CMH_Downtown

Look harder. I'll give you some hints: Lincoln Park on the Far West Side and in Northland along Morse Rd. are good places to start. That's nice. Soy Boricua. Mi papá creció en Isla Verde, mi mamá en Hormigueros. Ella se mudó a Ponce y entonces a Mayagüez para atender la universidad por alla. Me 'magino, viviendo en Cleveland, que tú eres Puertorriqueño tambien? The long story short of the matter is Cleveland's Latino population is whole other ballgame compared to the population in Columbus. Most Hispanics in Cleveland are of Puerto Rican descent, whose population sprouted in the 50s and 60s and has matured into the population you see today. Columbus' population is by in large of Mexican descent and only recently (over the past 10 years) has started to take roots and flourish. Columbus holds the annual Festival Latino, the largest such program in the state, drawing over 300,000 people downtown. Columbus also has two spanish-speaking radio stations: La X 103.1FM and Radio Sol 1550AM. As mentioned in the article, Columbus also now hosts a chain of Latin grocery stores as well. So the population is here, and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

In terms of price being paid, downtown Columbus is killing Delaware County. Whodathunkit? Downtown condominiums soar in price and popularity Wednesday, April 05, 2006 Debbie Gebolys THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH As Downtown enters the fifth year of a home-building push, prices are rising nearly as high as some of the skyscrapers. Downtown condominium and apartment developers say they have more buyers than units to sell. Price, they say, seems to be less of an issue. When the first Downtown condos hit the market in 2003, asking prices at Connextions Lofts and Renaissance averaged just less than $174,000, for an average 1,017 square feet. The most expensive condos, according to the Columbus Downtown Development Center, were priced at $264,900, One day last week, the Columbus Board of Realtors took stock of Downtown listings priced from $200,000 to $500,000. They compared them to similarly priced houses in southern Delaware County, the 12th-fastest-growing county in the nation. Costs per square foot of living space, the real-estate standard for comparing properties, showed how much Downtown prices are rising. Downtown had 41 listings, priced at an average of nearly $237 per square foot. Southern Delaware County had 937 listings, priced at $128 per square foot. More at www.dispatch.com

Columbus buying Parsons land in economic-development bid Business First of Columbus - 1:06 PM EDT Tuesday The city of Columbus is buying $1.6 million of property on South Parsons Avenue in a bid to redevelop the south-side neighborhood's economy and attract jobs. The purchase of about 30 parcels along South Parsons is part of an initiative by Columbus Urban Growth Corp., a nonprofit development company affiliated with the city, and Columbus City Council to attract private investment to an area hit hard by job losses and business closings. For more information on the Parsons Avenue Vision Plan, visit www.parsonsvisionplan.org

Dublin and Columbus-based Wendy's and Retail Ventures, respectively, have both been F500 contendors also, the former being listed as one last year. With their spin-off of Tim Hortons, their revenue will could slip, however with the introduction of serving breakfast, that loss in revenue will likely be made up. Retail Ventures (parent company of DSW, Filiene's Basement, etc) has been stagnant as of late. I'm actually surprised Wothington Industries hasn't ranked higher.

Incentive deals may boost Goodale redevelopment Business First of Columbus - March 31, 2006 by Brian R. Ball, Business First Redevelopment of the Goodale Boulevard commercial strip in Grandview Heights could shift into higher gear with a handful of tax incentives being considered by City Council. Conrad Phillips Vutech, a marketing and advertising agency, is joining with Salvato Coe & Gabor Associates, a corporate communications firm, as proposed anchors of a 15,700-square-foot office building that developer Eclipse Real Estate Group has planned for 1398 Goodale Blvd. Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/03/31/story5.html?from_rss=1

It looks like Nationwide can't get things started until Mills and GM get off their lazy butts and either hand it over or decide to actually do something with the mall. City Center next up for Nationwide Realty Business First of Columbus - March 31, 2006 by Brian R. Ball, Business First "In order for (Mills and GM) to go forward, they'll need a lot of approvals from us and probably some participation by us in the property," said John Rosenberger, Capitol South's executive director. "To have the depth of field for those proposals, we've engaged (Nationwide Realty) as an adviser ... to make us a better partner for the owner of the center." Hard times for department stores in general have also taken their toll. City Center anchors Marshall Field's and Jacobson's have long since abandoned Columbus, while Federated Department Stores Inc. closed the adjacent Lazarus-Macy's store more than a year ago. The departures have prompted speculation in real estate circles that Capitol South may have the keys to the mall returned to it. But Rosenberger said he expects a redevelopment plan from Mills, because the Mills-GM partnership, TL Columbus LLC, has kept up with its rent payments. "As long as the lease is in good standing, they own the center," he said. Rosenberger said hiring Nationwide Realty will help Capitol South should Mills call it quits. "If the current owner decides not to go forward, in that event (Nationwide Realty) has agreed to become the quarterback, so there would not be a lapse in the efforts to redevelop the center," he said. "We have no right to meddle in the management of the center," Rosenberger said. "The opportunity to redevelop it belongs to them." Mills spokesman David Douglas said the company has no timetable for revealing its plans for what it will do with the mall. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/03/31/story4.html?b=1252296000^2043921

Cool, 6 companies in Columbus' Fortune 500 roster. Add 7 to that for the Fortune 1000. Add Delaware's Geif and Marysville's Scotts and you have 15 Fortune 1000 companies in the Columbus metro. Yup, there are several companies, such as Omnicare (ranked 406 on the list), on the other side of the Ohio that would be included in Cincinnati's count.

It sounds like a very cool concept, but in the Discovery District? This guy is making a pretty huge bet on the success of this venture... 'I hate all the Cowtown crap' By Jordan Gentile / March 30, 2006 In the late 1970s, a couple of steakhouse owners named Steve Rubel and Ian Schrager realized you could create the hottest nightclub on earth with just the right mixture of tyranny and meritocracy. The rich and famous got in to Studio 54, their landmark club, automatically. Everybody else had to beg, and only those deemed "interesting"—through their personalities or attire—were granted access. In this new system, doormen for the city's hottest clubs were so powerful they became celebrities in their own right. For a number of years during the 1980s, Hilliard native Tom Starker was one of them. Now Starker is back in Columbus, and he's trying to bring that velvet-rope experience home. His new club, the Bar of Modern Art—still in the dusty phases of construction—is scheduled to open in just two months. More at http://www.theotherpaper.com

I would agree with three of the 4 cardinal directions there. The south side of the outerbelt remains largely untouched by corporate offices. There are a lot of industrial parks on the south side, but as far as regional offices go, the north outerbelt stretching from Dublin to Westerville wins hand-down. I would speculate that Cincinnati's core would be, for the most part, completely free of the red blocks. I can only think of two significant surface lots in downtown Cincinnati off the top of my head, whatever else is negligable. I would wager the same for Cleveland, minus a few parcels left to be filled in around the Warehouse district. I think Columbus wins the dubious distinction of surface lot king :-P

As much as I would like to turn back the hands of time, this is an unfortunate reality in Columbus' downtown. Given the size and scope of the downtown area, it's probably nearly impossible to rebuild ontop of all of those red parcels. However, the good new is that the problem has been isolated, and work is being done to correct the problem. For example, the new justice center was specifically chosen to be built on the 4-block surfrace lot across from the Westin. An affiliate of Schottenstein's, which owns the lots, sold the land to the county at a reduced rate because they too saw the importance in reducing the glut of surface parking. The Riversouth area, which is probably Columbus' most problematic surface lot parcel, is being developed by the city's saving grace, Nationwide Realty Investments. Several new condo projects, including Sixty East Spring, The Terraces, and part of the Brunson Building have been built on former surface lots. So while there is still obviously a lot of work to do, at least there is already much being done to try an alleviate the problem. The scenario you described is very true; many companies have relocated to the Arena District from the downtown core, especially from the Huntington Building. The majority of these businesses, interestingly enough, are lawfirms. However the overall trend in downtown Columbus has been of falling vacancy rates, both due to new businesses coming in as well as the coversion of several office buildings to condos. Most noteably, from the business side, is OhioHealth's decision to move 350 employees to the Borden building downtown. Both the LeVeque Tower and One Columbus Center have posted increased vacancy rates as well. Granted, just like the parking situation, Columbus' office vacany rate has a long way to go, but it is slowly improving. The key is to keep the momentum going.

I think COSI is only in Toledo and Columbus, the original being the latter. There are other similar musuems around the country to be sure, but those are the only two that are billed as "COSI."

Columbus tops for Latino businesses Friday, March 31, 2006 Columbus leads the state in growth of Latino-owned businesses, which increased by 130 percent from 1997 to 2002, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And Latinos opened more businesses in Franklin County than any other in Ohio, except Hamilton, during that period. The trend is reflected nationwide. The number of Latino-owned businesses grew 31 percent between 1997 and 2002, three times the national average for all businesses. Ohio overall had a 10 percent gain in Latino-owned businesses. Much of that can be attributed to the state’s growing Latino population, drawn to Ohio by economic opportunities, especially in the Columbus area, said Ezra Escudero, executive director of the Ohio Commission. Columbus is home to more than 60,000 Latinos. More at www.dispatch.com In the market Demand for Latino foods gives rise to central Ohio grocery chain Friday, March 31, 2006 Stories by Tracy Turner THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Frederico Rodriguez comes specifically for the cactus leaves. He uses tongs to carefully pick a leaf from the produce shelf, shakes the needles loose, and flips it over to see the texture on all sides. Once satisfied, he tosses it into a plastic bag. "I come here at least three times a week," the native of Mexico said as he shopped at the newly opened La Michoacana Mexican Market. "When I first came to Columbus, he (the owner) just had the one small store, but now he has so many." Five, to be exact. With its expanded produce aisle, in-house butcher cutting exotic meats to order, full-service restaurant and row upon row of domestic and imported items commonly used in Latino kitchens, La Michoacana on Morse Road is the newest entrant in central Ohio’s growing Latino grocery market. The first La Michoacana Mexican Market started as a small store on the West Side in May 2000. Now, Alcauter has five Mexican markets in neighborhoods across Columbus, each store larger than the last. The Morse Road store opened in February in a former Sun TV building that Alcauter purchased; he invested $500,000 to convert it into a grocery. More at www.dispatch.com

I <3 Nationwide.

Well, since you asked... :wink: COSI Columbus Ohio Statehouse Ohio Courts Building The original Wendy's Franklin Park Conservatory German Village (Schiller Park, Schmidt's, Thurman Cafe) Brewery District Arena District (Nationwide Arena, PromoWest, North Bank Park, soon Huntington Park) North Market Short North (Goodale Park, Vic Village, Italian Village) The Ohio State University campus (The Oval, The Wexner Center, The Horseshoe) The Columbus Zoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :shoot: Easton

Mount Carmel West to upgrade $27.1 million project aimed at boosting hospital’s visibility By Mike Pramik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH You’d think it would be easy to find a hospital that hasn’t moved in nearly 120 years. But driving to Mount Carmel West, then navigating the somewhat convoluted campus, is often confusing for visitors. Hospital officials hope to fix the problem by creating clearly marked entryways as part of an effort to increase the hospital’s presence in central Ohio. Mount Carmel West plans to spend $27.1 million in the next couple of years to implement the plan, which also includes hiring doctors and building satellite outpatient centers. But about half of the money will go toward capital improvements around the hospital’s Downtown campus. It includes money for land, new lighting, better signs and the demolition of obsolete buildings. The hospital also is renovating its main public-parking garage and plans to create three gateways that will provide a friendlier environment for employees and visitors. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2006/03/20/mcarmel.ART_ART_03-20-06_B1_K5ID.html

A friend of mine took this photo departing Toledo for Columbus: http://gallery.usaflying.com:8383/main.php?g2_view=core:ShowItem&g2_itemId=4679&g2_imageViewsIndex=1 Noteable sights include the Glass City Skyway under construction and the Olde West End.

For the love of God, just do SOMETHING with it! :shoot:

Speaking of Nationwide's new building, has anyone seen it going up? It's right next to the building that has the Mongolian Barbeque in it. I drove by yesterday, and there was a crane putting what looked like the last of the steel onto the building. Not sure if it's been topped out yet, but it looked like it was around 6 stories. ColDayMan needs to get his rear in gear and get some photos!

Brewmaster wins the prize! Nationwide to oversee Clippers’ stadium construction Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Paris Hilton?

New York-style Pizza sucks. If you want greasy cheese slopped onto a soaked cardboard disk, go for it. Gimme a Chicago deep-dish pie ANY DAY! *drool* As far as the topic goes...depends on the type of pizza. 90 degrees for deep dish, 45 for your standard pan pizza.

Well, most people in SW Ohio fly from CVG or DAY. My guess is you meant SE Ohio :wink:. Wheeling does have an airport, but it's been several years since the airport has seen any kind of commercial air service. Tri-State Airport in Huntingon, WV serves Ashland, KY and Ironton, OH; but the air service there is extremely limited (6 flights a day to 2 destinations). Most people in SE Ohio and parts of West Virginia fly from Columbus, since the airfares are generally low (Southwest and America West/USAirways, as well as no single airline dominating traffic from CMH help keep fares reasonable), the access is easy (routes 23 and 33 feed into Columbus from SE Ohio), and most major cities can be reached nonstop or direct from Columbus.

Though this photo was funny :-P http://www.myaviation.net/search/photo_search.php?id=00648652&size=large

It's somewhat hard to tally up the exact number of cities served and daily flights from the hub airports, given the large amount of flights, however these should be fairly accurate. CVG: roughly 120 cities served nonstop with around 500 flights a day. CLE: roughly 80 cities served nonstop with around 350 flights a day. CMH: exactly 36 cities served nonstop with around 170 flights a day. DAY: exactly 19 cities served nonstop with around 75 flights a day. CAK: exactly 13 cities served nonstop with around 40 flights a day. TOL: exactly 6 cities serve nonstop with around 20 flights a day. YNG: 1 city served nonstop with two flights weekly.

[qoute]OK, I am a dumbass What is up with the word Colectivo, rather than Collective?[/qoute] LOL I found that kind of funny, since in many South American countries, like Argentina, the world "collectivo" means a city bus (i.e. el Collectivo de Cleveland = the Cleveland Bus).