Columbus riverfront project wins DNR approval; Next approvals on track

As the year wraps up, downtown development in Columbus is moving forward on several fronts.

The city has been approved for its Indiana Department of Natural Resources permit to make improvements in the downtown riverfront. Heather Pope, redevelopment director for the city, updated the Columbus Redevelopment Commission at its meeting yesterday, saying that the city has also had several meetings with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about what improvements they will will allow in the river. She said the Columbus team has begun the modeling necessary to meet those requirements. The city is also planning to submit its application for the project soon to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

She called it a huge step forward for the riverfront project.