More information about the above project at Long & 17th via Mayor's Office Press Release posted at the Columbus Underground thread The New Charles Development in the King Lincoln District.  An excerpt from the press release:

 

Press Release: Construction of Offices and Apartments Spurs Job Creation Efforts on the Near East Side

 

The building that was formerly located at 905 E. Long Street was known as the Charles and was the home of medical offices for many years.  It sat vacant and in disrepair before it was demolished late last year to make way for new offices, retail and apartments.  Today, Mayor Michael B. Coleman, the Affordable Housing Trust and Near East Side neighborhood leaders visited the site where construction is underway that has created more than 150 jobs.

 

“This is another step in the revitalization of the historic King Lincoln District,” Mayor Coleman said.  “We are creating jobs for today and building a neighborhood for future generations.”

 

The new Charles is being constructed with $2.2 million Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds.  Once the building is completed, the Affordable Housing Trust will relocate its office there, bringing eight employees.  The Charles will consist of 10 apartments on the upper floors with retail and community space.  The eight two-bedroom and two three-bedroom apartments will be available to low-income households.

Columbus State Community College Press Release about new offices the college located in King-Lincoln posted at the Columbus Underground thread Columbus State opens new offices in historic King-Lincoln District.  An open house was held Thursday, October 27, 2011 at the office suite with a reception, food and entertainment provided at neighboring Zanzibar Brews Coffee House at 750 East Long Street.  An excerpt from the press release:

 

Press Release: Columbus State opens new offices in historic King-Lincoln District

 

Columbus State Community College’s mission to serve the community can be witnessed directly this week as the institution celebrates its office expansion into the redeveloping King-Lincoln business district.  Two departments – the Columbus State Community College Foundation and Knowledge Resources & Planning – moved into office space late this summer.

 

Currently, 10 employees regularly work out of the location at the corner of Long Street and Hamilton Avenue.  Matt Kelly, Columbus State Community College Foundation Executive Director, says, “It’s a win-win arrangement.  The college is able to support the city’s redevelopment in the district, and it’s a convenient location for employees who have just a short walk over to our downtown campus.  This is an exciting neighborhood and we are pleased to have our offices in this important area.”

Children's Hospital, which is located across I-70 from the Near East Side neighborhood of Olde Towne East, had been purchasing properties in the block bordered by Mound Street, 17th Street, Fulton Street, and 18th Street.  With their most recent purchase (reported by Business First in the below article) Children's Hospital now owns the entire block - with the exception of the a house, a small church and an eight-unit apartment building at 17th & Fulton - the SW corner of the block. 

 

The two-story, eight-unit townhouse-style apartments at Fulton and 17th are owned and recently renovated by the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing.  According to the article, the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing has a 20-year agreement to operate the apartments as federal subsidized housing.  This makes it unlikely that Children's Hospital would be able to use this corner in whatever development plans it might have for this Olde Towne East block.  But even without that corner, Children's Hospital still has nearly two acres to do something.  What that something is, is unknown for now.  But Children's is asking to meet with the neighborhood area commission.  And Business First speculates about possible uses in the excerpt from their December 2, 2011 article below.

 

Additionally, the Children's Hospital block is located immediately south of a 4-acre block owned by retired boxer James “Buster” Douglas.  That land is between the hospital’s land and Main Street, where in 2007 Douglas proposed a mixed-use development anchored by townhouses.  According to Near East Side Area Commission Chairwoman Kathleen Bailey, that project is still in the works, awaiting financing.

---

 

Children’s Hospital adds to land holdings north of I-70

By Carrie Ghose, Business First staff reporter

Date: Friday, December 2, 2011, 6:00am EST

 

A 2,300-square-foot duplex on Mound Street, bought for $16,000 a decade ago, sold in November for $500,000.  The buyer willing to pay a 30-fold return for a property on Columbus’ near east side was Nationwide Children’s Hospital.  The 0.08-acre parcel at 395 E. Mound St. that the nearby hospital bought last month completed Children’s ownership of all but the southwest corner of the block across Interstate 70 from its campus, according to an analysis of property records by Columbus Business First.  Children’s has spent $2 million buying property in the block since 2005, about 2 acres in all.

(. . .)

Hospital officials have not had a chance to discuss its recent land buys with the Near East Area Commission, hospital spokeswoman Pam Barber said, but have asked to appear at the panel’s Dec. 8 meeting.  “You don’t make that kind of investment if you don’t see some kind of potential,” said commission Chairwoman Kathleen Bailey.  The commission weighed in when Children’s received a rezoning in 2007 for land it had assembled at Mound and 18th Street, now used for temporary employee parking lots during its $840 million expansion. 

(. . .)

City Council in 2007 rezoned from residential to commercial the first 1.7 acres that Children’s bought along 18th Street, including a parcel across the street from the main block, with the understanding that the land would be “redeveloped for office or other institutional uses” by 2019, when a temporary variance to allow parking lots expires.  The rezoning ordinance outlined several possible uses for the land north of I-70, including an outpatient clinic, surgery center, research facility, meeting space and housing for staff or patient families.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/12/02/nationwide-childrens-adds-to-land.html

Two articles from last week about the Whitney Condos project on Mt. Vernon Avenue.  There was follow-up legislation from Columbus City Council after its bailout loan of the original developers last year.  In the latest legislation, City Council agreed to forgive the loan if the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority takes over the project and completes it.

 

The first article is the initial report after last week's Council meeting.  The second article is a longer follow-up article that focuses on CMHA and the Whitney Condos project.

 

CMHA to take over troubled Near East Side condo project

 

City to forgive $3.4M loan to nonprofit developer - Housing Authority will finish developer’s Near East Side condos

While there's been an uptick in new residential units around Long St, it really needs a few more new businesses to accompany them to achieve a critical mass that is appealing to visitors and possible residents. I think the Book Suite is the newest to open there and that was in 2008. Why the city isn't using the money to rehab *existing* mixed use structures on Long like The Edna, which is right next to a coffee shop and the bookstore and would be a step into increasing the continuity of this very disjointed street. Concentrating more heavily on Long for any revitalization efforts north of Broad in the Near East would be better and with a much stronger and desirable Long St it'll be easier to get more happening on the periphery.

While there's been an uptick in new residential units around Long St, it really needs a few more new businesses to accompany them to achieve a critical mass that is appealing to visitors and possible residents. I think the Book Suite is the newest to open there and that was in 2008. Why the city isn't using the money to rehab *existing* mixed use structures on Long like The Edna, which is right next to a coffee shop and the bookstore and would be a step into increasing the continuity of this very disjointed street. Concentrating more heavily on Long for any revitalization efforts north of Broad in the Near East would be better and with a much stronger and desirable Long St it'll be easier to get more happening on the periphery.

 

We voted against that, sorry. 

Damn shame that.

Near East Side residents want say on neighborhood renewal plans

By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch

Monday, December 12, 2011 - 3:55 AM

 

As plans move forward to rejuvenate the area around Ohio State University Hospital East, some neighborhood residents say they fear that they’re being left out of the process.  A coalition leading the effort sent out a request last month to hire a consultant to make a master plan for the area bounded by I-670, Woodland Avenue, Broad Street and I-71.  The planner will be hired by February.

 

At stake is $10 million that Ohio State has pledged to the area.  Many want to know how that money will be spent and who will benefit.  A 25-member advisory committee is working with the coalition, which is called Partners Achieving Community Transformation.  Committee members include representatives of Columbus, Ohio State University, the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority and Near East Side leaders and residents.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/12/12/residents-want-say-on-plans-for-area.html

Near East Side starts renewal with $10 million from OSU

By Meredith Heagney, The Columbus Dispatch

Monday, January 9, 2012 - 7:55 AM

 

East High School hosted a pep rally yesterday, but instead of boosting an athletic team, the good wishes for things to come were for the neighborhood.  The event launched a revitalization effort on the Near East Side that is funded by a $10 million investment from Ohio State University, which hopes to fix up the depressed area surrounding University Hospital East.  While details are few, the coalition behind the project will choose a development firm by next month to craft the blueprint, said Dawn Tyler Lee, executive director of Partners Achieving Community Transformation, or PACT.

(. . .)

Of Ohio State’s $10 million commitment, $9 million will go to housing and $1 million to health-care initiatives.  The goal is to improve the quality of housing, eliminate vacant properties and diversify the type of housing.  Low-income and market-rate housing both will have a place, said Bryan Brown, senior vice president of the housing authority.  The first two targets are the Taylor Avenue corridor and Poindexter Village, which consists of more than two dozen acres of public housing that is being emptied now before demolition next year.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/09/near-east-sidestarts-renewal.html

Some federal assistance for the above mentioned Near East Side planning:

 

Feds award $300,000 grant to help plan redevelopment of Poindexter Village area

 

 

---

More about Partners Acheiving Community Transformation (PACT), the group set up by the City and OSU to oversee the Near East Side revitalization effort:

 

PACT Home Page: http://eastpact.org/

 

PACT FAQ: http://eastpact.org/get-the-facts/frequently-asked-questions/

Good to hear that this area between King-Lincoln and Woodland Park is getting funding for improvements. Still, there are blocks of low-density projects that make up a a large chunk of the area and higher crime all right next to this lot that needs to be addressed. It's a good first step.

More about Partners Acheiving Community Transformation (PACT), the group set up by the City and OSU to oversee the Near East Side revitalization effort from The Lantern, the OSU Student Newspaper:

 

Ohio State works to rehab Near East with PACT

 

 

And a profile from the Dispatch about Franklin Park, one of the sub-neighborhoods within the larger Olde Towne East neighborhood on the Near East Side:

 

Neighbors find living near Franklin Park irresistible - For decades, families have been drawn to the history and beauty of the neighborhood, with its spacious homes and nearby botanical gardens.

 

It looks like a new three-story building is coming to the corner of Long and 17th, where the city demo'd a vacant structure last year.  Not alot of information yet, but there is a thread over at Columbus Underground: New development at Long and 17th??

 

Here's a photo of the lot at Long at 17th

 

Here's an elevation of the new three-story building

Construction update from Columbus Underground of new three-story building at corner of Long & 17th in King-Lincoln.  The project is now called The Charles Apartments.

 

 

Additional photos of this mixed-use project at SkyscraperCity.

^The exterior brick is now installed and looks fantastic.

Photo from March 18th:

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/construction-march-07.jpg">

Wow!  Fantastic!

Glad they didn't leave that site empty for long at all. Now if only a couple more commercial spots get rehabbed and filled in. It looks like this one will offer at least one space and all without dealing with the pricey problems of one of the older existing buildings. King-Lincoln just needs a little bit more oomph before it better compliments OTE. It really should have a neighborhood gateway on Broad and Hamilton Park, almost across from OTE's Parsons to offer a sense of connectedness between the two. They're only a couple of blocks away, but they feel quite isolated from one another.

Hey guys. I haven't participated around here in a while, so I don't know whether or not this has been touched on yet.

 

The Landmark Grain Elevator at Main and Alum Creek is coming down. I live a block away and have been taking pictures.

 

March 28:

 

 

 

 

April 4:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It will soon be missing from the skyline, opening up the scenic view of the I-70 ramp!

^Thanks for the pics, Adam. I will have to drive over before it is completely dismantled.

No!!!  I have memories of that grain elevator!

Just imagine ... "East Side Gateway Transit Center" ...

 

Okay, back to reality. Yeah, your memories are getting smashed.

:(

No doubt that it will be strange without it around for a while.

Glad they didn't leave that site empty for long at all. Now if only a couple more commercial spots get rehabbed and filled in. It looks like this one will offer at least one space and all without dealing with the pricey problems of one of the older existing buildings.

 

Generally speaking, commercial retail rents are cheaper in a rehabbed older building than it is in a new build.

The Tavern Coming Soon to Olde Towne East

By: Walker

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/the-tavern-02.jpg">

 

The corner of Oak & 18th Streets has quickly become an Olde Towne East hotspot in the past three years. First came Yellow Brick Pizza, which was followed by The Angry Baker. On May 1st, The Tavern will be joining them when it opens its doors at 889 Oak Street.

 

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/the-tavern-coming-soon-to-olde-towne-east

Glad they didn't leave that site empty for long at all. Now if only a couple more commercial spots get rehabbed and filled in. It looks like this one will offer at least one space and all without dealing with the pricey problems of one of the older existing buildings.

 

Generally speaking, commercial retail rents are cheaper in a rehabbed older building than it is in a new build.

 

But those are always past the point of no return and too expensive to rehab, or so they say. It's sadly a moot point since no one, public or private, wants to rehab more commercial structures here. I think the main obstacle is that for these people they equate King Lincoln with the bad parts of the Near East like Main and Champion even though there is a huge difference.

^^I like both spots, so I'm guessing I'd like this one too, probably this summer. Oak is going to run out of spaces and is the safe zone for new businesses since Parsons is all occupied (it would be nice to be able to say the same about the South Side's stretch). I'm betting this place is next

 

 

And these down several blocks east will probably need to be filled in before anyone touches Main.

 

 

 

 

Near East Side redevelopment plan gets $500,000 from city

By Lucas Sullivan, The Columbus Dispatch

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 - 5:18 AM

 

Columbus has agreed to contribute $500,000 to help redevelop the Near East Side around University Hospitals East. ... The city’s contribution, approved by the City Council last night (May 7), will be spread over the next five years to help the Partners Achieving Community Transformation, or PACT, facilitate the project.

 

Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University, which is part of the consortium working on the project along with the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority and the city, is responsible for overseeing PACT.  The Boston urban-design firm Goody Clancy was hired for $500,000 to develop a master plan.  That process is expected to last through the end of the year, said Dawn Tyler Lee, PACT’s executive director.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/05/08/near-east-side-redevelopment-plan-gets-500000-from-city.html

The Near East Side master planning effort is holding a community meeting tonight.  It is being hosted by Partners Achieving Community Transformation or PACT - the name given to the partnership between OSU, the City of Columbus and the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority.  The PACT Community Open House takes place tonight (May 15) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Beatty Recreation Center, located at 247 North Ohio Ave.  More information about the meeting and PACT can be found at www.eastpact.org.

 

Before tonight's meeting, Columbus Underground's Walker Evans talked with PACT's Executive Director Dawn Tyler Lee about the part of the Near East Side they will be targeting, their focus areas for the neighborhoods and their approach to neighborhood revitalization.  Below is the link to the full interview at Columbus Underground:

 

CU: Master Planning Effort to Transform Near East Side Neighborhoods

But those are always past the point of no return and too expensive to rehab, or so they say. It's sadly a moot point since no one, public or private, wants to rehab more commercial structures here. I think the main obstacle is that for these people they equate King Lincoln with the bad parts of the Near East like Main and Champion even though there is a huge difference.

 

Unless there is severe fire or water damage, I don't think too many commercial buildings in the area are considered "past the point of no return" for renovation.

 

The biggest obstacles when talking about retail development on the entire Near East Side are:

 

1. The neighborhood population of the entire Near East Side is too small to support a whole lot of retail... especially non-restaurant retail. There are some strategically placed spots (like what we're already seeing on Oak) but other areas are largely empty (Poindexter Village is over 80% empty now and soon to be razed).

 

2. Much of the neighborhood population of the entire Near East Side is average-to-low income, meaning that their retail needs are limited in scope and scale. Obviously, this varies a bit from street to street, but if we're talking about The KLD, I'm not sure if it's ready to support even something along the lines of a Liz Lessner joint. It could probably support 2 or 3 more places at a price point similar to Creole Kitchen. The new taco truck (Los Potosinos) seems to be doing pretty well too. I've often thought that Giant Eagle is doing themselves a disservice by not having any presence on the East Side of Columbus, but I'm willing to bet that many KLD residents would love to see an Aldi's instead, just out of a demand for lower price points for shopping.

 

Of course... All of this can change over time, but it's going to be a slow transition during the "early days". The Short North sees a new restaurant opening every 2-3 months, but I'll bet that wasn't the case in 1982.

 

I'm more excited by the pace of development happening Downtown. The new Hill's Market and Grass Skirt aren't going to cater to the entire neighborhood, but they are only a 10-15 minute walk from much of The KLD, and that's good enough for me. ;)

I think it pays to remember that about 2/3 of Old North Columbus homes have a median income of 15-25,000 per household for 3,000 out of 4,700 where the remainder earns $40,000. OSU and Clintonville certainly play a role in the comparatively large commercial presence being supported there, and the remainder with higher income would doubtfully be able to prop up existing amenities by themselves. Likewise, the Near East could attract nearby wealthy neighbors from Bexley and Berwick. If you look at changes in the population you'll notice the median household income has dropped just about everywhere in the Near East, but then the median income breakdowns show a significantly higher amount of $75,000+ per homes compared to ONC and education among recent newcomers (bachelors or higher) over the past decade.

 

Near East isn't perfect, but based on Northside's resurgence along a short but dense strip in Cincinnati I see no reason why Main can't be a revitalized, but more spread out version. Northside is cut off from the healthy neighborhood to the south (think a smaller, condensed Clintonville) and east of that is a university neighborhood. While OSU is too far removed from the Near East to benefit businesses you're already aware of the student presence Downtown: many of whom are not being catered to by quite a few downtown establishments. The Near East could woo some of them next door and have already done so, at least with CCAD, on Parsons and Oak. KLD/OTE/Franklin Park/Woodland Park also have many more residents than Northside and that only includes tracts with 10-20% of homes earning over $75,000. Both ONC and Northside have average-lower income residents, but the education levels are higher than some parts of the Near East: I'd argue this is more important than the income level of an individual and all of the thriving businesses in these not-so-rich areas suggests this. OTE/Franklin Park/Woodland Park and Northside are similar when it comes to education levels. Those two areas are also comparable in population, but in Columbus there's a much larger population with much more income, yet that part of Columbus isn't seeing a comparably large commercial boom despite having also seen revitalization efforts starting back in the 80s. Northside also has a Kroger in its boundaries...and a gourmet organic market on the main drag with many less well-off residents to support it, which I would again attribute to higher education levels. The Near East from north of Main to south of Mt Vernon shares similar positive qualities and even excels in disposable income (surprisingly between KLD and Woodland Park is where the highest income level increase in the area occurred), but the area is struggling to put together the pieces of the puzzle. One difference is that Northside can cite several city investments spanning from a decade ago, which just so happens to coincide with its major transformation period. I'm thinking that might be the key difference to explain the disparity between the two.

Used to be a semi-regular here: really a huge blow to King Lincoln, but not surprising. I was the only one to point out that no new businesses had opened up for years on that strip. To create a good foundation of synergy it requires that something of a small scale critical mass of businesses is able to draw in enough customers on a regular basis and depend on a decent level of cross traffic. When a city starts to see bit of revitalization in a previously down and out corridor they should really take the hint that it's worth helping it along to better ensure that it's not a short term phenomenon. The city is too busy helping build residential units while the small amount of amenities here to begin with just got much smaller with merely one destination shutting its doors. Now the Book Suite bookstore has two vacant spots on either side. Other similar lost potential was in Milo-Grogan back when it had a popular destination and today you have the South Side's Parsons Ave which hasn't seen a new destination open in at least three years: almost like King Lincoln, except the latter has a few other destinations to fall back on. I just don't get how the city is aware of these budding revitalizations and then responds by throwing millions of dollars in a totally different direction: what sense does that make?

Keith, what is a huge blow for King-Lincoln?  You should try and be more specific as, anymore, someone farts in a Columbus neighborhood and you swoop in ready to call time of death. 

Didn't link, whoopsie. With only what, 5 destinations (Urban Spirit, Book Suite, Canabar, Zanzibar and of course the theatre) now down to 4 Long St lost 20% with only one closing its doors. And as I said, it's been at least a few years since a new business opened there or in King-Lincoln in general, which was a bad sign to begin with. What would you suggest the city do here?

Didn't link, whoopsie. With only what, 5 destinations (Urban Spirit, Book Suite, Canabar, Zanzibar and of course the theatre) now down to 4 Long St lost 20% with only one closing its doors. And as I said, it's been at least a few years since a new business opened there or in King-Lincoln in general, which was a bad sign to begin with. What would you suggest the city do here?

 

Residents and then businesses.  The city can make infrastructure improvements, help rehab properties and partner with private interests to promote the area in general.  From what I can tell, the city has and is doing all of this.  I'm not sure if it's already being done, but perhaps tax incentives for any developer willing to build in the area as well.  Other than that, a city can't force people to move to a neighborhood or for small business owners to open up shop there.  From reading the article, it just sounds like a perfect storm of bad conditions hurt this particular business, from weather damage to highway construction. 

With only what, 5 destinations (Urban Spirit, Book Suite, Canabar, Zanzibar and of course the theatre)...

 

You're forgetting a few.

 

Not to mention destinations adjacent to the neighborhood that are still easily walkable/bikable.

 

When the new Hills Market Downtown opens, I'll be just as close of a walk as people who live in the Arena District.

There's some pizza place and some carryouts further east on Long, but nothing that act like assets for the neighborhood as much as a spot like Urban Spirit or other newer locales on Long. While new nearby amenities like the Hills Market will be nice, I wonder if it will be enough of a draw for that little neighborhood just east of Downtown specfically or if it will only be seen as another reason to move Downtown while not considering its proximity to neighborhoods very, very close but not technically Downtown. When I lived Downtown just a few blocks south of the new market I certainly ventured out the neighborhood often just a little ways east mainly for OTE destinations.

 

^^Residents first makes sense in residential neighborhoods with little to no commercial presence. You can't ignore a shitty commercial street when trying to attract residents: both need to be addressed simultaneously otherwise you severely limit your pool of possible new residents which is narrowed down quite a bit by leaving only those who are willing to by a quality urban home despite living near a bad corridor (see Old Oaks whose progress has been stagnant because you have to live next to a bad stretch of Livingston). I suggest going to Northside in Cincinnati and checking out places along the commercial blocks there and consider just how many less people you'd see if the city were set on only fixing up residences first and left the commercial district to be a magnet for blight with nothing substantial to offer residents or visitors. In fact, Franklinton is going to be coming back much faster than OTE has since the 80s precisely because commercial space is being prioritized there.

Two openings of note for the Near East Side/Olde Towne East neighborhood.  The first is the opening of The Tavern on the corner of Oak & 18th at 889 Oak Street.  The Tavern joins Yellow Brick Pizza and the Angry Baker (as well as the City's first on-street bike parking corral) at this growing hot spot in Olde Towne East.  Below are two articles about the opening of the Tavern.  One from the Olde Towne East Neighborhood Association and the other from Columbus Alive:

 

OTE Neighborhood Association:  THE TAVERN CELEBRATES LONG-AWAITED OPENING

 

Columbus Alive:  NEW BAR: THE TAVERN

 

---

The second isn't a bar or restaurant - but it is food related.  Oak Street Meats and Seafood opened on the corner Oak & Ohio at 1117 Oak Street.  The people that own the United Provision Meat Company located next door renovated a former carryout business at this corner and turned it into a retail store for their meats and seafood.  A Columbus Underground poster who lives in OTE posted the opening info and also took some photos inside in the building.  Below is the link to that CU post and the website for United Provision Meat Company:

 

Columbus Underground:  OAK STREET MEATS AND SEAFOOD - NEW TO OLDE TOWNE EAST

 

Website:  UNITED PROVISION MEAT COMPANY

Follow-up to news originally posted in the Columbus: Restaurant News & Info thread about more additions to the Oak Street commercial corridor in Olde Towne East.  Columbus Underground profiled the Olde Towne Tavern which recently opened next to The Angry Baker and across the street from Yellow Brick Pizza at Oak & 18th - as well as Oak Street Meats and Seafood which recently opened at Oak & Ohio: 

 

CU: Review: The Olde Towne Tavern

 

CU: Oak Street Meats and Seafood Now Serving Retail Customers

As the above Dinin' Hall news shows, Columbus' burgeoning food truck scene is rapidly evolving.  So it was also pleasing to see some news about one of the original taco trucks that kicked off this food truck scene from Columbus Underground.  Los Potosinos has started a new location in the King-Lincoln District east of downtown.  Starting this week Los Potosinos will be serving at the corner of Garfield and Long Street (791 E Long St).  Famous for their 'Pollo Al Carbon', Los Potosinos was one of the first taco trucks to achieve mainstream popularity thru the Taco Trucks Columbus website.

 

More about Los Potosinos new location from Columbus Underground below at the link.  The first photo shows their location (next to the renovated Lincoln Theatre, which is in the background).  The second photo shows their taco creations.  Authentic Mexican food in one of Columbus' historic black neighborhoods?  Openness and diversity at its best!

 

CU: Los Potosinos in the KLD

 

Follow-up to news originally posted in the Columbus: Food Trucks news & discussion thread about Los Potosinos - one of the westside's original taco trucks - relocating to the King-Lincoln District.  After spending the summer in the KLD neighborhood, Homeport - a group redeveloping the neighborhood - is stepping forward to beautify the new Los Potosinos location. 

 

Homeport is a redevelopment organization responsible for renovating existing single-family houses and constructing new infill single-family houses in King-Lincoln through their NoBo (North of Broad) home brand.  Last year they finished their 9-unit NoBo on Long development at Long & 21st.  Now, Columbus Underground is reporting that Homeport is sponsoring a two-stage beautification of the Los Potosinos taco truck location in King-Lincoln. 

 

Tomorrow, in the first-stage of the beautification efforts, Los Potosinos and Homeport will use a grant from United Way to repaint the building on the property (while preserving existing murals on the building), plant flowers and seal the blacktop on the lot.  Later this fall, additional partnership from Homeport will improve the site with a trellis covered seating area, an awning for customers to place orders from, elevated benches, planters and decorative lighting. 

 

The Columbus Underground report is available at the link below:

 

Columbus Underground: Los Potosinos Site to Get Makeover Thanks to Homeport Partnership

Current photo of "The Charles" at the corner of East Long Street and 17th Street in The King Lincoln District from Columbus Underground.  The Charles building will have offices of the Affordable Housing Trust on the ground floor and 10 apartments on the upper two floors.  Previous updates on "The Charles" redevelopment project can be found in this thread here, here, here and here:

 

Gene Walker’s Cafe on Long Now Open

By: Walker Evans, Columbus Underground

Published on October 4, 2012 - 10:40 pm

 

The venue at 893 East Long Street has come alive once again with tonight’s grand opening of Gene Walker’s Cafe on Long.  This new cafe has taken over the space previously inhabited by the Urban Spirit Cafe, which closed back in June.

 

We spoke recently with cafe owner James Mason for a quick Q&A about the new business:

 

Q&A at http://www.columbusunderground.com/gene-walkers-cafe-on-long-now-open

The owner of Gene Walker’s Cafe on Long was also interviewed in this recent Dispatch article that updates the PACT Master Planning effort for the area around OSU Hospital East.  

 

OSU Hospital East Neighborhood: More residents a goal for area

By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch

Thursday, October 11, 2012 - 5:59 AM

 

A grocery store at Long Street and Taylor Avenue.  New apartments in a closed elementary school, and new town houses nearby.  Those are some of the ideas planners are considering as they home in on a strategy to redevelop the neighborhood around Ohio State University Hospital East.  Partners Achieving Community Transformation - the consortium of Ohio State, the city of Columbus and the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority known as PACT - is hosting community workshops this month to discuss the ideas.

 

On Tuesday night, planners talked about recommendations for Taylor Avenue between E. Broad Street and I-670.  Yesterday, they unveiled ideas for Mount Vernon Avenue and for Long Street.  On Oct. 30, they are to roll out ideas for the Poindexter Village site. ... Planners envision up to 1,250 housing units in the neighborhood over the next decade, including 300 to 500 units on the Poindexter Village site.

 

Al Edmondson, who leads the Mount Vernon Avenue District Improvement Association, would be happy with a smaller grocery store.  That is what planners envision for a corner of Long and Taylor on property the university owns. ... Planners also call for converting the vacant Pilgrim Elementary School on Taylor Avenue into apartments and adding new townhouses south of the school.

 

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/10/11/more-residents-a-goal-for-area.html

 

Finally!!!

 

Columbus Underground: Demolition of Poindexter Tower to Begin Tomorrow

 

WOSU: Wrecking Crews Start Demolition Of Abandoned Poindexter Tower

The demolition of the 10-story Poindexter Tower continues.  Photo from the Dispatch last week:

 

Also from last week's Dispatch is a report on about three redevelopment scenarios for the former Poindexter Village public-housing site, which located next to the under-demolition 10-story Poindexter Tower.  The plans were presented at public meeting last week by consultants for PACT (Partners Achieving Community Transformation) a consortium of the city, Ohio State University and the Housing Authority developing a master plan for the area.

 

Below is an excerpt from the article that talks about the redevelopment plans presented at the meeting.  If you're interested in Chief Baba Shongo's take on the plans you can read more at the link to the full article:

 

Residents voice concerns over Poindexter Village redevelopment

By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - 7:34 AM

 

This most recent meeting to discuss ideas to redevelop the area near University Hospitals East took place last night at a community planning workshop at the King Arts Complex, close to the shuttered public-housing complex.

 

The three scenarios for Poindexter Village include constructing between 570 and 654 new housing units, most of them multifamily, including 100 senior housing units, plus a park and community garden and perhaps a library.  Two of the three scenarios that consultants Goody Clancy developed call for saving one of Poindexter Village’s 35 buildings for some other use. 

 

That could be possible, said Bryan Brown, CMHA’s senior vice president for business development.  But the agency has no money for restoring the entire complex, dedicated in 1940 as the city’s first public-housing development.  The housing authority already has emptied the 414-unit complex.

 

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/10/31/concerns-for-the-future.html

The politics of this smells of Cincinnati just before the riots.

The politics of this smells of Cincinnati just before the riots.

 

Because buildings don't ever get torn down in White neighborhoods? 

 

Concentrated poverty didn't and hasn't worked.  The buildings are not really historic or architecturally significant in any way.  As is, the area will never be productive and cities cannot afford to let neighborhoods rot just because some people are nostalgic for times that, quite frankly, were never that good to begin with.  I encourage area residents, however, to get involved, voice concerns and ideas for future development and help possibly save some of the more usable buildings.