Construction finally begins on long-awaited remodel of Columbia’s dilapidated Finlay Park

Construction is finally beginning on Columbia’s dilapidated downtown Finlay Park. After years of false starts, the $24 million project to restore what many once called the city’s “crown jewel” public park broke ground Thursday.

Finlay Park, which sits between Assembly and Gadsden Streets downtown, was once a beacon for the city. The park’s iconic water fountain announced to passersby that they were stumbling upon something grand.

But the water fountain has been dry since at least 2015, and in recent years parts of the park have been closed to the public.

Now, city leaders say the park is about the make a dramatic comeback. Columbia dignitaries including City Council members and state lawmakers gathered Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking, which has been at least four years in the making.

“This will not only be a part of quality of life for us here in the city, but a huge economic engine,” Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said.

The remodel includes plans for an improved event stage, playground, climbing wall and splash pad. Restoring the park’s iconic 27-foot spiral fountain, the addition of “strolling gardens,” and the creation of a path that goes under a waterfall are also part of the park’s new design plans.

The city will also place a hospitality office at the park, and park rangers will be staffed full time at the park, City Manager Teresa Wilson said. Part of the redesign is focused on public safety, Wilson added. In recent years, the park has become a gathering place for homeless residents, and many charity groups provide meals at the park as well. The city is working to relocate the groups that share meals at the park.

“It is meant to be a public park for all people, but we are going to ensure the integrity of this park going forward,” Wilson said.

Inflation and the price of construction materials have increased the cost of the project, assistant city manager Henry Simons previously said. It was first estimated to cost $18 million when it was proposed in 2019. Another recent estimate put the total at $21.5 million. Now, the project will come in at $24.1 million, a city spokesperson confirmed.

City Council last year identified $8.5 million across several city accounts to be put toward revitalizing the historic downtown park. The project also received $1 million from the most recent state budget, and the city has issued a five-year bond for the more than $10 million still needed to complete the work.

Rickenmann acknowledged the late Columbia City Councilman Joe Taylor during Thursday’s groundbreaking. Taylor masterminded the five-year bond the city is using to pay for the remainder of the project. Taylor died unexpectedly in December.