Columbus has quietly nudged its multi-block downtown overhaul into a new phase, bringing in an outside consultant to steer what officials are calling the "Four Pack+." The short-term contract is all about lining up a single master developer who can coordinate projects across a mix of city-owned and privately held parcels on the western edge of downtown. City leaders say the move is meant to help spark more housing and retail near Mill Race Park and set the tone for how the area will redevelop over the coming years.
As reported by The Republic, the Columbus Redevelopment Commission this week approved a resolution to hire Indianapolis-based consultant J.S. Held to identify a master developer for the Four Pack+ area under a contract not to exceed $36,400. The resolution directs J.S. Held to start outreach, test developer interest and prepare a master development agreement that could also wrap in additional nearby city properties as secondary sites.
What the Four Pack+ covers
The Four Pack+ pulls together several high-profile parcels along the western edge of Fourth Street, treating them as one coordinated redevelopment opportunity. That cluster includes the former Sears building and its adjoining lot, the U.S. Post Office, Hotel Indigo and the Irwin Block. The Columbus Downtown 2030 plan casts those properties as a future pedestrian gateway to Mill Race Park and suggests a mix of housing, hotel space and ground-floor retail as likely uses.
Timeline and developer search
City documents tied to the consultant hiring say a master developer could be selected as soon as September, although planners and consultants are clear that the actual construction schedule will stretch longer and depend heavily on market conditions. Jason Larrison, a senior vice president at J.S. Held, told reporters the Four Pack+ concept will probably unfold over roughly five to seven years and that factors such as interest rates and investor appetite will shape what ultimately gets built.
How the city plans to attract private money
Officials are also eyeing state-level incentives to reel in private capital, with plans to ask Gov. Mike Braun to designate the downtown census tract as an Opportunity Zone in order to widen the pool of potential investors. As reported by Indiana Economic Digest, Director of Community Development Jake Sipe emphasized that the city wants private equity partners involved rather than leaning on taxpayer dollars.
Why it matters for downtown
Presentations from the Downtown 2030 effort underline why officials are pushing for more people to actually live downtown. Only about 1.8% of Columbus residents live in the downtown area while around 30% of Columbus-based jobs are located there, a mismatch that planners say supports adding housing to boost retail options and everyday street life. The 2030 initiative already has dozens of recommendations in motion, and city leaders say the consultant-led developer search is meant to stitch those ideas together into a more coherent development sequence.
Next steps
Over the spring and summer, J.S. Held is expected to meet with interested developers, assemble a short-list and draft a master-developer agreement for the Columbus Redevelopment Commission to review. Mayor Mary Ferdon called the hiring "the next step" and cautioned that selecting the right developer and funding model will be the "heavy lift" for the city as it moves from planning to implementation, according to local reporting. City staff plan to return with recommended next moves ahead of any formal developer selection in September.
