What will Finlay Park look like after $21.5 million remodel? See the design plans
The vision for a revitalized Finlay Park in downtown Columbia is coming into clearer focus, with plans for an improved event stage, playground, climbing wall, splash pad and other amenities proposed as part of the park’s upcoming facelift.
Design plans for the park’s $21.5 million renovation will be reviewed by the city’s Design/Development Review Commission at a meeting Thursday.
Restoring the park’s iconic 27-foot spiral fountain, the addition of “strolling gardens,” and the creation of a path that goes under a waterfall are also part of the park’s new design plans.
Efforts to revive the downtown park have been discussed for years. In 2019, then-mayor Steve Benjamin proposed an $18 million renovation, but those plans were put on hold when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. But now, the city has put money into the project and is moving tangibly forward.
This summer, City Council identified $8.5 million for the project across several city accounts. The state also is putting in $1 million for the project.
The city plans to issue a five-year bond to cover the more than $10 million still needed to pay for the ambitious renovation.
Work on the downtown park likely won’t begin until spring. Assistant city manager Henry Simons has previously said construction will likely take 15 to 18 months once the design process is complete.
The international architecture and design firm Stantec is leading the design process. Stantec has an office in Columbia and has worked on projects elsewhere in South Carolina, including in Charleston and Summerville.
Columbia’s Design/Development Review Commission will consider the design plans at its Nov. 17 meeting. City staff have recommended the commission approve the designs. The public also will have an opportunity to weigh in at that meeting.
