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    Downtown Plan: New Visuals Show Redesigned Streets, High-Density Neighborhoods

    An ambitious housing goal and new ideas for pedestrian bridges and bike lanes were among the concepts presented Tuesday evening during the latest Downtown Strategic Plan meeting.

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    Planners Chris Hermann and Andrew Overbeck, of MKSK, outlined the ideas and solicited feedback from the attendees, who were gathered at COSI for the third in a series of meetings that kicked off earlier this year.

    The biggest applause of the evening came when Hermann showed an image of a redesigned Broad Street, complete with center-running, bus-only lanes and a two-way, protected cycle track.

    “I think this would be an amazing transformation, something we can aspire to, something that’s doable,” he said, after talking about the importance of the LinkUs initiative and the need for that project – which calls for multiple corridors with dedicated transit lanes – to move forward despite COTA’s recent decision to not put a sales tax increase on the ballot this year to fund it.

    “We need to continue to support the LinkUs project,” Hermann added. “We know that the discussion about the levy is pushed back for a lot of reasons outside of our control, but that is still a very important and critical component for our future, of both Downtown and…Central Ohio.”

    Also featured in the presentation were images of redesigned Third and Fourth Streets, fleshing out an idea first floated in the last meeting that called for putting two dedicated transit lanes on Third Street and a two-way, protected bike lane on Fourth Street.

    “In the future…if we could figure out how to bridge 670 with a pedestrian and bike bridge, we could connect Summit [Street] and the Summit bike system with Downtown and really create a regional, north-south, low-stress bike system,” he said.

    Other images unveiled at the meeting include a concept for redeveloping Confluence Park – similar to one presented as part of the Rapid 5 project – as well as plans for multiple new pedestrian bridges over the Scioto River.

    Former Mayor Michael Coleman, in his capacity as board chair of the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation, has been working to promote the new plan. When he talked to Columbus Underground at the beginning of the planning process, he emphasized the city’s track record of success when it comes to implementing the ideas that came out of the last Downtown Plan in 2010, including a suggestion to demolish the Main Street Dam and create an additional 33 acres of urban parkland along the Scioto River.

    In 2002, then-Mayor Coleman also set a goal to grow the Downtown population to 10,000 people, a milestone achieved in 2020 (the population currently stand at 11,200, according to the CDDC).

    A new goal was unveiled at this week’s meeting – 40,000 people living in Downtown Columbus by the year 2040.

    In order to achieve that, many more of Downtown’s 214 acres of surface parking lots will need to be developed, and the area’s transit and active transportation options will need to improve in order for that to be possible. Hermann pointed to Gay Street as an example of a street that has been successfully densified, and to the construction of a public parking garage as a key part of that evolution, since it made it possible for developers to start building on what was at the time a huge collection of surface lots.

    A visual presented at the meeting showed how the East Spring Street corridor and the surrounding area could be enhanced with new development and parks. When the full draft plan is completed, it will include images showing how other Downtown districts could undergo a similar transformation, Hermann said.

    The goal is to complete the full draft plan by September, he added, and then to present it to City Council for approval some time this fall.

    Additional Reading:

    Could the New Downtown Plan Lead to Changes with Downtown Streets?

    Opinion: Indianola Bike Lane Saga Shows the Need for a New Approach

    For more information on the Downtown Strategic Plan, including an opportunity to submit ideas and feedback, see downtowncolumbus.com.

    See the slideshow below for more from the presentation – all images by MKSK.

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    Brent Warren
    Brent Warrenhttps://columbusunderground.com/author/brent-warren
    Brent Warren is a staff reporter for Columbus Underground covering urban development, transportation, city planning, neighborhoods, and other related topics. He grew up in Grandview Heights, lives in the University District and studied City and Regional Planning at OSU.
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