Revitalized Finlay Park Celebrates Grand Reopening in Downtown Columbia, South Carolina

Finlay Park, Columbia, South Carolina

November 13, 2025 – Columbia, SC – The City of Columbia is celebrating the grand reopening of Finlay Park, an 18.5-acre urban park in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, co-led the design and collaborated with Civitas, a nationally recognized landscape architecture firm specializing in park planning and design.

Stantec’s Charleston-based landscape architecture studio led the design for the revitalization of the park, after developing the master plan in 2015. The firms partnered with local architecture firm LS3P; local engineering firm Chao and Associates, Inc.; and Mashburn Construction, which provided construction services for the project.

“The partnership between the City of Columbia and our Stantec-led design team has been an extraordinary journey. Together we worked diligently to translate community insight into a shared vision for Finlay Park. The result is a design that honors the park’s history while reimagining its role for future generations,” said Todd Martin, landscape architect for the City of Columbia. “This project stands as a testament to the value of collaboration, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to community.”

Established in 1991, Finlay Park has long been the heart of downtown Columbia. After years of anticipation, the city is reopening the park with a bold new look—ushering in a new era of outdoor recreation, events, and community programming.

The redesigned Finlay Park offers modern amenities that reflect the city’s dynamic growth and evolving community needs. The park welcomes residents and visitors, prioritizing accessibility for all and serving as a shared space for community connection. Anchoring the revitalization efforts is a spacious lawn and an events stage, along with an upgrade to the popular spiral fountain, which will cascade into a new central pond, designed by W.P.LAW, Inc. Other new amenities enhance recreation, including an interactive splash pad, playgrounds, a serene strolling garden, bouldering walls, and scenic plazas with downtown skyline views.

“The community reimagined Finlay Park as a vibrant heartbeat for downtown—a place where community spirit and outdoor enjoyment come together,” said Stantec project manager and landscape architect, Jenny Horne. “It’s more than a park; it’s a canvas for connecting people to the outdoors and to one another.”

“The rebirth of Finlay Park reflects what can happen when a city invests in its own civic heart,” said Mark Johnson, founder and principal at Civitas. “Working alongside Stantec and the city’s in-house design team, we were able to preserve the park’s beloved identity while opening it to a new era of urban life.”

The reopening festival will welcome the public into the revitalized park where visitors can enjoy a park with new spaces for recreation, community, and entertainment. Throughout the festival, residents can expect to experience the updated park and all its new features through multiple events, including live music, food carts, and planned nature walks within the park.

The official grand opening of Finlay Park will be Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 10 AM. For more city event information, click here.

Images of the park can be downloaded here.

“Through a collaborative-driven design process we envisioned the reimagined park as a beacon for the city, weaving the site and building design elements together with a cohesive scrim and lighting scheme to bring the park alive at night,” said Allen Taylor, principal at LS3P.

“The Finlay Park Revitalization Project embodies what our mission is all about—partnering with our clients and communities to deliver an exceptional building experience. From the earliest planning stages to the final touches, this project demanded teamwork, innovation, and trust,” said Lee Mashburn, president at Mashburn Construction. “We’re proud to have worked hand-in-hand with the City of Columbia and our partners to bring this landmark to life for everyone who calls this city home.”

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Founded in 1984 with the core purpose of “creating healthier cities,” Civitas is an idea-based practice of urban designers, architects, and landscape architects engaged in strategic planning for urban change and project design for built works. Curbed has recognized Civitas as one of five practitioners “who are putting the public back in public space.” Fast Company has acknowledged Civitas in its Innovation by Design Awards, the Canadian Institute of Planners “Great Public Space,” and an Excellence on the Waterfront Award from the nonprofit Waterfront Center. A consultancy and a design studio, Civitas advises on a wide range of strategies for re-imagining urban life and places, working in U.S. cities coast to coast and around the world. For additional information, visit civitasinc.com.

Mary McAnnally
Stantec Media Relations
mary.mcannally@stantec.com

Katie Breest
Civitas Media Relations
civitas@agencypr.co