An unnatural draw for Finlay Park
August 18, 2016
By Temple Ligon
Last Tuesday afternoon, August 16, Columbia City Council reviewed plans for Finlay Park. Realized in the Patton Adams administration and designed by Walterboro landscape architect Robert Marvin, Finlay Park has never worked as a successful public space. The homeless are happy with it, as it is situated somewhat equidistant between Transitions and Oliver Gospel Mission. With such strategic placement and planning, Columbia gets what it deserves.
But it’s not what Columbia wants, and city council is talking in terms of $21 million for a redo, although Mayor Benjamin would like to target $14 million as a final budget.
Part of the mayor’s suggestions Tuesday was a manmade beach, a downtown beach on the order of what the mayor had seen photographed in South America and Australia.
The most successful fake beach, however, is in Paris for just over one month each year between July and August. The Parisians maintain three beaches, two on the banks of the Seine near City Hall (Hotel de Ville) and a third along a canal next to the world’s largest natural science museum complex at la Villette.
Begun in 2002 and put into play every summer since then, the beaches were the brainchild of Mayor Bertrand Delanoe. But it’s not just sand and volleyball. The beaches play host to music concerts in the sand. The concerts are free as are the pieces of beach furniture for the music fans.
Another draw at the beaches is the critical mass of firm flesh, enough to get some extraordinarily attractive people on parade for the gawkers, which is probably what Mayor Benjamin understands is a crowd pleaser and a public space activator.
The French, as you might expect, see to it the three beaches run replete with especially good food fare at people-pleasing prices at all three beach concession stands. Columbia would have to hire an accomplished restaurateur to guarantee happy diners.
Closer to home, Oklahoma City puts on a beach scene downtown at what they call their 3rd Base Plaza at the Chicasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Oklahoma City Dodgers minor league team and the city allow 24-hour free access to the Bricktown Beach. This year it’s open from June 20 to August 21, a little longer than in Paris, but Columbia can learn from both.
What does all this cost? No one knows. Mayor Benjamin is determined to find out, to include maintenance and security. Myrtle Beach has it all, all natural beaches. On the other hand Charleston doesn’t have a downtown beach in the works, and White Point Gardens at Oyster Point never developed as one. Greenville has better ice skating in the winter, but there’s no beach downtown in the summer. Even Charlotte and Atlanta would have to sit and stare while Columbia’s beach crowd goes on parade every summer, assuming Columbia can afford to pull this sand and water amenity into Finlay Park.
A Columbia park, finally, has something unique and crowd-pleasing to look forward to.
