The District planning for decorative gateways

The Downtown Community Improvement District is getting closer to installing decorative gateways across The District area in Columbia.

“Our entrance to downtown currently are vacant lots or buildings. We have a strong vibrant downtown, but you might not realize as you’re driving by,” Katie Essing, with Downtown Community Improvement District, said.

The District’s Gateways project has been a couple years in the making. It includes glowing columns on Broadway near Providence Road and College Avenue, a large welcome plaza for drivers headed east on Broadway.

District officials said the installations are landmarks meant to improve the downtown experience putting more people in District businesses.

“I think Columbia, one of its really strong points is our downtown, and anything we can do to bring people to the downtown area,” Nancy White, a Columbia resident, said.

Currently, artists are working on three “light hubs,” which are glowing spheres suspended over the street. Eventually, there will be about dozen of them across The District area.

“One of the things I’ve always loved about the downtown area is all the art that’s been around

The project is expected to cost $4 million. The funding will come from grants, private donations and the downtown CID.