CMH_Downtown

Boring. I forgot to post the winning entries from the Dispatch, but for the most part, I thought the majority of them really weren't that aesthetically drastic or inspiring at all. Most of them instead went out of their way to be eco-friendly, like the above submission. There was one that I really liked that resembled the canal walk in Indianapolis, but I think that one was rejected. Oh well, at least there will be something built on the land.

They put new streetlights? I haven't walked that area of High St. in a while, but the last time I drove it a few days ago, the streetscape improvements I was able to notice were that they have tree-lined the street, added funky brick designs to the sidewalks and rought-iron park benches infront of several storefronts, put up new traffic light poles for several intersections, and, of course, repaved High St. For the amount of money spent though, the streetscape improvements aren't really that astounding. The most noticable eyesore, the strands of powerlines that glide along the east side of High St. are still there and were not burried, which is a shame.

Already announced plans include Mt. Carmel East's planned 44-acre campus and OSU's planned 10-story cancer hospital and other expansions. Currently under construction are OSU's 12-story biomedical research tower and Grant's 5-story cardiovascular center, and recently completed projects include Riverside's 6-story McConnel Heart Hospital and OSU's 5-story Richard M. Ross Heart Center. Expanding care Unprecedented growth aimed at patient attention, research Wednesday, October 26, 2005 Suzanne Hoholik and Mike Pramik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Hospital officials will announce a plan today to spend $740 million over seven years to add 1 million square feet with new parking, clinical buildings and research labs. The plans: • Most of the money — about $430 million — would be used to build a new main hospital, two research buildings and a parking garage. • About $237 million would be used to update equipment and computers and improve technology to automate patient records. • Nearly $74 million would be used to recruit doctors, nurses and researchers. Children’s is the fifth-largest freestanding children’s hospital — based on number of patient beds — in the United States, according to industry statistics. It has 323 beds. The expansion could bump the number to 400. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2005/10/26/childrens.ART_ART_10-26-05_A1_GIE7OF2.html?sid=101

Looks like the Grange Project is a go: Grange gives Brewery District project green light Grange Mutual Casualty Co. said Tuesday it is going ahead with plans to expand its Brewery District headquarters, after all. "We are pleased to expand our presence in the downtown Columbus area, where we have had a presence since 1935," Phil Urban, president and CEO of Grange, said in a press release. Grange plans to construct a 1,000-vehicle parking garage and a 200,000-square-foot mid-rise tower at 650 S. High St. The $61.5 million project is expected to create 800 jobs over the next 20 years, in addition to 775 already working at the site. About 60 of the new jobs are coming from Gahanna. Council also approved a tax incentive that will rebate Grange 50 percent of the payroll taxes generated by the new workers. That incentive is scheduled to begin in 2009 and run for eight years. It will save the company around $1.1 million over its term, City Council estimates. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/10/25/20051025-B1-03.html

Possible expansion of Grange Insurance HQs in the Brewery District: Council vote, Grange decision near Insurer wants tax break for Brewery District HQ Thursday, October 20, 2005 Mark Ferenchik and Mike Pramik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Grange Insurance is expected to decide as early as next week whether it will build a new headquarters in the Brewery District, a project that it says would cost more than $60 million. The Columbus City Council is expected to vote Monday on whether the city will create two tax-increment-financing districts to pay for capital improvements in and around the site. In a fact sheet it prepared last month for the city, Grange said it is planning to build a 200,000-square-foot office building near its corporate headquarters at 650 S. Front St. The building would cost between $39.1 million and $45.1 million. Grange also would remodel its current 11-story headquarters at a cost of between $3 million and $4 million, spend from $19.4 million to $22.7 million on a 1,000-space parking garage and pay for $3.5 million of infrastructure improvements. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/10/20/20051020-B1-03.html

Hmmm...given the aircraft types on the ramp, it looks like this photo is from the early 70s or very late 60s. If so, my wager would be that it is CVG in its infant days. Indeed it looks absolutely nothing like it looks today, if this is the case.

Apples to oranges, my friend.

I agree completely that the end result is a pretty jarring contrast to what one normally finds on High. However, in terms of aesthetics, it really looks nothing like Easton (emphasis on brick and white trim/colonial and glass). The Gateway Project I think looks more modern in appearance, with metal and stone accents, taller structures, and larger windows. I would say the project more resembles one of the newer intersections one would find in Washington D.C.: larger, new five-or-so story buildings with lots of ground floor retail.

Don't know if the article you're referring to was in The Dispatch, since they just printed one today 10/18/05: Downtown delivers holiday on ice Ferris wheel, rink to entice revelers Tuesday, October 18, 2005 Debbie Gebolys THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH An outdoor skating rink and a 75-foot Ferris wheel are the seasonal trimmings that boosters hope will add to the holiday feel Downtown this year. For more info, click the link www.dispatch.com

Oh wow, that's more than I could have ever imagined for that property! That old boarded-up Sofa Express building has been an eyesore in the district for the longest time, and what will replace it looks great. It looks like the same developer designed and built 100 Buttles, which was impeccably done. It should fit in the Short North quite nicely.

Well, for work, I have to take a car, as my schedule varies daily and taking the bus from my current location would require too many stop to make it feasible. However, I do use COTA for my commute to class. It actually takes just as much if not less time to ride the bus to campus as it would for me to drive my car to the West Campus lots and wait for a CABS bus to take me to campus. The best part is that the stop lets me off right next to the buildings I attend my classes at.

Arena District rolls on A year without hockey hasn’t slowed development Friday, October 07, 2005 Mike Pramik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The puck might have stopped here 18 months ago, but development in the Arena District wasn’t checked. Fans who haven’t been to the district since the last Columbus Blue Jackets home game on April 2, 2004, will notice the progress. Apartments, offices and retail businesses have opened, and more are under construction. The district named after Nationwide Arena, where the Blue Jackets make their home debut tonight, is poised to grow more as its borders effectively expand. For example, a new stadium for the Columbus Clippers is likely to be built on land west of Neil Avenue. More buildings are in the planning stages, which are expected to lead to more Arena District residences and stores. This could include construction along Nationwide Boulevard on land that now serves as parking just west of the arena. Read more at http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/10/07/20051007-C1-04.html

Agreed also that in reality, this new is really good, since it will speed up work on the entire Broad and High project. Also, as seanguy mentioned, the tall light poles are only around the statehouse, one on each corner. I always thought they looked cool, but to each his own I guess.

The Dispatch Sunday Edition will have a more in-depth look at the contest winners. Judges salute five plans for peninsula By Jim Weiker THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH In announcing the winners last night, a panel of four judges cited five entries in the Whittier Challenge for their inventive yet feasible approach to the largely vacant property on the southwestern edge of Downtown. The winning entries mostly would create dense urban neighborhoods of apartments, condominiums, shops and restaurants. They also would link the Brewery District and German Village on the east and the Scioto River on the west. The winners • A six-member team of representatives from Jonathan Barnes Architecture and Design and faculty members from the Knowlton School of Architecture at Ohio State University, Columbus Comment: One of the most distinctive winners, featuring a wide canal through the peninsula lined with coolly modern condominiums. • A seven-member team from the Design Group architectural firm, Columbus Comment: The design, called ‘‘Eco-Scape,’’ promotes environmentally friendly ‘‘green’’ buildings and ecological education. • A five-member team called Mid-Ohio Design, including students and faculty members from the Knowlton School, Columbus Comment: Judges liked the way the design blended a wide variety of uses into an overall plan. • A six-member team from John Reagan Architects, Columbus Comment: The plan makes the boldest use of the riverfront, with four- and five-story buildings fronting the water on the southern end of the peninsula. • A four-member team from Triad Architects, Columbus Comment: An unconventional blend of urban and rural uses, with agricultural land and windmills next to commercial buildings. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/10/07/20051007-E1-02.html

The roof of the old Roy's Jewelers at Broad & High, where Casto's development project is taking place, has collapsed, causing the billboard atop the building to come crashing down inside the structure and onto High St. and staging an emergency demolishion of the building. I drove by the area this evening. Broad St. is completely blocked off from 3rd St. to Front St. and High is blocked off from Gay St. to Town St. There are several cranes staged at Broad & High, ready to take the buildings down. Deteriorating Building Leads To Emergency Demolition Broad, High Streets Closed POSTED: 4:18 pm EDT October 6, 2005 UPDATED: 12:18 am EDT October 7, 2005 COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Officials scheduled an emergency demolition Thursday night after a downtown building began to collapse. A large sign on top of a building at Broad and High streets fell from its scaffolding, crashing through the roof at about 4:15 p.m., NBC 4's Mike Bowersock reported. After the sign fell, the scaffolding began leaning toward High Street. Authorities said the building was scheduled for demolition Friday, but officials said the building was unstable and it would be demolished Thursday night. All lanes at the intersection of Broad and High streets were closed while emergency crews assessed the situation. Officials said the situation will probably cause traffic problems Friday, as well. No injuries were reported. Watch NBC 4 and refresh www.nbc4i.com for additional information. Video at: http://www.nbc4i.com

edale...I was being facetious. :evil:

Columbus doesn't associated with the likes of Newark, (Well, at least until it becomes a suburb anyways...). Much like how Cincinnati doesn't associate itself with the likes of Hamilton or Middletown or those things.

As previously mention, Rickenbacker has had no problem garnering a strong following. Where the problem lies is finding a stable enough carrier to maintain service at the terminal. For those that don't know, Rickenbacker serves as an alternate commercial airport to Port Columbus, specializing in charter and scheduled-charter air service. Hooters will be expanding service this month from Rickenbacker, adding service to St. Petersburg, FL in addition to their current service to Gary, IN and Myrtle Beach, SC. Pan Am Clipper Connection, a scheduled-charter carrier riddled with all sorts of problems, also "flies" into Rickenbacker, however service systemwide has been shut down until November, when the carrier will resume service again. We'll see for how long. Port Columbus has recovered well in terms of passenger numbers since America West closed its Columbus hub, however growth overall in terms of new flights and destinations has been stangant for the most part. Ms. Roberts has done a great job managing the airport authority, but air service from Columbus is still lacking, especially in comparison to similar sized cities/airports such as Indianapolis and Raliegh/Durham. A rail connection in any way would certainly help all parties involved, and is part of Port Columbus' master plan. A multi-modal cargo facility is already under construction at Rickenbacker, hopefully eventually we'll see the same at Port Columbus for passengers.

The Kenton County Airport Authority placed all their eggs in one basket, now they must deal with the consequences. The airport is in the process of completing a brand new runway that lord knows how they'll pay for, since with Delta in bankruptcy, all lease agreement between the airline and the airport can and probably have been terminated. In addition, with the loss of over 100 Delta/Delta Connection flights, downgrade of many flights to regional jet flying, and the loss of DHL's hub, the airport is going to see an enormous drop in revenue from landing fees, a main source of income for most airport. Last I checked, CVG's landing fee was $0.98 per 1,000 lbs, there is absolutely no way they can maintain that price. However, when an airport increases landing fees, it is usually a detriment to encouraging airlines to expand/start service at an airport. Talk has been going around that Delta will completely do away with their "Simplifares" campaign, as they have already increased their maximum fare several times. If one thing is certain, Delta will definitely not be lowering fares at CVG, or anywhere at that. Also, with over 400 flights a day, Delta is still a monster at CVG, and will likely continue to intimidate any potential low fare carrier from entering the market. With DHL in Willmington, UPS in Louisville, BAX in Toledo, and FedEx in Indianapolis, there are no cargo companies left that could set up a hub at CVG. The port authority is going to have find some way to recoup for the loss in revenue that will be incurred as well as pay the bills.

Columbus-NEWARK?!? :shoot:

Here's something to think about... According to study done by the University of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport pumps an estimated $4.5 BILLION into the local economy. Even with the recently announced cuts by Delta, the local economic impact will still be in the billions. An independent study commissioned by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority found that Port Columbus International Airport contributed over $2.3 BILLION to the local economy. This is just two airports. There are about 600 commercial airport in the United States. People, the airline industry is a lot larger and has a far broader economic impact than you think. I know most of you would bust a nut watching the industry collapse and the U.S. going to a system of high-speed trains. It ain't happening before this country hits a depression worse than anything seen in the 1930s, because when the airline industry collapses, so will everything else.

I think this is where the success of the gateway project will be measured; in the amount of private investment that it spurs along High St. and elsewhere. Gateway paves way for hope on High Street Brian R. Ball Business First When Ohio State University created Campus Partners for Community Urban Redevelopment Corp., much of the area around the main campus had long since hit the skids. The Columbus neighborhood was marked by stretches of rundown bars and low-rent housing serving college students. Now, after 10 years of planning and $150 million in investment, the South Campus Gateway project has begun a three-month rollout of entertainment, retail, office and apartment projects designed to spur more private investment in the University District. Count Wayne Garland among those who have anticipated completion of the Gateway project. "I'm hoping it does what I've bought into all along," said the Buckeye Realty president. "We're just trying to re-establish the district in total so it becomes a place (where) people want to live again and not just where they feel they have to live." Key to that, said Garland and other investors, has been building confidence that the concentration of investment on North High Street between Chittenden and East Ninth avenues mitigates some of the risk of investing along the well-worn stretches from Lane Avenue south to the outer reaches of the Short North. More at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/

Coop site draws more proposals Soccer school, biz park on list Jeff Bell, Business First Two more organizations have made pitches to take over the Cooper Stadium site and at least one more proposal may be on the way. One group, headed by former Columbus Crew player Thomas Dooley, wants to turn the 47-acre ballpark property off Mound Street in Columbus into a youth soccer academy. The other suitor, Columbus Urban Growth Corp., would like to extend its adjoining West Edge Business Park to the site, adding more light industry and offices. Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/08/22/story3.html?from_rss=1

Man, you're good! Are you a detective? What an absolutely brilliant deduction! Wow, did you come up with that all by yourself? You must've read all the articles quite thoroughly to come to such an airtight and valid conclusion! Wow, such perception! Incredibly brilliant! (If you read reply #7, you'll see why the new courthouse is being constructed, but you already knew that... ;-) )

^Agreed. Columbus doesn't have the money to build this grand scheme either. While is sounds nice, something tells me it won't happen.