West Columbia, SC – The West Columbia City Council voted unanimousl last week, to allocate $3,500,000 of the $8,960,195.59, of the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) funds received to Meeting Street Corridor Improvements based on needs identified in City Council’s Goals and Priorities, the City-wide Redevelopment Plan and Neighborhood Revitalization Plan, the City’s Comprehensive Improvement Plan, and the list of projects submitted to Lexington County for the proposed penny tax project list.
Meeting Street is the primary corridor for people to access the City of West Columbia from Richland County and most areas of Lexington County when frequenting the Riverwalk and commercial areas in the River District. This project will improve movement, parking, and pedestrian safety in the mix of a commercial and residential area. The proposed modifications to the current corridor include the addition of a landscaped island, on-street parking, and pedestrian crosswalks on Meeting Street.
The Federal ARPA funding received from the South Carolina State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund can be used and is limited by the ARPA to certain broad categories related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic losses to the City government and the public. City Council is maximizing the public benefit and adhering to the public purposes for all allocation of the funds.
Mayor Tem Miles said, “The last several years we’ve worked to bring revitalization to the State and Meeting Street area. I am excited to see the rework of Meeting Street, which I am hopeful will spread the work of the redevelopment further into our city.”
