Could a revitalization of Columbia’s Finlay Park finally happen? Neighbors hope so
Progress is slow when it comes to Columbia’s Finlay Park.
But, after years of discussion on what to do about the aging, battered downtown park, it appears the genesis of an overhaul may finally be at hand.
The Columbia City Council included $1.5 million in its recently passed 2022 budget for pre-construction and design work for a major revitalization of Finlay Park. That initial burst of funding will come from hospitality taxes, which are paid on the purchases of prepared food and beverages in the city.
“(The pandemic) kept us backlogged for the last year,” said District 2 Councilman Ed McDowell, who represents the Finlay Park area. “But we are on the playing field now.”
The 18-acre park — which is bordered by Assembly, Taylor, Laurel and Gadsden streets, adjacent to the Arsenal Hill neighborhood — was once considered the crown jewel of the city’s expansive parks system. With its vast green spaces, stages, and a cascading waterfall fed by a trademark spiral fountain, the park, which opened in its current form in 1990, was a centerpiece for city recreation.
But the park has faced bouts of disrepair through the years, and has now long been a central gathering spot for some members of the city’s homeless population. Even the picturesque spiral fountain, which has often been used in promotional images of Columbia on TV and elsewhere, has been shut off for years.
Things seemed to be turning around in late 2019, when the city announced plans for an $18 million overhaul of Finlay Park, one that would include a redesign of the park’s pond, new restrooms and shelters, a new stage, a redesigned parking lot on Laurel, a new large playground and other amenities. But then the COVID-19 pandemic happened, causing the city to hit the pause button on major projects.
Now it appears the project may be gaining traction once again.
“This is a significant investment,” third-term Mayor Steve Benjamin told The State. “If but for the pandemic, we’d probably be in construction right now. It was lined up, but the pandemic and the funding structure we put in place became questionable. We had to put things on hold. But the future of Finlay Park and hopefully this commitment (of the initial $1.5 million) makes it clear that the city is committed to revitalizing the park.”
The news that the city is beginning to finally get the wheels turning on a Finlay Park revamp is likely welcomed by nearby neighbors.
Matt Varner is the vice president of the Arsenal Hill Neighborhood Association and a member of Friends of Finlay, a group of citizens from various parts of the city that was formed to help advocate for revitalization. He told The State he is ready to see some change at the park and is encouraged by the recent signal it may be coming.
“We are as hopeful as you can be, with the pace of city government,” Varner said. “We have seen some help with cleanup and policing of the park. They have made an effort to do that. ... I’ve talked to a whole lot of people in city leadership — Council, department heads — and it is pretty unanimous that everyone wants the park to be what it once was. But wanting it and having a solid plan to get there are two different things.”
Assistant City Manager Henry Simons told The State that a date has not yet been set for when construction on a Finlay upgrade could start.
In addition to the city’s planned public investment in Finlay, for several years there have been talks the city could partner with the U.S. National Whitewater Center, with that center providing an outdoors amenity in part of the park. Several members of Council, including Benjamin, McDowell, and Howard Duvall, said recently that the effort with the Whitewater Center is still on the table as a possibility.
Varner said residents in Arsenal Hill and other neighborhoods near Finlay would like to see progress at the park, and a return to the days when it was a true city attraction.
“People are frustrated, because how long has it been since school buses stopped at Finlay Park and let kids off?” Varner said. “Why has it been a decade? ... We, as citizens who live here, deserve a downtown park. It would be a great investment in the future of Columbia. There are so many reasons to make it a priority.”
Benjamin, who is not seeking reelection this fall, insists that getting the Finlay Park revitalization going is something the city is committed to.
“The folks who made the decision to move downtown, to move into Arsenal Hill and Governors Hill, expressed the confidence in the future of the city earlier than most,” Benjamin said. “We need to recognize their commitment, and their investment, and help bring Finlay Park to a new level of glory that justifies that commitment.”
This story was originally published May 28, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
