With city construction taking a toll on Gay Street businesses, two Columbus nonprofits are launching a pass designed to bring customers back to the Downtown corridor.
Quasi-public development agency Downtown Columbus Inc. and tourism marketing organization Experience Columbus recently announced the Downtown Discovery Pass, a free program that rewards residents and visitors for patronizing Gay Street businesses with gift cards, artwork and a tote bag.
The move comes months after construction began on the city's $100 million pedestrian pathway project, The Capital Line, reducing stretches of East Gay Street to one-way, one-lane traffic with no accessible street parking. Business owners told The Dispatch in June that the construction was causing
sharp declines in foot traffic and sales, with some even linking the disruption to their decision to close altogether.
"I had a plan where I think we could have gotten out of things and gotten into a better [financial] position," Don Ziliak, a partner in Due Amici, the Gay Street Italian restaurant that recently went out of business after 22 years, said at the time. "But with The Capital Line, it was like the final gut punch."
City leaders acknowledged the impact of ongoing construction but also said the work is necessary to transform the Downtown experience. They've implemented a handful of strategies in an effort to alleviate some of the burden on businesses, including garage parking validation for patrons, a marketing campaign to remind the community those businesses remain open and a rent support grant program offering one-time payments up to $12,500.
The Downtown Discovery Pass is the latest of those measures. The pass tracks visits to 20 participating Gay Street businesses, from restaurants and retailers to art galleries and entertainment. After eight stops, passholders earn a $25 gift card to a participating business and a watercolor illustration of downtown Columbus by local artist Fiona Miller. Twelve stops earns them a tote bag featuring the illustration.
Anyone who checks in at least once is also entered into a random drawing for a $50 gift card to a participating Gay Street business. The Downtown Discovery Pass runs through Sept. 30, 2027.
“Small, local businesses are at the heart of Downtown, and supporting them is especially important as we move through the construction phase of the Capital Line,” Amy Taylor, president of Downtown Columbus Inc., said in a press release. “As that project progresses toward building a more connected, people-first Downtown, the Downtown Discovery Pass presents a unique opportunity to explore a new business and experience the destinations that make this neighborhood special right now.”
What is The Capital Line?
First announced in February 2024, The Capital Line is a two-mile route of walkways, outdoor seating, greenery and performance space that loops through Downtown. The project is a partnership between Downtown Columbus Inc., the city and development firm Edwards Cos.
Each block on the East Gay Street portion of the project will reopen as it's completed, and Downtown Columbus Inc. spokesperson Jennifer Hauck said the first individual segment should be finished in early 2027. She said fall 2027 remains the target reopening date for the final Gay Street block, which will mark the completion of The Capital Line's first phase.
Work will then move on to one of the other several segments. Taylor previously told The Dispatch city partners were considering the South 4th Street piece next, which would run north from East Gay Street south to West Rich Street. She also said the Gay Street portion has been especially challenging because it has to be redesigned from property line to property line due to its age and the 25 utilities beneath it, whereas other segments will only need the pathway built.
What businesses are participating in the new pass?
Those interested can sign up for the Downtown Discovery Pass through Experience Columbus' website. The pass is sent directly to users via text and email, with no app required. At participating businesses, passholders can check in via GPS with their phone's location services enabled.
Here are the 20 Gay Street businesses participating in the Downtown Disocvery Pass.
- Restaurants and dining: Aracri Pizzeria, Barroluco Argentine Comfort Food, Chouette, Cinco, Hank’s Low Country Seafood, Lexi’s on Third, The Ringside Cafe and Three Bites Bakery
- Bars, wine and cocktails: Accent Wine and The Citizens Trust
- Galleries and art: Chaos Contemporary Craft, Hammond Harkins Galleries and Yao Cheng Design
- Retail and shopping: GlamazonJayne Fashion & Footwear, The Peanut Shoppe, Restalgic and zerOz
- Entertainment and experiences: Magic Escape Room
- Wellness and beauty: Le Masseur & Co. and Juvly Aesthetics
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com or @emma_wozniak_ on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New program seeks to help Gay Street businesses hurt by city construction
