COLUMBUS, Ohio – It’s going to be a record-setting year for streets and parks in Columbus.
Mayor Michael Coleman’s $268 billion 2014 capital budget proposal includes an unprecedented $33 million to resurface more than 300 lane miles of roadways and more than 30 miles of alleys and a record $32 million for parks, pools, recreations centers and bikeways.
“The lives and the neighborhoods of our residents are enhanced when we invest in our parks and in our recreation facilities. All the investments we propose today will strengthen our city and improve our quality of life,” Coleman said during the announcement at Glenwood Recreation Center, one of the largest proposed projects.
The 100-year-old building — originally constructed for $25,000 — will be replaced with a $6 million facility with a full-sized gymnasium and fitness and arts and crafts rooms.
The spending plan also includes the construction of four new miles of bikeways, including stretches of the Alum Creek and Camp Chase trails. The unprecedented investment in resurfacing will improve
City Council has added more than $7.3 million of its own amendments, including the expansion of a home renovation program from the West Side to the Linden and Driving Park neighborhoods and continuation of a home repair program for veterans.
“We have seen the success of the pilot programs and are confident that they will be as successful on a broader scale and help our families who need it most,” Finance Committee chair Priscilla Tyson said.
Other highlights:
$4.5 million in the Joyce Avenue Operation Safewalks improvement project;
$8 million in improvements to central city neighborhoods through the Urban Infrastructure Improvement Fund;
$6 million in fire apparatus;
$5 million to replace the fire station at 150 E. Fulton Ave.;
$2.8 million for street and snow equipment;
$2.5 million to support the VAP program that demolishes abandoned houses that are beyond repair;
$4.2 million for street lighting.