Designers holding picnic for your thoughts on downtown Columbus plaza

On Monday you will have a chance to talk about your vision for a new plaza heading into downtown Columbus in front of the Bartholomew County courthouse.

Organizers and designers will be holding a Community Engagement Picnic on Jackson Street at 6 p.m. on Monday evening. The city will be hosting the design firm chosen to revamp the plaza, Merritt Chase based in Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, first at the city’s redevelopment commission meeting and then at the picnic.

The picnic will be on Jackson Street between First and Second Streets and will include refreshments from Theo’s Pop-Up.

Richard McCoy head of the Landmark Columbus Foundation explains:

The 1.5-acre plaza on either side of Second Street is known for its memorials to POW/MIAs, public safety officers and the Robert D. Garton veterans memorial plaza.

Richard McCoy head of the Landmark Columbus Foundation said the team wants to make that memorial more accessible and better highlighted as part of this project.

Landmark Columbus through the Columbus Design Institute is working with the city on the project. Organizers would also like to refresh the area overall, and tie the plaza into the nearby 1821 Bicentennial Trail as well as a riverfront development project.

Aerial photo courtesy of Columbus Design Institute