CMH_Downtown

I feel terrible for the people living in those conditions. As the article states, 70% of the complex is vacant, and it is more than outwardly apparent as one drives down Steltzer Rd. Most of the buildings are boarded up with brush growing everywhere. It's an eyesore to say the least. I hope it does get shut down. As much of a burden as it may be for those that actually live there, they deserve better conditions than that.

Definitely great news, especially that we should be seeing some of what Nationwide has planned before summer. The Dispatch has some nice photos and graphics of the area mentioned in the article: (The 4 clearly visable surface lots in the photo is the site of the new courthouse.)

Where's Cincinatti?

Oooh, ribblets!

Heheh...Pataskala wants to be Easton...

New Albany...why... Look at the damn library! How could anyone walk to that!? *sigh* Granville looks absolutely lovely though.

So...how many Packard buildings has Columbus managed to destroy? :wink: But seriously, I really enjoyed your post, especially of the churches. Also, I've always thought the Sells Mansion was a cool-looking residence, nice to know who designed it.

Tax breaks may fuel expansion Council approves special Northland district Tuesday, November 15, 2005 Jodi Andes THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Council approved three tax credits and an abatement worth $453,410, a property-tax abatement on 289 new condominiums along the Olentangy River, and allowed the creation of a special improvement district in the Northland Area. If at least 60 percent of the 88 business owners along 2.6 miles of Morse in that area agree, they all will have to pay more in taxes to clean up and improve the area, said David Hull, executive director of Northland Alliance. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/11/15/20051115-B1-00.html

Hmmm...these signs had better be plated in gold if they cost that much! Discover Columbus? More signs should point way, group says Tuesday, November 15, 2005 Debbie Gebolys THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Downtown does a lousy job of welcoming visitors, boosters say, but spending as much as $1.5 million on new road signs could fix that. Others say Downtown isn’t so hard to find. Still, out-of-town visitors and even those who live in Columbus’ suburbs could be confused about exactly where to find such attractions as the Ohio Theatre, the Statehouse, COSI and the Columbus Museum of Art, sign supporters say. "It bothers me no end, as I approach Downtown from the interstate, that there are few signs if any that say Downtown," said Bob McLaughlin, the city’s Downtown development director. Things don’t get much better on city streets, McLaughlin said. "We don’t have good signs to tell you how to get to the Palace Theatre. "It can be a daunting and frustrating experience, even for people from Powell or Westerville." The city and the Capital Crossroads Special Improvements District spent $94,000 to hire consultants to propose a system of highway and street signs, known in the business as a "way-finding program." Kolar Design, of Cincinnati, is expected to finish its report soon. Backers say the cost of the signs could easily top $1.5 million. More at http://www.dispatch.com

The study is complete. North Market wary of proposal Rival Whole Foods would anchor development Friday, November 11, 2005 Mike Pramik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Columbus, along with Minneapolis, I believe was designated by the federal government to accept Somali refugees fleeing the country. Only in the Northland area of Columbus does the Somali population really have any clout, as they seem to have congregated in that area.

^The landscape being discussed would probably fit such a large building. Rowhouses or similar structures would look nice, but would contrast quite starkly to the mostly 70s ranch homes in this area of Upper Arlington. I grew up in Upper Arlington, within walking distance of Kingsdale actually. As much they're trying to hype it, this new construction really won't "create" a downtown per se. Upper Arlington, while truly already a quite desirable place to live in the Columbus metro, has always looked at other suburban communities and said "I want that." When Hilliard, Westerville, and others were building community centers, Upper Arlington went to voters saying that Upper Arlington needed one also. Of course, UA citizens wisely voted it down (just an FYI, the proposed site for the community center was Kingsdale). With the rise of downtowns as very desirable attractions to suburban communities, such as in Worthington, Gahanna, and Grove City, Upper Arlington wants the same thing. There is a small, old commercial strip in Old Arlington, however it just barely qualifies as a downtown in and of itself. The plans being pursued now for the Kingsdale area should definitely help the old shopping center and create a more "urban" environment, as well as start building UP, which is about time Upper Arlington start doing.

As a Hispanic (Puerto Rican) in Ohio, it has been interesting to watch the Latino population grow locally and around the state. As far as the original topic goes, I'm going to signore most of the posts, as they've degenerated into a "you're wrong, no you're wrong" squabble, but I will say that Grasscat's response... ...answers the question best. Hispanics will continue to migrate to Ohio as long as the opportunity remains present, and those that currently reside in Ohio are successful in establishing working lives in the state, as they will recommend others move here. My own take on the issue is somewhat different, since as a person of Puerto Rican descent, the vast majority of Puerto Rican immigration stateside happened decades ago, and most ended up settling in the Cleveland, Youngstown and Dayton areas. Currently, the vast majority of Hispanics entering Ohio appear to be Mexican, with the majority settling in Columbus and Toledo. Central and South Americans seem to be partial to the Cincinnati area though can be found really in just about every major metro area in Ohio. I definitely think its a demographic that can help Ohio's major cities thrive, but cultivating a large Hispanic population alone won't be the solution to a declining population.

This post probably belongs in the "demolish Cooper Stadium" post. As an aside, there are artist renderings floating around of the project (Channel 10 had them on last night), maybe someone can find it.

Heheh...this bankruptcy has an impact on me as well, I work for Independence Air here in Columbus. ;-) Most of us here already saw it coming. I personally remain hopefull that an outside buyer can be found and that Columbus service can be retained, but the realist in me says it's a longshot. It was definitely a fun ride...I've loved every second I've worked for the airline and we have a ton of loyal flyers, but the core business plan just became unfeasable with the rise in fuel prices as fierce competition from competitors. Several carriers are hiring locally however, so hopefully I can secure a job with one of them if FLYi shuts its doors.

Auto mall? That had better not happen. The original concept of a motorcycle-dealership, race course, restaruant and hotel sounded great, what it's become sounds horrendous. Car sales at the Coop floated as reuse idea Jeff Bell, Business First An auto mall has emerged as one of two early ideas in the race to find new uses for the 46-acre stadium site off West Mound Street in Columbus. A vehicle sales center or an office and industrial park received the highest marks in a draft report by the Cooper Alternative Plan committee, a 16-member panel created in April by Franklin County Commissioners to come up with new uses for the ballpark site. The committee is expected to discuss and possibly vote on one of the proposals at its Nov. 9 meeting. Its final recommendation will go to commissioners before the end of the year, said Doug Ward, the panel's chairman. Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/11/07/story2.html?from_rss=1

Progress report: Developers begin work on Short North condominiums Several longtime Short North developers have begun work on an ambitious condominium project near the heart of the Columbus arts district. The five-story building called Dakota will offer 48 residential units and a handful of firstfloor commercial condos. It’s going up at 845 N. High St., where two buildings that had been boarded up for years have been torn down. One used to house a Sofa Express store. The developers, known as Arms Properties, are Rajesh Lahoti, Raymond Brown, Michael Council and Wilbur Ischie. Brown and Lahoti own Union Station Video Cafe, the Havana bar and Axis Nightclub in the neighborhood. Arms Properties recently developed a handful of condominium projects in the Short North, including one at 775 N. High Street. Lahoti said the goal for Dakota is to have two restaurants and two retail stores on the first floor. More information is available at www.dakotaonhigh.com.

This is what happens when you put a government entity in charge of what should be a private investment: Timetable in doubt to finish stadium for Clippers by ’08 County seeks consultant to oversee plans By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH A 2008 opening is "dangerously close’’ to slipping away for a new Columbus Clippers baseball stadium, but Franklin County is seeking outside help to get the project on track. The county is inviting about 30 companies to compete for a contract overseeing planning for the stadium. Officials called the move a step forward for the proposed minor-league ballpark, announced in April but slow to take shape since. Like the Clippers and their current home in Franklinton, a new stadium — likely to be built in the Arena District — would be owned by the county. But county commissioners want to build it largely with money from corporate sponsors who have been slow to commit their cash. "It’s been a very complicated process to get some consensus developed here,’’ said county Administrator Don L. Brown. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/11/07/20051107B1-01.html

Cool. Main St. could definitely use it.

Room to roam: Funding deal gives BalletMet green light to buy block Adrian Burns, Business First BalletMet is ready to move forward with a multimillion-dollar expansion plan thanks to the approval of a $4 million revenue bond for the project. The Columbus dance company plans to purchase the entire block surrounding its leased location at 322 Mount Vernon Ave., and hopes to have the deal closed by November, said Executive Director Cheri Mitchell. The purchase includes the 35,000-square-foot former sheet metal factory the ballet has leased as its main facility since 1990, a 61,000-square-foot building next door used for storing archives by the law firm Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease LLP, a 20,000-square-foot warehouse, and a 72-space parking lot. Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/11/01/daily22.html?from_rss=1

^Me likey.

They've been in Columbus for about a year now and man, Fresh Market is great. Their customer service is impeccable, if you wait in line for checkout they treat you like as if they have failed you. They have soft classical music, kinda like Panera music, played throughout the entire store. The lighting is soft and there are lots of plants and tile flooring, and that's just the ambiance. The food there is always fresh with among the most beautiful produce I've ever seen. I always go for the sushi, which is the same price as the boxed sushi one finds in Kroger or lunch shops, but it seriously tastes 10 times better. Yeah, you do pay a small premium for most other things, but it's definitely well worth it if you want true quality merchandise.

Courtesy of ColDayMan It's definitely one big, ugly, shiny, structure. In fact, I think it's only redeeming factor is that it makes for a really cool reflection of part of the skyline. It looks like the addition would be built on the turnabout on the northeast corner of the intersection of High and Nationwide, where that series of trees currently exists. Personally, I think the addition pictured in the Business First article would complement the current hotel well, while at the same time adding some modernity to the skyline. It would look great in the skyline overall, especially with Miranova on the other side of downtown. The two structures would frame the downtown area quite nicely, especially when approaching from the west.

Grant grows again... Grant ready to add beds Patient volume up at downtown hospital Jeff Bell Business First Grant Medical Center will add 40 inpatient beds by early 2006 as part of its plan to meet demand for services at the downtown Columbus hospital. Also in the works is a conversion of some operating rooms at the Grant South building off East Town Street to help the hospital take on more podiatry surgeries. The two projects, totaling $3 million, reflect the nonprofit hospital's continued ability to attract patients and add physicians in a shifting health-care environment, said John Verbus, Grant's senior vice president for physician relations and business development. "The key has been our medical staff development," he said, noting 34 doctors have been added in the past year. "We continue to be a place physicians want to practice, and patients follow their physicians." Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/10/31/story4.html

I eldued to the fact that the convention center area was in need of more hotel rooms in an earlier post. It looks like it's definitely in the planning stages. Report: Add more rooms Hotel eyed as key to boosting convention biz Brian R. Ball, Business First Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/10/31/story1.html