The State Street Revitalization Project appears to be one step closer to becoming a reality. The Columbus Redevelopment Commission (CRC) gave its unofficial approval to the plan to revitalize the area, from Columbus East High School to the bridge that spans Haw Creek, during its meeting Monday night. Mayor Kristen Brown had called for a meeting of the State Street Implementation Team to review the project and proposed improvements in the neighborhood an hour before the CRC meeting.

The base cost for the project is just over $3.3 million. Mayor Brown says that she is in favor of a number of improvement options that the implementation team has suggested. These enhancement options included the widening of both sides of the Haw Creek bridge, decorative traffic barriers, concrete side paths with paver accents, landscaping, streetscaping and enhanced greenspaces. The projected price tag for the project, with all proposed amenities, is just over $5.7 million.

While the Redevelopment Commission’s endorsement of the project is seen as a positive thing for proponents of the project, it is by no means, binding. The size and scope of the project, if it is approved at all, will be up to the Columbus City Council. Councilman Frank Jerome, who also serves on the CRC, as well as Councilman Dascal Bunch, who worked with the State Street Implementation Team, have both expressed their support for the project.