seanguy

Wondering what this Denovo is like? I saw it downtown and it looks interesting.

Agreed that this is obviously a step in the right direction. High St. could not support this, as the road is too narrow and busy already, but there are other routes listed above that would be great options.

I lived in dayton a few years from 2003-2005 and I felt it was one of the most "down on downtown" metros in Ohio. There really is little praise or positive opinions of downtown from the masses, business community, students, etc. It was always "well downtown ugh" A very 1970s/80s attitude I found. I feel that it stems form the loss of downtown's significance for so long and a really shabby economic environment that led to such a strong preference for suburbs. Doesn't sound like it has turned around much. ...yet you hear whats left of the corporate leadership in Dayton...the CEOs of Reynolds & Reynolds, Woolpert (engineering & design firm), NewPage (spinoff from MeadWesvaco) and TerraData (spin off from NCR), they preferred locating in suburbia. ....with at least two of the CEOs or corporate leadership of these firms quoted as saying as thats where their staff wants to be. In fact I heard this verbatim from the CEO of TerraData (sp) at a panel discussion, as to why he located out near Lexis/Nexis, then out to Austin Road area. That a suburban location was sort of a retention/recruiting tool. Suburbia as a "better location' desired by staff was also the justification given for the R&R relocation to Research Park (east side of Kettering) Like I have so often said (eleswhere, not here) the business leadership in Dayton have totally, utterly, completely missed the boat when it comes to locating in the city. The only firm that did do this was a relo from Richmond, VA, who built a new mid-rise downtown. Presumably Vigininians aren't as down on downtown as Dayton biz types.

This project has been completed my friends. EDIT: A photo of the completed 7-story apartment building is here.

Hotel looks to be coming along nicely. Is also suppose to open on time (september 2012) This hotel was listed as a factor in selecting Columbus as the 2013 host of the NHL All Stars Game, as well.

Well said. Thanks :) Glad that someone finally agrees.

Ya I had been in those Leafy Dales numerous times from 2004-2006. My best friend lived there at the time and myself, I lived across the street. It was a great location! The landlord kicked everyone out around 2006 to renovate them into condos (as mentioned above) The project was onto a rocky start from the beginning. The only work that went on for months was tearing down trees and bushes.

Well not really. The infrastructure has aged poorly but the area has become a new hot spot for hotels. Olentangy has received a new hilton garden inn, holiday inn mid rise, now this marriot, and a marriot springhill suites just further south. Kind of a lot of hotel development in just a few short years. Also retail in the area is healthy as are rentals and housing. The area simply needs sidewalks, new street lights etc. There was an article a two years ago talking about a study to add sidewalks/bikepaths. Where did this go?

I am happy to see a new market on this side of downtown. We have the north market on the north side and now this on the east side. I think they can both compliment each other, as North Market focuses more on prepared foods. I really think smaller markets are the way to go downtown. The ongoing talk about how downtown proper doesnt have enough "grocery options" is slightly short sighted. Unlike many other cities the size of Columbus, Columbus has a downtown with a huge, highend Kroger just 1 block south of the downtown official border. Also, a medium sized Giant Eagle on the northern boundary. There really isn't a demand for a fullscale chain grocery store in between those two.

I have been on this forum for a while and knew you as Columbusite. I know it's possible to get easily offended on a message board, so I have no intentions of doing so. I think it is rather overboard to throw you off the bus with no warning. I can see where it can be an issue if everyone who wanted to underpay or not pay for a fare was allowed to do so. I think it speaks to Cota's recent commitment to keeping their buses free of people causing issues and taking advantage of the system. If they gave you no warning or you had no attitude that's different and it’s a misuse of resources intended for more serious situations. The main reason I am responding is the focus many have on routes with close together stops. There are many factors that can be improve, within Cota's operations, and some that have been, such as fares/payment types/cars/GPS etc. However, many of Cota's routes functions as short term transit options for a lot of riders. The issue is that some use those routes as long term transit (say crosswoods to downtown or reynoldsburg) For those using the routes (say number 2) for short term transit close stops are actually convenient. I use the number 2 constantly to go from 5th and high to 15th and high for work. It is a 15-20 minute walk, you can bike it, or use a bus. One solution to getting people out of cars is by offering short range transit options. This type of route servers a similar function as a streetcar: moving people up and down linear strips for different social and economic purposes and eliminating transit time by offering frequent service. I am not sure to what extent you want to see stops eliminated, maybe removing stops that are simply a block apart or 2 makes sense, but if you eliminate down to only a few per urban district/neighborhood you remove the function of the short range urban transit option. While I do think some of the central city routes can be streamlined, the issue isn't making the central city/local routes function for the long range but building and creating separate long-range/express routes with better hours. Or even better a combination of light rail with buses or streetcars performing mostly short range transit. While streamlining it is essential to remember the short range function of the local routes in the urban, dense districts.

Hey, I guess I'm not the only one. I actually did a post on the article comparing it to one NYT article from 2007 and it was all about (duh) the Short North. Fast forward to today and it's not an article on revitalized Olde Towne East, Franklinton, etc, etc. I've resigned myself to the reality that not enough Columbus residents really want another revitalized (or gentrified) neighborhood like they do in other cities. Where these residents do exist they are spread out in too many different neighborhoods on totally opposite sides of the city, like the one transplant who lives in Kenmore Park up north. For the rest of urban Columbus, the only time they'll get involved in urban affairs is if parking meter rates are going to go way up. The less said about some of the local gay population the better. Let's just say every time I've been hit on it was just plain creepy and/or crude. Wow Columbusite. I have been following your posts for years on Cbusunderground (when you went there) and on this site, since about 2004. However, you are really off mark here on your comment. I happen to be a member of Columbus' gay community. What should be learned from this article is that Columbus' gay community is part of the cities identity. But the true general story is that Columbus is a welcoming, generally socially progressive community and the gay community is just an example of that. However, your comment paints a different picture. As long as I am here this gay community will be heard about on the national level. Being an urbanist yourself you should share the same view. There are other things to write about, in Columbus, but saying less should be written about "creepy or rude" guys that hit on you is a sad argument and comes off backwards. Your the only one with an issue here and think that should be addressed not Columbus' gay press.

Ya, I'm with Walker. Anyone that thinks this area should be a "nightclub" district is out of touch with who owns the site and what great purpose the site is presently serving the entire metro. Columbus City Schools own the site and has been renovating the older buildings into new purposes on their Fort Hayes Arts & Education High School. It is a very well ranked school that has a lottery for entrance, as a district wide magnet school. Im happy the owners of the site are restoring the old buildings and using them for such a great purpose. Also, they built an Arts Impact Middle School on the site, seen in the above pictures. Part of the district's long range plan is to continue renovating and expanding on the site for educational purposes. They are looking at locating more schools on the Fort Hayes campus, kind of a point of centralization in the inner city for education.

I find it kind of funny that so many on UrbanOhio.com are timid about roaming this neighborhood. I guess, compared to other cities, I see this as a rough but not scary place. I was a political canvasser and loved walking around this area for voter registration. Lots of interesting people. I also have a quite a few gay friends that have moved into the area. Also, I never knew this neighborhoods name, I always called it "the place south of Olde Town East and east of German Village" Nice to know its name. Also, this area does have lots of potential and Parsons Ave retail corridor has lots of existing buildings that could be renovated. I really think the most potential for a great retail corridor is Parsons Ave, just too bad its not near any sizable institutions that would help fuel such a gentrification. Its cut off from downtown by highways and sits off the beaten path of most of the large employers, once it was a booming area due to blue collar manufacturing jobs at plants south of the neighborhood.

Worthington leans left these days. But it falls into the moderate category. It use to lean conservative, along with many Columbus suburbs and Franklin County, but that change from the 90s to the 2000s. Now with it being 2010 Worthington has been gradually getting more into the Dem leaning category this entire decade, especially for Presidential elections. Worthington has long had a history of being okay with taxation, especially for services, so it has been kind of inevitable that it would change more left. Back to the Continent location. The area has been a "transitional area" not a "growing" one. In Northland area (morse to 161) Incomes are stable, there's not a lot of reinvestment in residential property, on a whole, causing homes to increase in value but by very little when indexed for inflation. There are some nicer homes in the area, but many are average middle class ones from the 60s and 70s and 80s. Continent is, also, right on the edge by Worthington and the development itself was meant to be a "early mixed use project." Apartments still sit all around the retail. If the casino was to come there it would be on that is surrounded by many apartments. I'm not sure that I buy all of the increased crime effect of a casino, especially when residential is a distance from the casino, but in this case it would be a potential crime disaster (at least for those residents in those apartments.) I

Interesting decision. I am for the cost cutting measures, but the district is trying to return many kids to schools in their neighborhoods. However, some of these closures will force some kids to a school not in the their neighborhood or further from where they live. So actually the district is attempting to accomplish the goal but not comprehensively.

Ya Columbus is kind of genius isn't it. There's a perception that something is "suburban, nice, safe" and the area gets a connected identity with a nearby prosperous suburb, but it's really the city collecting the taxes. In the case of Tuttle, everything around the mall is basically Dublin or Hilliard. However, the portion of land with the actual mall, most of the retail, and a lot of offices is in the city. The city was able to win out on annexing the areas with the heart of the development.

Actually, to be technical, Polaris Easton and Tuttle are all in the city of Columbus. Now the outward growth ( of much of the population) into the suburbs has helped fuel a larger customer base for these developments (easton, etc). However, Columbus is actually the city with jurisdiction over the development was Columbus. Second, I agree with the comment above that malls can work in a downtown with a already successful retail sector (Seattle, Toronto, San Francisco, some others.) If a city is trying to lure retail development downtown with a mall (Columbus) it doesn't work so well.

Re: Columbus: Columbus Commons park to be built on City Center site « Reply #363 on: Today at 10:14:50 AM » Reply with quoteQuote "The new design for the Columbus Commons project was driven in part by practical concerns. Engineers have determined that the 1,000-space parking garage under the mall couldn't bear the weight of heavy traffic or high-rise buildings above it. The underground parking was both a limitation and a great amenity for the project, which recently has been guided by the Georgetown Co., a New York company that is also co-developer of Easton Town Center. Three Columbus firms make up the design/build team for Columbus Commons: construction firm Corna-Kokosing, architects Moody Nolan and landscape architects EDGE Group."

Sorry but all they have done is make it much cheaper and worse. If you read the Dispatch article closely, it states that because of the underground parking garage the park is going to permanently take up more land because they could not build roads or buildings above the non load bearing garage. The article states there will only be plans for three buildings along high st. And town st. will be a pedestrian sidewalk not an open road with new buildings. My question is how come the mall could be built above the garage and the state house is above a underground garage but they couldn't put a road or new buildings over the city center garage?

Hmm I use about 55 percent of them, and if I had unlimited amounts of income I would use 95 percent. I guess different strokes for different folks. I prefer eating, buying, and supporting local businesses. Plus I can't help but love all of the great restaurants and spots to get wine or a drink in the Short North. I think living in the Short North helps make it more accessible as well.

Hmm. There is some false information here, regarding Columbus' population growth. You may be correct in your thinking but your way of explaining it is confused. Columbus' population does not include the population of its suburbs. Columbus did annex, through controlling the water supply, many townships that existed between the towns (now Worthington, Dublin, Westerville, etc..) and the traditional city limits. Thus, the populations of these townships (mostly rural when annexed) are not part of the city of Columbus and Columbus is the entity that oversaw the development of these townships into urban areas. Thus Columbus' city limits grew in the post WWII period and continued to through the 2000s. Thus the city has areas that are developing or were developed and have helped to increase the population growth. But Columbus' population does not include the population for the suburbs. Only the city limits of Columbus (which is around 221 sq. miles) is included in the cities' population count, the 750,000 something figure.

High St. will get streetcars before it gets a roundabout. Columbus residents will not agree to a roundabout on the always linear high st.

Having a few large quantity parking garages, with spots for alternative transportation modes, is a crucial part of growing downtown. Replacing surface lots with a few midrise parking garages is a good idea. Everyone will not switch to alternative transportation modes tomorrow. Many live miles from downtown and there needs to be large scale parking garages to fulfill the demand for parking. These garages help densify the urban core by freeing up surface lots. The proper way to add these garages would be with ground floor retail, the city did not do this step right. Second, underground parking would be even better as it conceals the garages and allows for development on top of the garage. Last, the city is properly spacing the garages. While parking can be densified and grouped into parking garages, they should still be spaced so that citizens do not expect their destination to be outside their car. For downtown to be successful a combination of mass transit, evenly spaced garages, and parking spaces for bikes and scooters is needed. PS what bozo designed this sign? I like the original Lazraus name on it, but shouldn't the words "public parking" be incorporated. Suburbanites and visitors usually need those words or they are affraid they are intruding on a corporate garage with high parking rates, possible towing, etc.. This is why the Arena District garages added "public parking" to their exterior to let people know that the garages are not for nationwide employee parking only.

GREAT!! Now start spreading the word to all of the skeptics in Ohio's other big cities. Some people seem to fail to realize how much Columbus has changed in the last 20 years. I think because it is on the least stagnant cities in the midwest. They just assume because their neighborhood has changed little Columbus has changed little.

I think on paper many were skeptical of this project. It seemed to take a large amount of land that many had envisioned for denser, mixed use development. Heck I thought the area wouldn't be developed until 2015 at the earliest. I saw it as a spill over as the rest of "traditional" downtown is developed out and there's a demand for midrise/highrise office space on the periphery of this NE side of downtown. Now that the development has started and is well into 1/4 done (judging by the full plan) the Columbusites can better see the realistic goals this development will achieve in turning a area of parking lots and random warehouses into a true townhome/brownstone neighborhood of different architecture styles. Before we had our more Utopian ideals running wild and are willing to settle with this development in the short run hoping higher density development or infill will return as the economy picks up in the long run.