COLUMBUS, Ind. — By a 6–3 vote Tuesday, the Columbus City Council scrapped the Railroad Overpass Fund and created a Gateway Entrance Fund, clearing the path for downtown improvements, including the redesign of Gateway Plaza.
The approved ordinances transfer approximately $3.24 million in surplus funds from the completed State Road 46 railroad overpass project into the new fund. The money will support a $2.6 million redevelopment of Gateway Plaza, public safety improvements at Mill Race Tower, and related improvements in areas adjacent to the overpass corridor.
The funding comes from money remaining after the railroad overpass project, completed on time and under budget in 2020. City officials worked with project funding partners to secure approval to repurpose the remaining balance for downtown improvements rather than return the funds.
The Gateway Plaza project began in 2024 through a partnership with Landmark Columbus' Civic Design Institute. Indianapolis-based landscape architecture firm Merritt Chase was selected following a public request for proposals process and worked with residents and stakeholders to develop the plaza design.
The three ordinances establish the Gateway Entrance Fund, transfer the remaining eligible balance from the former Railroad Overpass Fund, and appropriate the funds for future project implementation. Bartholomew County-contributed money will not be transferred to the new fund and has been allocated for maintenance and repainting of the Robert N. Stewart Bridge. The remaining CSX contribution will be returned to CSX in accordance with a previous ordinance.
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