Located just blocks from the heart of downtown Columbia, Tennessee, the Columbia Arts District is a thriving hotspot. The locale sports a brand-new look, thanks to a $2.1 million South Garden Streetscape Enhancement Project.

          “This project was the culmination of a communitywide, community-driven and community-input process, and the beneficiary will be the community as a whole,” said Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder in a press release.

          The city of Columbia historically served as the social, economic and cultural center of south-central Tennessee: The Columbia Arts District had become a big part of that legacy. Established as a haven for artists and artisans to gather in an eclectic mix of contemporary creative culture, the vibrant neighborhood has flourished since its development in 2016. Today it offers something for locals and visitors alike, no matter if a person is looking to eat, shop, stay or play.

However, the area lacked an identifying gateway that would welcome guests and encourage them to spend some time. That changed in 2018 when the city council asked Ragan Smith of Ragan Smith and Associates to create a long-term Columbia Arts District master plan.

          Smith was no stranger to neighborhood makeovers, especially in Columbia. He served as the engineering consultant during the implementation of the city’s award-winning West Seventh Multimodal Streetscape project, which used a strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats analysis, along with community stakeholder input, to determine what should be included in the master plan and which elements should be prioritized. In 2019 the city council adopted that plan. The result was ADA-compliant sidewalks, the creation of public gathering areas, the possibility of a future outdoor event venue or greenspace and the South Garden Streetscape Project.

Improved pedestrian corridor

          The South Garden Streetscape Project was designed to shape the transportation corridor that leads to the Cultural Arts District, located between Carmack Boulevard and Depot Street. The project included reengineering South Garden Street as a one-way street up to West 11th Street, upgrading the roadway and realigning an intersection at Carmack Boulevard. The project also created areas for public art installations and social gatherings: New benches and lighting were installed, and aesthetic improvements were made that included the relocation of utilities to the west side of South Garden Street.

In addition, there are several small businesses located near a reworked pedestrian corridor that now features improved parking opportunities.

          Planners involved in the $2.1 million undertaking expressed hope that it would encourage additional economic growth in the area. Construction began in December 2022 and was completed a year later.

          “The project provided an updated and more aesthetically pleasing gateway to the Columbia Arts District, in addition to other traffic-related improvements and efficiencies,” Molder said. “It resulted in a more walkable main corridor within our Arts District, which will include public art installations in the future. This will further enhance the district and lead to an even more vibrant arts scene in our community. A project like this has a direct impact on improving the quality of life of Columbia residents.”

Additional momentum

          Besides the South Garden Streetscape Project, the city was awarded a $630,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Tennessee Economic and Community Development Department. Columbia was one of nearly 50 municipalities to benefit from a share of the $23 million in CDBG funds designed to serve low- to moderate-income people and enhance the connectivity of their neighborhoods to downtown districts.

A total of $830,150 from CDBG and city funds were used to make sidewalk improvements along East 8^th Street and South High Street, which also serve the Columbia Arts District.

          The Cultural Arts District is a unique part of the city that attracts a wide range of people. Those who live in the area or frequent it on a regular basis are reportedly thrilled with the improvements and eager to see what’s next.           “The reaction to this project has been overwhelmingly positive, in large part because of the community input that went into the Arts District Master Plan and included this update,” Molder said. “When the public has a say in a project like this, the project is better off – and so is the community as a whole.”

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