JohnOSU99

^ LOL, that's what I get for trying to skim through the article at work! I don't know if Carmel has 75,000 people, but it is booming like crazy along with Fishers, IN. That area of Indiana reminds me of Delaware County, Ohio.

The city didn't really grow from 25,000 to 75,000 did it? I thought it just merged with Randolph township, like Riverside did with Mad River Twp. and Trotwood with Madison Twp.

^Zanesville has 'em too

Canton, Ohio: "The question is often asked, "Where did Canton get its name"? An Irish trader by the name of Captain John O'Donnell purchased a plantation in Baltimore and named it "The Canton Estate" in commemoration of the fact that he had transported the first cargo to arrive at Baltimore from Canton, China." Bezaleel Wells was living in Baltimore at the time, and Captain O'Donnell was a hero to him and the other young men of the town. Six weeks before Mr. Wells recorded the plat of Canton in New Lisbon, news of Captain O'Donnell's death reached Steubenville. Therefore, when Mr. Wells recorded the plat and named it, he called it "Canton". " Lima, Ohio: "The town was named after Lima, Peru, the source of the "quinine bark" used for the treatment of "swamp fever" or malaria in pioneer days." Defiance, Ohio: "In August 1794, Anthony Wayne ordered the construction of Fort Defiance at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee Rivers. Wayne surveyed the land and declared to Gen. Scott; "I defy the English, Indians, and all the devils of hell to take it.""

Commerce secretary in town to award $2M grant for Banks road U.S. Secretary of Commerce Don Evans was in Cincinnati today to present a $2 million federal grant for the construction a road to provide direct access to the city's long-stalled Banks project. Evans was joined by Congressman Rob Portman, R-Ohio, at the presentation at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The Economic Development Administration grant will go towards the overall $4.4 million construction of a four-lane, partially elevated road that would connect Elm and Vine streets, Portman spokesman Kyle Downey said. Downey said the road is an initial step in the overall development plan for the Banks, which calls for office, residential, retail and entertainment development on Cincinnati's riverfront. First proposed in 1999, the Banks is expected to create more than 5,000 jobs, generate an estimated annual payroll of about $171 million and result in $200 million in private sector investment. The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority has been working to line up funds needed to build a pair of new riverfront parking structures that would provide a foundation for the project.

Partnership touts affordable housing inside Columbus A study said housing construction starts are continuing to grow in the Columbus Public Schools district, aided by efforts from private business and the city. The city issued 1,611 building permits for single-family residences in the district, according to the study. The city issued fewer than 100 building permits in the district in 1994. The study was authored by Affordable Housing Associates, a public-private partnership aimed at increasing development in the city. The study said the housing was jump-started by $5.2 million the city spent on infrastructure over the past 10 years. The city promised to provide roads and sewer lines cutting between $3,000 and $4,000 off the cost of a new house. At the same time, Affordable Housing Associates recruited State Savings Bank, now a part of Fifth Third Bancorp, to commit $100 million in loans to acquire land and build houses. Developers such as M/I Homes, Dominion Homes, Maronda Homes and Deluxe Homes (now Beazer Homes) joined in the partnership. More at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/

Downtown buildings to shine during Freedom Center opening Downtown Cincinnati Inc. is asking downtown buildings to help "shine the light on freedom" during next week's grand opening celebration of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. DCI and the Building Owners & Managers Association have been contacting downtown building owners and managers on both sides of the Ohio River to turn on all interior and exterior lights from dusk until midnight during the Aug. 23 event. "The Freedom Center is an incredibly important, internationally recognized new addition to our center city, and we are proud of our property owners' commitment to support this celebration," said DCI President David Ginsburg. The Freedom Center's star-studded grand opening celebration, called "Lighting the Way," will run from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Celebrities such as Angela Bassett, Lionel Richie, Bono and P. Diddy are expected to be on hand for the opening events. anyone going to be out taking pictures that night???

some nice looking buildings there.....is that building which kind of resembles OSU's Orton Hall their City Hall?

Wasn't the Freedom Center up front about the lack of focus on the horrors of slavery? I thought I read somewhere that they wanted the focus to be on the courageous efforts of freedom fighters of the Underground Railroad and those still fighting for freedom around the world, not the institution of slavery itself.

I am so god damn tired of you people over looking LIMA!!!!! :res:

The museum recently opened a new hanger and will be opening a new missle silo too, so this couldn't have come at a better time. "Riverside is known as the gateway to the Unites States Air Force Museum. As one of the nation’s premier tourist attractions, the Museum attracts over one million visitors per year. The forthcoming National Aviation Hall of Fame will be located next to the AF Museum and is expected to draw an additional 100,000 visitors."

I'd also swap Cincinnati with Cleveland so that the cities you listed are in order by size of their metro populations.

^ :clap: Great job MayDay!!!! I'd buy one of those right now!

Shawnee to visit proposed casino location in Ohio Tribal leaders checking area BOTKINS, Ohio - This western Ohio village will be getting a visit this week from the Eastern Shawnee Indian chief and tribal council from Oklahoma who want to inspect a proposed casino site. Terry Casey, a Columbus consultant with National Capital 1, a development company representing the tribe, said the group will attend a Monday evening reception at Botkins High School. They plan to perform a Tuesday sunrise ceremonial blessing at the casino site off Interstate 75. Casey said tribe representatives also plan to attend a performance of the historical outdoor drama Blue Jacket near Xenia, which tells the story of a Shawnee chief. They also will visit Lewistown, the ancestral home of the tribe, from which they were forced to march west in 1831 by the federal government. More at http://www.dispatch.com

:clap: It's about damn time!!! I grew up in Riverside (Mad River Twp.) and that area of town has always been an embarrassment. I could never understand why the areas largest tourist attraction is surrounded by sleezy hotels (where people don't stay one night, but are actually living there!) and unkempt businesses. I hope my hometown cleans up this area and turns it into a major tourist draw which it has the potential of being. I've been dreaming of this since they tore down that old DAP plant!

Sandusky's CBD ain't looking too bad! Nothing like a kick ass public space in the middle of town to set the mood. Any shots of Lake Erie? Are there any good vantage points downtown for viewing the Lake (i.e. lakeside restaurants or parks)?

OSU, Battelle to collaborate at downtown Lazarus Tony Goins, Business First Ohio State University and Battelle Memorial Institute on Monday signed a memorandum of agreement to convert the soon-to-be-defunct downtown Lazarus-Macy's store into a hub for arts and research. Representatives for both institutions, along with the city of Columbus and the Columbus Downtown Development Corp., unveiled the proposed Columbus Center for the Arts and Sciences. The plan is still in its conceptual stage, said OSU President Karen Holbrook, but it would devote 200,000 square feet of the building to offices and laboratory space. That space would focus on applied research into areas such as clean energy, environmental preservation and climate change. Planners hope to bring research that leads directly to new technologies and products, Holbrook said, that companies can use to create more jobs for the region. Arts spaces, such as studios and galleries, would occupy another 50,000 square feet of space in the building, said Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman. OSU's College of Art would take up some of the space, and the planning team is approaching other arts institutions such as the Columbus College of Art and Design and the Columbus Museum of Art. The plan would not affect the offices housing the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, which occupies 200,000 square feet on the upper floors of the building. That will leave about 270,000 square feet of space to be filled later, said Ed Lampert, president of Georgetown Cos., which is managing the project for the Columbus Downtown Development Corp. The planners hope to add about 80,000 square feet of retail or restaurant space and fill the remainder with an office tenant. Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2004/07/20/story1.html?from_rss=1

Announcement on Downtown Development Set for Monday Columbus officials say they will detail "significant" plans for downtown at a media briefing near Lazarus-Macy's on Monday, but they declined to indicate whether the announcement might affirm Ohio State University and Battelle's interest in creating an education and research center at the department store building. The Columbus Downtown Development Corp., an agency working on redeveloping downtown, took control of the South High Street property in late January. Battelle officials several months ago indicated OSU President Karen Holbrook had endorsed an exploration of the building as a site for research and education. Holbrook as well as Battelle Chief Executive Carl Kohrt are scheduled to attend the Monday event. Federated said it was pulling out of downtown because sales at the store, which is linked to the Columbus City Center mall, had been declining for years. Lazarus opened in the building in 1909. The operation was reduced to 371,500 square feet in 1998. Portions of the department store building's Front Street level are leased to others, and its fifth and sixth floors are occupied by state operations. Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2004/07/16/dailybrief1.html

Why is it considered a "Lifesyle Center"? It looks nothing like Easton Town Center which is what I think of when I hear lifestyle center.

I thought the "Lofts on High" website was pretty impressive.

more Columbus news: Columbus touts good credit The city of Columbus said Monday it has obtained AAA credit ratings, the highest possible, from the nation's two top credit rating agencies. Officials said they think Columbus is the only city of its size to obtain AAA ratings from Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's. The lofty rating allows the city to borrow money at more favorable interest rates. The city is planning $301.5 million in neighborhood projects for 2004 and expects to sell $600 million in bonds.

I was looking around http://www.downtowncolumbus.com and noticed they added a few more projects to their downtown housing list (along with some other upgrades to the website). Plus some of the housing websites that have been on there awhile have been updated. Lofts at 106 http://www.loftsonhigh.com/ Buggyworks http://thebuggyworks.com/ Burnham Square Condos http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/downtown_housing.php?category=2&result_set=12&project=105 Washington Rich Townhomes http://www.cityspaceresidential.com/washingtonrich.asp EcleXion Lofts Brewer's Yard http://www.brewersyard.com/virtualTour.html

What does the Polk Building look like?