Reinvesting in the Downtown: Columbia, Tennessee

Quality Growth Case Study

Written by Kasey Talbott and Dustin Shane, 2011

Like many communities in Middle Tennessee, Columbia’s downtown square looms above its surroundings, indentifying both the political and historical significance of Maury County’s seat. However, not like all communities in Middle Tennessee, downtown Columbia has experienced a renaissance both economically and culturally that has spread beyond the immediate downtown.

View the Reinvesting in the Downtown: Columbia, Tennessee Case Study, PDF

There was a time when the aesthetic qualities of detailed streetlamps, bubbling fountains, and tightly manicured brick sidewalks were not the norm. Even still, there was a time when shoppers, businessmen, government workers and diners weren’t coming and going throughout the day. Today, that is downtown Columbia, as it was in the beginning, and now true today, downtown Columbia is the place for citizens to see and be seen, conduct business, take friends for lunch or dinner and pick up that specialty item—just as it was 100 years ago.

But this renaissance did not happen overnight, nor was it a simple result of market driven economics. It took years of dedication, vision, and a plan from citizens in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in the form of Columbia Main Street (CMS). Columbia Main Street was established in 1983 as a downtown revitalization effort as one of Tennessee’s first National Main Street pilot communities. In that time, CMS has worked closely with Cumberland Region Tomorrow (CRT) to incorporate quality growth strategies into the downtown Columbia central business district revitalization effort and transfer Columbia’s best practices to the CRT ten-county Middle Tennessee Region. CRT’s proven strategy for Reinvesting in Towns, City Centers and Communities is a step-by-step process as highlighted in the CRT Quality Growth Toolbox:

• Define and Focus on Promising Areas
• Create a Good Redevelopment Plan
• Make Reinvestment Possible
• Use Incentives to Promote Reinvestment
• Design Attractive Community Centers
• Maximize Organizations and Resources in Revitalizing Areas

Designing an Attractive Community Center

CMS has centered its main focus on revitalization with streetscape improvements and good design. This emphasis on design has carried Columbia beyond the downtown core. Initial revitalization efforts began with streetscaping with funds coming from a local community fundraiser. In addition, property owners also agreed to be assessed by the city for sidewalk enhancements to match required government funding. In 2002, CMS learned that TDOT funds could be dedicated to expanding street enhancements along South Garden Street which is US Highway 31 using the Columbia’s and CMS’s existing streetscape design guidelines. This in conjunction with CMS receiving a design overlay enhancement grant, defrayed much of the cost for these important state highway improvements within Columbia’s Downtown Commercial Historic District. Columbia’s facelift in recent years has made the core an attractive place to invest. This reinvestment in downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods has provided several important benefits:

Downtown Columbia Farmer's Market- Maury County

• Retained a sense of place and historic identity. The core district and neighborhoods of Columbia hold much of their original historic character and identity. Reinvestment with good design has kept these areas vibrant and insures that they will continue to serve a vital role in the community. Columbia’s downtown is steeped in history and meaning for residents. Nearby is the ancestral home of the nation’s eleventh president, James K. Polk. Celebrations such as the Annual Mule Day Parade in April, which is dedicated to the four-legged mule that played a key role in the settlement of Columbia, illustrate how deep historical connections are in the county.
• Sustained a sense of community. Downtown is now an interactive social setting that serves as the heart and soul of the county. The many downtown specialty shops, restaurants, and tree-shaded sidewalks provide an interactive social setting and foster strong ties between individuals and the community of which they are a part. The city center and the surrounding neighborhoods offer opportunities for special events, community celebrations, and personal interaction with neighbors and local businesses. Celebrations such as the Southern Fried Festival and the annual Christmas Parade showcase Columbia’s continuing loyalty to its heritage and bring hundreds of people together. Downtown’s revitalization has made concrete the hope expressed in these and other festivals for a vital and relevant Columbia.
• Supported the value of private investment. In addition to public investment, private property owners and businesses make significant investments in redeveloped districts. Reinvestment in and reuse of existing improvements supports private investments and creates stable or higher property values, along with more business opportunities. Tens of thousands of dollars have been invested by private sector leaders in Columbia’s downtown, resulting in several new businesses and many new jobs. The city’s initiative at the urging of CMS in providing streetscape improvements no doubt spurred on investors and the public to invest in the core.
• Contributed to the local economy. Traditional city, town, neighborhoods, and community centers are ideal locations for independent business creation and expansion. These businesses provide employment opportunities, represent a significant segment of the local economy, ensure money will be spent locally and returned to the local economy, and account for an important share of a community’s tax base. These locations also reflect a community’s image, prosperity, and investment, which are critical factors for recruiting and retaining new businesses and industries. Columbia’s downtown is filled with locally owned establishments, such as bicycle shop The Wheel, the Columbia Antique Mall, Square Market, and Killion’s Coffee & Creamery. If residents need a particular service or amenity, chances are a local proprietor is offering it downtown.
• Reduced growth pressure to outlying areas. Retaining productive use of existing improvements and accommodating new uses in existing developed areas is accommodating new businesses and residents, thereby reducing development pressure in outlying areas. Maury County has taken positive steps in this regard by deciding to locate the new county justice center right off the square, effectively linking historic East Columbia with the square. Several residential units have popped up downtown, suggesting that a more vibrant mixed-use environment is evolving for the future.
• Created convenience. Central business districts, main streets, and adjacent downtown commercial corridors tend to be easily accessible from surrounding residential neighborhoods. This proximity of different land uses encourages walking and less reliance on automobiles for transportation. For example, visitors to downtown Columbia who want to enjoy nature at the scenic Duck River Riverwalk or rich Historic Districts adjoining downtown are only a short walk away from a sophisticated sidewalk cafe or a jewelry store.

Though much progress has been made, there are more plans for the future. CMS is working to see streetscape enhancements continued beyond the Commercial Historic District. One possible source of funding for this expanding vision is the Safe Routes to School federal grant program administered by TDOT. With its focus on streetscape improvements and neighborhood connectivity, Safe Routes to School could provide the catalyst for neighborhood redevelopment and reinvestment in the residential historic districts connected to the downtown and nearby McDowell Elementary School.

Clearly, great returns have already been seen as Columbia continues to bring back the vibrancy of its downtown neighborhood. Kristi Martin, Executive Director for Columbia Main Street sums up the success quite well. “Downtown is once again the centerpiece of our community. People love to be here.”

Written by: Dustin Shane and Kasey Talbott, 2011