casey

Came across this great drone shot of the western half of the Arena District on the Facebook page for Parks Edge,

Here's an update on the Schottenstein proposal at 3rd and Long St, along with a nice, shiny rendering. I think this is a really interesting project, and love how it incorporates the existing historic buildings, complementary contemporary design, and plenty of ground floor retail. Mixed-use project with 82 apartments eyed at Third and Long downtown https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/11/21/mixed-use-project-with-82-apartments-eyed-at-third.html

I think it's a good move to hold off on a fare increase for now. Wait for the new boxes to be installed, mobile payment app to launch, and give time to fine tune both of these and get riders used to the new system.

Much improved overall, but it'd still be nice to get a somewhat centrally located Costco...

^Good news that it's already dug up! I haven't been by there in a while. And yep, it will be another phase of the 'mews' style townhomes, basically extending the 6th street project all the way through the site.

Nothing special but not the worst looking project either. And in an area that could certainly use more density and activity. Borror plans 220-unit mixed-use property in Discovery District Borror is submitting plans for a six-story, mixed-use development site in its first foray into the Discovery District in downtown Columbus. The plan calls for 220 boutique apartments and 15,000 square feet of commercial space from 229 to 275 E. State St., and would be the largest multifamily project to date for the Columbus developer. The planned development would feature two parking levels for occupants with frontage along State Street and garage entrances in the alley behind it. https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/11/14/borror-plans-220-unit-mixed-use-property-in.html

Seeing as how the Neilston is nearing completion and the 6th street mews have sold out, I wonder when Edwards will begin construction on the next phase of townhomes?

Meh. Good to have more options, but I'm still waiting for jetBlue to come back

Another important distinction is that the Southside Area Commission does not encompass architectural review. They can vote on recommendations to City Council for approving/denying zoning variances (similar to the Clintonville Area Commission, Near East Commission, etc), but they don't have the wider and more formal design review authority like the VVC, IVC, GVC, DTC, UARB, etc all do.

All of these things are nice to have, but now they've spent $120 million on this and didn't add retail space along the High St facade. That is the single biggest upgrade that would improve the urban experience of the convention center.

Yuck. Can't say I care much for that hotel chain from a quick look at things... But I believe whatever operator there is would need to stick to the approved plans that passed IVC, which includes the retail buildout.

The wifi on COTA is fantastic btw, for anyone who hasn't tried it. Very reliable and fast 4G speeds, (20+mbps). Really a great improvement and totally hassle-free to use. Also, the toothpaste tubes (aka CMAX buses) are currently going through their testing phase along Cleveland Avenue...

I love the intent and the mission, but I don't understand why the existing historic school building couldn't have been saved and retrofitted as part of this project. The architecture of the new buildings is horrendous and the build quality is as cheap as they come. It's a shame.

^ If only we were getting one of those!

Every website around has been publishing these lists, so why not another one? 5 U.S. cities Amazon should consider for HQ2 https://venturebeat.com/2017/09/07/5-u-s-cities-amazon-should-consider-for-hq2/

Interesting. I'm glad this project isn't dead. Also it seems UA doesn't have any problem with the height, so I'm pleasantly surprised. Now built it!

The front-runner development team for the Scioto Peninsula project is proposing a 1.2M sqft office/technology campus as part of their scheme. Together with NRI's Franklinton land, the available Mt Carmel/Graham Ford site, vacant land in around CSCC/Discovery District, and the proposed streetcar in COTA's NextGen plan linking all these areas together... That could be a pretty compelling proposal for HQ2.

Also this was passed by city council a few weeks ago, very interesting. I certainly think we could be in the running or a serious contender... http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170727/city-council-crafting-incentives-for-firms-with-big-plans

Boomtown: The Morse Road corridor is the city’s true entrepreneurial heart http://www.columbusalive.com/entertainment/20170816/boomtown-morse-road-corridor-is-citys-true-entrepreneurial-heart

^ For anyone who doesn't have a subscription, the announced tenant for the building is Thread, a clothing boutique in Grandview that will be opening their 2nd location.

Some miscellaneous updates from COTA's September service changes presentation, - A new website will be launching this fall with a much better, mobile-friendly layout that integrates real-time bus tracking info - Free WiFi is now available on all buses and routes - New fareboxes will be installed beginning this fall with installation complete by the end of the year. Smartphone payment will also be launched during this time period, with stand alone smartcards following next spring - Fares will likely be adjusted up beginning Jan 1, after the new fare payment systems are in place. This was scheduled to have occurred 1 or 2 years ago but was postponed by the COTA board until more convenient ways to pay had been implemented https://www.slideshare.net/COTA_Bus

I think you all might be overthinking this, to me the name is pretty straightforward... The project site is at the confluence of a lot of rail lines, and they're seeking to make it a kind of upscale 'destination' district within the larger downtown area.

The White Castle site plan is a pretty big mess IMO from all sides. While the massing along goodale is alright, the ground floor of those buildings is even more parking, and therefore will be totally dead to the street. Not good IMO.

Honestly, I don't think it's that bad. A few tweaks could really help the triangle portion but overall I agree with Toddguy[/member]'s comments. Miranova is a more offensive site plan, and in a much more prominent location, but everyone forgives it because of the height. IMO the real test of whether this area will develop to its true potential will be the remaining NRI land. I think it would be a colossal mistake to site any new Crew Stadium there. It's really the ideal spot for a residential neighborhood of 1,000+ units. Especially with the new pedestrian bridge planned and the possible connections through to Goodale, etc. We need density that can drive more 24/7 activity and spur retail demand in the AD. A soccer-specific-stadium that would be used ~17 times a year doesn't do that. Not to mention that there isn't really a lot of room for proper spin-off development that a stadium would actually attract, like bars and restaurants, on this dead-end, off-the-grid land. A much better site for the Crew is east of High and the AD proper, bounded by Mt Vernon, 5th, Buckingham, and 6th Sts.

Wow. Pretty unexpected news but definitely welcome IMO. My first impression overall is favorable. I realize this is a difficult site to work with, and appreciate the connections they've included on the railroad tracks and freeway to Nationwide, Brodbelt, and the WC HQ site. Here's a large version of the full site plan,