collins (doing business as Floyd's on Fourth, LLC). The license would allow the historic building to host pop-up events and operate a public bar area on select days.
  • Project Updates: Heather Hope provided updates on several projects: the downtown entrance plaza (modified plan and funding sources to be presented next month, with demolition expected in August/September 2026), the Second Street thoroughfare project (potholing underway after weather delays), the riverfront project (ribbon cutting targeted for October 23, 2026), the State Street property (asbestos remediation complete, demolition starting March 2, 2026, with developer interest in affordable/mixed-use development), and Arcadia Drive (completion target April 2026, ribbon cutting scheduled for May 20, 2026, 1:00-2:30 PM).

Meeting Transcript

Okay, just talk about it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So while we're waiting, you'll be telling a joke, a dog walked into a bar. Looking for a job. Nobody here can see. Hello, everyone. Now hello everyone. Um this is our regular Columbus Redevelopment Commission meeting, and I'll begin the meeting with roll call. Cindy Bowl. President. Trina Carter, present. Shannon McCoy. Okay. Jim. Scott. Okay. Also with us today is Heather Hope, Director of Redevelopment. Grace Kessler, City Council liaison. Jason Major liaison from the BCSC board. Mary Strowe, CRC legal council, Mayor Mary Perdon. We also have Tom Dell, City Council member with us. Present. Okay. This is our regular monthly meeting of the redevelopment commission. We have one organizational item, one discussion item, and five action items on the agenda today. We'll begin with the swearing in of Cynthia Bowl to the redevelopment commission for 2026. Cindy Bowl is a mayoral appointment. Mayor Mary Perdon will formally swear Cindy. Is this this this year for the Bible? Um I don't know. Okay. Okay. So we're gonna say that this is our fourth or fifth year, like at least. So we are so thrilled to have continued to have you on the redevelopment commission. So thank you for your work and bringing your legal brain along to all this. So repeat after me. I say you name I send to all do solemnly swear. Solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States. I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Indiana. And the Constitution of the State of Indiana, and then I will faithfully and I will faithfully, impartially, and partially and honestly and honestly discharge the duties of my office, discharge the duties of my office as a member of the redevelopment commission of the city of Columbus. As a member of the redevelopment commission of the City of Columbus, according to law. According to law to the best of my ability and the best of my ability. So help me. Congratulations. We are happy to add you to the serving on the redevelopment commission. And we appreciate participation of our second last month. Yeah.

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