Making Columbus a 'destination' spot: new study on downtown

COLUMBUS, Neb. --  The city of Columbus is taking steps toward revitalizing its downtown. 

There is currently a survey going around to gauge what residents would like to see. Wednesday morning, business owners and city officials gathered at the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce to discuss the potential ideas. 

One potential option is to create a district, with its own funds and management, to handle downtown culture. 

"This is to build a little more cohesion in downtown and more tools in our toolbox," said Columbus City Administrator Tara Vasicek. She said she wants to make downtown into a real 'destination.' "There should be things to do for all walks of life," she said.

The study, commissioned by RDG Planning & Design, is to hear what residents are prioritizing. It will be complete by late fall. 

Ideas included adding flowers, trees, signage, and better parking in areas like Frankfurt Square. They also want to grow the art, as the city already recently added a colorful mural to downtown. 

She expects some challenges will be a lack of full-time positions dedicated to developing the ideas. 

"I believe Columbus is really resilient, I know the economy is not great but in the past, we've weathered it well and I know we will too going forward," Vasicek said.