The City of Columbus Redevelopment Commission has announced it has selected Merritt Chase to redesign a 1.5-acre plaza at the city's most prominent entrance into downtown. The project is in collaboration with Columbus Design Institute, a technical service arm of Landmark Columbus Foundation.

The Downtown Entrance Plaza site is split north and south by a four-lane highway, State Road 46, and encompasses two adjacent memorials, including the POW/MIA/Law Enforcement Plaza and Robert D. Garton Veterans Plaza. The two halves form a circle, a key feature of the design completed by Michael Van Valkenburgh and Associates (MVVA) in 2000. As a main entry into Columbus, approximately 28,000 vehicles pass through this plaza each day. Upon vehicular entry to downtown and the plaza, the Robert N. Stewart Bridge frames the Bartholomew County Courthouse.

The project's goals are to transform the landscape into a more desirable space, collaborate with local partners and adjacent projects, improve key design features and connectivity, and ensure the project’s integrity and universal accessibility.

“Collaborating with CDI on this project has brought forth remarkable design firms,” says Heather Pope, Director of the Redevelopment Commission, City of Columbus. “We are thrilled to move forward with Merritt Chase and welcome their contribution to Columbus’ design legacy. We are confident they will design a public space that is accessible and memorable to our community and stakeholders.”

We are honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the extraordinary design legacy that has shaped Columbus, Indiana!