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Columbia leaders want to elevate the city’s “crown-jewel” Finlay Park, which reopened in November after a $25 million face lift. The previously dilapidated park has since been updated with sprawling green lawns, an amphitheater, athletic courts, and of course its iconic spiral fountain has also been restored.
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City leaders have said they want to “activate” the park, making it one of the city’s premier venues for concerts and major events. At the same time, recent events have also led the city to institute new rules at the park, which leaders say are needed to protect the $25 million investment.
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Here are key takeaways:
- Columbia officials want to shrink Taylor Street’s six one-way lanes of traffic, converting some of that pavement into parking, walking and biking paths and traffic buffers to make the park safer and easier to reach.
- The street redesign could cost close to $6 million, with Taylor Street work estimated at $3.47 million and Laurel Street at $2.40 million, though planners called the figures early.
- At the same time, Columbia is hiring an event-planning firm to book talent, line up vendors, coordinate safety plans and market festivals to help boost the park as a space for major events.
- The city has also experienced growing pains with the park. Teen fights forced a Juneteenth festival to end early, leading Columbia to set new rules, requiring that minors in the park after 5 p.m. must be accompanied by a chaperone who is at least 25 years old.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
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