MARIETTA - The stone columns recently erected near the intersection of Atlanta Street and South Marietta Parkway are part of a larger plan to visually enhance part of the city, from Frasier Circle to Meeting Park, city officials say.

Back in 2005, the City Council approved an $8 million tax allocation district bond to encourage redevelopment in blighted areas.

One of the functions of that TAD, called the Roswell Street Renaissance District, was to spend part of the $8 million bond on infrastructure improvements in the area. Part of the funds, $690,000, were used in the renovation of Henry Memorial Park near Reynolds and Wright streets.

Brian Binzer, the city's development services director, said the idea was to tie in older, existing neighborhoods with the development projects under construction at the time, such as the proposed $125 million, mixed-use Meeting Park development near the Marietta Square by developer Bob Silverman's Winter Properties. The recession brought those developments to a screeching halt, but that didn't stop the city from moving forward with awarding a $700,000 bid last year to Marietta-based Lewallen Construction to construct brick crosswalks, "monument identity signage," decorative street signs and landscaping.

Binzer expects a finishing date later this year.

"The completion of the project should be later this fall with the installation of trees and landscaping," he said.

Councilman Philip Goldstein said he's pleased with the improvements.

"Overall, this is done for infrastructure improvements and to basically improve the look of the area. Obviously that is continuing to occur," Goldstein said.

Designed by PBS&J, the stone markers on each side of Waterman Street down the road from the stalled Winter development have a large "M" emblazoned on them.

The plan is to erect seven of them, ranging in price from $3,700 to $9,200, to serve as identification markers so residents "feel like they're part of something," Binzer said. The goal is not just about keeping existing residents happy, but showing potential developers that the city has not given up on its redevelopment efforts.

"You've got developers now that are shopping," Binzer said. "They're looking at different areas that make sense for them. They want to know that the city is backing the area and not walking away from things. This shows that the city is making a commitment by using funds that were committed a long time ago."

Councilman Grif Chalfant said he was fine with the expenditures, although the cost was not lost on him.

"I don't have a big problem with it. In these times, it's probably a little extravagant. They're pretty nice looking," Chalfant said.