November 17, 200915 yr Enrollment jump means jobs for Columbus State Business First of Columbus - by Carrie Ghose Friday, November 13, 2009 Record enrollment is spurring job creation at Columbus State Community College. Trustees are to vote Nov. 19 on a proposal to hire 15 full-time faculty and five administrators. President Val Moeller said in an October state-of-the-college address she intends to seek making the hires permanent for the next budget starting in July, and soon request an additional 10 faculty hires for the school’s Delaware campus scheduled to open next fall. The 25 hires would be the biggest one-time faculty increase in school history, she said. The school has about 280 full-time faculty, meaning the new hires will be about a 9 percent increase. Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/11/09/daily30.html?surround=lfn
December 1, 200915 yr Columbus State prez gets building name honors Business First of Columbus Friday, November 20, 2009 Columbus State Community College is honoring its retiring president by putting her name on a building at its in-the-works Delaware County campus. Trustees on Thursday evening voted to name a $25 million building on the campus Moeller Hall. President Val Moeller is set to retire next year after 14 years leading the community college. Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/11/16/daily39.html
December 1, 200915 yr Franklin to share classroom space with bursting Columbus State Business First of Columbus Wednesday, November 25, 2009 Columbus State Community College is turning to private Franklin University to ease the squeeze on its bursting classrooms. The two-year public school had record enrollment of 28,300 for fall quarter, a 16 percent increase from last fall. Columbus State said in a release it’s on track for a record winter quarter as well. Just over a half-mile south, four-year Franklin has its own record enrollment of 7,900, but its target audience of working adults seeking a career switch or advancement take mainly evening classes. Starting in January, 42 sections of Columbus State classes in high demand will be taught at Franklin’s downtown campus on weekday mornings and afternoons, when Columbus State is busiest and Franklin relatively quiet, the schools said in a joint news release. Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/11/23/daily21.html
December 5, 200915 yr Old Oaks neighborhood enjoys a bit of a revival Small, close-knit and architecturally rich, the neighborhood is a pocket of stability in an area that's struggling Monday, November 9, 2009 - 3:04 AM By Mark Ferenchik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The Old Oaks neighborhood was one of Columbus' first streetcar suburbs a century ago. The area was platted in 1892, when an electric streetcar line was built along Livingston Avenue, said Doug Motz, a longtime neighborhood leader who lives on Oakwood Avenue. Before that, horses pulled trolleys along the street. The streetcars are long gone, and the neighborhood has had its share of ups and downs over the years, but today it's enjoying a bit of a rebirth. OLD OAKS NEIGHBORHOOD MAP Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/09/OLDOAKS.ART_ART_11-09-09_B1_60FJLG0.html?sid=101 One issue that seems to stagnate areas like this are how prospective residents will only want to reside within a neighborhoods boundaries like this or German Village as another example until people started to pour out into Schumacher Place and Merion Village once priced out. Now instead no one wanting to move outside of GV boundaries, now people are reluctant to step a foot east of Parsons (to the neighborhood sandwiched between OO and SP) or south of Moler or Mithoff (forget which one) in MV. If no one is willing to push beyond the boundaries of Old Oaks like they did with GV, then how is that going to be good for the neighborhood to be surrounded by down and out neighborhoods including what may be Columbus' worst urban commercial street: Livingston Ave (highest concentration of liquor stores, a place to get custom gold teeth, and a bathhouse)?
December 11, 200915 yr <b>2009 Year in Review: Urban Development</b> By Walker | December 5, 2009 5:30pm <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/best-jobs.jpg"> With the economic recession being fully realized in late 2008, many expected 2009 to be a slow year in terms of urban development. Several projects had been delayed or canceled due to financing issues, but many others were able to continue with seemingly little difficulty. It’s been said that cities that continue to develop during recessions will come out ahead when the economy turns back around. Judging by the number of projects either under construction or in development, it would seem that Columbus is well posed to thrive in the near future. Below is a rundown of the urban development projects that were completed, under construction, or announced in 2009. READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/2009-year-in-review-urban-development
January 2, 201015 yr Columbus State could top 30,000 students Looks like winter quarter at Columbus State Community College could be another whopper of a class. As of Sunday, 29,035 students have enrolled for winter classes starting Jan. 4. That's 4,265 more students -- a 17 percent increase -- over the same date a year ago. And in keeping with the last year, it appears as though the winter class will be larger than fall's -- continuing an unprecedented growth spurt at the Downtown campus. The official count for fall was 28,309 students. Columbus State isn't sweating the early projections of another record class because it will be offering 42 different sections of its most popular classes at Franklin University. Columbus State turned to Franklin University, which is less than a mile away, two months ago to help ease overcrowding. Full story at http://blog.dispatch.com/edblog/2009/12/col_state_could_top_30000_students.shtml
January 7, 201015 yr I always forget about the first day of classes at CSCC, and Spring & Long streets are my primary roads in and out of Downtown. Quite a bit of traffic & congestion in that area during that first week. Which isn't a bad thing. ;) The area could use quite a bit more in terms of cars, busses, pedestrians, and other types of after-school activity.
January 7, 201015 yr For those interested in audio podcasts... I've got a two part series with Columbus Retro Metro Founder Paul Bonneville, who discussed a wide variety of Random Columbus Developments. MP3s can be found here for download or streaming: http://blip.tv/file/get/ColumbusUnderground-CUPodcast35CoffeeWithPaulBonnevillePart1935.mp3 http://blip.tv/file/get/ColumbusUnderground-CUPodcast36CoffeeWithPaulBonnevillePart2803.mp3
January 24, 201015 yr City plans reservoir makeovers Sunday, January 3, 2010 By Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Parks that line Columbus reservoirs are about to get a $4.5 million renovation to reduce rainwater-related pollution that taints the city's main sources of drinking water. The plan, which awaits a final OK from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, would spend federal economic-stimulus money on the parking lots and storm sewers that funnel water to the Griggs, Hoover and O'Shaughnessy reservoirs. Parking lots, many of which are on the reservoirs' banks, would be rebuilt and pushed back. Storm sewers would be replaced with narrow, winding holding ponds flanked by trees and shrubs. The changes would slow the flow of water, trap sediment and filter pollutants that wash into the reservoirs whenever it rains, said Laura Young Mohr, a spokeswoman for the city's Department of Public Utilities. GRAPHIC ON PARKING LOT REDO - CUTTING RUNOFF POLLUTION Full article at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/03/copy/Reservoirs.ART_ART_01-03-10_A1_TOG381G.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
January 24, 201015 yr Former ColumbusChamber home gets buyer IT firm uses assist to land building Friday, January 8, 2010 Business First of Columbus - by Brian R. Ball A Pickaway County information technology consulting company plans to move its 17 workers and $2.1 million in annual payroll into the former ColumbusChamber offices downtown. John Rankin, the CEO and owner of CSI International, paid $975,000 on Dec. 28 for the 27,000-square-foot building at 37 N. High Street. The ColumbusChamber building was put on the market in 2007 for $1.8 million when the organization moved to the redeveloped Lazarus building on South Front Street. The Central Ohio Transit Authority considered the building for its executive offices in 2008, by which time the asking price had dropped to $1.5 million. COTA instead bought a larger building at 33 N. High Street. Since then, the asking price had been reduced to $1.2 million. The city and the chamber helped close the deal with CSI. Columbus has offered a four-year Downtown Office Incentive, will return to the company half of the individual city income taxes that CSI employees pay. Based on its existing payroll, that annual rebate is valued at $26,250 a year. Public records show the ColumbusChamber loaned CSI $765,000 of the purchase price amid a real estate investment market where conventional financing remains difficult to secure. More at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/01/11/story5.html
February 3, 201015 yr Columbus State again ends year with surplus Business First of Columbus - by Carrie Ghose Friday, January 22, 2010 Conservative budgeting and investing, combined with galloping enrollment, again has Columbus State Community College trustees deciding how to allocate a year-end surplus. Trustees on Jan. 21 were to discuss recommendations for dividing $11.6 million left in the general fund from the year ended June 30, with a vote set for next week. The administration recommended socking away about a third of the money in case of state budget cuts and using the rest to accommodate the record student body. Allocations are likely to include building improvements, technology and subsidies for the first three years of operations for the school’s Delaware campus set to open this fall. Columbus State’s $10 million surplus the prior year also shored up the budget stabilization fund and set aside money for the Delaware campus. Columbus State last year became the largest of the state’s public two-year schools when enrollment topped 24,000. Even though it vaulted again to 28,300 students this fall, the school ceded the top spot to the three-campus Cuyahoga Community College, where enrollment topped 30,000. Full article at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/01/25/story12.html
February 3, 201015 yr Columbus State divvies up surplus Friday, January 29, 2010 - 2:54 AM By Encarnacion Pyle, The Columbus Dispatch With an $11.6 million surplus from a good year, Columbus State Community College trustees began dividing the money among the school's priorities last night. The bulk of the money will go into a rainy-day fund for emergencies, to keep tuition low and to support the new Delaware County campus, which will hold its first classes this fall. Columbus State ended fiscal 2009 with a surplus because of mushrooming enrollment, lower-than-budgeted spending and good returns on investments, officials said. Here's where the surplus money will go: • $4 million will be set aside for the rainy-day fund • $3 million will be set aside for the new Delaware County campus • $2.75 million will go to capital improvements and land acquisition • $1.6 million is for bolstering a fund for technology • $250,000 will be used for performance-based compensation to attract or retain strong employees Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/29/ColumbusState_income.ART_ART_01-29-10_B5_S6GEJN0.html?sid=101
February 18, 201015 yr Another entry in the continuing series from the Dispatch about Columbus neighborhoods. Link and map below. WHERE WE LIVE Woodland Park neighborhood like a suburb in the city Developers promoted large, treed lots in an urban setting Also, UrbanOhio's own Columbusite posted a photo tour of the Woodland Park neighborhood last year. That photo tour can be found here.
February 18, 201015 yr I mostly covered the southern half. Up north you get some abandonment and homes get much more tiny. It seems like it's newer builds off of where the neighborhood may have ended at one point. I'll have to go back and get some more pics of the north for a more balanced take on the area. But for now: The commercial buildings on the corners of Mt. Vernon & Taylor. The empty one could look great if occupied. New builds along Taylor Ave. They're on the west side of the street, so they're technically not in WP. They're in the no-mans-land north of Broad between WP and King-Lincoln (ends at 20th) which I just refer to as Ohio-Champion. Purposefully left out of the boundaries drawn up for KL and OTE, it's also got a disproportionately high number of troublesome projects in the area (hence virtually impossible to revitalize), so the new development on Taylor seems to, or is intended to act as a solid buffer zone to make it easier to fix up the northern interior of WP. Overall the area has been seeing improvements where needed up north. The new builds along Taylor aren't much to look at when compared to older homes, but I'm sure they're more affordable and it's better than a big grass lot like the one further north on Taylor. Still needs the Broad St boulevard to really connect the neighborhood with the conservatory. That would certainly bring more attention to the neighborhood. Right now Broad is akin to a moat rather than a bridge between the two.
February 19, 201015 yr <b>Planning Downtown for the Future with Mike Brown</b> By Walker | February 15, 2010 8:00am <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/archives/msb.jpg"> The 2002 Strategic Business Plan set the stage for a lot of the urban development we see taking shape today. The plan called for new residential buildings Downtown, greenspace improvements, and other types of public and private-sector growth. Tomorrow, the first of three public meetings (event info can be <a href="http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/downtown-strategic-plan-public-meeting-1-216">found here</a>) will take place that will set the stage for the new 2010 Downtown Columbus Strategic Plan, which will define our growth strategies and expectations for the future. We sat down recently with Mike Brown, Urban Ventures Coordinator for the City of Columbus to review the 2002 plan, and provide some insight on what we might expect over the next decade. READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/planning-downtown-for-the-future-with-mike-brown
February 25, 201015 yr Biofilters to clear city's air Bids sought soon on $6 million effort to kill odor Downtown Tuesday, February 16, 2010 - 3:06 AM By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Columbus can stink. Visitors to Downtown can be greeted with an odiferous punch from time to time, but the city is starting a project to fix that problem -- especially because it is finishing a $44 million effort designed to draw people to the Scioto riverfront. A $6 million project to harness bacteria as natural odor-eaters will be put out for bid later this year. The goal is to have it up and running in 2012, according to John Newsome, project manager for the city's Division of Sewerage and Drainage. He said two new biofilters in the Arena and Brewery districts will eliminate 99 percent of the hydrogen-sulfide gas that occasionally escapes from catch-basins on Downtown corners. The smell is like rotten eggs. The stench is particularly noticeable on hot summer days. Cleve Ricksecker, executive director of Downtown's Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, said it's usually concentrated west of High Street. MAP OF THE PLANNED BIOFILTER LOCATIONS Full article at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/02/16/copy/downtown_odor.ART_ART_02-16-10_B1_9JGJSH3.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
February 26, 201015 yr Columbus State has two finalists for president Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 12:58 PM By Encarnacion Pyle, The Columbus Dispatch Columbus State Community College has selected two Florida school leaders as finalists to replace President Valeriana Moeller, who will retire at the end of June. They are David T. Harrison, vice provost for regional campuses at the University of Central Florida, and B. Kaye Walter, chief learning officer and executive vice president for academic affairs at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida. Columbus State trustees will make a final selection in the coming weeks. A national search was launched last year when Moeller announced she would retire after leading the college for 14 years. Columbus State serves more than 28,000 students on its Downtown campus, 10 suburban classrooms and through its online courses. A new Delaware County campus will open this fall. Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/02/24/columbus-state-two-finalists-for-president.html?sid=101
March 6, 201015 yr It looks like the indoor shooting range developer caved into the neighborhood opposition. East Side shooting range plan withdrawn Friday, March 5, 2010 - 3:40 AM By Mark Ferenchik and Jim Woods THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Facing heavy neighborhood opposition, a developer has canceled plans for a shooting range inside a former appliance store on the East Side. Anchor Companies of Columbus said in a letter dated Tuesday and sent to the Livingston Avenue Area Commission and others that it won't go forward with its plans for 1030 Alum Creek Drive. "As a result of the opposition and our effort to be a responsible developer, we are pulling the shooting range from our redevelopment plans for this site," said Jason Gunsorek, an agent for Anchor Government Properties. Anchor, which owns the former Sun TV appliance store, had contracted with a group from Canada to operate a gun store and range. The site also was to include a supply store for police and firefighters, self-defense training and safety-related products. All of those plans are now canceled. MAP OF THE FORMER INDOOR GUN RANGE LOCATION FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/05/shooting-range-plan-withdrawn.html?sid=101
March 12, 201015 yr Columbus State picks new president Thursday, March 11, 2010 - 4:32 PM By Charlie Boss THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Columbus State Community College has tapped a leader with Ohio ties as its next president. David T. Harrison, who oversees 11 University of Central Florida campuses in seven counties as vice provost, will take over a growing community college that is preparing to open a Delaware County campus. Columbus State serves more than 28,000 students through its Downtown campus, 10 suburban classrooms and online courses. Central Florida enrolls more than 53,000 students. Harrison worked at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Dayton and received his doctoral degree from Ohio State University. He also has a master's of business administration from the University of Pittsburgh. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/11/Columbus-State-names-new-president.html?sid=101
March 15, 201015 yr Former O'Shaughnessy Funeral Home seen as design studio Business First of Columbus - by Brian R. Ball Friday, March 12, 2010 A retailer of high-end British home furnishings plans to turn the former O’Shaughnessy Funeral Home in downtown Columbus into a design marketplace and showroom. James Denos, who owns Clive Christian furniture showrooms in Columbus and Chicago, plans to renovate the 158-year-old building at 405 E. Town Street in time for a fall opening. The showroom will replace one at 110 Polaris Parkway in Westerville that closed in February after about 10 years. The property has about 7,800 square feet in the main building and a carriage house divided into two apartments off Walnut Street at the rear. Denos said he expects the lower level as well as spaces that now are a bedroom and bathroom on the second floor to serve as display areas for Clive Christian products. He hopes to rent out other rooms to interior designers, art galleries or others. “We hope to make it a design center,” Denos said. “Kind of make it a place for people redoing their homes.” The O’Shaughnessy family in January 2009 moved their 121-year-old business to Pearl Street in Italian Village. Denos bought the East Town Street property for $450,000, with the O’Shaughnessys helping finance the deal through a $300,000 mortgage. PHOTO / LOCATION OF 405 E. TOWN ST. HOUSE AND PROPERTY MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/03/15/story2.html
March 15, 201015 yr Subject: Draft Complete Streets Policy Available for Review and Comment Contact: Bernice Cage FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tel.: 614-233-4157 Cell Phone: 614-626-1117 Email: [email protected] Draft Complete Streets Policy Available for Review and Comment (Columbus-March 3, 2010) The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) has available for public review and comment a draft Complete Streets Policy that would apply to all transportation projects in the MORPC planning area receiving federal funding. MORPC’s planning area consists of Delaware and Franklin counties, Bloom and Violet townships in Fairfield County, and the city of Pataskala in Licking County. Complete Streets is an initiative that improves travel options and makes roadways safe, comfortable, and convenient for travel by automobile, bicycle, foot, or transit, regardless of age and ability. Providing Complete Streets has a variety of benefits which include: * improving safety * promoting various modes of transportation * reducing congestion * improving air quality * encouraging physical activity * providing access and connections for people who are unable to drive * strengthening economic growth and stability for communities and regions “According to the National Complete Streets Coalition, a total of 120 jurisdictions in the United States have adopted policies or have made written commitments to do so. We are aware of only a few other Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) with a comprehensive policy. As far as we know, MORPC’s policy would be the first for a large MPO. Several Ohio cities, such as Columbus or Dayton, are currently adopting their own,” states Kerstin Carr, Manager of Active Transportation and Safety Programs. The Complete Streets Policy provides background information, a definition of Complete Streets, and the vision and purpose of the policy. The policy section itself includes statements, information about applicability, requirements to adhere to the policy, and recommendations. A brief implementation and evaluation section are also included, along with a checklist to assist project sponsors in planning and designing their projects in adherence to the policy. MORPC is a voluntary association of 47 local governments in central Ohio serving the region through planning, direct service, public policy information and innovative programming and intergovernmental coordinating services in the areas of transportation, land use, energy conservation, the environment and housing. Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission www.morpc.org
March 16, 201015 yr It looks like the indoor shooting range developer caved into the neighborhood opposition. East Side shooting range plan withdrawn Friday, March 5, 2010 - 3:40 AM By Mark Ferenchik and Jim Woods THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Facing heavy neighborhood opposition, a developer has canceled plans for a shooting range inside a former appliance store on the East Side. Anchor Companies of Columbus said in a letter dated Tuesday and sent to the Livingston Avenue Area Commission and others that it won't go forward with its plans for 1030 Alum Creek Drive. "As a result of the opposition and our effort to be a responsible developer, we are pulling the shooting range from our redevelopment plans for this site," said Jason Gunsorek, an agent for Anchor Government Properties. Anchor, which owns the former Sun TV appliance store, had contracted with a group from Canada to operate a gun store and range. The site also was to include a supply store for police and firefighters, self-defense training and safety-related products. All of those plans are now canceled. MAP OF THE FORMER INDOOR GUN RANGE LOCATION FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/05/shooting-range-plan-withdrawn.html?sid=101 ِAnd what do opposing residents propose instead? They could have tried to find another developer beforehand...
March 21, 201015 yr Columbus State may hold line on tuition again Students have paid same rate since 2006-07 Friday, March 19, 2010 - 2:52 AM By Encarnacion Pyle THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Columbus State Community College students likely can count on tuition being frozen for a fourth year in a row, thanks to the school's financial health. Columbus State trustees voiced their support yesterday for a proposal to keep tuition at $79 a credit hour for the 2010-11 school year. They are expected to vote on the plan at their March 25 meeting. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/19/columbus-state-may-hold-line-on-tuitionagain.html?sid=101
March 30, 201015 yr It looks like the indoor shooting range developer caved into the neighborhood opposition. East Side shooting range plan withdrawn Friday, March 5, 2010 - 3:40 AM By Mark Ferenchik and Jim Woods THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Facing heavy neighborhood opposition, a developer has canceled plans for a shooting range inside a former appliance store on the East Side. Anchor Companies of Columbus said in a letter dated Tuesday and sent to the Livingston Avenue Area Commission and others that it won't go forward with its plans for 1030 Alum Creek Drive. "As a result of the opposition and our effort to be a responsible developer, we are pulling the shooting range from our redevelopment plans for this site," said Jason Gunsorek, an agent for Anchor Government Properties. Anchor, which owns the former Sun TV appliance store, had contracted with a group from Canada to operate a gun store and range. The site also was to include a supply store for police and firefighters, self-defense training and safety-related products. All of those plans are now canceled. MAP OF THE FORMER INDOOR GUN RANGE LOCATION FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/05/shooting-range-plan-withdrawn.html?sid=101 Why pay to go indoors to shoot when you can drive around the East side doing it for free?? :shoot: This is actually annoying when someone is trying to redevelop unsed property and the neighbourhood would rather it sit vacant then be used.... :?
March 30, 201015 yr It looks like the indoor shooting range developer caved into the neighborhood opposition. East Side shooting range plan withdrawn Why pay to go indoors to shoot when you can drive around the East side doing it for free?? :shoot: This is actually annoying when someone is trying to redevelop unsed property and the neighbourhood would rather it sit vacant then be used.... :? As was speculated before, the indoor shooting range wasn't looking at any neighborhood shooters/criminals as potential customers. But you can't help seeing some serious irony there. And as was also stated here before, this neighborhood opposition to the business, though well-meaning, was seriously misplaced.
April 1, 201015 yr It looks like the indoor shooting range developer caved into the neighborhood opposition. East Side shooting range plan withdrawn Why pay to go indoors to shoot when you can drive around the East side doing it for free?? :shoot: This is actually annoying when someone is trying to redevelop unsed property and the neighbourhood would rather it sit vacant then be used.... :? As was speculated before, the indoor shooting range wasn't looking at any neighborhood shooters/criminals as potential customers. But you can't help seeing some serious irony there. And as was also stated here before, this neighborhood opposition to the business, though well-meaning, was seriously misplaced. Agreed!
April 21, 201015 yr 2010 Capital Improvements Budget Unveiled Mayor Michael Coleman Announced the 2010 Capital Improvements Budget this afternoon which includes $130 million dedicated primarily to road resurfacing, rec center renovations and bikeways. The Capital Improvements Budget Includes: • $20 million for street resurfacing • $8.0 million for recreation center renovations • $7.3 million for bikeways • $6.0 million for fire apparatus • $3.8 million for renovations for our swimming pools • $3.2 million for sidewalks and pedestrian safety • $2.6 million for playground improvements and for park acquisition • $1.25 million for housing and homelessness prevention and services • $1.0 million for increased broadband access • $1.0 million for the Green Columbus Fund development grant program • $675,000 toward a South Side health center MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/2010-capital-improvements-budget-unveiled Also from the Dispatch: Coleman reveals $130 million capital budget
April 23, 201015 yr City fund to help reclaim polluted sites Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - 2:52 AM By Robert Vitale, The Columbus Dispatch Developers who want to reclaim abandoned gas stations and other polluted sites soon will be eligible for help from City Hall. Columbus City Council members set aside $1 million last night for what's being called the Green Columbus Fund, modeled on a smaller scale after state government's Clean Ohio grants that pay for environmental cleanups at old factory sites. The money was approved as part of a new capital-spending plan. Development Director Boyce Safford III said the Green Columbus Fund will be used to offer incentives to developers who want to build environmentally friendly projects or redevelop sites too small to qualify for Clean Ohio help. The city has backed developers' applications for state money to clean places such as the former Columbus Coated Fabrics factory in Weinland Park, but Safford said other contaminated parcels sit untouched and highly visible. "There's a lot of abandoned gas stations, corner gas stations," he said. Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/04/13/city-fund-to-help-reclaim-polluted-sites.html?sid=101
April 25, 201015 yr Work begins to lure tenants to old Techneglas site Business First of Columbus - by Brian R. Ball Tuesday, April 6, 2010 A sprawling factory complex southeast of downtown has a renewed prospect for economic development more than 100 years after the original manufacturing operation started. Its last owner, Techneglas, ushered its last workers from the site in late 2004 with Columbus developer Marvin Katz purchasing the property lock, stock and environmental liabilities in November 2005 for $2 million. Since then, a $3 million Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund grant from Ohio Department of Development in 2007 and a $5 million Job-Ready Site Program grant have helped transform the site – now known as TechSouth – for the next generation of light manufacturing, distribution and showroom/retail tenants that New York City-based landlord Greystone & Co. expects the renovated property to attract. That state funding helped Katz and Greystone clean up ground contamination and other environmental issues for the 48-acre site. The cleanup advanced far enough by mid-2009 to allow Greystone to purchase the property for $9.7 million. An early 2010 blessing from the Ohio EPA on the environmental cleanup released Greystone from further liability. The complex now consists of nine buildings with a combined 1.15 million square feet of leasable space. Those range from 81,900 square feet of commercial office to 229,000 square feet of manufacturing space and up to 438,175 square feet of distribution space under one roof. Map and Renderings of TechSouth Full article: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/04/05/focus1.html
April 28, 201015 yr Prospect of cityhood makes some uneasy in Canal Winchester and New Albany Sunday, April 18, 2010 - 2:59 AM By Elizabeth Gibson, The Columbus Dispatch Canal Winchester and New Albany might have to change their stationery after the 2010 U.S. Census results arrive. A village automatically becomes a city in Ohio when a federal census shows a population of at least 5,000 residents. Canal Winchester and New Albany are among the villages likely to graduate to city status. Cities receive some additional powers, but the title means more responsibilities, as well. City employees can unionize, and cities are required to care for state and federal roads within their borders. Tweaking has to be done to accounting practices, and voters have to approve a home-rule charter, a sort of mini-constitution, if they don't have one already. Unofficial estimates by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission project that during the past decade Canal Winchester has grown from a population of 4,478 to 6,575, New Albany from 3,711 to 6,705 and Groveport from 3,929 to 5,407. GRAPHIC: Canal Winchester, Groveport & New Albany: 2000 Population and 2010 Estimates MORE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/04/18/copy/prospect-of-cityhood-makes-some-uneasy.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
April 29, 201015 yr Stimulus bonds spur private projects Business First of Columbus - by Kevin Kemper Friday, April 16, 2010 Several Columbus-area development projects are in the pipeline helped by a federal economic stimulus program that benefits private companies. The Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority is aiming to approve up to $36 million in tax-free Recovery Zone Facility Bonds in the coming months on behalf of private enterprises in Columbus and Franklin County. The finance authority’s board was scheduled to consider the first project April 15, for Columbus-based 3MX Partners LLC, which plans to renovate a building at 495 E. Main St. in the city’s Market Exchange District. The $2.2 million project would renovate the 17,000-square-foot building for the Behavioral Health Services department at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/04/19/story1.html
April 30, 201015 yr First, the background for today's update: Original Wendy's site swaps burgers for Bibles The original Wendy's restaurant at 257 E. Broad Street (current boarded-up condition). An artist’s rendering shows the proposed exterior of the new Catholic Foundation headquarters at 257 E. Broad Street. The building once housed the original Wendy’s restaurant. In the background is the State Teachers Retirement System office building. The St. Joseph Cathedral and the St. Joseph Chancery across Broad Street from the original Wendy's/new Catholic Foundation headquarters. Progress on the old Wendy's site (the original).
April 30, 201015 yr Now the update: Foundation to open doors Friday, April 30, 2010 - 2:48 AM By Meredith Heagney The Columbus Dispatch The original Wendy's restaurant, at 257 E. Broad St., is now, officially, the Catholic Foundation. The renovated 16,000-square-foot building will be unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1:30 p.m. today. Mayor Michael B. Coleman, City Council President Michael C. Mentel and Columbus Bishop Frederick F. Campbell are to be among the guests. The foundation raises money for the churches, schools and ministries of the 23-county Catholic Diocese of Columbus. The foundation bought the building last year, eager for increased visibility across the street from St. Joseph Cathedral. PHOTO OF THE COMPLETED CATHOLIC FOUNDATION RENOVATION Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/faith_values/stories/2010/04/30/foundation-to-open-doors.html?sid=101
May 4, 201015 yr From Columbus Underground: MORPC Outlines the Future of the Region The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) recently conducted a new public survey designed to gather input on how Central Ohioans want to see their region develop. The survey focused on areas including transportation systems, land use patterns, air quality, energy security, water quality, food production, and economic development. Chester Jourdan, Executive Director of MORPC unveiled the results of the study at a new ongoing series of Columbus Metropolitan Club Luncheon events titled “Growing Regional, Growing Smart”. We sat down with Chester recently to find out more about the results of this survey and what MORPC’s recommendations hold for the future of Central Ohio. Full interview: http://www.columbusunderground.com/morpc-outlines-the-future-of-the-region
May 4, 201015 yr From Columbus Underground: Five Central Ohio Cities Propose Tax Increases The Dispatch reported that three Central Ohio cities, Marysville, London and Pataskala will have income tax increases on the May 4th ballot this election cycle (”Cities describe what tax hikes would buy“). Marysville is proposing an increase from 1% to 1.5%, London is proposing an increase from 1% to 1.5% and Pataskala is proposing a 1% income tax (they currently have none). Additionally, This Week News reported that Grandview Heights will be voting on increasing their tax rate back up to 2.5% while it’s currently scheduled to revert back to 2% at the end of the year (”City seeks passage of income tax levy“). And last but not least, Worthington residents will be voting on a proposed increase from 2% to 2.5%, as reported by NBC4i (”Worthington Proposes Income-Tax Increase“). Full article: http://www.columbusunderground.com/five-central-ohio-cities-propose-tax-increases
May 4, 201015 yr City Council adjusts rule on parking-lot size 20 PERCENT FEWER SPACES REQUIRED Monday, May 3, 2010 - 10:31 PM By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Less of Columbus will be swallowed up by parking lots under legislation approved tonight to reduce the number of spaces required at shopping centers, restaurants and office buildings. And for the first time, the city will require developers to include bicycle racks outside nearly every type of business. "It's a significant change," said City Councilwoman Priscilla R. Tyson, who sponsored the plan. Council members passed the plan unanimously. The 20 percent cut in parking required for shopping centers would translate into about 1,000 fewer spaces at sites the size of Polaris Fashion Place or Easton Town Center. Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/05/03/City_Council_adjusts_rule_on_parking-lot_size.html?sid=101
May 4, 201015 yr Awesome. But we don't need a law requiring businesses to have even one parking space. Leave that up to the free market.
May 12, 201015 yr Five Central Ohio Cities Propose Tax Increases The Dispatch reported that three Central Ohio cities, Marysville, London and Pataskala will have income tax increases on the May 4th ballot this election cycle (”Cities describe what tax hikes would buy“). Marysville is proposing an increase from 1% to 1.5%, London is proposing an increase from 1% to 1.5% and Pataskala is proposing a 1% income tax (they currently have none). Additionally, This Week News reported that Grandview Heights will be voting on increasing their tax rate back up to 2.5% while it’s currently scheduled to revert back to 2% at the end of the year (”City seeks passage of income tax levy“). And last but not least, Worthington residents will be voting on a proposed increase from 2% to 2.5%, as reported by NBC4i (”Worthington Proposes Income-Tax Increase“). Full article: http://www.columbusunderground.com/five-central-ohio-cities-propose-tax-increases An update on this. Four out of five tax increases passed. Grandview Heights, Worthington, Marysville and Pataskala passed. London did not pass. 3 of 4 communities OK income-tax hikes 52% of Pataskala voters support ninth attempt at an income tax
May 12, 201015 yr City adding to land bank 76 homes bought in first quarter Saturday, May 8, 2010 - 5:33 AM By Mark Ferenchik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Columbus added 76 properties to its land bank in the first three months of the year. So far, the city has used federal neighborhood stabilization money to buy 224 properties to renovate and sell or demolish. The city is concentrating on the Hilltop, South Side and Linden and Franklinton areas, all of which have high rates of foreclosure, sheriff's sales and subprime mortgage lending. Most of the homes won't be demolished. The city is working with nonprofit groups to renovate them as low-income housing. The City Council plans on Monday (May 10) to transfer 102 houses and vacant lots to nonprofit groups to redevelop. MAP OF PROPERTIES PURCHASED Full article: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/05/08/copy/city-adding-to-land-bank.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
May 18, 201015 yr <b>Southwestern College near deal for 1st Columbus campus</b> Friday, May 14, 2010 Business First of Columbus - by Brian R. Ball A downtown Columbus building that has stood mostly vacant since 2001 could enjoy a renewed life if a New Jersey-based career school moves ahead with plans to move into Central Ohio. Southwestern College intends to lease 22,000 square feet on three floors in the former School Employees Retirement System offices at 45 N. Fourth St. The two-year school wants to begin offering classes toward four associate degrees and four non-degree programs in business, information technology, nursing and health-related fields this fall. READ MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/05/17/story1.html?b=1274068800^3352171
June 3, 201015 yr From Columbus Underground: Columbus State has $944M Annual Economic Impact A new study from Economic Modeling Specialist, Inc. reveals that Columbus State Community College now has an annual economic impact of nearly $1 Billion on the Central Ohio region. That figure is up 28% from a 2007 study that showed the impact to be $737M. Last year, CSCC was crowned with the distinction of being the largest Community College in the entire state, and over the past month Columbus residents have been asked to weigh in their opinion on how best to leverage CSCC and other Downtown educational institutions to help shape a new “Creative Campus” neighborhood over the course of the next decade. Full study: http://www.cscc.edu/mediarelations/releases/2009/economicimpact.shtml
June 4, 201015 yr 100 years of "random development news"... ;) <b>Elford Celebrates 100 Years of Building Columbus</b> By Walker | May 27, 2010 11:45am <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/archives/elford-1.jpg"> Local construction company Elford, Inc was founded in Columbus in 1910, which means they are celebrating their 100th Anniversary this year. To commemorate the occasion, the company has put together a historic book containing photos, stories and images of their various projects from the past century. We recently sat down with Jim Smith, President of Elford, to discuss the past, present and future of their company and our city. READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/elford-celebrates-100-years-of-building-columbus
June 4, 201015 yr South-side neighborhood getting intensive care Business First of Columbus - by Kevin Kemper Friday, May 21, 2010 A south-side Columbus neighborhood plagued by boarded-up buildings, broken windows and foreclosures is getting a jolt of rehabilitation. The Ohio Housing Finance Agency on May 19 approved $2.9 million from the federal stimulus program for Whittier Landing, a building and rehabilitation project not far from Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Combined with other funding sources and similar remediation efforts in the area, as many as 90 houses are expected to be built or redeveloped in the neighborhood over five years. Homeport plans to renovate 18 houses and build 22 in the neighborhood southeast of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, an area roughly bounded by Livingston Avenue to the north, Whittier Street to the south, Lockbourne Road to the east and Carpenter Street to the west. Homeport’s project comes as Nationwide Children’s Hospital has begun work on a similar program to renovate about 50 homes south of its Livingston Avenue campus over five to seven years. “We wanted to put together an affordable housing project and do it in a way that would be part of a larger effort,” said George Tabit, director of rental development for Homeport, a division of the Columbus Housing Partnership. Most properties in the south-side neighborhood are two-story, three-bedroom houses built in the 1920s, Tabit said, averaging 1,500 square feet of living space. Each property will receive new insulation, windows, doors, Energy Star-rated appliances and mechanical systems. They also will receive new exterior siding and their lots will be landscaped. New houses will be built to blend in with the surrounding neighborhood and will be held to the same construction and energy standards. MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/05/24/story2.html
June 4, 201015 yr Region seeks federal cash via cooperation Business First of Columbus - by Brian R. Ball Monday, May 24, 2010 Renewal of a $200,000 cooperative lobbying effort has the civic and business sectors offering Central Ohio’s congressional delegation a unified wish list of funding priorities for the region. The coalition – it includes the City of Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio State University, ColumbusChamber and Columbus Partnership – expects to push hard to land funding for three public works projects in particular out of the 15 projects on the list: $5 million for Ohio State University Medical Center’s Project One expansion; $2 million for the design of an east-west connector between Rickenbacker International Airport and Route 23; $3 million for Columbus’ Bicentennial Bikeways Plan. MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/05/24/story4.html
June 4, 201015 yr South-side neighborhood getting intensive care Business First of Columbus - by Kevin Kemper Friday, May 21, 2010 Lazy "journalists". The name of most of the area within those borders they gave is Southern Orchards, which has it's own civic association: it's not "south-side neighborhood" and the city officially recognizes this general area as the "near-south". These places almost never get the respect they should.
June 10, 201015 yr $2 million for Woodland Meadows Former blighted site may end up in city's hands Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - 2:53 AM By Mark Ferenchik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The 52 acres once home to the notorious Woodland Meadows apartments might have a new owner: the city of Columbus. The city would spend about $2 million for the grassy East Side property if the Columbus City Council approves its purchase next Monday. But officials have no specific plans for the property in a soft development market. Clearer ideas would go a long way toward persuading City Council member Charleta B. Tavares. "I have to see what the plan is, how well we can develop the property," said Tavares, who is to meet with members of Mayor Michael B. Coleman's development department on Thursday. City Council President Michael C. Mentel said he's willing to vote for the purchase even without a specific plan, but he also wants to see some tax-generating development there. Bexley residents led by athletics booster Paul Kolada had suggested that the site, on the edge of the suburb, could be perfect for athletic fields and facilities, something in short supply there. But the Bexley school district hasn't been in a position to buy the property. MAP Full article: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/06/08/copy/former-blighted-site-may-end-up-in-citys-hands.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
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