Work begins for new Downtown Columbus neighborhood
Parkview project leaders hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the new achievement.
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Work has begun for what will be the newest neighborhood in downtown Columbus — ParkView.
And it isn’t just a name.
It’s a vision that’s been developing for almost ten years in the area historically known as Burns Bottom.
Project leaders celebrated the milestone with a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, May 7.
“It’s pretty emotional, actually. I’ve been excited to get to this point. Just been thinking about this week. I even got choked up talking about it during the groundbreaking, but I believe in this city so much, and I know that this is a huge day for Columbus … I hope we look back and it’s not the biggest day in 20 years, 20 years from now,” said Nic Parish, partner of Friendly City Development.
Friendly City Development purchased around 16 acres from the Columbus Redevelopment Authority for this project.
The idea for ParkView came about a decade ago when Columbus City Council members and the CRA decided to participate in the federal Urban Renewal Program.
“So, the city council voted on it, got behind it, and this area was picked out to be a project, so it fits right into downtown,” said Marthalie Porter, the Board President of the CRA.
“It feels great. I just want to thank the ones who came before me. Former Mayor Smith, his administration, back in 2017, they had the vision to make this happen, so we’re thankful for that,” said Columbus Mayor Stephen Jones.
The residential property starts from the back of Munson and brothers on Henry Armstrong way and stretches up to 7th Avenue North — covering about seven city blocks.
The first step is the dirt work and getting the infrastructure done for the neighborhood.
“It’s everything. It’s re-doing the electrical grid, putting it under ground, adding sidewalks, curbing gutter … on street parking, street trees, street lighting,” said Kevin Stafford, the CRA project manager for ParkView.
Roads near Crown Park are already being blocked off as contractors begin to work on the area.
Around 50 single-family homes are planned for the area.
So far, 11 lots have been sold.
“We can’t wait to see an area where people walk, people go across to play in the park, go across the street to watch soccer games …. walk to get coffee, walk to their office,” said Parish.
City, state, and federal funds helped bring this project to life.
Friendly City Development expects homes to start being built early 2027. Townhomes, apartments and commercial space also figure into the long-term plans.
