The city of Columbiana will open bids this Friday for a street improvement project including Walton and Water Works Streets, Summer Classics Way and West College Street.

And a private group of citizens are working to provide the town with a nonprofit fine arts center.

Councilmember Tom Seale said the bids for the street improvement project that has been planned four about two years would be opened at 3 p.m. Friday afternoon.

Seale said the improved streets would help keep traffic off Main Street and lead to future development in the area.

Estimated cost of the project would be about $400,000, he said.

Seale said at Walton and Water Works Street, the road will be rebuilt and widened.

And at Summer Classics Way and West College Street, he said, the project would include drainage, road widening, curbing and gutters.

Seale said the board of directors for a fine arts academy in Columbiana met Monday night to make plans for a fine arts center.

He said at the meeting duties were assigned for marketing, a logo, a website, grant writing, budget and business plan.

He said the center would be a nonprofit operation offering classes such as dance, art, pottery and violin.

He also said it would be a setting for theater project and a wide range of cultural activities.

According to Seale the board of directors for the fine arts center includes Terri Sullivan, Rachel Fowler, Carol Hill, Janice Falkner and himself.

In another matter, Seale said the city has decided not to further appeal unemployment compensation for former city clerk Terry Collum.

According to Seale, the state Department of Industrial Relations decided Collum was entitled to the benefits