Columbus City Council approves Commons project

By Paul Minnis, The Republic

pminnis@therepublic.com

  A plan to tear down most of the old Commons and build a new one in its place has won Columbus City Council's support.

   During a Tuesday meeting, council members voted 7-0 to back the plan, which The Commons Board formally accepted last week.
   Columbus Redevelopment Commission, which leads the downtown revitalization effort, wanted City Council backing to give weight to the Commons Board's decision.
   The City Council did not discuss how much money it would give toward the new construction, estimated at $18 million.
   Redevelopment Commission Executive Director Tom Vujovich said the council would be asked to discuss that in a later meeting.
   Project leaders have anticipated a public-private split, with City Council giving some of the funds and private donors and foundations providing the rest.
   Columbus Clerk-Treasurer Brenda Sullivan said city government has $12.74 million in bonding capacity.
   In February, the City Council voted to dedicate $1.6 million toward construction of an adult community center, called Mill Race Center.
   But that amount was not bonded. Columbus will pay $600,000 out of its coffers and the other $1 million with a lowinterest loan that will be paid back from property taxes as accumulated.
   The City Council's vote on Tuesday specifically was about The Commons Board's plan to coordinate demolition with the privately-owned portions of the building and to look into hiring an architect to draw full design plans.
   The Commons is the publicly owned side of the building that joins the Commons Mall, owned by Irwin-Sweeney-Miller Foundation.
   In other business, the City Council: