OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Columbus Redevelopment Commission Regular Meeting - March 23, 2026

Meeting Portal — Monday, March 23, 2026
BodyColumbus, Indiana
SessionMeeting Portal
DateMonday, March 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:12:34

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Everyone.

0:01

Welcome to today's regular CRC meeting.

0:04

I'll begin with roll call.

0:06

Cindy Bowl.

0:08

Trina Carter here.

0:09

Shann McCallum.

0:10

Jim Lennox.

0:12

Scott Mallard.

0:13

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

0:16

Grace Kessler, City Council liaison.

0:19

Jason Major is not available.

0:21

Mary Stroud, CRC legal counsel, Mayor Mary Perdon.

0:25

Tom Dell, City Council Member.

0:28

Yeah.

0:28

Okay.

0:29

There we are.

0:30

This is the regular monthly meeting of the redevelopment commission.

0:33

We have one discussion item and five action items on our agenda today.

0:37

First, we'll proceed with our discussion item.

0:40

We have Chris Merritt online with Marit Chase and Bonnie Bowright, project manager for the downtown entrance plaza.

0:47

Um we're good.

0:52

Okay.

0:53

So Bonnie, please, Chris, you're on.

0:56

Let's go.

1:00

Can you hear me okay?

1:04

I can.

1:04

Hi everyone.

1:05

Thank you.

1:06

Go ahead, Bonnie.

1:07

Okay, thank you.

1:08

So we're excited to be able to talk a little bit about the entrance plaza, which um this project started about two years ago.

1:16

And we were asked to um bring in a design firm to look at redeveloping the two sides of the entrance plaza when you come across the bridge into downtown Columbus.

1:30

This fits in with the downtown strategic plan in a number of ways.

1:34

One of the recommendations is anytime you're entering downtown, really um look at ways that you can make that a more welcoming entrance into downtown, and we know redeveloping this space will help us do that.

1:47

In addition that we have a lot of spaces downtown that are inactive that we want to activate.

1:52

And um the these two spaces, especially the space on the right with the larger space by the um IU Architecture School is a perfect location to be able to bring your family, come and hang out.

2:06

Um, you know, we can activate it in a number of different ways once it's redeveloped and just space now that people don't even realize that they're allowed to use, and we want to turn that around.

2:15

So we're thrilled to have uh Merritt Chase um designing.

2:20

You've seen the design before with we've made some alterations, and Chris will walk through that with you as well.

2:26

We think now is the best time to be developing the site because of the second street thoroughfare work, the riverfront work, um, the painting of the of the bridge, um, I think still later this year, um, unless that's changed and um a lot of work in that area.

2:40

It'll be nice to do this work as well and kind of complete that area of downtown.

2:46

Um, so I wanted to uh let Chris talk about the the design with you, and then we'll talk about funding.

2:55

Thanks, Bonnie, and thanks everyone.

2:56

Sorry I couldn't be there with you uh today.

2:59

I'm on spring break out of the office, but I know we've been in front of you a few times and wanted to provide just a brief update on where we're at with the design as we've been working through some value engineering.

3:10

Uh next slide, Michaela.

3:13

Um this first slide is just the illustrative site plan that has been shared with you in the past.

3:20

Um, this is where we were at in schematic design when we first um shared the project with you.

3:27

Um so you can see the public safety plaza on what I'll call the top or left side of the site, um, and then the main uh park side with a community lawn plaza water feature and the amphitheater seating, uh picnic groves over on the on the right, um, the existing parking that will be redone.

3:44

Um essentially the whole site um receives a renovation except for um the 1821 bicentennial trail uh along the bottom and then uh the streetscape along second and Jackson.

3:58

Um we will be preserving those trees as well as a large uh hackberry tree in the middle.

4:03

Um as we advance to the next slide, you'll notice um some very subtle alterations as we've been proceeding into construction documents um and looking for ways to be more cost efficient with the project.

4:18

The main overall design intent of the project um is all still here.

4:23

Um we've we've really just kind of honed in on some material and detail selections to be more cost effective uh along the top at the public safety plaza.

4:33

We've removed a couple pathways, so you see um kind of two paths connecting in and out from that plaza.

4:39

Um on the top side of that ellipse is where um the police and fire uh monument walls will be with the the flagpoles.

4:48

Um and then on the right side um again we've removed a couple paths and just kind of thinned them up so it's mainly hardscape reductions and stone work.

5:00

The water feature footprint has become a little bit smaller there.

5:03

But all of the main elements that you've seen in the past are still in the plan here.

5:08

This is our materials plan from the construction documents we've been developing and working with the local contractor on cost estimating estimating to really fine-tune the numbers.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Downtown Development████████████████████████████████████████████44%
Aviation███████████████████19%
Workforce Development█████████9%
Procedural███████7%
Public Works Recognition███████7%
Community Engagement██████6%
Economic Development███3%
Environmental Protection███3%
Public Engagement█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Columbus Redevelopment Commission Regular Meeting - March 23, 2026

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission held its regular monthly meeting on March 23, 2026. Commissioners present included Cindy Bowl, Trina Carter, Shann McCallum, Jim Lennox, and Scott Mallard. Also present were Heather Pope (Director of Redevelopment), Grace Kessler (City Council liaison), Mary Stroud (legal counsel), Mayor Mary Perdon, and City Council member Tom Dell. Jason Major was absent. The agenda included one discussion item (downtown entrance plaza design update) and five action items, all of which were approved unanimously.

Discussion Item: Downtown Entrance Plaza

  • Chris Merritt (Merritt Chase) and Bonnie Bowright, project manager, presented an update on the downtown entrance plaza project, which began about two years ago and aligns with the downtown strategic plan to create a more welcoming entry and activate underused spaces.
  • Value engineering reduced the project estimate from about $4.7 million to about $3.7 million, with a current target budget of about $2.9 million. The anticipated construction cost is about $2.7 million, including a 7% city contingency.
  • Design changes included fewer and narrower pathways, reduced stonework, a smaller water feature (about 25 feet by 15 feet, intentionally reduced to avoid a state requirement for a nearby restroom), and material/detail cost reductions. Major elements such as the public safety plaza, community lawn, amphitheater seating, and picnic groves were retained.
  • Funding sources identified: certified tech park fund, remaining TIF dollars, and the railroad overpass fund. Requests for city council approval would come back to the commission later.
  • The POW/MIA memorial is expected to move to the courthouse lawn for better accessibility; design work is ongoing.
  • Traffic calming was discussed: the project includes tree planting and street design that will narrow lanes, supported by future NDOT resurfacing work on 2nd Street.
  • Construction is anticipated to start in October 2026, with completion early next year.
  • Rhonda Garden (via video) thanked the commission and expressed the Garden family's strong support for the plaza project, calling it a beautiful addition for residents and visitors.

Action Items

  • Resolution 3-2026 – Engage JSH (JS Held) as project consultant for the catalytic projects identified in the Columbus Downtown 2030 plan (the "four-pack plus"), for a not-to-exceed amount of $36,400. Jason Larrison (JS Held) presented his firm's qualifications and approach for creating an RFQ, marketing, and selecting a master developer. Motion by James, second by Shannon; passed unanimously.
  • Resolution 4-2026 – Fund gas line installation for future developable lots along Pushard Drive in the AirPlex Commerce Center, from the airport allocation area, for a not-to-exceed amount of $41,764. Brian Payne (Airport Director) explained that the gas line is needed to develop Lot 1 and that lots 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12 are already leased or pending. Motion by Cindy, second by Scott; passed unanimously.
  • Resolution 5-2026 – Grant a workforce development grant of $25,000 to Ivy Tech for a Control Tower Operator program, from the airport allocation area. Brian Payne and Matthew Medley described the 400-hour, 10-week program, the nationwide shortage of about 3,500 tower operators, starting salaries of $75,000–$85,000, and that this would be the second such program in the U.S. The program is intended to be self-sustaining after startup. Passed unanimously.
  • Approval of Minutes – The February 23, 2026, regular meeting minutes were approved.
  • Claims Approval – The March claims docket was approved, increasing from the original $1,335,671 to $1,478,218 after adding seven additional claims (including utilities and work on County Road 300 West, International Drive, downtown entrance plaza design, Sears cooling tower maintenance, and asbestos abatement).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • During the entrance plaza discussion, a public commenter asked about the UIA line and the POW/MIA memorial relocation timeline; staff responded that the memorial is being moved to the courthouse lawn and city council requests would come within a couple of months.
  • Ray Garden family representative Rhonda Garden expressed gratitude and support for the plaza project, noting her family's pride in the planned improvements.
  • During the JSH discussion, Mayor Mary Perdon and Council member Tom Dell spoke in favor of hiring JSH, emphasizing the city's lack of capacity and the importance of moving the Downtown 2030 plan forward.
  • Public questions during the control tower program discussion sought clarification on differences between contract tower and FAA tower operators, and on program hardware/software; answers were provided by Brian Payne and Matthew Medley.

Key Outcomes

  • All five action items passed unanimously.
  • The commission discussed next steps for the entrance plaza funding, including obtaining city council approval for certified tech park funds and railroad overpass fund reappropriation.
  • Heather Pope provided a project update: 2nd Street work continues with completion expected in 10–12 weeks; riverfront tree mitigation bids open; amphitheater wall forming underway with concrete pours expected in April; ribbon cutting planned for October 23, 2026; demolition of the county highway garage property to begin this week; Cadia Drive project on target for April completion; and a ribbon cutting for the new BQW facility on May 20, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Everyone. Welcome to today's regular CRC meeting. I'll begin with roll call. Cindy Bowl. Trina Carter here. Shann McCallum. Jim Lennox. Scott Mallard. Also with us today is Heather Pope, Director of Redevelopment. Grace Kessler, City Council liaison. Jason Major is not available. Mary Stroud, CRC legal counsel, Mayor Mary Perdon. Tom Dell, City Council Member. Yeah. Okay. There we are. This is the regular monthly meeting of the redevelopment commission. We have one discussion item and five action items on our agenda today. First, we'll proceed with our discussion item. We have Chris Merritt online with Marit Chase and Bonnie Bowright, project manager for the downtown entrance plaza. Um we're good. Okay. So Bonnie, please, Chris, you're on. Let's go. Can you hear me okay? I can. Hi everyone. Thank you. Go ahead, Bonnie. Okay, thank you. So we're excited to be able to talk a little bit about the entrance plaza, which um this project started about two years ago. And we were asked to um bring in a design firm to look at redeveloping the two sides of the entrance plaza when you come across the bridge into downtown Columbus. This fits in with the downtown strategic plan in a number of ways. One of the recommendations is anytime you're entering downtown, really um look at ways that you can make that a more welcoming entrance into downtown, and we know redeveloping this space will help us do that. In addition that we have a lot of spaces downtown that are inactive that we want to activate. And um the these two spaces, especially the space on the right with the larger space by the um IU Architecture School is a perfect location to be able to bring your family, come and hang out. Um, you know, we can activate it in a number of different ways once it's redeveloped and just space now that people don't even realize that they're allowed to use, and we want to turn that around. So we're thrilled to have uh Merritt Chase um designing. You've seen the design before with we've made some alterations, and Chris will walk through that with you as well. We think now is the best time to be developing the site because of the second street thoroughfare work, the riverfront work, um, the painting of the of the bridge, um, I think still later this year, um, unless that's changed and um a lot of work in that area. It'll be nice to do this work as well and kind of complete that area of downtown. Um, so I wanted to uh let Chris talk about the the design with you, and then we'll talk about funding. Thanks, Bonnie, and thanks everyone. Sorry I couldn't be there with you uh today. I'm on spring break out of the office, but I know we've been in front of you a few times and wanted to provide just a brief update on where we're at with the design as we've been working through some value engineering. Uh next slide, Michaela. Um this first slide is just the illustrative site plan that has been shared with you in the past. Um, this is where we were at in schematic design when we first um shared the project with you. Um so you can see the public safety plaza on what I'll call the top or left side of the site, um, and then the main uh park side with a community lawn plaza water feature and the amphitheater seating, uh picnic groves over on the on the right, um, the existing parking that will be redone. Um essentially the whole site um receives a renovation except for um the 1821 bicentennial trail uh along the bottom and then uh the streetscape along second and Jackson.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com