Baby steps being taken on riverwalk planning
By Terri Brunck
Dispatch Staff

Columbus' riverwalk program has gotten started, and those involved in the project hope when it is completed within the next three years it will provide an economic boost to downtown.

The Columbus riverwalk is a $1.3 million project. Of that, $1.1 million - some 80 percent - is federal money channeled through the Mississippi Department of Transportation. The city and county matched the other 20 percent by each contributing $100,000.

The riverwalk will start at Riverside Park and run through downtown along Highway 82. It will connect to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers' existing nature trail at the Highway 82 Tenn-Tom bridge.

"Our vision is that the Columbus riverwalk will broaden the use of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway for the citizens of our entire community, stimulate tourism, improve quality of life, protect the environment and strengthen the economy," said David Sanders, riverwalk committee chairman.

Of the 37 applicants for the MDOT T-21 alternative transportation grant, 22 have used the money for bicycle and pedestrian paths.

Five of those 22 are in the East Mississippi area - Columbus, Eupora, Meridian, Mississippi State University and West Point.

The Mississippi State grant was for a $1.3 million bicycle path and pedestrian path.

In north Mississippi, Oxford, Lafayette County, Booneville, New Albany, the University of Mississippi and Batesville also have gotten the grant money.
Columbus has the perfect spot for the 5-mile riverwalk, committee member Chris Chain said.

"I noticed a while back there was $21 million in grant money and thought we should get some of that," Chain said.

"This grant money can't be used for anything else besides alternative transportation," he said. "It's free money. Either we use it, or we don't get it for the community."

"It's a MDOT project, so they call the shots," said Joey Hudnall, who works with the consulting firm Neel Schaffer. "The preliminary stuff will take 18 months to two years to complete. Construction will take nine to 12 months. So the total project, start to finish, will take two and a half to three years."

"It's lengthy, but there's not anything we can do about it," Hudnall said. "They're funding it, so they call the shots."

"Maintenance will be very low on the riverwalk," Main Street Columbus Director Jan Miller said. "We'll need to empty trash containers and take care of vegetation, but the plans call for very-low-maintenance plants and grass. Main Street will also encourage groups like the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, garden clubs and school civic groups that need community service points to volunteer to help with the upkeep of the riverwalk. And, of course, Main Street will also be involved with the upkeep."

Calls placed to grant writer George Irby with the city's Federal Programs Office were not returned.

"One item the Columbus riverwalk plans call for is submergible lights specifically designed for structures near water in case of flooding," Miller said.

"We've also got fitness places interested in doing activities along the riverwalk," Miller said. "This is phase one we're working on right now. We'll have room to add other things to the riverwalk later on down the road if the case arises."

"If other projects like a park or something along the riverwalk come up, we'll scour for grants nationwide to fund those projects," Sanders said.
Besides the riverwalk, Main Street Columbus has other projects ongoing.
Main Street is also looking to form a downtown residents' committee.
"Columbus has one of the largest number of downtown dwellings in the state," Miller said. "We have almost 70 apartments down here. We want to introduce them to each other, get them involved in downtown and work with the police on the graffiti problem."

That meeting will be Aug. 10, the same time Main Street will be hosting the Mississippi Main Street board of directors' annual planning retreat. "The Columbus Main Street is hosting them, and we want to do apartment tours at that time to show what an asset these downtown dwellings can be," Miller said.

Also this summer, Main Street will have a relocation celebration July 20. "It's going to be an open house where people can drop by any time from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.," she said. "Board members will be here throughout the day to answer any questions, and people can just come see our new building."
Main Street's new office is located at 107 Fifth St. North beside BancorpSouth.