Public Input: : Public Meeting #1

Introduction

For those unable to attend the first public meeting and for those who want to provide more input, we have posted all of the public meeting materials and surveys below. The presentation is also available (Introduction and Downtown Analysis Part 1 and Part 2).

 

Please submit all comments and surveys by Friday, March 19th.

 

http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/public-input

That's a pretty slick presentation at the website.

 

MORE AT: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/public-input

Write up on Columbus Underground of the 3/2/10 Downtown Town Hall meeting.....

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/2010-downtown-strategic-plan-meeting-1-recap

 

Thanks to the more than 100 folks who attended and shared ideas… but that’s just the start.  If you have more to say about the challenges and opportunities for the next 10 years of downtown, please check out:

 

http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/public-input

 

We’ll be taking comments and concepts through 3/19, then putting them together for a new array of presentation materials for public review on 4/15 at Columbus State during the second Town Hall meeting.

Very impressive. The downtown population change was very interesting, as well as how downtown looked over the years.

Pretty cool presentation, the amount of surface parking is scary though, but yields a lot of potential for development.

Very exciting to be taking part in this. Public input = Democracy in action.

 

Looking forward to the second presentation with some of the results and ideas. ;)

The comments about parking was interesting, that it would be impossible to duplicate the surface parking as parking garages and the assumptions about future downtown residents having to be carless.

 

From what I've seen from downtown there is an interesting little area between the Library and the State House that looks like it was sort of resdential at one time and could be developed as a in-town neighborhood.  Sort of like Garfield Place in Cincinnati.

 

Those sequence of overviews showing city erosion where interesting.  I see what ColDayMan was saying about German Village extending all the way into downtown at one time.

 

 

Ideas for downtown Columbus pour in, but more sought

BY GARTH BISHOP, COLUMBUS LOCAL NEWS

Published: Friday, March 19, 2010 - 10:28 AM EDT

 

Those who have not yet weighed in on the future of downtown Columbus are running out of time to do so.  The Columbus Downtown Development Corp. and MSI Design are working with city leaders to create a strategic plan for the next 10 years of Downtown development.  Suggestions still are welcome.

 

Officials have emphasized that what happens Downtown affects the rest of Central Ohio, as many suburbanites work Downtown and the tax revenue generated there benefits all corners of the city.  A town hall meeting was held March 2 to inform residents on the key areas on which the city expects to focus and to get direction on what else should be considered.

 

The next such meeting is set for April 15 and will take place in the fourth-floor ballroom of the Conference Center at Columbus State Community College, 315 Cleveland Ave.  It will run from 6 to 8 p.m.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/articles/2010/03/22/german_village_gazette/news/gvalldownt_20100319_0906am_2.txt

It's interesting that the overview presentation says one one slide that there's a shortage of open space downtown then on the very next one that 24% of it is taken up by parking lots. I'm reminded of Jane Jacobs:

 

"Parks are volatile places. They tend to run to extremes of popularity and unpopularity. Their

behavior is far from simple. They can be delightful features of city districts, and economic assets to

their surroundings as well, but pitifully few are.  They can grow more beloved and valuable with the

years, but pitifully few show this staying power.  For every [good example] there are dozens of

dispirited city vacuums called parks, eaten around with decay, little used, unloved.  As a woman in

Indiana said when asked if she liked the town square, 'Nobody there but dirty old men who spit

tobacco juice and try to look up your skirt.'

 

"In orthodox city planning, neighborhood open spaces are venerated in an amazingly uncritical

fashion, much as savages venerate magical fetishes. Ask a houser how his planned neighborhood

improves on the old city and he will cite, as a self-evident virtue, More Open Space....More Open

Space for what?  For muggings? For bleak vacuums between buildings? Or for ordinary people to

use and enjoy? But people do not use city open space just because it is there and because planners

or designers wish they would."

 

If you ask me downtown Columbus could use a lot less "open space" and a lot more buildings.  There are many better ways to integrate park like attributes into the urban fabric directly rather than as segregated districts.

 

Great to see the upturn in residential growth. That's very healthy.

 

Employment doesn't actually talk about employment, just office space. Private sector employment in downtown Columbus is declining, as it is in basically every other similar sized city. It's a huge challenge without ready solutions.

 

I've done an massive amount of thinking and R&D lately about what would go into a really transformational downtown strategy. It's too bad I wasn't in a position and missed the opportunity to try to partner with or bid on some of the Columbus work myself. I think it would be an amazing downtown to try to take to the next level.

 

Awesome quote, arenn.  I'm sure you know that trying to sway popular opinion away from parks for the sake of more parks- it's like telling a meeting of APL supporters that you hate puppy dogs!

Urban parks can always become like Washington Park in Cincinnati.

Parks always seems to be the default answer when someone doesn't know what the hell else to do.  Mainly citizens and officials not properly informed or educated of practical planning practices.

Johio: That's a good observation.  It's the main reason why the former City Center Mall is becoming the future Columbus Commons Park. 

 

arenn: Its a leap to say that because a presentation slide on existing parking lots follows a slide on a shortage of open space, that it then follows that the City is promoting the replacement of existing parking lots with parks.  Over the past decade, the City has promoted building on existing downtown parking lots.  There have been two recent areas of success: one privately driven and one publicly driven.  The privately driven one is the Edwards Companies Neighborhood Launch Project (aka Gay Street Condos).  The publicly driven one the RiverSouth development on two parking lots previously owned by the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation.  The very same City-supported group that is conducting these public meetings and produced the presentation you referenced.

rider, yes, I understand that. I just find it ironic that a report is calling for more "open space" when so much of downtown is already vacant and clearly underutilized.

 

Of course, Columbus is far from alone here. Downtown Indianapolis looks even more parking lotted to me.

 

Okay.  Thanks for the explanation.  No harm done. :wink:  I just didn't want anyone to get the wrong impression about the current downtown redevelopment efforts.

 

FWIW, I agree that Downtown Columbus has plently of open space in the form of parks: Statehouse Square, Topiary Park, McFerson Commons (Arena District), North Bank Park, the soon to be completed Scioto Mile, the soon to be renovated Bicentennial Park and the future Columbus Commons Park. 

My view is that you should integrate green space and recreational activities into the urban fabric itself. Downtown streets tend to have sidewalks flush to the curb. There is plenty of opportunity to add rain gardens/swales with landscaping and native plantings, street trees. Add sidewalk cafes. The Indy Cultural Trail is a great example of how to include this + bicycle amenities. Green roofs. Public art. That sort of thing. Pocket parks and well executed plazas (following the research from Whyte/PPS) can even be good. It should be straightforward to remove traffic lanes for all of this. My experience of downtown Columbus shows the streets to be largely over-engineered, as they are most places. At least one lane could probably be robbed in most places with no ill effect.

 

Oh, add bike share too :)

 

Columbus should definitely look at something like the Indy Cultural Trail solution

My view is that you should integrate green space and recreational activities into the urban fabric itself.

 

 

Totally agree, and said things similar to this when submitting my input via their online surveys. We've got some decent parks Downtown (North Bank, Topiary, Statehouse Lawn) and I think we'd be better off making our streets and connections between them "greener" rather than adding new large grass yard as we're seeing proposed with Columbus Commons.

 

 

It's interesting that the overview presentation says one one slide that there's a shortage of open space downtown then on the very next one that 24% of it is taken up by parking lots.

 

That's not the only semi-contradiction I saw in the presentation. There was also the cheering of Downtown residential success stories like Neighborhood Launch and The Annex at RiverSouth (both of which are 3-story developments) followed by slides later on in the presentation that explained that if we continue to develop at a lower density throughout Downtown, we'll never come close to reaching specific population goals.

Over at his Columbus Underground website, Walker Evans has been doing some outstanding reporting on the latest update to the City's Downtown Plan.  In preparation for the next public meeting in that plan update, Walker interviewed Guy Worley, President & CEO of the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation/Capitol South.  Here is the introduction, with his full interview available at the Columbus Underground website (link below).

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Planning Downtown for the Future with Guy Worley

By Walker | April 13, 2010 9:50am

Columbus Underground

 

On Thursday, the second 2010 Downtown Columbus Strategic Plan public meeting takes place at Columbus State.  The first meeting was a gathering of public ideas, and this second meeting will be a presentation of the concepts that have emerged from those ideas.

 

We sat down recently with Guy Worley, President & CEO of the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation/Capitol South, to find out more about the ideas that have been collected and to learn more about what we can expect to see at Thursday’s meeting.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/planning-downtown-for-the-future-with-guy-worley

More outstanding reporting from Walker Evans over at Columbus Underground on the latest public meeting about the City's 2010 Downtown Plan - which was held on Thursday, April 15.  The previous public meeting was a gathering of ideas.  This meeting was a presentation of the concepts that have emerged from those ideas.  Ten Principles and 12 individual projects were presented at this latest meeting.  Below is the introduction at Columbus Underground.  The 12 individual projects, explained in detail with maps and renderings, are also at Columbus Underground and Downtown Columbus. 

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12 Ideas Laid Out for Downtown 2010 Strategic Plan

By Walker | April 16, 2010 8:00am

Columbus Underground

 

The second public meeting for the 2010 Downtown Columbus Strategic Plan took place this evening, and the presentation focused on 12 ideas proposed as possible catalytic projects that could reshape our Downtown over the next decade.  Those ideas ranged from alternative transit implementation to river dam removal to the development of a new sports field house.

 

The public meeting was kicked off by City Councilmember Andrew Ginther and led by Keith Myers from MSI Design.  “Sometimes Columbus suffers from too much Midwest Modesty,” said Myers shortly after taking the podium.  “We need to check that tonight and instead be inspirational.”

 

Myers went on to outline the 10 Principles that were used to lead the process in assembling ideas out of the hundreds of pieces of input gathered from the first public meeting as well as online over the past month:

 

1. Connect Uses, Districts and People

2. Maintain Downtown’s Status as the Employment Center of the Region

3. Embrace Transit as a Competitive Advantage

4. Control Building Form, Design and the Quality of the Public Realm

5. Increase the Amount and Variety of Downtown Housing

6. Continue to Develop Signature Parks and Public Spaces

7. Invest in Arts and Culture

8. Prioritize Sustainability and the Greening of Downtown Columbus

9. Continue Collaboration Between the Public and Private Sectors

10. Celebrate the Urban Experience that only Exists Downtown

 

After those principles were laid out, the 12 individual projects were explained in detail with the assistance of maps, renderings and similar projects in other cities.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/12-ideas-laid-out-for-downtown-2010-strategic-plan

I love the "River Greenway" idea- it could be a great recreational amenity.  Thinkin' big in the 'Bus!

Thanks for posting these links, Rider. Glad you're enjoying the coverage! I'm in the process of scheduling a meeting with Keith Myers of MSI next week to do some more indepth Q&A on the individual ideas.

 

Personally, I think every single one of these ideas have some merit and hope that they all make it into the final plan.

  "1. Connect Uses, Districts and People..."

 

  Those 10 points could have been the result of the strategic plan in just about any American city. Some cities have done a better job of acting on those strategies than others.

Those 10 bullet points were just the established principles to lay the ground work for the plans.

 

More information about the actual 12 ideas that make up the plan can be found at the links below:

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/12-ideas-laid-out-for-downtown-2010-strategic-plan

 

http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/ideas

Not clear to me how the projects relate to the principles. How do these 12 ideas maintain downtown as an employment center, for example?

 

I think the 10 principles are what guided the process for consolidating the public input into the 12 ideas. I plan on finding out more about that process in the next week or so.

I love the "River Greenway" idea- it could be a great recreational amenity.  Thinkin' big in the 'Bus!

That's my favorite idea too.  It's a big bold idea.  But it's also one of the more easily doable ideas of the dozen being put forward. 

 

The removal of these lowhead dams has been discussed and studied since 2007 - see the UO thread: Columbus: Corps advises removing Olentangy dam.  One dam on the Olentangy near OSU was slated for removal until the Feds pulled $1.2 million in 2008 that would have funded the project. 

 

This 2010 Plan idea is an expansion of that previous project.  It also seems to be the idea that's garnering the most press attention.

 

DISPATCH ARTICLE:  City dream project: Remove dams

 

DISPATCH ARTICLE:  Cost fuels skepticism about dam removal

 

Here's a rendering of the effect removing the lowhead dams would have on the Scioto River as it runs through Downtown Columbus: 

 

The full overview of that idea is on the Downtown Columbus website at Scioto-Olentangy Greenway Corridor.

 

There is also a good before/photo and after/rendering comparison on page one of the pdf at http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/docs/12-Idea-SOG.pdf

 

One thing I forgot about was suggesting public benches. Very lacking in that department; it's a basic piece of the urban landscape.

Nice rendering.

 

Questions:

 

1. Why were the dams built in the first place?

 

2. How much of that area is flood plain?

 

 

  I'm not familiar with the exact situation in Columbus but often low head dams were constructed for aesthetics. Raising the pool elevation often widens the river surface, making the river look bigger and covering up the mud flats. Sometimes, as in Hamilton, Ohio, the low head dames were built for hydropower, or as in Middletown, for canal feeders.

 

  I don't think that removing the low head dam will result in a situation quite as pretty as the renderings. In a wild, uncontrolled river, point bars or mud flats tend to build up in bends in the river. It is difficult to establish vegetation on these bars because of frequent flooding, and it is unwise to develop them with bike trails or the like because they require constant cleaning.

 

  Also, the bridges are not drawn correctly in the renderings. Removing of the low head dams will lower the pool elevation; the renderings don't show the pool elevation lowered.

Nice rendering.

 

Questions:

 

1. Why were the dams built in the first place?

 

2. How much of that area is flood plain?

I’m very interested in this dam removal/riverbank improvement concept.  I just love the idea from a civic point of view.  But I’m not necessarily an “expert” on this type of environmental issue.  However, here is what I do know about it.

 

First, the quick answers to the questions:

 

1) Aesthetics, mostly.  More on that below.

 

2) All of the reclaimed land would be in a flood plain.  At least as far as I know, but since its already part of the existing river, it’s probably a safe assumption.

 

I'm not familiar with the exact situation in Columbus but often low head dams were constructed for aesthetics. Raising the pool elevation often widens the river surface, making the river look bigger and covering up the mud flats.

I think Eigth and State is right about Columbus' low head dams being constructed for aesthetics.  The part quoted above is very much the situation with the Scioto River in the downtown area.  It also appears to be the situation with the Olentangy River going from the Scioto River north to the OSU area.  Although a 2007 article does mention that one dam was built in 1935 to supply cooling water to an OSU power plant. 

 

The biggest problem with the current situation downtown is that the aesthetic benefits of the dams have the side effect of creating poor water quality.  Mostly it is brown muddy-colored water.  So although the dams do widen the river surface and cover the mud flats - it also creates a wider river that only looks good from aerial photos.  Very rarely is it as visually pleasing close up.  This seems to be a bigger problem with the Scioto in the downtown area than with the Olentangy in the OSU area.  Although it still seems to be a problem along the OSU campus, especially near Ohio Stadium.

 

Also, because of the combined sewers in the downtown area, there is an occasional sewer overflow during periods of heavy rain.  And there’s more frequent sewer odors as you get closer to the river downtown.  To prevent future spills, the City is currently in the middle of a huge $231 million sewer project to tunnel under Downtown Columbus scheduled to be finished in 2015.  They also have a biofilter system proposed to address the sewer odor problem.  However, many people have gotten behind this dam removal concept as way to augment the City’s sewage infrastructure efforts.  The idea is that with the dams removed, the water would flow more naturally and sediments and other pollutants wouldn't remain trapped behind the dams as they do now. 

 

Additionally, the narrower Scioto and Olentangy Rivers would expose areas currently covered with water that could be turned into greenspace.  The Olentangy River area along the OSU campus would be more natural in the landscaping (as is shown in the PDF).  The Scioto River area along the Downtown area would need to be more man-made (as is shown in the rendering).  It looks like the Scioto through the Downtown would still be channeled in some way.  But it would be a much smaller, better flowing channel. 

 

Another appealing aspect of this River Greenway concept out of the dozen concepts from the 2010 Plan is that this concept could be doable relatively easily and quickly.  By this I mean that there are less impediments to this concept being done.  There is no land acquisition needed.  You don’t need a private developer for this to occur.  You don’t need to wait for the housing and/or office markets to turn around for this project to occur. 

 

However, it would require money (doesn’t it always).  Most likely public dollars, but possibly with some private support - such as is being done with the Scioto Mile project currently under construction.  And although getting funding is certainly not inconsequential - it’s not improbable either.

Thanks - I guess you read my mind.  What's to keep the downtown segment of the river from turning into mud flats? The White River in downtown Indy doesn't seem to suffer from this lowhead dam issue, but the river isn't nearly as nice as that rendering despite a lot effort and money put into manicuring the banks.  I do think the Scioto is already more scenic though, so maybe Cbus can pull it off through a mixture of better natural conditions and better execution (that last part won't be hard).

 

Obviously there is going to be further study needed for the River Greenway concept.  Addressing the mud flats would be a top issue.  But it seems that this is more of an issue in the Scioto/Downtown area than in the Olentangy/OSU area.  And it seems likely that the Scioto/Downtown area is where a majority of engineering and funding efforts would need to go.  However, please keep in mind that the Scioto River which currently stagnates downtown is much less attractive close-up than from far away.  And though this concept would require much engineering and funding to make it look like the rendering, it would be a vast improvement over the existing conditions. 

 

The best information is contained here:

The full overview of that idea is on the Downtown Columbus website at Scioto-Olentangy Greenway Corridor.

 

There is also a good before/photo and after/rendering comparison on page one of the pdf at http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/docs/12-Idea-SOG.pdf

Here is my attempt at a before and after photo comparison of the existing Scioto River in Downtown Columbus and the rendering of the River Greenway concept:

 

Existing view of the Downtown area of the Scioto River.  The Scioto Mile Riverfront Park is under construction on the east bank of the river - the downtown side.

 

As you can see, the River Greenway concept would add greenspace to the east bank of the river - the downtown side.  Basically, from the retaining wall at Civic Center Drive to the middle of the existing river.  The west bank of the river - the COSI side - is unchanged.  The river width would be reduced by at least half.

Thanks. That's very helpful. I didn't recall the state of the east bank. My experience is mostly looking at the west bank.  This would be a great improvement if they could pull it off.

 

 

You're very welcome.  And your comment about this "being a great improvement if Columbus could pull it off" is on the mark.  As with any big long-range concept, there is plenty that can derail it.  Although I've found there is a general rule-of-thumb for these long-range potentially expensive civic improvement projects:

 

• If a city administration is fully committed to, and fully behind, the long-range potentially expensive civic improvement project, then they will find a way to make it happen.

• If a city administration is not fully committed to, and not fully behind, the long-range potentially expensive civic improvement project, then the project will be "too expensive".

 

Or to put it in another more familiar form: "Where there's a will, there's a way." 

 

An oversimplification - I know.  But it's usually the case.

We just finished posting up a really loooooong and indepth interview with Keith Myers & Andrew Overbeck from MSI Design to find out more about these 12 ideas for the Downtown Columbus Plan:

 

Planning Downtown with MSI Design - Part 1 - (Intro and Ideas 1, 2 and 3)

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/planning-downtown-with-msi-design-part-1

 

Planning Downtown with MSI Design - Part 2 (Ideas 4 through 9)

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/planning-downtown-with-msi-design-part-2

 

Planning Downtown with MSI Design - Part 3 (Ideas 10, 11, 12 and next steps)

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/planning-downtown-with-msi-design-part-3

Great interviews, once again, Walker.  Interesting to hear their thought process on those 12 ideas presented for the Downtown Plan.

 

Those interviews made me think that we have been focusing too exclusively here at Urban Ohio on Idea #12, the Scioto-Olentangy Greenway Corridor, at the expense of the other 11.  So here are two places where the 12 ideas are listed.  Followed by individual posts summarizing each idea.

 

12 Ideas Laid Out for Downtown 2010 Strategic Plan

 

12 Ideas for the 2010 Downtown Columbus Strategic Plan

IDEA #1: Southeast Downtown Gateway Opportunity

 

This largely under-utilized area of Downtown Columbus will see significant change as a result of the improvements to I-70/I-71.  With the rebuilding of Mound and Fulton streets, there is an opportunity for a new gateway into Downtown. 

 

Given the proximity to Children’s Hospital, Grant Hospital and Franklin University, these new entrance corridors also provide significant economic development opportunities for the City.  A 2006 study by Bay Area Economics estimated that the office redevelopment potential of ground adjacent to these corridors could result in an additional $9 million of annual tax revenues to the City of Columbus. 

 

In addition to the changes at Mound and Fulton streets, there is also an opportunity to create a new neighborhood gateway at Grant Avenue.  This bridge crossing should be rebuilt to enhance the pedestrian and visual connection between Downtown and German Village.

 

MORE: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/southeast-gateway

 

IDEA #2:  Infill Housing around Topiary Park

 

Topiary Park has the potential to be a catalyst for residential infill.  While the surrounding neighborhood has several excellent residential streets, the northern and eastern edges of the park are occupied by surface parking lots.  To create a true neighborhood around the park, a parking solution should be developed that frees up the surface lots for residential development.  This will require a new parking structure as part of the new development or on another nearby site.  An influx of residents would help to enliven the existing neighborhood and provide the residents needed to support retail uses and other amenities that are currently lacking.

 

MORE: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/topiary-infill

 

IDEA #3:  Creative Campus

 

The expansion of the Columbus Museum of Art and recent additions to the CCAD campus have sparked renewed discussion about the creation of a Creative Campus.  This concept uses open space, new streetscapes, mixed-use infill and a parking garage to create an interconnected and active campus between CCAD, the Columbus Museum of Art, Jefferson Center and Columbus State.

 

This concept also reaches out to the edges of the Discovery District.  To the east, the new open space and streetscapes will improve connections to the energy created by the Neighborhood Launch residential infill along Gay Street.  To the west, infill development along Long Street, and a new Long Street Cap over I-71 will bridge the gap between the Creative Campus and the King Lincoln Theater and surrounding redevelopment.  Taken together, the Creative Campus will create a new cultural neighborhood that is interconnected and vibrant.

 

MORE: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/creative-campus

 

IDEA #4:  Redefine Broad Street as the Civic Spine of the City

 

Historically, Broad Street has acted as the civic spine for the City of Columbus.  As such, Broad Street used to have a streetscape that reflected its importance.  Today, Broad Street at eight lanes across, is as wide as SR 315.  While the mansions have been replaced by office towers, there is still an opportunity to restore the grandeur to this once majestic street.

 

Utilizing the same right of way that is available today, this concept for Broad Street removes travel lanes to create additional space for pedestrians, bicyclists and landscaping on both sides of the street.  This is more than a street, it is a linear park of usable green space that activates the streetscape and enhances property values.  Running from the Scioto River to the Near East Side, this is an essential east-west connection.  By widening the sidewalk and adding landscaping, this new streetscape can accommodate not only pedestrians, but also bicyclists.  Added trees and green space could also be designed to manage stormwater runoff.

 

MORE: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/broad-street

 

IDEA #5:  Restore High Street as Downtown's Commercial Corridor

 

High Street has always been a primary commercial corridor of Downtown Columbus, and the City as a whole.  High Street is the hub of government, commercial and entertainment activity.  It is the common thread that links the Convention Center, the Arena District, the State House, office towers, numerous theaters and the Franklin County Government Complex together.  Despite these attributes, however, High Street fails to feel vibrant through the entire length of Downtown because of several stretches of under-utilized properties, vacant lots and buildings, and surface parking lots.

 

The concept for restoring High Street as Downtown’s commercial corridor builds on the Mayor’s Mile On High Incentives by proposing an improved corridor that offers on-street parking and a revitalized streetscape, while still accommodating transit and traffic demands.  These changes will allow ground floor retail storefronts to be more successful, attract infill development and bring more people to High Street.

 

MORE: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/high-street

 

IDEA #6:  Develop a Downtown Transit Center to Replace the High Street Transit Mall

 

Today, COTA uses High Street and Broad Street as its primary Downtown transit spines. Dozens of buses converge on the corner of Broad and High streets and at the facility in the City Center garage.  While the garage location offers weather protection, the transfer point at the corner of Broad and High streets offers little to no cover to bus riders.  This problem could be solved with a dedicated facility that provides riders with a much improved transit experience.  This site should be located within the core of Downtown, providing both bus access and proximity to employment centers for riders.  For those transferring buses in Downtown and heading elsewhere, this facility would provide a more efficient and pleasant transit experience.

 

This new Downtown transit center could have numerous positive spin-off effects for Downtown Columbus. Other cities have been successful using federal transportation funds to build both garages and transit facilities.  There is an opportunity to build a parking garage associated with the transit center that could both serve the center and adjacent commercial development within the core of Downtown.  Designed properly, the transit center could become an icon that contributes to the image of Downtown and spurs the economic revitalization of Downtown Columbus.

 

MORE: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/transit-center

 

IDEA #7:  3-C Multi-Modal Station

 

Now is the time to begin planning for a permanent and iconic multi-modal station that takes full advantage of its location in Downtown Columbus and is a hub for not only transportation, but also activity.  Located between the Ohio Center and the Greater Columbus Convention Center, the multi-modal station would be a draw for conventioneers from around the state and daily commuter traffic would help to stimulate not only street level activity, but also enliven the existing retail that is part of the Ohio Center. 

 

Planned properly, a multi-modal station would provide Columbus with access to not only national and regional rail systems, but it could also act as the hub for commuter rail.  This central Downtown location would be highly utilized by commuters, visitors and Downtown residents.  Improving local, regional and national connectivity and embracing alternative transportation will be essential to the future success of both Downtown and the region.

 

MORE: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/multi-modal-station

 

IDEA #8:  Develop a Downtown Bike Station

 

Numerous bike infrastructure investments are currently planned to take place Downtown.  The City is working to implement its Bicentennial Bikeways Plan by installing lane markings on High Street and constructing new bike paths.  The Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District recently was awarded federal funding to build end-of-ride facilities such as bike shelters, garage parking and bike lockers.  As recommended in the City’s Bicentennial Bike Plan, the next step is a Bike Station that combines storage facilities, lockers and showers for commuters, in addition to bike rentals and repairs.

 

MORE: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/bike-station

 

IDEA #9:  Develop a Downtown Field House

 

The Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) has had great success in recent years attracting sports events to Columbus.  The GCCC hosted 34 events in 2009, leading to 53,500 hotel rooms being booked and $104.6 million in economic impact.  Even in a down economy, the GCCC will grow this segment of its business in 2010 with 42 events scheduled to take place.

 

A new Downtown Field House, located on the Convention Facilities Authority’s parking lot east of the Ohio Center, would allow the GCCC to expand its sports event capacity and boost the Downtown and local economy.  A dedicated facility, designed especially for sports events, would be a significant upgrade over current facilities that were designed for trade shows and other business events.  With the sports events moved to a new facility, space would free up in the Convention Center to add to its convention business.  In addition to sports events, this facility could also have gym space for Downtown residents and office workers—providing a needed Downtown amenity.

 

MORE: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/field-house

 

 

IDEA #10:  Pedestrian Bridge Connecting the Arena District to the Scioto Peninsula

 

Activity centers are often times not well-linked throughout Downtown Columbus.  Such is the case with the Arena District and COSI.  To better link these two important draws in Downtown, a pedestrian bridge could be built across the Scioto River.  While the exact location still needs to be determined, this bridge would allow for pedestrians and bicyclists to easily and quickly access activity centers on both sides of the river.  This bridge also provides an opportunity to enhance Downtown’s skyline by creating a unique, iconic structure.

 

MORE: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/pedestrian-bridge

 

 

IDEA #11:  Continue the Development of the Scioto Peninsula

 

The Scioto Peninsula represents an opportunity because nearly all of the land is owned by the City of Columbus.  The 30+ acre contiguous development site has outstanding views of Downtown and access to cultural and civic amenities.

 

While COSI and the riverfront are strong anchors for the Scioto Peninsula, more can be done to maximize their potential.  The largely vacant ground between COSI and the railroad tracks is ideal for new residential and office/research development that takes advantage of the impressive views of the Downtown skyline, while stepping down on the west side to protect the neighborhood scale of Franklinton.  This new mixed use neighborhood could showcase the latest in sustainable technology including energy efficiency, green roofs, green stormwater infrastructure, and solar power.

 

When taken together with the other investment at the riverfront, a revitalized Scioto Peninsula could become a new front door to Downtown and help to catalyze redevelopment in Franklinton.

 

MORE: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/scioto-peninsula

 

 

And finally, the previously discussed River Greenway concept:

 

IDEA #12:  Scioto-Olentangy Greenway Corridor

 

The Scioto River Downtown is being revitalized by three major parks projects.  Starting at North Bank Park, along the Scioto Mile that is currently under construction, and ending at the recently-opened Grange Insurance Audubon Center, the Scioto River now has three park destinations within Downtown.

 

Today, we have the opportunity to create an unparalleled green river corridor that runs through the heart of the City of Columbus.  This vision is made possible by other city initiatives that are currently underway.  The City’s $2.5 billion Wet Weather Management Program will reduce the potential for Combined Sewer Overflows that impact the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers.  Further promoting the concept of a clean river is the removal of low head dams that unnaturally widen both the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers, impede river flow, inhibit river habitat and create safety hazards.  Cleaning the rivers and removing low head dams would restore the natural river course, reintroduce river habitat and create more green space and recreational opportunities.

 

Plans to remove the 5th Avenue low head dam on the Olentangy River are already well underway.  The only remaining impediment to the south is the Main Street dam. Removing the Main Street dam would create a seamless, navigable linkage from OSU through Downtown along the Scioto Mile to the Whittier Peninsula.  Removing the dams will narrow the river channel to a more natural condition and create a green corridor that could have enhanced pedestrian and bicycle pathways and allow for other recreational activities such as canoeing or kayaking

 

MORE:  http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/greenway-corridor

 

A city of big ideas, big debates

Sunday,  May 23, 2010 - 2:59 AM

By Robert Vitale, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

For every big idea Columbus has warmly embraced or grudgingly accepted there are others that never made it off the drawing board.  A dozen more will be thrown into the mix on Tuesday when consultants present their final recommendations for a new Downtown plan to Mayor Michael B. Coleman and members of the City Council.

 

But the biggest of the big ideas - removing seven dams on the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, letting the rivers run a narrower and more-natural course and creating a 16.5-mile riverside greenway between Downtown and Delaware County - is sure to spark the most debate, its author acknowledges.  "This is Columbus," MSI Design principal Keith Myers concluded last month when he unveiled the plan, referring to skepticism that he believes follows all major proposals here. 

 

Last week, he confirmed that the river idea will stay on MSI's final list of recommendations, and he softened his opinion of the city's lack of an appetite for unorthodox proposals: "I don't know if we're different than any other city in that regard - probably not."

 

MAP OF THE SEVEN LOW-HEAD DAMS ON THE SCIOTO AND OLENTANGY RIVERS

 

Full article: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/05/23/copy/a-city-of-big-ideas-big-debates.html?adsec=politics&sid=101