Plans for a $15 million overhaul of the Scioto Mile Fountain will be presented to the Downtown Commission next week.
The project is being spearheaded by the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation and will be funded by that organization and the City of Columbus, which has committed $7.5 million to the effort.
Plans submitted to the city in advance of the February 28 commission meeting show new elements like a shaded seating area and space for food trucks, as well as upgrades and repairs to the fountain itself and the plaza it sits on, which will be re-graded to improve drainage. Also planned is a special section for younger children.
Legislation to fund the city’s portion of the project that was approved by city council last fall described planned “sculptural light elements with vibrant, constantly changing colors [that] will delight visitors with dynamic light shows in the cold-weather season to make the Scioto Mile Fountain a year-round destination.”
Renderings show both nighttime and wintertime views of the redesigned fountain area.
If approved, construction on the project is scheduled to start this spring and wrap up before Memorial Day, 2024, meaning the fountain would be closed to the public this summer.
The fountain opened in 2011 as part of the larger Scioto Mile project, which transformed Civic Center Drive from a four-lane, one-way street into a more pedestrian-friendly street with a landscaped walkway.
The fountain proposal is just one of nine applications on the commission’s agenda this month, including several proposed mixed-use and residential developments.
For more information on the Downtown Commission, see columbus.gov. All renderings by AECOM and WET Design.