For years, the area between downtown Columbus and the city’s largest retail corridor has been a neglected, but important part of the city’s landscape. That portion of Fifth Street North, between 5th Avenue and the Highway 82 interchange or, if you prefer, between the Magnolia Bowl and the old Leigh Mall, has always seemed to be neither fish nor fowl. It lacks the historical context of Downtown and doesn’t feature the bustling aspects of retail north of Highway 82.
While much attention has been given to making our downtown a showplace and the conversion of Leigh Mall into a modern retail center called Columbus Place, this stretch of Fifth Street stands out in stark contrast.
There was money on the table to address that – a $1.3 million grant from the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
The trouble was accessing those funds.
The city’s application for the grant was approved in January 2023, but rescinded a few months later because the city had not completed its 2020 audit. A year later, the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to apply for the grant on the city’s behalf. It was one of those all-too-rare instances with city and county officials working for the common good.
Work on the project, which will require a $400,000 match from the city (provided by internet sales tax receipts that are required to be spent on roads/bridges), is expected to begin this summer.
When completed, the project will enhance the aesthetics of this long-neglected portion of Fifth Street, but will enhance public safety and traffic control.
To achieve that, money will be devoted to adding sidewalks/bike lanes, while islands and pedestrian crossings will make that part of the street more accessible. The addition of the islands will provide an opportunity for landscaping while easing speeds as the street is reduced to two lanes. For motorists driving south, the new design will slow traffic as they approach downtown.
This isn’t a “sidewalk to nowhere” project: Pedestrians are frequently seen traversing parking lots and curbs as they walk north-south on that section of Fifth Street.
Optimistically, the work could be completed as soon as next spring. In meantime, actual work on the project is an encouraging sign that a once neglected, but important city thoroughfare is getting the attention it deserves.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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