December 6, 20186 yr 14 minutes ago, jwulsin said: The site plan shows the Municipal Light Plant being retained... has anybody ever proposed something specific for this building? It's beautiful on the outside but I'm sure it'd be a mighty expensive project to re-purpose. I love the idea of an outdoor beer garden that connects down to the Olentangy River. They are already working on it as creative office space. There is much posted and pictures on page 15 of the Arena District thread.
December 7, 20186 yr 15 hours ago, Toddguy said: They are already working on it as creative office space. There is much posted and pictures on page 15 of the Arena District thread. Yup, a link: https://www.columbusunderground.com/hard-hat-tour-municipal-light-plant-bw1 Also notice on the site plan how NRI has filled in the third Rivers Edge building. Wonder if we'll be seeing that soon?
December 7, 20186 yr 59 comments on this at CU. And naturally some complaints about the relatively small amount of money going toward infrastructure improvements smh. This is a huge win for the city to not be spending money for a stadium, to get a whole district with up to 1300 workers and maybe as many residents, and to be able to turn the Mapfre area into a sports complex for the public along with keeping the original second stadium as well for any possible events. When you look at what other cities have had to do with regards to spending untold hundreds of millions of dollars on teams (some of which then abruptly left), and you look at the economic benefits of keeping this team and the $$$ that it will bring into the city, this is really a steal for the city. I just don't get the complaints in this regard. This is a win for the city in keeping this sporting institution in the city, and making the very best of the save at that. Yes neighborhoods(like the Hilltop)do need investment dollars also), but I really don't think this money is going to take away much from that, and this will bring more money into the city in the long run. I just can't see this in any other terms other than a huge win. This also sends a big message to the rest of the country that the citizens, the business community, and civic leaders can and will come together and make things happen for Columbus and that is an important message that we should do everything we can to make clear, just like our being in the top 20 for Amazon-take advantage of this and market the hell out of it as how this area can take a lemon(Precourt and and what he wanted to do) and turn it into sweet sweet Lemonade. I wish we still had Coleman around-he would eat this up and market the hell out of the city-he thrived on that stuff. * I am also not seeing a lot on other forums about this really. Other cities would be proudly beating the drums of their success. We need to stop being so shy about our city and get out there and put our insecurities aside and boast with the best of them-successful cities do that. Edited December 7, 20186 yr by Toddguy
December 8, 20186 yr On 12/7/2018 at 5:38 PM, Toddguy said: 59 comments on this at CU. And naturally some complaints about the relatively small amount of money going toward infrastructure improvements smh. This is a huge win for the city to not be spending money for a stadium, to get a whole district with up to 1300 workers and maybe as many residents, and to be able to turn the Mapfre area into a sports complex for the public along with keeping the original second stadium as well for any possible events. When you look at what other cities have had to do with regards to spending untold hundreds of millions of dollars on teams (some of which then abruptly left), and you look at the economic benefits of keeping this team and the $$$ that it will bring into the city, this is really a steal for the city. I just don't get the complaints in this regard. This is a win for the city in keeping this sporting institution in the city, and making the very best of the save at that. Yes neighborhoods(like the Hilltop)do need investment dollars also), but I really don't think this money is going to take away much from that, and this will bring more money into the city in the long run. I just can't see this in any other terms other than a huge win. This also sends a big message to the rest of the country that the citizens, the business community, and civic leaders can and will come together and make things happen for Columbus and that is an important message that we should do everything we can to make clear, just like our being in the top 20 for Amazon-take advantage of this and market the hell out of it as how this area can take a lemon (Precourt and what he wanted to do) and turn it into sweet sweet Lemonade. I wish we still had Coleman around-he would eat this up and market the hell out of the city-he thrived on that stuff. * I am also not seeing a lot on other forums about this really. Other cities would be proudly beating the drums of their success. We need to stop being so shy about our city and get out there and put our insecurities aside and boast with the best of them-successful cities do that. Those negative comments from the Debbie Downers used to bother me. But now I just expect them no matter how good a project is. There is always going to a loud anti-govt spending noise in the media - even if the govt spending is only for streets & infrastructure (something where govt spending is right and proper) and even if it leverages 8 to 10 times private spending as a result. The Buckeye Institute/COAST contingent never supports any government spending - unless it is for a new freeway lane or to fix a pothole in front of their house (and then its "govt incompetence" if they don't do quickly enough). So to for the "millions for my neighborhood - zero for downtown" crowd. I am mightily impressed with the local business/civic community response to #SaveTheCrew. We wondered if they could step up the plate and hit a home run (wrong sports analogy I know). But they did it. Much of this credit should go to Alex Fischer, head of the Columbus Partnership - the local group that brings business and civic leaders together. Apparently Fischer has a longstanding relationship with Jimmy Haslam - which was key getting MLS to buy into this deal. Although getting MLS to abandon an incompetent multi-millionaire like Precourt for a multi-billionaire that also owns an NFL team was probably one of the easier parts of this deal! I also wish that Coleman was still Mayor to trumpet this deal. He was a master promoter of "the swagger" as he called it. Ginther pales by comparison, but is still better than his public perception. Beyond the vast swagger difference between Coleman and Ginther, their administrations are very similar. The policies and personnel don't greatly vary between a Coleman and Ginther mayoral team. Ginther is decidedly more awkward and less smooth then Coleman - but policy-wise there's not a big difference. In other words, Ginther is just a normal boring public figure. (However, in the Trump-era, I've gained a greater appreciation for boring politicos who know how to do their jobs!) A little over a year ago, I just wanted to Save The Crew - and it didn't matter how. Now, after seeing these plans for a new downtown stadium with a surrounding mixed-use neighborhood and seeing plans for the re-use of Mapfre Stadium into a new Crew training facility along with a new Community Sports Park around it -- I couldn't be prouder of the Columbus community and the way they made this happen!
December 8, 20186 yr The city gets all of its chest beating out of the way when OSU beats 6-5 Michigan teams
December 9, 20186 yr 5 hours ago, GCrites80s said: The city gets all of its chest beating out of the way when OSU beats 6-5 Michigan teams Now what kind of comment is this? Now it is 11-2 teams. And we better savor it with Urban leaving. What kind of talk is this anyway?-I thought you were a fellow uncool crescent resident lol. This is blasphemy! Seriously though, this is something that I do agree with regarding Aaron Renn-we can't just try and crap on our history and where we come from as a city. There is nothing wrong with our long history of OSU football and we should embrace it like any other city embraces it's pro big league teams. Maybe update it and transform it, but embrace it and not deny or denigrate part of our history. * I don't see OSU football in the same way as some things we have let go of, like the Penitentiary or the huge asylum that was on the west side. Dark and ugly institutions that are not exactly on the same level. Not saying we should celebrate concussions or drunken hooliganism or couches being immolated either, but there is more to the OSU tradition than that. I went there and did not torch a single couch, nor get into a single drunken fight(at least around OSU) ?
December 9, 20186 yr We're way better at swagger than we were 30 or 40 years ago. I couldn't find a picture of the Columbus Monthly cover from around 1980 with a bunch of bodybuilders wearing sashes with other cities names such as Dallas and Pittsburgh standing over a weenie in black socks wearing a Columbus sash, but that kind of modesty (rather than defeatism) is still there. I think this new stadium and a rivalry with Cincinnati that allows for smack-talking will increase swagger and attitude over time.
December 9, 20186 yr 41 minutes ago, GCrites80s said: I think this new stadium and a rivalry with Cincinnati that allows for smack-talking will increase swagger and attitude over time. With the most rabid of the Crew fan base focusing on #SaveTheCrew last season, this rivalry between the Crew and FC Cincinnati is something that's been on the back burner. But now that there will be a 2019 MLS season for the Crew, this Crew/FCC Ohio Derby (aka the Hell Is Real Derby) is something to look forward to.
December 12, 20186 yr The financial pieces for #SaveTheCrew are coming together. From https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/12/11/city-council-passes-support-for-columbus-crew.html Columbus City Council voted Monday night to approve a "memorandum of understanding" with the Haslam/Edwards investor group and Franklin County to develop the new stadium complex in the Arena District, while redeveloping the existing Mapfre Stadium site into a new training facility for the Crew and new indoor and outdoor sports fields for use by the community. The City of Columbus is pledging $50 million toward infrastructure and public improvements for the stadium projects, primarily for the design and construction of the Community Sports Park at Mapfre Stadium. The City also will contribute to road, water, sewer and other improvements at the site on the western end of the Arena District that will host a new $230 million Crew stadium. Franklin County is expected to approve contributing $45 million over 30 years to a new community authority created to facilitate the initiatives. And in addition to this City and County assistance, it appears that the State of Ohio will be adding $15 million to support the new stadium in the Arena District: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20181210/state-lawmakers-seek-to-kick-in-15-million-for-crew-stadium
December 12, 20186 yr 7 minutes ago, Columbo said: The financial pieces for #SaveTheCrew are coming together. From https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/12/11/city-council-passes-support-for-columbus-crew.html Columbus City Council voted Monday night to approve a "memorandum of understanding" with the Haslam/Edwards investor group and Franklin County to develop the new stadium complex in the Arena District, while redeveloping the existing Mapfre Stadium site into a new training facility for the Crew and new indoor and outdoor sports fields for use by the community. The City of Columbus is pledging $50 million toward infrastructure and public improvements for the stadium projects, primarily for the design and construction of the Community Sports Park at Mapfre Stadium. The City also will contribute to road, water, sewer and other improvements at the site on the western end of the Arena District that will host a new $230 million Crew stadium. Franklin County is expected to approve contributing $45 million over 30 years to a new community authority created to facilitate the initiatives. And in addition to this City and County assistance, it appears that the State of Ohio will be adding $15 million to support the new stadium in the Arena District: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20181210/state-lawmakers-seek-to-kick-in-15-million-for-crew-stadium The Ohio House just voted and approved by a vote of 66 to 25. Now it comes down to the Senate vote, which could happen later today I believe.
December 19, 20186 yr Franklin County Commissioners approve spending $45 million to facilitate new Crew SC stadium The final step – at least as far as public support goes – for a planned Crew SC stadium was unanimously approved by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners. Commissioners voted Tuesday morning to approve a memorandum of understanding with a local investor group – called JHAC Ventures – and the city of Columbus to develop a new stadium complex in the Arena District and redevelop the Mapfre Stadium site into indoor and outdoor sports fields and green space for community use and a training complex for the Crew. The county pledged $45 million over 30 years to a new community authority created to facilitate these initiatives and to develop Confluence Village. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/12/18/franklin-county-commissioners-approves-spending-45.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 31, 20186 yr Very happy to see the Crew staying and very pleased with the development project there. Has there been much said on how much parking is planned? It's definitely a tough spot to funnel 10(ish) thousand cars, let alone two or three times that if there are ever simultaneous events at Huntington Park and/or Nationwide. Edited December 31, 20186 yr by MikeInCanton
December 31, 20186 yr My guess is that they would use the existing garages and lots which service Huntington Park and Nationwide Arena. That's one of the things I like best about this location, you don't need to have massive lots surrounding the stadium due to the existing parking infrastructure that's just a short walk away.
December 31, 20186 yr 1 hour ago, 17thState said: My guess is that they would use the existing garages and lots which service Huntington Park and Nationwide Arena. That's one of the things I like best about this location, you don't need to have massive lots surrounding the stadium due to the existing parking infrastructure that's just a short walk away. This. It will largely utilize the parking that already exists in the Arena district.
January 1, 20196 yr 2 hours ago, 17thState said: My guess is that they would use the existing garages and lots which service Huntington Park and Nationwide Arena. That's one of the things I like best about this location, you don't need to have massive lots surrounding the stadium due to the existing parking infrastructure that's just a short walk away. Existing garages and lots in the Arena District will probably accommodate alot of the demand. It also looks like there will be a garage right across the street from the stadium in the renderings so there will probably a decent amount of space available right there as well. That will work out fine. If you want to pay a little more you can park right there. If not, just walk like 5 or 10 mins down the street. They could also run some shuttles or buses down Nationwide if justifiable. I dont think parking should be much of an issue. I'm more interested to see how good the ingress/egress to Confluence Village will be. I'm sure they'll figure it out though.
February 11, 20196 yr City OKs going forward with plans for Confluence Village infrastructure Confluence Village is one step closer to becoming a reality. Columbus City Council and Mayor Andrew Ginther have signed off on an ordinance for the city's Department of Public Service to enter into a contract with local architecture firm OHM Advisors. Confluence village is the mixed-use development that will surround the future Columbus Crew Arena on the western edge of the Arena District. There are plans for 270,000 square feet of commercial and office space that could bring an additional 1,300 workers to the district, along with 885 residential units. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/02/11/city-oks-going-forward-with-plans-for-confluence.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 12, 20196 yr Came across this aerial view of the future Crew Stadium (and surrounding Confluence Village) site at https://www.dispatch.com/business/20190203/whatever-happened-to-that-big-project
February 12, 20196 yr 1 hour ago, Columbo said: Came across this aerial view of the future Crew Stadium (and surrounding Confluence Village) site at https://www.dispatch.com/business/20190203/whatever-happened-to-that-big-project It's going to be fascinating to see a before-and-after of this picture, let's keep growing Franklinton to the south!
May 10, 20196 yr Infrastructure funds for the new Crew Stadium site are included in the mayor's capital budget for 2019: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190509/crime-center-new-preschool-in-mayor-ginthers-940-million-capital-budget Quote A total of $16 million is included in Ginther’s capital budget to help the city meet its commitment of up to $20 million in infrastructure upgrades around the site of a proposed new Columbus Crew SC stadium in the Arena District. Columbus pledged those funds as part of a deal to keep the soccer team in the city. The city already has hired a consultant to lead design on those infrastructure improvements.
June 18, 20195 yr Development plan set for $233M Crew stadium, with Arena District land deal yet to come The city of Columbus and Franklin County have reached a preliminary deal with the owners of Columbus Crew SC on the details of a new stadium complex in the Arena District and community sports park on the site of Mapfre Stadium on the city's north side. Columbus City Council is expected to have its first hearing on the development agreement at its next meeting on June 24. The draft plan obtained by Columbus Business First calls for $140 million in public contributions and $155.4 million in private investment in the projects. The Crew's owners would agree to an initial lease term of 30 years for the stadium and training complexes, paying rent of $10 per year for each, with a non-relocation clause built into the deal. Construction on the new 20,000-seat stadium would be targeted to begin in October, with an expected completion in July 2021. The stadium would cost $232.9 million, not including land acquisition and public infrastructure costs. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/06/18/development-plan-set-for-233m-crew-stadium-with.html & https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/06/18/breaking-down-the-latest-crew-sc-stadium-details.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 19, 20195 yr I'm very confused by this article appearing now. I thought they reached a deal months ago when we "saved the Crew"? I'm a bit dense. What exactly is THIS then and is it a good thing? Why is no Arena land deal made yet and is this par for the course of this type of development or should I worry?
June 19, 20195 yr 1 hour ago, Zyrokai said: I'm very confused by this article appearing now. I thought they reached a deal months ago when we "saved the Crew"? I'm a bit dense. What exactly is THIS then and is it a good thing? Why is no Arena land deal made yet and is this par for the course of this type of development or should I worry? The Crew were "saved" when new ownership (The Haslams and the Edwards) purchased the team from Precourt. At about the same time, plans were released about building a new stadium on the NRI land in Arena West and repurposing Mapfre Stadium into a practice facility and community center. All the news being reported afterward is simply the official fulfillment of those plans (i.e. County approving agreements/funds; City approving agreements/funds). The Business First article mentioned that although no land deal has been completed with NRI, one is expected shortly. The City, County and the Crew wouldn't be going so far down this road without being assured that NRI will eventually transfer their land for this project. This seems to be normal for this type of development - I remember the Huntington Park development (which NRI was also involved with) going about the same process.
June 19, 20195 yr 1 minute ago, Columbo said: The Crew were "saved" when new ownership (The Haslams and the Edwards) purchased the team from Precourt. At about the same time, plans were released about building a new stadium on the NRI land in Arena West and repurposing Mapfre Stadium into a practice facility and community center. All the news being reported afterward is simply the official fulfillment of those plans (i.e. County approving agreements/funds; City approving agreements/funds). The Business First article mentioned that although no land deal has been completed with NRI, one is expected shortly. The City, County and the Crew wouldn't be going so far down this road without being assured that NRI will eventually transfer their land for this project. This seems to be normal for this type of development - I remember the Huntington Park development (which NRI was involved with) going about the same process. This process has actually been surprisingly smooth, so far, compared to other stadium projects (i.e. Cincinnati and Nashville).
June 20, 20195 yr Thanks for the insight! Much appreciated. I don't have much perspective on this stuff, but I'm glad to know it's going smoothly.
June 20, 20195 yr 23 hours ago, cbussoccer said: This process has actually been surprisingly smooth, so far, compared to other stadium projects (i.e. Cincinnati and Nashville). Very true. Cincinnati is still a bit of a nightmare with the West End folks from what I hear. And Nashville will be playing at their fairgrounds (sound familiar)?
July 2, 20195 yr City Council approves $50M for Columbus Crew stadium deal Columbus City Council approved a development agreement with the owners of the Columbus Crew SC Monday night, advancing plans for a new Crew stadium complex in the Arena District and community sports park on the site of Mapfre Stadium. The city will contribute $50 million toward the $295 million in planned projects, with the remainder of a promised $140 million in public funding slated to come from Franklin County, the state and bonds issued by the authority that will own the stadium. Private investment in the projects is expected to total $155.4 million, as detailed in the development agreement. The team owners – a group that includes Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam and the family of longtime Crew team physician Dr. Pete Edwards – have yet to acquire the Arena District site from Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. But they're hoping to finalize the land deal by mid-August, break ground in October and start play in the stadium in July of 2021. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/07/02/city-council-approves-50m-for-columbus-crew.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 17, 20195 yr I wonder if we might see some final renderings soon since they have requested approval for a building of a specific height.
July 17, 20195 yr 1 minute ago, cbussoccer said: I wonder if we might see some final renderings soon since they have requested approval for a building of a specific height. That's what I was thinking. This thing is moving so fast it's hard to keep up. Of course, FC Cincinnati's stadium just got new renderings yesterday, and they're already under construction. I don't know too much about the order of events with these things. Would the FAA filing come before engineering and building permits? How long before if so?
July 22, 20195 yr I'm quite curious to see how the final renderings look since we haven't heard of any design updates since the announcement. Cincinnati just released new renders for the West End Stadium (and it leaves a lot to be desired imho), and being on a similar construction schedule and now the FAA filings, we should be seeing something soon. I noticed in the BizJournal article last week about all the development in the AD their photo for the stadium was actually a screen-cap of the layout from MKSK that seemed way more final but no updated render. Looks like we are getting a public plaza and the shaped looked pretty similar, I am just curious how materials have evolved. Lets hope things are only improving, seems like the owners care now and want to build something great so I have high hopes for this one.
July 22, 20195 yr 4 minutes ago, DevolsDance said: I'm quite curious to see how the final renderings look since we haven't heard of any design updates since the announcement. Cincinnati just released new renders for the West End Stadium (and it leaves a lot to be desired imho), and being on a similar construction schedule and now the FAA filings, we should be seeing something soon. I noticed in the BizJournal article last week about all the development in the AD their photo for the stadium was actually a screen-cap of the layout from MKSK that seemed way more final but no updated render. Looks like we are getting a public plaza and the shaped looked pretty similar, I am just curious how materials have evolved. Lets hope things are only improving, seems like the owners care now and want to build something great so I have high hopes for this one. There's some new info on this thread on the BigSoccer website from someone who spoke with some members of the FO. I've pasted the specific comment below. Based on the comment, we should get some new renders in September. Went to the chalk talk and got to ask a couple of questions during the session and a couple to Bez after it was done. Phil from the Browns talked about the stadium and IBM IX. Stadium rendering at the end of September. Stadium experience suite in downtown at the end of September. It looks like a place where you can go, check out a virtual layout or a mock-up and probably start to think about your experience and where you'd like to get tickets. Their goal is to make it something that people will think about when asked about the best stadium in Ohio and in the USA. For example, now most people would say one of the most recognizable stadiums in Ohio is the Horseshoe. That's their goal. The stadium will incorporate unique things about Columbus (someone asked about arches). There will be pubs in the stadium grounds for those wanting to stick around after matches. There will be kids areas. Their goal is to address the needs of families, couples, young adults, etc. in their respective requirements. Pricing will be variable to make it more affordable (maybe per opponent, or student pricing?). Looking at concessions pricing like Seattle and Atlanta, or similar options, to make it more affordable for families to go to games. Looking at promotions. We talked Buck-a-brat and bobbleheads and all seem to be in the discussion. IBM IX will track and help the user from the moment they buy a ticket all the way to their trip home after the game. It will also measure the experience across all users so they can measure good versus bad. For example, now the game ends and traffic is a nightmare for many so the experience ends on a negative. They want the experience to be positive most of the time. What's traffic like on the way to the stadium? What are the parking options? Are spots available? Ordering food from your seat? Concession line length? They have weekly meetings with the IX team.
July 23, 20195 yr This isn't an update about the proposed new stadium and development surrounding it at the far western end of downtown's Arena District (it seems to be proceeding smoothly). This is about the Crew's practice facilities (both the present one at Obetz and the future one at the existing Mapfre Stadium location). The Crew has had a practice facility at Obetz for nearly its entire 23-year existence. But the previous Crew ownership let its lease with the Village of Obetz (who owns the land the practice facility was built on) expire last year, and the team has been on a month-to-month deal since. Now Obetz is attempting to play hardball by threatening to terminate its lease with the Crew if the Cleveland Browns don't bring a mini-training camp or other type of team excursion to the village (current Crew ownership also owns the Browns). Here a quote from the Dispatch article about this: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190722/obetz-threatens-to-evict-crew-if-browns-dont-promise-to-bring-players-to-franklin-county Quote If the two sides can’t come to terms, the village will ask the Crew to leave the training facility in December, terminating its 22-year relationship with professional soccer, said Rod Davisson, administrator and economic development director for the village. “Continuing to train in Obetz for the next couple years before our new planned facility is complete would be optimal for our team. We’ve made recent investments in the facility with the intent of staying and we’d love to reach an agreement”, said Peter John-Baptiste, Crew vice president of communications. The Browns have offered to host an Obetz youth football camp, which typically involves active and former players, but not a team training excursion. Then there is the proposed future training facility for the Crew that would reuse Mapfre Stadium and build additional recreational fields and facilities surrounding the stadium in partnership with the City of Columbus. This plan was announced several months ago by the City of Columbus and the Columbus Partnership. Well, it appears that they didn't get complete buy-in from the State of Ohio - the group that actually owns the land beneath and surrounding Mapfre Stadium and is part of the State Fairgrounds. Because of that, Governor DeWine has created a 20-member task force to give official recommendations regarding the property surrounding Mapfre Stadium. Below is a link to a Dispatch article about this and a quote for that article: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190711/gov-mike-dewine-creates-panel-to-look-at-state-land-around-mapfre-stadium Quote Gov. Mike DeWine is convening a task force to chart the future of state land around Mapfre Stadium that the city of Columbus wants for a new Crew practice facility and community sports park, and it’s unclear how long that process will take or what it will recommend. Asked Thursday if he was effectively saying the state needs to slow down and think about its own interests in the land, DeWine responded: “Well, sure.” “I think the Crew and the Columbus Partnership have come up with a very interesting proposal that would provide some great things for the community,” DeWine said. “But as you start to go through the process of where parking is going to be, who’s going to be where, you just have to kind of look at the big picture. I believe we’ll be able to resolve this with all parties feeling they got a good outcome,” he said. The task force will be co-chaired by Mike Curtin, a longtime Columbus Dispatch reporter, editor and executive who became a two-term state representative, and Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Development Services Agency. ... Alex Fischer, CEO of the Columbus Partnership, a group representing the largest companies and organizations in Columbus and who has been instrumental in the Crew SC negotiations, said the creation of the task force doesn’t represent a speed bump in the Mapfre plan, noting that DeWine has been a big backer of the effort to save the Crew. The task force is about “how could we make other improvements and make sure we do it in an integrated way,” Fischer said.
July 23, 20195 yr Columbus lurker here... is it common for the Governor to create 20-member task forces regarding development? As someone watching the FC Cincinnati stadium play out... it comes as a shock to hear the governor would insert himself into this development. What am I missing?
July 23, 20195 yr 3 minutes ago, Chas Wiederhold said: Columbus lurker here... is it common for the Governor to create 20-member task forces regarding development? As someone watching the FC Cincinnati stadium play out... it comes as a shock to hear the governor would insert himself into this development. What am I missing? Mapfre Stadium was built on land owned by the state. The team leases the land the stadium sits on, as well as a small amount of land surrounding the stadium, from the state. It is perfectly appropriate for the governor of the state that owns the land to create a task force to ensure the land they own is properly used. From what I've heard, this shouldn't be a problem for the overall plans the Crew have. Remember, Dewine pushed the lawsuit against Precourt/MLS that ultimately played a huge part in keeping the team in Columbus. He isn't what I call "anti-Crew".
July 23, 20195 yr Love Obetz having no leverage trying to squeeze the last few dollars they can out of the Crew/Haslam group. Very Stable Genius
August 9, 20195 yr On the eve of tomorrow's inaugural Hell is Real derby (MLS regular-season version) Business First gave us this wonderful headline on their website: "Columbus Crew president says team owns land for Arena District stadium, according to report" Well, it turns out they jumped the gun. Team President Tim Bezbatchenko was quoted in the below linked article published by The Athletic, as follows: https://theathletic.com/1125806/2019/08/08/how-tim-bezbatchenko-is-revamping-the-crew-in-the-midst-of-a-difficult-year/ Quote Bezbatchenko … said that the club now owns all the land on which the stadium will be built, but that the team is still negotiating with Columbus-based Nationwide Insurance for several parcels that they’re looking to acquire for part of a broader, mixed-use development. The Crew have until Aug. 15 to reach a land-purchase agreement with Nationwide, or else the club will have to exercise an option to extend the deadline by up to a year. Bezbatchenko was confident that everything would proceed according to plan, though, adding that the team plans to break ground on the stadium itself on Oct. 10th. Business First's update to their original story, now has this headline: "UPDATED: Despite report, Columbus Crew owners say land deal close, but still not done" That update includes this response from Crew ownership: Quote The owners of Columbus Crew SC are "close to finalizing" a land deal for the team's Arena District stadium site, but are not quite done, according to a spokesman for the team's ownership group. ... No deed has been recorded for the property in question, however, and the Franklin County Auditor's website still lists an affiliate of Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. as in control of the vacant industrial land, which has an address of 560 Nationwide Blvd. The ownership group spokesman said negotiations are going smoothly between the groups, and Nationwide Realty has been cooperative with the owners regarding site visits. Here's the full updated story: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/08/09/columbus-crew-president-says-team-owns-land-for.html
August 12, 20195 yr Any Crew fans/Columbus locals mind adding some insight for a few tourists?@ryanlammi and I attended Hell is Real Part 1 at Mapfre this past Saturday (soft penalty, that was Cincy's match ? ). On our way out of town on Sunday, we swung by to check out the new stadium site/Arena District developments. Couple of observations: 1) Arena District has aged really, really well. Been a Jackets fan since the first days and love how that arena still looks great—inside and out. 2) Ballpark also holding up well and looking great. The brick in the district is fantastic. Jesus, what The Banks could've been. 3) That municipal light building.... wow. 4) Assuming we were at the right spot, the new Crew stadium location will be awesome. If my understanding is right, the new Crew stadium will be just beyond the pole in this photo, correct? While checking out the area, we happened upon what I think was the former "Dept. of Human Services" offices? At least that's what a sign said. I don't think I've seen it mentioned in previous articles, but the sight seems to have been abandoned since 2016 or so. Can anyone share what these structures were/are... Google street view link: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9690913,-83.0208955,3a,75y,102.26h,89.21t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sPnV85EEakEdKq8eA8e-SjA!2e0!5s20180801T000000!7i13312!8i6656
August 12, 20195 yr 1 hour ago, Gordon Bombay said: Any Crew fans/Columbus locals mind adding some insight for a few tourists?@ryanlammi and I attended Hell is Real Part 1 at Mapfre this past Saturday (soft penalty, that was Cincy's match ? ). On our way out of town on Sunday, we swung by to check out the new stadium site/Arena District developments. Couple of observations: 1) Arena District has aged really, really well. Been a Jackets fan since the first days and love how that arena still looks great—inside and out. 2) Ballpark also holding up well and looking great. The brick in the district is fantastic. Jesus, what The Banks could've been. 3) That municipal light building.... wow. 4) Assuming we were at the right spot, the new Crew stadium location will be awesome. If my understanding is right, the new Crew stadium will be just beyond the pole in this photo, correct? What pole? Lol. Not nice ?
August 12, 20195 yr 2 hours ago, Gordon Bombay said: Any Crew fans/Columbus locals mind adding some insight for a few tourists?@ryanlammi and I attended Hell is Real Part 1 at Mapfre this past Saturday (soft penalty, that was Cincy's match ? ). On our way out of town on Sunday, we swung by to check out the new stadium site/Arena District developments. Couple of observations: 1) Arena District has aged really, really well. Been a Jackets fan since the first days and love how that arena still looks great—inside and out. 2) Ballpark also holding up well and looking great. The brick in the district is fantastic. Jesus, what The Banks could've been. 3) That municipal light building.... wow. 4) Assuming we were at the right spot, the new Crew stadium location will be awesome. It looks like you found the right location. If you went past the baseball stadium on Nationwide Boulevard and continued under the elevated railroad tracks, it would be the open field on the right at 560 W. Nationwide Boulevard. This really is an ideal location for the new Crew Stadium. We would have all three pro sports facilities lined up along Nationwide Blvd (Nationwide Arena, Huntington Park and the new Crew Stadium). This location almost wasn't available. Originally it was going to be the casino location for Columbus. But the developers of the casino never got any local buy-in to locate the casino there - and the local honchos (mostly Nationwide and the then-Wolfe-owned Dispatch) got them to move it to the city's west side. Then Nationwide bought the property from the casino developer - which is why they own the property today.
August 13, 20195 yr 5 hours ago, Gordon Bombay said: Any Crew fans/Columbus locals mind adding some insight for a few tourists?@ryanlammi and I attended Hell is Real Part 1 at Mapfre this past Saturday (soft penalty, that was Cincy's match ? ). On our way out of town on Sunday, we swung by to check out the new stadium site/Arena District developments. Couple of observations: 1) Arena District has aged really, really well. Been a Jackets fan since the first days and love how that arena still looks great—inside and out. 2) Ballpark also holding up well and looking great. The brick in the district is fantastic. Jesus, what The Banks could've been. 3) That municipal light building.... wow. 4) Assuming we were at the right spot, the new Crew stadium location will be awesome. If my understanding is right, the new Crew stadium will be just beyond the pole in this photo, correct? While checking out the area, we happened upon what I think was the former "Dept. of Human Services" offices? At least that's what a sign said. I don't think I've seen it mentioned in previous articles, but the sight seems to have been abandoned since 2016 or so. Can anyone share what these structures were/are... Google street view link: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9690913,-83.0208955,3a,75y,102.26h,89.21t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sPnV85EEakEdKq8eA8e-SjA!2e0!5s20180801T000000!7i13312!8i6656 Looks like it might have been city road maintenance, but I don't know what the Depatment of Human Services had to do with it. Probably one of those pieces of land that the city wound up with that got used for several things over the years. Columbus used to have a lot of that kind of stuff hidden in little cubbies like that, like the impound lot and Ft. Hayes. Remember, that is still considered Downtown despite the CBD being that far off in the distance. Edited August 13, 20195 yr by GCrites80s
August 13, 20195 yr 12 hours ago, GCrites80s said: Looks like it might have been city road maintenance, but I don't know what the Depatment of Human Services had to do with it. Probably one of those pieces of land that the city wound up with that got used for several things over the years. Columbus used to have a lot of that kind of stuff hidden in little cubbies like that, like the impound lot and Ft. Hayes. Remember, that is still considered Downtown despite the CBD being that far off in the distance. Thanks for the insight! Looks like it was a "Maintenance Operations Outpost" per this city PDF: https://www.columbus.gov/uploadedfiles\Public_Service\Home\PSD business function T O.pdf Interesting that you mention it still being Downtown (and to be fair, that photograph was made with a wide-angle lens that makes the distance seem more dramatic), because the "downtown" feel certainly carries to the ballpark. Once that's all extended down to here, I'm sure the feeling will continue. It really is a great site. Will it have any transit connections? 15 hours ago, Columbo said: It looks like you found the right location. If you went past the baseball stadium on Nationwide Boulevard and continued under the elevated railroad tracks, it would be the open field on the right at 560 W. Nationwide Boulevard. This really is an ideal location for the new Crew Stadium. We would have all three pro sports facilities lined up along Nationwide Blvd (Nationwide Arena, Huntington Park and the new Crew Stadium). This location almost wasn't available. Originally it was going to be the casino location for Columbus. But the developers of the casino never got any local buy-in to locate the casino there - and the local honchos (mostly Nationwide and the then-Wolfe-owned Dispatch) got them to move it to the city's west side. Then Nationwide bought the property from the casino developer - which is why they own the property today. Thank goodness they didn't waste that site on a casino.
August 13, 20195 yr 14 minutes ago, Pablo said: ^Transit? In Columbus? Surely you jest! ? There is a push for a ballot initiative for a second downtown free circulator bus (like the CBUS, tentatively being called the "DBUS" that would service the new stadium, so yes, transit is hopefully coming: https://www.columbusunderground.com/transit-columbus-pushes-for-new-circulator-ballot-measure-in-2020-bw1
August 18, 20195 yr Some much more encouraging words from Gov. DeWine regarding the City's plan to remake the existing Crew/Mapfre Stadium on leased State Fairgrounds property into a new Crew practice facility along with additional recreational fields and facilities surrounding the stadium: DeWine: State will work out giving up parking space for Mapfre proposal Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday said the state plans to accommodate a proposal to transform parking lots around Mapfre Stadium into a practice facility for the Crew major league soccer club and a new Columbus city recreation facility. “Look, we’re going to accommodate that,” DeWine told reporters after giving the opening remarks to a new task force that will study the best future land uses of the historic state fairgrounds. DeWine said there are “some things to work out in regard to parking.” “In the short run, decisions have to be made so that the Crew can move forward, the community can move forward,” DeWine said. “The (Mapfre) plan that was proposed I think is a solid plan, just a question of how that gets accommodated with parking and other challenges. So that’s something that’s going to get worked out in the short run.” DeWine said the new panel “is really looking more at the long run ... what really I’ve asked them to do is look at the future of the fair” and other adjacent state facilities, like the Ohio History Connection, formerly called the Ohio Historical Society. The Mapfre proposal would consume 23 acres of state fairgrounds land currently used for parking, transforming the property into new private practice fields for the Crew, public community sports fields and a new city indoor sports facility. The plan would take away 1,750 parking spots used for fairgrounds events, but 1,550 of those could be replaced, including at a state armory on the other side of I-71 from the fairgrounds, an ODOT study found. MORE: https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20190816/dewine-state-will-work-out-giving-up-parking-space-for-mapfre-proposal
August 19, 20195 yr I just noticed the engineering site review application for the stadium was filed with the city back on 8/7. https://portal.columbus.gov/Permits/Cap/CapDetail.aspx?Module=Engineering&TabName=Engineering&capID1=19PCS&capID2=00000&capID3=00183&agencyCode=COLUMBUS&IsToShowInspection=
August 19, 20195 yr 1 hour ago, cbussoccer said: I just noticed the engineering site review application for the stadium was filed with the city back on 8/7. https://portal.columbus.gov/Permits/Cap/CapDetail.aspx?Module=Engineering&TabName=Engineering&capID1=19PCS&capID2=00000&capID3=00183&agencyCode=COLUMBUS&IsToShowInspection= This, this is exciting news. Also a local Geologist posted a story on Instagram this weekend that his team has begun Geotech drilling on the site for soil samples. Looks like things are on the move for this project. We should be seeing an updated rendering any week now as well. Edited August 19, 20195 yr by DevolsDance
August 19, 20195 yr 1 minute ago, DevolsDance said: This, this is exciting news. Also a local Geologist posted a story on Instagram this weekend that his team has begun Geotech drilling on the site for soil samples. Looks like things are on the move for this thing. We should be seeing an updated rendering any week now as well. Yep, I don't think anyone should doubt this project moving forward at this point. My only concern now is them staying on schedule and opening the stadium on time. I'm hoping for mild winters the next couple years to help them stay on schedule.
August 21, 20195 yr 4 hours ago, cbussoccer said: I wonder what this means.... https://portal.columbus.gov/permits/ My guess is NRI is having the lot split to allow for each part to take their respective pieces of land in the sale. I believe the 20 acre section is the stadium and the tiny .04 acres is for the public plaza (southeast corner) that will be owned by the city. Basically this is a good sign, it's often the step right before the official sale of a larger property to multiple parties.
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