Looking at it now, it’s hard to believe that the Scioto Mile hasn’t always been a focal point in Downtown Columbus. To the contrary, the project transformed an aging, neglected civic resource into a vital network of public green spaces. It reconnected Downtown to the Scioto River with an integrated system of parks, boulevards, bikeways, and pedestrian paths. 

Before construction began on the Scioto Mile in 2008, Civic Center Drive was a five-lane highway that served as a bustling pipeline to move employees out of Downtown. The beauty of the Scioto River was ignored as drivers blitzed past the riverfront at high speeds. Following the conversion of the street into one lane in either direction, the passage has since become a calming, pedestrian-friendly corridor. The Scioto Mile’s Promenade wraps along the river from Broad to Rich streets and showcases a series of water features, benches, swings, gardens, and tables. Special attention was paid to incorporating historical elements such as the Town Street Prow and restoring the beaux-arts limestone carvings of the Promenade balustrade.

At the south end of the Scioto Mile, stands the John W. Galbreath Bicentennial Park. The park was updated with three world-class elements that attract visitors by the thousands; a signature fountain that is currently being reimagined for the next generation of Scioto Mile splashers, an eye-catching bandshell and Milestone 229 restaurant overlooking it all. 

The Scioto Mile is a model of the type of successful public-private partnership for which Downtown Columbus, Inc. is renowned. Completed on budget for a cost of $44 million, half of the project was funded from public sources and half was funded with investment from the private sector. Further, the Scioto Mile Endowment helps provide for the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the Scioto Mile. As a result of this forethought, the Scioto Mile will remain an amenity to be enjoyed by Downtown Columbus residents, workers, and visitors for years to come.