Scioto Mile

With a little urban panache, Mother Nature is reconnecting Downtown to the riverfront.

The invasion has arrived in the form of the Scioto Mile, a huge winding riverfront park that stretches from the Arena District all the way to the Whittier Peninsula.  Filled with fountains, benches, and free Wi-Fi, this is nature at its friendliest.

The Promenade, stretching along Civic Center Drive from Broad Street to Rich Street, features fully-restored limestone balustrade; stone colonnade with swinging benches, traditional park benches, and card and chess tables; and two canal fountains. The Promenade also has a stunning plaza with gorgeous planters and a large fountain featuring bronze fish sculptures, making this park a beautiful collaboration between nature and architecture.
 
And yes, the entire area is designated a free Wi-Fi zone, offering a little work and a little play every day.
 
Bicentennial Park has also been transformed to include a permanent performance bandshell to host riverside concerts and performances. The park is also home to a stunning 15,000 sq. ft. water fountain, with over 1,000 pop-up jets creating a dancing wall of water, five halos that spray mist and fog, and a blossom feature that shoots a stream of water over 70 feet in the air.  A restaurant café, Milestone 229 (link), overlooks the whole scene and affords the opportunity to take in the sites . . . while taking in a few bites too.

The City of Columbus partnered with the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC) to develop and execute the comprehensive project plan and funding strategy. As project developer for the City, CDDC selected MSI, a Columbus based landscape architecture firm, as the design professionals for the project and Messer Construction Company as construction manager. American Electric Power served as the project’s corporate leader.