CMH_Downtown

Ugh, me personally, I think the county courthouse is horrendous. From what I've seen in other articles, they want the new structure to take up the entire space currently occupied by the 4 surface lots yet they want it to be tall enough to be somewhat prominent in the skyline. In order to do that, I'd imagine it would be a tiered structure with a base of maybe 3-5 stories followed by a tower of 10-15 stories. I'm definitely eagerly anticipating the renderings.

Man, caps over I-70/71 have been talked about for a decade now. Here's hoping all parties can actually commit to it. Considering the City of Columbus and ODOT are still feuding over the oversized billboards downtown though, it'll be interesting to see if both sides can work out something on this project.

^Wow...that was neat! :-D I was just havin' fun with ya. My comments were not aimed directly at you, clvlndr, but at pretty everyone that has, in one way or another, pointed the finger at the town 2 hrs south on 71. Your comment just happened to be the most convenient at the time. I agree that Cleveland's medical facilities are bar-none, hence why I highlighed it in my post regarding my thoughts on what Cleveland needs to do to get back on its feet. There's no argument that a terrific base is already established, now its time to build on it, like you said. Also, about the Illinois comment. If anything, Springfield likes to detract as much attention from Chicagoland as possible. Talk to any downstater and you'll see a deep resentment towards the prosperity of the Windy City. It goes both ways though, as Chicagoans tend to not associate themselves with the rest of the state of Illinois. Economically, I can't really think of any time that Cleveland and Columbus, or any other major city in Ohio has really been in a bitter fight for a commercial enterprise. The DFAS thing might be the closest thing I can think of, but that's government stuff anyways. Buddy, relax. Don't take stuff so seriously! You'll develop less ulcers that way.

County buys land Downtown for $10.9 million Schottenstein lot to be new courts building By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Franklin County will take possession Monday of a Downtown block of parking lots where it plans to build a new county courts building. The $10.9 million purchase price for the 4 acres at S. High and Mound streets is almost twice the value listed by Franklin County Auditor Joe Testa in his just-completed update of county properties. However, it’s less than the value set by a separate county appraisal, Deputy Administrator George Speaks said. Read more at http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/08/17/20050817-B1-02.html

GROUP HOPES TO BUILD RETAIL CENTER ON FORMER TIMKEN SITE Published: Monday, August 15, 2005 By Mike Pramik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Developer Jerry Solove has backed off plans to develop land in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood through eminent domain, but he says he's still bullish on the former Timken plant site near the East Side neighborhood.vvSolove said he thinks that building a shopping center there would aid the neighborhood. Solove and his partner in the project, Howard Beder, arranged a site visit last week for members of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, state development department and others involved in 2005 Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund. Solove's group represents one of four central Ohio projects vying for $40 million in state funding for the rehabilitation of so-called brownfield sites, which are locations of former industrial or commercial activity. The city prepared a bid for Solove and his partners to secure $3 million in state grant money to rehab the 30-acre site, which Canton-based Timken closed in 2001. More at http://www.columbusdispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/08/15/20050815-F6-01.html

Look, Cleveland needs to stop solely looking at what's left and feverishly clinging on to it. Cleveland needs to do three things: 1. Pursue While they may not be headquartered in Cleveland, several large companies have equally large investments in the Cleveland area. Pander to them, make them realize the benefits of doing business in Cleveland. Show them that this an area on the move, where business should expand and evolve. If one of these companies has a small intention of possibly leaving its home turf, throw your hat in the ring! It couldn't hurt, if anything it could lead to a better relationship and a better understand to what the business world wants and needs. 2. Create I think Cleveland is hoping on this bandwagon, mainly due to its powerhouse medical and educational facilities. The need is out there for research and development, why not continue to showcase Northeast Ohio as the premier region for medical breakthroughs and technology. Cleveland needs to find a sector (preferably one that's growing) and actively pursue business associated with it. I think Cleveland could be a huge research magnet for many industries, not just medicine, and benefit from all the white collar jobs associated with them. 3. Diversify While Cleveland has done a good job shrugging off the steel mills, much more still needs to be done. While easier said than done, I believe actively implementing the first two idea will lead to an economy that's driven on a variety of different sectors. Banking, education, and health care already have solid roots in Northeast Ohio, now look at other sectors. I don't think Cleveland will go down the Youngstown road, it's prominance is too great for such a thing to happen. But a different mindset needs to take place in the city. One that's not so horribly engrossed in clutching to the old, but willing to dable in the new. I'm not saying that the city should completely shed it's history, that's a large part of what makes Cleveland great, but the region needs to be more willing to try new things.

^Ummm...yay?

Well said, KJP! You graduate!

:lol:Oh you have GOT to be kidding me! :lol: This little "we used to be the top banana and now we're playing second fiddle to the little cowtown in the center of the state because it's the capital" is cutely amuzing at best. Clevelanders can keep crying and saying it's Columbus' fault, or they can put on their big girl panties and play some hardball in the real world. (By the way, the Cleveland-Shaker Heights partnership is a great start. You're on the Huggies Pull-Ups Cleveland, now shoot for the big-boy undies!)

Looks like the project is still hanging along... Business First of Columbus - 3:03 PM EDT Tuesday Transportation bill could mean money for light rail In addition to a new garage, Congress' recently passed transportation bill offers the possibility of federal funding for the light-rail project the Central Ohio Transit Authority is pushing. The transit project is authorized in the bill, which allows COTA to seek federal funding after the project meets other conditions, COTA said Monday. ... http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/08/01/daily18.html

RANKINGS OF 4 PLANS FOR SPLIT UNVEILED ODOT seeks reaction to ideas for fixing I-70/71 Downtown Published: Friday, July 29, 2005 NEWS 01D By Tim Doulin THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Under all options being considered to fix the I-70/71 split, some Downtown exit and entrance ramps will be closed or moved to safer locations. Motorists still will be able to access Downtown destinations, but they will be doing it a different way, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. "We are changing the access, but you can still get there,'' said Michelle May, spokeswoman for ODOT.

CITY WANTS GRANGE TO EXPAND LOCALLY Incentives intended to land home-office building, 800 jobs Published: Friday, July 29, 2005 By Mark Ferenchik and Mike Pramik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH City officials are working with Grange Insurance on its plan to build a $50 million headquarters building in the Brewery District that could add 800 jobs over the next two decades. The city is looking at a new plan to use property taxes to pay for road and other improvements around Grange's current headquarters at 650 S. Front St. as well as throughout the Brewery District. The city is thinking about creating two tax-increment-financing districts in the area. One would be at the Grange site to finance a $20 million parking garage for use by Grange and the public, and the other would be for general improvements in the Brewery District, said Gary Guglielmi, the city's economic-development manager. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/07/29/20050729-C1-02.html

Grandview is caught in middle here. I pass by the lot where the proposed shopping center is planned on being built often, and it's truly an eyesore. The lot contains a boarded up Howard Johnson (essentially on the space where the new retail is planned on the map above) and a frequently closed Chinese restaurant on the northeast corner or Grandview and Dublin. The problem with turning the lot into retail similar to that found in downtown Grandview Heights is that the lot is isolated. It's boardered by a 5 lane roadway (Dublin Rd) to the south, railroad tracks and a hill to the north, Grandview Rd to the west, and some small commercial structures to the east. A retail area more akin to Grandview Heights would fail pretty quickly. I personally think the lot should be used for residential purposes, and then the lots stretching east on Dublin should be redeveloped into retail or restaurants. If the lot has to be used for retail, a shopping plaza would probably be the best fit from an economical point of view, though having that sea of parking directly visable from the intersection of Grandview and Dublin would be horrible. Here's hoping the city counsul comes up with a plan that both redevelops the parcel but also maintains Grandview's character.

Houston is also where Continental Airlines is based, and is currently the airline's largest hub. Continental has made IAH work extremely well, using it not as a primary gateway to Europe or Asia, but to Latin America. Continental has more nonstop destinations to Mexico than any other U.S. airline and rivals the amount served by Mexicana and AeroMexico. The airline also has an impressive network to Central and South America, serving places like Guayaquil, Cali, and Liberia. Domestically, the hub also functions well as an East-West connector (i.e. Hartford-IAH-San Diego, or Seattle-IAH-Knoxville). The sheer size of Houston itself also works to Continental's advantage as origin and destination traffic has much better yields than connecting traffic. Continental acquired Newark as a hub when the airport was comparable to a moldy bus station. It has since grown to become Continental's European gateway. Continental has tapped a previously overlooked niche from their EWR hub by taking their overwater equiped 757 fleet and flying them to European cities with limited access to the United States. So far, the move as proven to be quite profitable. Again also, Continental has a huge population base in the NYC area to thrive on, so origin and destination traffic is readily available. Cleveland's landing fees are among the highest in the nation. Last I heard, it cost upwards of $3.15 per 1,000 lbs. to land an airplane at Hopkins. In comparison, it costs $0.98 per 1,000 lbs. to land a plane at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky. Cleveland also lacks the two most imporant things to the airline, critical mass and a huge local population. Cleveland is the smallest of the hubs by a long shot, and the influx of connecting passengers traveling through CLE pails in comparison to EWR and IAH. Cleveland's population of 3 million+ also makes it less appealing when compared to Houston and Newark. Cleveland's customs facilities are also poorly equiped to suit more international connections for Continental. The FIS/customs area is located in Concourse A, on the other side of the airport from Concourses C and D, where Continental operates from. Continental has filled Cleveland's niche: a hub that connects the Midwest and Great Lakes region to major destinations in the United States.

This project should definitely help solidify Rickenbacker's position as a logistics superhub. Several large companies already maintain massive industrial warehouses around the airport and several more are under construction. Critical-time shipper AirNet recently relocated to the airport and Evergreen Airlines has established regional operations at Rickenbacker, adding flights to the Far East. The intermodel yard will bring air, rail, and truck together in one place. Now all we need is a deep sea port and we'd be all set. ;-)

Retail shakeout: Federated to close two Kaufmann's, one Macy's Tony Goins Business First ... Federated said Thursday it plans to close Kaufmann's stores at Polaris Fashion Place and the Mall at Tuttle Crossing, and will close a Macy's at Eastland Mall. Closings will begin in 2006, according to Federated. May is building a new Kaufmann's at Eastland, which is slated to open in the fall. ... The Eastland Kaufmann's will become a Macy's store, as will another Kaufmann's at the City Center mall. ... http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/07/25/daily28.html

Mrs. Genter is the wife of one of my coworkers. They're both very active in the Clintonville community and both plant and harvest organic vegetables and flowers for many of the shops and restaurants down High St. It's good to the farmers market is doing well through the construction phase.

All of downtown Bexley will look very different in the coming years... Changes on Main Development projects could alter the look of downtown Bexley Tuesday, July 19, 2005 Mike Pramik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Bexley’s cozy Main Street, where owners of the Lamp Shade have been selling their wares for three decades, exemplifies downtown America. In addition to a ’50s-era City Hall, Bexley has a vintage movie theater, several coffee shops and an ice cream parlor where customers can still order phosphates and where teenage workers earn scholarship money for good service. But change is coming to Bexley’s tree-lined thoroughfare. Nearly a dozen development projects are in the pipeline, and the $90 million being spent on them could change the look and feel of Main Street forever. The development will bring gleaming, new condominiums, offices, shops and restaurants. But as rental rates rise, some of Bexley’s small businesses could become extinct. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2005/07/19/ZONE0309.ART_ART_07-19-05_C10_DDD4PD9.html?sid=101

More information concerning the Broad St. median and other improvements to the Discovery District area: Downtown gets new improvement district Area’s residents to form board, set goals Tuesday, July 19, 2005 Debbie Gebolys THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Property owners on the eastern edge of Downtown have taken the first step toward improving their neighborhood. With the City Council’s approval last night, about 120 property owners are to form the Discovery Special Improvement District, a self-funded group that will decide how to enhance the area roughly bounded by I-670, I-71 and Mound and 5th streets. Organizers spent more than a year collecting signatures to create the district, proposed to raise money for beautification, security and promotion. In the end, owners of more than 66 percent of the 45-block area signed petitions. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/local/2005/07/19/20050719-Pc-D3-1000.html

... sure hurts C-bus' move to "big city" status imho... i dont know if the all bad press for that is worth the money it will bring in to the locals. it's lowbrow and it gets bad press. etc... So, has Columbus redeemed itself, or will everyone go ahead and find another reason to deride Columbus?

Well, so much for the convention being held in Columbus... While it's a shame they've decided to pull the convention from Columbus, I'm much more in favor of keeping the assault weapons ban in place. What does a home-owner need an AK-47 for anyways? NRA moves 2007 convention out of Columbus The Columbus Dispatch Monday, July 18, 2005 The National Rifle Association announced today that it is pulling the 2007 NRA convention out of Columbus to protest the city's ban on guns officials classify as assault weapons. NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre came to Columbus this morning to make the announcement that the association will move its convention, which was expected to draw 60,000 people to the Greater Columbus Convention Center from May 18 to 20, 2007. City Council President Matt Habash and Councilman Michael C. Mentel, who introduced the weapons ban legislation, today issued a joint statement in which they said the NRA was “backing out on its commitment.” “Public policy decisions — especially those affecting the safety of our citizens — cannot be influenced by any narrow interest group that happens to visit," they said. The Columbus City Council approved a ban on certain semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns July 11. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com

Rt. 315 tech corridor proposed Battelle, chamber, OSU to join city in exploring ways to tap area’s potential By Mike Pramik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Civic leaders in Columbus want to market an 8-mile stretch along Rt. 315 as a research-and-technology corridor. Columbus City Council President Matt Habash and Councilwoman Mary Jo Hudson will introduce legislation Monday to pay a consulting firm $138,000 to help the city define the concept. Battelle, the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Ohio State University are supporting the initiative. The funding would go to the chamber to develop a research-corridor master plan. O’Brien/Atkins, an architectural and planning firm based in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, would conduct the study. The idea is to publicize the technology assets already present in the area, roughly bounded by Riverside Methodist Hospital, OSU, Gowdy Field and North Star Road. It also could involve working with suburban communities and identifying land that could be set aside to serve high-tech interests, Habash said. More at www.dispatch.com

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/business/stories/2005/07/08/LIFE.ART_ART_07-08-05_F01_RM6K92U.html TEMPORARY LOCATION TO SERVE AS FIRST CITY MUSEUM Published: Friday, July 8, 2005 FEATURES - LIFE 01F By Marshall Hood THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Columbus is the birthplace of xerography, the cowcatcher and the microwave-heated stadium seat. It also has a more ignoble distinction: no museum in which to display artifacts depicting its history. ''I cannot think of any metropolitan area that doesn't have someplace where local history is showcased -- usually a city museum,'' said Terry Davis, president and chief executive officer of the American Association for State and Local History. Cleveland and Cincinnati have places where residents mull their roots. So do Dayton, Springfield and Toledo. The Columbus Historical Society will take a step toward plugging the gap early next year when it opens a 1,500-square-foot museum three doors from the boyhood home of literary son James Thurber.

Hit the nail on the head. Remember too, Columbus' history is mostly rooted in its role as the capital of Ohio, and there's pleanty of historical archives and artifacts to be found in the Capitol building itself. The Ohio Historical Society, probably the most poorly run institute I have ever seen, has a small corner of their building dedicated to Columbus' history. So the fact that the historical institues that DO exist split whatever history exists, plus the fact that the city's history isn't as rich as Cincinnati and Cleveland, puts Columbus in an odd place. I'd love to see some kind of museum or foundation established, especially on the southern third of the Franklinton penninsula. The train station, while it sounds like it's a beautiful building inside, wouldn't be my top pick for a city museum. If/when that area picks up, a restaurant the likes of Spaghetti Warehouse would be a neat use f*`üOhe building.

Yikes, who wrote that article? It's riddled with errors, probably the most notable being this quote: The city of Columbus (Ohio’s largest, with 1.4 million people) has begun infrastructure work at the site of South Campus Gateway.." Columbus' population is 730,000, the metro population is 1.7-1.9 million, depending on which stats you use. Besides the point, no recent news regarding the project or the planned renovations to the streets along High. There's a PDF file that goes in-depth regarding the proposed changes, not sure where it is though. I think it can be found on the city's website though.