Columbus Commons is a 9 acre park and green space

Green infrastructure

Green Infrastructure is a concept originating in the United States in the mid-1990s that highlights the importance of the natural environment in decisions about land use planning. In particular there is an emphasis on the "life support" functions provided by a network of natural ecosystems, with an...

 in downtown Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

 located on the site of the former Columbus City Center

Columbus City Center

Columbus City Center was a , three-level shopping center in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It was located in the city's downtown, near the Ohio State Capitol, next to the Ohio Theatre, and connected to a Hyatt hotel...

 mall. The park features gardens, a performance stage, carousel, reading room and a cafe. The project was developed by Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC) and Capitol South Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (Capitol South), private, non-profit development organizations.

History

With the decline of Columbus City Center, plans were announced in February 2009 to replace the mall with a project that includes an urban park, homes, offices, restaurants and shops. In April 2009, Capitol South requested federal stimulus funds to help finance the demolition of the mall and construction of the park, but was rejected. Financing eventually came in the form of Columbus City Council allowing Capitol South to refinance existing City Center parking garage loans and use funds earmarked for downtown housing. CDDC, Capitol South, the Franklin County

Franklin County, Ohio

Franklin County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. In 2010 the population was 1,163,414, making it the second largest county in Ohio and the 34th largest county in population in the United States. Franklin County is also the largest in the eight-county Columbus, Ohio...

 Commissioners and Columbus Metro Parks

Metro Parks (Columbus, Ohio)

The Metro Parks are a group of 15 metropolitan parks near Columbus, Ohio. They are officially organized as the "Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District". The Metro Parks system was organized in 1945 under Ohio Revised Code Section 1545 as a separate political division of the state...

, funded the creation of Columbus Commons with a goal to redevelop this downtown property. The first phase of the project cost a total of $20 million. Demolition of City Center began in September 2009 and construction of the Columbus Commons began in mid 2010. The design team was made up of construction manager Corna-Kokosing, architects Moody Nolan and landscape architect

Landscape architect

A landscape architect is a person involved in the planning, design and sometimes direction of a landscape, garden, or distinct space. The professional practice is known as landscape architecture....

s EDGE Group. The park opened to the public on Memorial Day weekend (May 26) 2011.

Carousel

A 20-seat carousel

Carousel

A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...

 with characters hand-carved by Mansfield's

Mansfield, Ohio

Mansfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Richland County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, approximately southwest of Cleveland and northeast of Columbus....

 The Carousel Works. Characters range from the traditional horses to a fish, a tiger, a giraffe and an OSU

Ohio State University

The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...

-themed cart. The rounding boards that surround the canopy feature locally-inspired murals with scenes ranging from Ohio Stadium

Ohio Stadium

Ohio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...

 to the Franklin Park Conservatory

Franklin Park Conservatory

The Franklin Park Conservatory is a botanical garden and conservatory located in Columbus, Ohio. It is open daily and an admission fee is charged. Originally built in 1895, the Conservatory is on the National Register of Historic Places...

. The cost to ride the carousel is $1 except on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Pavilion

The current stage at Columbus Commons is temporary for the 2011 program season. The Columbus Bicentennial Pavilion is scheduled to replace the stage for the 2012 season, coinciding with the city's bicentennial. The $5 million pavilion is being designed by FTL and will feature a 40 by 60 ft (12.2 by 18.3 m) stage.

Cafe

Columbus-based Burgers Dogs & Fries operates a permanent walk-up location at the south end of the park from May through October.

Reading Room

An outdoor reading room

Library

In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...

 on the southeast corner of the park features about 1,600 books courtesy of the nonprofit group Friends of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. The reading room has tables and chairs under umbrellas and offers free Wi-Fi from the Columbus Metropolitan Library

Columbus Metropolitan Library

The Columbus Metropolitan Library , located in the capital city of Ohio, opened its doors in 1873 in the New City Hall in downtown Columbus. This library is one of the most-used library systems in the country and is consistently among the top-ranked large city libraries according to "Hennen’s...

. A bookmobile

Bookmobile

A bookmobile or mobile library is a large vehicle designed for use as a library. It is designed to hold books on shelves so that when the vehicle is parked the books can be accessed by readers. It usually has enough space for people to sit and read books inside. Mobile libraries are often used to...

visits the park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays.

Gardens

The park is lined with 12 2000 sq ft (185.8 m²) garden plots that contain seasonal plants throughout the year.