Dinosaurs may soon appear in the streets downtown, at least in sculpture form, thanks to a $20,000 grant from Main Street America.
Main Street Columbus announced Wednesday it was selected for the national organization’s grant, which will fund efforts to promote the Dr. John “Jack” Kaye Cretaceous Fossil Park along Main Street. Plans include installing dinosaur sculptures, fossil shadow boxes and even hosting a live dinosaur race.
“When visitors come from out of town, let’s say they’re eating dinner in the downtown area and they pass one of the sculptures,” City Grant Writer and Administrator Susan Wilder told The Dispatch. “… When they see this stuff and they learn this is available in the community. … I think it will attract people to visit the fossil park, and the more places we have information about the fossil park in town, the more people just passing through may visit.”
The award is an extension of the $12,500 Science Discover on Main Street grant the city received in March. The initial grant was used to research and identify the city’s scientific assets that could be highlighted through programs and events aimed at boosting downtown traffic.
The standout asset, Wilder said, was the city’s ongoing fossil park project along the Luxapalila Creek in East Columbus at Propst Park.
The implementation grant will now help bring that science downtown by funding educational events and displays tied to the fossil park.
Wilder said plans for the grant include installing about five dinosaur sculptures, each roughly four feet tall, along Main Street, as well as three lockable shadow boxes featuring 3D-printed fossils. The city is also considering hosting a “dinosaur race” next year, an event featuring runners in inflatable costumes, food trucks and educational booths showcasing the fossil park and its discoveries.
However, Main Street Columbus Executive Director Barbara Bigelow said those details are still being finalized.
“We’ve got some basics in mind, but … now that we know for sure we have the grant, we definitely have received the money and the announcement has been made, we can make more firm commitments and plans,” Bigelow said.
Main Street Columbus was one of only seven associations nationwide to receive the implementation grant. Bigelow said the grant will be mutually beneficial for both the city and the fossil park.
“The fossil park is less than two miles straight down the road from our main intersection downtown,” Bigelow said. “… I think that the two can definitely play off of each other and benefit each other. … The focus will be on downtown because this is a Main Street grant, but I was glad to have the opportunity to help the city promote because anything we do will only promote the fossil park, which in turn, will promote our community, which helps all of us, including downtown.”
Digging for fossils – and funds
Initial cost estimates for the fossil park ranged between $500,000 and $700,000, but Wilder said those projections are now nearing $1 million.
The funds will support construction of an educational pavilion, a Cretaceous walking trail featuring a geological timeline, a kayak and canoe ramp and educational signage throughout the park.
Wilder said fundraising efforts are still underway, and no funds have been secured yet. She recently applied for a Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund grant for more than $500,000, which would fund the kayak and canoe ramp.
She has also approached five foundations to explore additional grant opportunities.
“A lot of those are going to be smaller grants,” Wilder said.
To complement those efforts, the fossil park team is gearing up to host a series of local fundraisers, including a movie night, a raffle for a sculpture of an ornithomimosaur, also called an ostrich-mimicking dinosaur, as well as outreach to local businesses and philanthropists for financial assistance. Plans for fundraising efforts are still being solidified, she said.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
