An Indianapolis and Pittsburgh based design firm will be heading up the revamp of the entrance plaza into downtown Columbus.

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission is announcing that it has selected Merritt Chase to redesign the 1.5-acre plaza just off of the Robert N. Stewart bridge overlooking the Bartholomew County courthouse. The area is known for its memorials to POW/MIAs, public safety officers and the Robert D. Garton Veterans Memorial Plaza.

City officials say the plaza is overgrown and underutilized. In addition to a refresh of the area, the city would like to tie the plaza into the recently completed 1821 Bicentennial Trail as well as a riverfront development project.

The designers will be holding a public workshop the evening of June 24th to get your thoughts on how to bring the space to life.

The project is in collaboration with Columbus Design Institute, part of Landmark Columbus Foundation.