Culture is keynote of Columbia forum

Meeting floats ideas on the arts

"We've been flying the idea various places, and we've found people are getting very excited about this idea," she said. "It's an opportunity to dream. We see this as an important piece of this cultural plan."

Additional professional exhibition space would help attract exciting events and incubator space would bring in fresh ideas, she said.

Critical to a focus for downtown is creating a central place. Attractions that could help create that sense of place include a sculpture garden, water features such as fountains, a maze, a dog park, a farmers' market or a children's garden, Lord said.

"The comment has been made that we showed the dessert before the main course," Hamm said. "I wouldn't quarrel with that. We would like to create a place where employers would say, 'We'd like to move our company there.' If we serve the dessert first, our hope is that we'll attract more employers, and you will be able to walk to work."

GGP officials originally said they would release some details of the residential component of the project in June but now say they will try to show at least some information about heights and specific locations this month, Hamm said.

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