Yahoo Finance Officials expect $350M in development around Synovus Park. But planning will take time
Earlier this month hundreds of Columbus residents and officials gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the renovation of the former Golden Park and bringing minor league baseball back to the city.
As construction on the $50 million project moves forward with an estimated completion date in 2025, local officials look ahead to the promised economic boon that is estimated to result in upwards of $350 million in private investment in mixed-use development around the park.
This would consist of the redevelopment of South Commons, which could also spark development of property owned by the Housing Authority across the street on the other side of Victory Drive.
The goal is to create a substantial development that creates both direct and indirect jobs over the course of two to three phases, said Jerald Mitchell, president and CEO of the Greater Columbus GA Chamber of Commerce.
When the city was first approached about bringing a minor league team to Columbus, there wasn’t much excitement, Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson told the Ledger-Enquirer.
“It would be great,” he said. “But it would be tough to justify the cost. But then they talked about the sort of business plan that the newer parks are using.”
These parks are using baseball to leverage economic development, Henderson said, and economic impact studies by Georgia Tech and Columbus State University yielded positive results for the city.
Although construction on Synovus Park is expected to wrap up next year and baseball will commence in the Spring, Columbus residents should expect a longer timeline to learn what this redevelopment will actually look like and to see construction begin.
“People shouldn’t be discouraged by that because even though it might sound or seem like it’s quiet, there are always a lot of moving parts that are happening in the background that you might not be able to see,” Mitchell said. “But it doesn’t mean they’re not happening.”
What to expect
The city currently does not have a timeline on when it will request proposals from developers for South Commons, Henderson said.
In January, Deputy City Manager Pam Hodge stated the city would be developing the request for proposals (RFP) for South Commons between January and March of 2024 in a presentation to the city council. But this timeline has been delayed.
Before the RFP is released, Henderson said, the city plans to form a group to provide non-binding suggestions and ideas of what the development could entail.
“This group would be available to provide input and insight that comes from local knowledge,” he said.
Henderson envisions the members of this group to include someone who has done master planning for these types of developments before, community activists who have worked in South Columbus, developers and other subject matter experts.
“It’s a relatively small group, as in it’s not a gigantic forum,” Mitchell said. “You bring in the community voice, a couple of respected voices, that really have a finger on the pulse of community desires.”
The group will help provide a cleaner idea of what should be done with the development Henderson said.
From the time that a request for proposal goes out to the time a successful bidder gets through the negotiating process could take a little more than a year, Mitchell estimated.
And then it could take around another six months for permitting and the start of construction.
‘Right now, we have a sea of asphalt’
Henderson and Mitchell have ideas about what a potential development in South Commons would look like.
“I think a hotel would be awesome there,” Henderson said. “Simply because of all the softball tournaments and activities they generate, it would be the perfect location in terms of convenience.”
More housing is on Henderson’s list, including single family residences or townhouses. There could also be retail and restaurant space.
It’s important to think about adding elements in the development that are true needs in the community, Mitchell said.
“You know that the community cares about the skate park,” he said. “You know that the community needs a grocery store. You know that the community would be interested in potentially an active, thriving farmers market.”
Along with bringing in housing and retail, Henderson hopes to make the space in and around Synovus Park greener by adding more trees and green spaces.
“Right now we have a sea of asphalt in front of the Civic Center,” he said.
Another priority when determining what the development would look like is to ensure there aren’t unintended consequences to residents who live in the area, Mitchell said. What developers and city officials want to avoid is forced displacement and creating an environment or situation where longtime residents can no longer afford to live in an area.
“You want to do a good thing,” Mitchell said. “But the first objective is to do no harm.”
Thus far, there haven’t been any discussions with specific developers about South Commons, Mitchell said.
“I can tell you that there is broad interest in the overall redevelopment environment in Columbus,” he said. “This is happening at both the local level and from an external standpoint.”
