Posted January 31, 201015 yr Shooting Range? Neighbors Say No Thanks By Laurie Omness, NBC4 Published: January 30, 2010 COLUMBUS, Ohio—A new business coming into a vacant Sun TV building—-that’s not good news for the Driving Park area. That’s because the proposed business would be the city’s only indoor shooting range. Full story and video at http://www2.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/article/shooting_range_neighbors_say_no_thanks/30981/ GOOGLE MAP FOR 1030 ALUM CREEK DRIVE
February 1, 201015 yr I live right by there and welcome the range. They also just put in a Lion's Den a few doors down which I also don't mind, though I usually go to the adult bookstore further south on Alum Creek.
February 10, 201015 yr Shooting Range? Neighbors Say No Thanks By Laurie Omness, NBC4 Published: January 30, 2010 COLUMBUS, Ohio—A new business coming into a vacant Sun TV building—-that’s not good news for the Driving Park area. That’s because the proposed business would be the city’s only indoor shooting range. Full story and video at http://www2.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/article/shooting_range_neighbors_say_no_thanks/30981/ GOOGLE MAP FOR 1030 ALUM CREEK DRIVE This is across a railroad that separates the area from Driving Park, but it is just south of Hanford Village. I don't see why residents would be against it. E Livingston has its share of unsavory businesses despite having consolidated the various neighborhood associations together. I'd be more worried about cracking down on run-down carryouts. http://www.livingstonavenue.org/AboutUs.html The Livingston Avenue Collaborative for Community Development (LACCD) is a partnership of the Driving Park Civic Association (DPCA), Driving Park Area Commission (DPAC), Livingston Park Neighborhood Improvement Association (LPNIA), Old Oaks Civic Association (OOCA) and approximately 17,000 residents.
February 11, 201015 yr Those fools. People that hang out at the gun range are not the ones who are out commuting murders.
February 11, 201015 yr Author It looks like the Driving Park Civic Association et. al. does not want to drop its fight against the indoor gun range business approval... Civic groups ask court to spike gun range City, commission didn't notify area residents, second lawsuit states Wednesday, February 10, 2010 - 3:05 AM By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch After filing one appeal to kill a proposed indoor shooting range from opening near I-70 and Alum Creek Drive, area residents are taking their fight to court a second time. The new appeal against the city and the Livingston Avenue Area Commission argues that the commission didn't give proper notice to nearby civic associations and the public when it considered an application for a special permit for the range. The suit also argues that the shooting range is incompatible with the neighborhood and violates city codes on special permits. After the area commission gave the go-ahead, the Columbus Board of Zoning Adjustment approved the special permit for the firing range on Nov. 17. That touched off anger among some residents who said they don't want that kind of business in an area plagued by gun violence. The firing range and related gun store would open inside a former appliance store at 1030 Alum Creek Drive. Full article at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/02/10/copy/GUNSTORE.ART_ART_02-10-10_B1_K2GI3MJ.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
February 11, 201015 yr Author I sympathize with the Driving Park neighborhood groups that are fighting the indoor gun range business. I'm sure they think they're helping their neighborhood with this fight. But it seems like a misplaced and wasted effort. As GCrites pointed out, the thugs committing crimes in their neighborhood aren't going to be renting time at this shooting range to work their accuracy. Stopping this gun range will have zero impact on crime and quality of life in Driving Park. These organization's efforts would be better focused on the Livingston Avenue corridor and neighborhood crime watches in the surrounding neighborhoods. This was made tragically clear with this news that occured one block south of Livingston Avenue on Tuesday: "South Side man shot to death while shoveling snow"
February 11, 201015 yr This is one of many examples of some residents not understanding how to tackle a problem and putting a whole lot of energy into an effort that will go nowhere. Driving Park suffered from shootings before any shooting range was located just outside its borders. How about doing something about all those run-down carry-outs that plague Livingston or cracking down on bad landlords?
October 19, 201311 yr Author Pilot Program Will Turn Vacant Homes Into Afforable Housing In Driving Park Community Sunday, October 13, 2013 - 12:08 AM WBNS 10TV News COLUMBUS, Ohio - Community organizers have made an effort to rehabilitate vacant properties in one Columbus neighborhood. Government agencies joined forces with a community & faith-based organization to provide affordable housing for families on Saturday. The partnership of the City of Columbus Land Development Office, the Central Ohio Community Improvement Corporation (County Land Bank), Chase, Bethany Baptist Church and the Gertrude Wood Community Foundation (GWCF) broke ground on the "One Street @ a Time" pilot project geared toward reducing the number of vacant and abandoned houses in the community. The first home is located at 876 Ellsworth Avenue and it's neglect and dilapidated condition is evident of the need for change. ... Organizers say there are 66 vacant properties along Ellsworth and Miller Avenues between Livingston Avenue and Whittier Street. Organizers are hoping to rehabilitate 30 of those home in 3 years with the goal of increasing affordable housing for families in need. MORE: http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2013/10/12/Columbus-Pilot-Program-Will-Turn-Vacant-Homes-into-Afforable-Housing-In-Driving-Park-Community.html
December 13, 201311 yr Author The Dispatch had an article about a group looking to do a community development project in the Driving Park neighborhood southeast of downtown. Not sure if this is the same group that 10TV reported on back in October - and posted here in this thread - that set a goal to rehabilitate 30 houses in the Driving Park neighborhood over the next 3 years. This sounds like a different effort that is focused around a group that bought the former Kent Elementary School building. But they also mention adding 30 lease-to-own houses in the neighborhood - although this goal seems to be for new construction and not rehab of existing houses, as per the October report. Anyway, here's an excerpt, with the full article available at the link below: Foundation hopes to help uplift Driving Park By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch Friday, December 13, 2013 - 7:09 AM When a nonprofit group bought the vacant Kent Elementary building this year, its leaders acknowledged that creating a successful new school without rejuvenating the surrounding Driving Park neighborhood would be difficult. ... David Petroni, a consultant working for Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, a Columbus-based group that sponsors charter schools and develops low-income housing said that the foundation plans to build at least 30 lease-to-own houses in the neighborhood. The project will cost about $6.1 million, or $200,000 a house, Petroni said. That’s in a neighborhood where vacant foreclosed homes are selling for as little as $11,000. ... The project is not a sure thing. The Buckeye Community Hope Foundation plans to apply in February for low-income-housing tax credits to finance it. The foundation already is working to secure sites for the houses. It has applied to buy 11 houses from Columbus’ land bank and plans to buy 11 more. The city intends to acquire additional properties in the area through tax foreclosure, said John Turner, Columbus’ land-development administrator. The foundation has the backing of the Livingston Avenue Area Commission. The commission sent a letter to Mayor Coleman asking him to back the Buckeye Community Hope Foundation’s tax-credit proposal. Coleman will forward three high-priority projects to the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, which awards the credits. ... The area commission called the housing plan a catalyst that builds on other projects in the area, such as the new Driving Park library branch that is under construction and streetscape improvements along Livingston Avenue. Buckeye Hope Community Foundation bought Kent Elementary this year for $300,000. Columbus City Schools closed the school in 2005. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/12/13/foundation-hopes-to-help-uplift-driving-park.html
January 2, 20178 yr Author Livingston Theater site may be reborn with senior housing By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch Monday, January 2, 2017 - 7:02 AM The Livingston Theater building in Driving Park has been vacant for years. Built as a movie house in the 1940s, it has had several lives since then, including a gay health club called Flex that opened in 2003, causing controversy in the neighborhood. Last year, a group wanted to open a rehab center for recovering addicts there, but it never opened. The latest idea calls for much of the building to be demolished. The Woda Group, of Westerville, wants to build a 45-unit apartment building for low-income seniors on the site at 1567 E. Livingston Avenue. The Livingston Avenue Area Commission recently approved zoning variances for the project. ( . . . ) Joe McCabe, Woda's vice president of development, said the company plans to incorporate the theater's facade and lobby into the new two- and three-story building. "It's a signature building. We want to reuse it," McCabe said. The Columbus City Council could consider the zoning variances as early as this month. Woda has a binding purchase agreement contingent on financing, although McCabe wouldn't disclose the purchase price. Current owner Thomas C. Smith bought the building in 2012 for $220,000, according to the Franklin County auditor's website. Woda will be applying for low-income housing tax credits with the state. He said he would like to begin construction by early 2018. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2017/01/02/livingston-theater-site-may-be-reborn-with-senior-housing.html
January 2, 20178 yr Author ^ Here is a photo of the existing Livingston Theater marquee and a rendering of how that marquee and the front facade would be incorporated into the proposed 45-unit apartment building: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2017/01/02/livingston-theater-site-may-be-reborn-with-senior-housing.html
January 2, 20178 yr Very glad to see an active plan for that site that preserves the most significant architectural features of the Livingston Theater. It's been empty and in serious disrepair lately, which always brings up the threat of demolition. The overall design/concept looks pretty good to me, especially considering what the neighborhood can really support right now. It would be nice to include some retail space there on the corner, but otherwise I say - build it!
January 2, 20178 yr Great! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 3, 20178 yr I think ever project like that should include a retail element. Otherwise, a positive.
December 11, 20204 yr Author On 1/2/2017 at 1:16 PM, Columbo said: ^ Here is a photo of the existing Livingston Theater marquee and a rendering of how that marquee and the front facade would be incorporated into the proposed 45-unit apartment building: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2017/01/02/livingston-theater-site-may-be-reborn-with-senior-housing.html It took a while - but the renovation of the former Livingston Theater into 45 affordable senior housing units is done. Below are some photos of the finished project from this article about the project: https://www.wodagroup.com/the-livingston-brings-45-new-affordable-apartments-to-columbus-near-south-for-seniors-age-55-plus/
December 11, 20204 yr Great to see the Livingston facade saved. I normally do not like facedomy, but that was likely the best compromise in this instance.
December 12, 20204 yr 8 hours ago, Columbo said: It took a while - but the renovation of the former Livingston Theater into 45 affordable senior housing units is done. Below are some photos of the finished project from this article about the project: https://www.wodagroup.com/the-livingston-brings-45-new-affordable-apartments-to-columbus-near-south-for-seniors-age-55-plus/ That looks great. I just did a Streetview tour of Livingston Ave. and the street could certainly use more projects like this. Lots of parking lots and buildings in ill repair but then a small cluster of buildings that have great bones will appear.
December 12, 20204 yr Yes, the Driving Park neighborhood does have some talent waiting to be unlocked, on Livingston at least.
January 18, 20223 yr Author Pablo posted this circa 1920 aerial photo of the Driving Park neighborhood in the Columbus Historic Photos thread. The oval racetrack that gave the neighborhood its name is long-gone. But the neighborhood is still going, and seeing a comeback due to its proximity to downtown and especially its proximity to the burgeoning Children's Hospital campus. The Dispatch has been running a series of articles about the Driving Park neighborhood: On 1/8/2022 at 8:22 AM, Pablo said: Driving Park, 1920 or so. The photographer is above present day Berwick looking west. That's Alum Creek across the bottom of the photo. Livingston Ave. just to the right of the track heads downtown. Driving Park is were WWI flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker got his start in auto racing. His childhood home still stands on Livingston. https://columbusneighborhoods.org/video/driving-park-racetrack/ Driving Park is also where the very first commercial cargo flight landed. In 1910 a Wright Model B flew from Dayton to Driving Park carrying 10 bolts of fabric. https://www.ohiohistory.org/learn/collections/history/history-blog/2015/august-2015/first-air-cargo-shipment https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/12/23/driving-park-group-runs-after-school-program-wants-open-museum/8914969002/ -- Article about on-going efforts to turn Eddie Rickenbacker's house on East Livingston Avenue in the heart of the Driving Park neighborhood into a museum. The city of Columbus bought the Rickenbacker House at 1334 E. Livingston Avenue in 1998 for $42,000. In 2001, the city used money from a $475,000 state grant to buy property around the Rickenbacker House. Further fundraising renovated the home's exterior, shored up the foundation and added a new slate roof to the 1893 house. Later the nonprofit Rickenbacker Woods Foundation, which also oversees the house, created an after-school program called the Rickenbacker Woods Learning Center in one of the surrounding properties. The nonprofit Rickenbacker Woods Foundation recently received a $14,900 grant from the Columbus Foundation to unlock a $100,000 state grant that would get the interior museum work off the ground in the Rickenbacker House. https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2022/01/03/driving-park-affordable-housing-columbus-getrude-wood-foundation/8970843002/ -- Article about a different Driving Park-based non-profit foundation that is helping to develop affordable homes in neighborhood, which is now needed more because property values are rising rapidly. The Dispatch also had this current view of the Driving Park neighborhood - with a similar angle looking northwest as Pablo's 1920 photo, but with the downtown now very noticeable with its many towers:
January 18, 20223 yr 2 hours ago, Columbo said: The Dispatch has been running a series of articles about the Driving Park neighborhood: The Dispatch also ran this profile of Bide-A-Wee, a neighborhood in Driving Park: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/01/10/unique-bide-wee-neighborhood-driving-park-has-long-history/9047795002/
January 18, 20223 yr Author 57 minutes ago, Pablo said: The Dispatch also ran this profile of Bide-A-Wee, a neighborhood in Driving Park: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/01/10/unique-bide-wee-neighborhood-driving-park-has-long-history/9047795002/ That was an interesting profile on where that one subdivision within the Driving Park neighborhood once was, currently is, and probably is headed, through three properties in the article: 1) THE PAST: 68-year-old lady who has lived in Bide-A-Wee since 1985. She bought it then for $32,000 and says she gets two to three calls a day from people who want to buy it from her - but has no plans to sell because she loves living there. 2) THE PRESENT: A younger software consultant who bought her house next to Bide-A-Wee Park for $230,000 in April 2021 - moving from an apartment on Neil Avenue north of West 5th Avenue in the University District. 3) THE FUTURE: A two-story, three-bedroom home next to Bide-A-Wee Park that is being listed for sale for $269,900. And we also learn that Bide-A-Wee is Scottish for "stay a while"(!)
January 18, 20223 yr I’ve been loving the Driving Park series from the Dispatch! Decided to drop into the bookstore on E Livingston after reading about it in one of the articles.
January 18, 20223 yr 1 hour ago, amped91 said: Decided to drop into the bookstore on E Livingston after reading about it in one of the articles. Which bookstore? Sounds like something I'd like to check out, as well.
January 18, 20223 yr 10 minutes ago, TH3BUDDHA said: Which bookstore? Sounds like something I'd like to check out, as well. I probably should’ve included that and the link in my original post 😅 It’s called Ujamaa Bookstore, and it’s connected to a beauty supply shop. It’s small, but they have a nice, unique selection 🙂 https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2022/01/05/columbus-black-owned-bookstore-ujamaa-centers-black-experience/9024846002/
January 18, 20223 yr 2 hours ago, Columbo said: says she gets two to three calls a day from people who want to buy it from her - That's everyone that owns a property though. Salespeople figured out that the phone number of every property owner is listed on the auditor's website. Anyone in sales loves lists of names, addresses and phone numbers of asset holders so that they can call them. Once something public free and easy popped up like the auditor's site it was a no-brainer for them.
January 18, 20223 yr Since we were on the topic of the Dispatch’s Driving Park series in the Random Dev thread….. Developer wants to build 134 affordable apartments on industrial site in Driving Park “A developer wants to convert an old industrial site along East Livingston Avenue in Driving Park into 134 low-income apartments. But some neighbors have other ideas, with some hoping the development could include condominiums or spaces for stores and restaurants. Woda Cooper Companies plans to spend $24 million to $25 million on the project at 1826 E. Livingston Ave., just west of the Norfolk Southern railroad overpass at the neighborhood's eastern edge. David Cooper Jr., Woda Cooper principal, said in an email that the company plans to apply for low-income housing tax credits to help finance the project. All 134 units will qualify for those tax credits, he said, and will serve households making up to 80% of the area's median income. The 3.27-acre property would need a zoning variance. Woda Cooper has planned for a 46-foot-tall building in an area zoned for a maximum height of 35 feet.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/01/17/developers-aiming-build-affordable-apartments-driving-park/9160079002/ While pretty much anything would be an improvement over a dilapidated warehouse, I do think the suggestions from those interviewed for the story of making it a true mixed-use project should be taken into consideration. Edited January 18, 20223 yr by amped91
January 19, 20223 yr 1 hour ago, amped91 said: Since we were on the topic of the Dispatch’s Driving Park series in the Random Dev thread….. Developer wants to build 134 affordable apartments on industrial site in Driving Park “A developer wants to convert an old industrial site along East Livingston Avenue in Driving Park into 134 low-income apartments. But some neighbors have other ideas, with some hoping the development could include condominiums or spaces for stores and restaurants. Woda Cooper Companies plans to spend $24 million to $25 million on the project at 1826 E. Livingston Ave., just west of the Norfolk Southern railroad overpass at the neighborhood's eastern edge. David Cooper Jr., Woda Cooper principal, said in an email that the company plans to apply for low-income housing tax credits to help finance the project. All 134 units will qualify for those tax credits, he said, and will serve households making up to 80% of the area's median income. The 3.27-acre property would need a zoning variance. Woda Cooper has planned for a 46-foot-tall building in an area zoned for a maximum height of 35 feet.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/01/17/developers-aiming-build-affordable-apartments-driving-park/9160079002/ While pretty much anything would be an improvement over a dilapidated warehouse, I do think the suggestions from those interviewed for the story of making it a true mixed-use project should be taken into consideration. So glad to see this, that building has such a cool look and needs something done to it. It would be better as a true mixed area, that area needs all the retail and restaurant space it can get. Edited January 19, 20223 yr by VintageLife
April 13, 20223 yr Plan for Livingston Avenue Site Calls for Taking Down Bakery Building A local affordable housing developer has submitted plans for a three-acre site on Livingston Avenue that would require demolishing the former cookie bakery that still stands on the site. Woda Cooper Companies presented an initial concept for the parcel, located at 1826 E. Livingston Ave., to various neighborhood groups earlier this year. That proposal called for 134 apartments spread over two, four-story buildings, with a parking lot that would sit between the buildings and the adjacent railroad tracks. Jonathan McKay, Woda Cooper’s Vice President of Development, said that after those initial meetings, the development team made revisions based on feedback they were hearing from the community. The revised proposal, which was recently submitted to the City of Columbus as part of a variance request, calls for 124 apartments, plus several first-floor commercial storefronts along Livingston Avenue. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/plan-for-livingston-avenue-site-calls-for-taking-down-bakery-building-bw1/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 13, 20223 yr I'm not sure how it's not possible to incorporate the front section of the building. Probably wouldn't be a bad spot for commercial space above the already slated ground floor retail that can be taken up by community services. Or community amenities. Hear me out. A coffee shop and bakery... in the old bakery building... 🤯 Otherwise it's fine. Looks like a hotel more than anything. Some things are understandably sacrificed for affordability. But I do question 'we took the community's feedback' and came back with a textbook generic pair of buildings in a textbook generic alignment. Did the community pick the color? Was it a line of of 6 generic buildings and they chose this one?
April 13, 20223 yr ^I think the “we took the community’s feedback” is in reference to the addition of retail space. I know there was a big push to include retail here, which I’m glad they did. Also glad Building A screens the parking lot from Livingston. I wouldn’t be opposed to the current facade being worked into this, but I don’t really have any affinity for the current building either. I do think the project’s color scheme needs to go, though.
April 13, 20223 yr On 1/18/2022 at 7:04 PM, VintageLife said: So glad to see this, that building has such a cool look and needs something done to it. It would be better as a true mixed area, that area needs all the retail and restaurant space it can get. Apparently the 'thing that will be done to it" will be demolition. :( They should at least try to save the front facade. I know I know people we need affordable housing, but does it have to look like...that? Quote I do think the project’s color scheme needs to go, though. This. And I usually want color...but not this mess.
April 13, 20223 yr 1 hour ago, Toddguy said: Apparently the 'thing that will be done to it" will be demolition. :( They should at least try to save the front facade. I know I know people we need affordable housing, but does it have to look like...that? This. And I usually want color...but not this mess. Yeah hopefully they send them back to the drawing board
April 14, 20223 yr 12 hours ago, GCrites80s said: Save the Cube. I admit there is really something about the Cube that I like. It has a sort of streamlined Art Deco look that I like. The front also looks like it could have some nice big-ass windows too. They should save the front Cube and just add another floor to a bigger new one behind/around it. The proposal is for 4 story buildings. They could go to 5 with no big changes I believe. I think at 6 floors the ground floor has to be non-residential per codes? *I can hear it now though..."the building is unstable and cannot be saved because of X, Y, and Z partly due to it being abandoned and left to decay for years......" Edited April 14, 20223 yr by Toddguy
May 20, 20223 yr On 4/13/2022 at 1:31 PM, ColDayMan said: Plan for Livingston Avenue Site Calls for Taking Down Bakery Building A local affordable housing developer has submitted plans for a three-acre site on Livingston Avenue that would require demolishing the former cookie bakery that still stands on the site. Woda Cooper Companies presented an initial concept for the parcel, located at 1826 E. Livingston Ave., to various neighborhood groups earlier this year. That proposal called for 134 apartments spread over two, four-story buildings, with a parking lot that would sit between the buildings and the adjacent railroad tracks. Jonathan McKay, Woda Cooper’s Vice President of Development, said that after those initial meetings, the development team made revisions based on feedback they were hearing from the community. The revised proposal, which was recently submitted to the City of Columbus as part of a variance request, calls for 124 apartments, plus several first-floor commercial storefronts along Livingston Avenue. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/plan-for-livingston-avenue-site-calls-for-taking-down-bakery-building-bw1/ Sounds like this received approval from the Livingston Ave Area Commission, despite being rejected by Driving Park. This comment: ”Commissioner Dillard – Does not think the area can support this kind of density. Issue at 33 spots on Rhoads and parking. Does not think residential is the answer.” 🙄 https://cbusareacommissions.org/wp-content/uploads/05.17.22-LAVA-C-Meeting-Minutes-1.docx
May 20, 20223 yr 1 minute ago, amped91 said: Sounds like this received approval from the Livingston Ave Area Commission, despite being rejected by Driving Park. This comment: ”Commissioner Dillard – Does not think the area can support this kind of density. Issue at 33 spots on Rhoads and parking. Does not think residential is the answer.” 🙄 https://cbusareacommissions.org/wp-content/uploads/05.17.22-LAVA-C-Meeting-Minutes-1.docx The city needs to get to work on updating the code and giving less power to commissions. Stuff like that is super annoying, if you are within 270 the area can support tons of density.
May 20, 20223 yr 3 minutes ago, amped91 said: Sounds like this received approval from the Livingston Ave Area Commission, despite being rejected by Driving Park. This comment: ”Commissioner Dillard – Does not think the area can support this kind of density. Issue at 33 spots on Rhoads and parking. Does not think residential is the answer.” 🙄 https://cbusareacommissions.org/wp-content/uploads/05.17.22-LAVA-C-Meeting-Minutes-1.docx Yikes. I bet the developer has determined there’s enough demand to support a project here. A commissioner has no business making an unsupported claim like the one above.
May 20, 20223 yr 37 minutes ago, VintageLife said: The city needs to get to work on updating the code and giving less power to commissions. Stuff like that is super annoying, if you are within 270 the area can support tons of density. No kidding. It amazes me anything gets built, considering all the hoops you have to jump through to get anything besides a SFH or parking lot built.
June 5, 20223 yr Demo of the former church building is complete and ground is now moving for NCR’s latest senior living project at 2687 Livingston.
June 28, 20222 yr On 4/13/2022 at 1:31 PM, ColDayMan said: Plan for Livingston Avenue Site Calls for Taking Down Bakery Building A local affordable housing developer has submitted plans for a three-acre site on Livingston Avenue that would require demolishing the former cookie bakery that still stands on the site. Woda Cooper Companies presented an initial concept for the parcel, located at 1826 E. Livingston Ave., to various neighborhood groups earlier this year. That proposal called for 134 apartments spread over two, four-story buildings, with a parking lot that would sit between the buildings and the adjacent railroad tracks. Jonathan McKay, Woda Cooper’s Vice President of Development, said that after those initial meetings, the development team made revisions based on feedback they were hearing from the community. The revised proposal, which was recently submitted to the City of Columbus as part of a variance request, calls for 124 apartments, plus several first-floor commercial storefronts along Livingston Avenue. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/plan-for-livingston-avenue-site-calls-for-taking-down-bakery-building-bw1/ City Council approved the rezoning and variances for this last night. Glad it got approved, but I was honestly pretty disappointed by the amount of NIMBYism coming from the Driving Park residents who showed up. Brought the same arguments you’d hear in a GV meeting: more crime, more traffic, too dense, decreased property values, etc. The project’s developers will now apply for OHFA funding.
June 28, 20222 yr "Decreased property values" again? Houses in Driving Park that were $70K only five years ago are $250k now.
June 28, 20222 yr 52 minutes ago, GCrites80s said: "Decreased property values" again? Houses in Driving Park that were $70K only five years ago are $250k now. 52 minutes ago, GCrites80s said: "Decreased property values" again? Houses in Driving Park that were $70K only five years ago are $250k now. Yeah I’m not sure where people got the idea that more housing and more people leads to decreased values.
June 28, 20222 yr If that were true than the rural areas wouldn't have such depressed values and the most expensive living arrangement would be in an unfinished subdivision with only one or two finished houses and the rest empty lots.
June 28, 20222 yr Oh, another bit I found interesting. The Livingston Ave study was brought up (covering 18th to Nelson), and it was stated that they were looking at a road diet in order to accommodate a protected bike and pedestrian lane. I’m not holding my breath, but at this point, any improvement is welcome.
July 28, 20222 yr Roby Development recently posted a video showing their progress on a rehab of an 11 (formerly 12) unit apartment building at 1656 E Livingston. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cgc0mPkDIKn/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= From Google Maps, this is what it looked like before:
July 28, 20222 yr 54 minutes ago, amped91 said: Roby Development recently posted a video showing their progress on a rehab of an 11 (formerly 12) unit apartment building at 1656 E Livingston. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cgc0mPkDIKn/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= From Google Maps, this is what it looked like before: I wish there was some inside before pictures. I feel like a lot of the renovations I’ve seen in Columbus strip the interior style of these houses. Wouldn’t be surprised if this had nice original hardwood floors and trim. It is nice that stuff is getting remodeled, but it would be great if they would stop ruining ascetic.
July 28, 20222 yr 9 hours ago, VintageLife said: I wish there was some inside before pictures. I feel like a lot of the renovations I’ve seen in Columbus strip the interior style of these houses. Wouldn’t be surprised if this had nice original hardwood floors and trim. It is nice that stuff is getting remodeled, but it would be great if they would stop ruining ascetic. I tried to do some more internet sleuthing to find some interior pictures, but all I could find were more exterior. Here’s one of it all boarded up before it sold: Also found out it was built in 1958, so it’s not as old as I was thinking. Anyway, I’m a fan of the older, hardwood aesthetic too. My house is ~130 years old, and it had those features before it was rehabbed a few years ago. There is some old woodwork left, but it’s a bummer there isn’t more. Tbf though, I’m just glad to see more investment in/near the south side. It’s an area that needs more help. So this caught my interest, from today’s CBF article on the Columbus/New Albany water deal: In addition to private users paying their utility bills, New Albany will pay as much as $10.5 million to Columbus as land is developed in its expanded industrial park and share 26% of new income tax revenue. Columbus will focus that money on priorities including affordable housing, human services, small businesses and workforce development, said council member Nick Bankston, who leads the economic development committee that shepherded the deal. Employees working in the district who live in the city of Columbus already would pay some income tax under reciprocity agreements. New Albany would collect its 2% withholding, and the worker would owe the difference between the two cities' rates, 0.5%, to Columbus. The revenue sharing deal effectively doubles the amount going to Columbus for those residents. The new income is expected to pay for a market study of housing and economic development opportunities in the historic Driving Park neighborhood on the East Side, Bankston said. "It’s a part of our city we know is going to grow and receive attention," he said. https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/28/intel-water-columbus-new-albany-deal.html So hopefully we’ll begin to reap those rewards over the coming decade and see a lot more new development over here.
December 12, 20222 yr Minority-owned housing project breaks ground for affordable homes in Driving Park “A minority-owned housing project born from the COVID-19 pandemic is breaking ground in Columbus, aiming to offer affordable units for underserved communities. Everett Sanders of New Albany is partnering with a Franklin County nonprofit to construct an affordable townhouse-style duplex on Mooberry Street in Driving Park, targeting a late 2023 completion date. Co-owner of Lasting Legacy Real Estate Development, Sanders hopes he can have a tangible impact on the community. A shift to affordable development is appropriate given the city’s housing crisis disproportionately affecting minority communities, Sanders said. A report by the Building Industry Association of Central Ohio found 14,000 to 19,000 homes need to be built each year due to Ohio’s population growth, instead of the 8,000 to 9,000 constructed annually over the last decade. Conflating the issue, Black Ohioans are 33% more likely to experience severe housing problems, according to the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. Sanders partnered with the Affordable Housing Trust (AHT) to bring his vision to fruition. Since 2001, the organization has been a non-profit lender to develop affordable housing opportunities in Columbus and Franklin County. Along with Sanders’ development, AHT has completed more than 200 projects and provided more than $250 million in funding.” https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/real-estate/minority-owned-housing-project-breaks-ground-in-driving-park/?fbclid=IwAR3V2Iwcky84ZWQfanF2R4M5f8FYQSmQiYsXjUVg4bMylq3iD-LoWy979Fg&mibextid=Zxz2cZ
February 25, 20232 yr Driving Park to see new mural this year to celebrate neighborhood heritage “The Driving Park neighborhood on Columbus' South Side has a century-long history with many leaders and residents who have played a role throughout. Now, a community foundation plans to commemorate them with a mural to be done this year. The Gertrude Wood Community Foundation received a 614 Beautiful grant of $10,000 from the city in partnership with the Neighborhood Design Center to do the mural on the Fairwood Avenue underpass beneath Interstate 70. The mural will depict the contribution of "local heroes," said Jennifer Jordan, executive director for the Driving Park-based foundation. Jordan said the foundation plans to have a community meeting this spring to generate ideas on what the mural will look like and who will be depicted.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2023/02/25/new-mural-of-notable-driving-park-figures-to-be-painted-this-year/69922923007/
Create an account or sign in to comment