City press release, 12/8/06:

 

State resources allocated for Hilltop redevelopment

press release

 

State Rep. Dan Stewart, D-Columbus, announced today that the state Controlling Board has approved the release of $750,000 from the Clean Ohio Fund, for the demolition and redevelopment of the Village of Wheatland Park on the Hilltop.

 

The City of Columbus will use this money in conjunction with the $250,984 it has pledged for the project, to clean up the 20.1 acres site of the former State of Ohio hospital and juvenile evaluation facility located on the Hilltop.  The redeveloped site is the location of a proposed project that would include over 100 new homes. 

 

“I am excited about the state resources going to help our community, along with the significant contribution from the city of Columbus,” said Stewart.  “This is a major piece to help in the redevelopment of the Hilltop and I believe along with other efforts will lead to a renaissance that will benefit our entire community.”

 

http://columbusretrometro.typepad.com/columbus_retrometro/2006/12/state_resources.html

 

From the 12/17/06 Dispatch:

AERIAL  CRAIG HOLMAN DISPATCH

 

MAP

 

What neighborhood?

Hilltop still waiting for new development that was supposed to be built two years ago

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Debbie Gebolys

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The first new neighborhood on the Hilltop in more than a half-century is behind schedule two years and counting after  Mayor Coleman and Dominion Homes Chairman Doug Borror announced plans for the Village at Wheatland Park in December 2003.  Three and four bedroom homes with an average price of $125,000 were to be built on the western edge of land once occupied by the Central Ohio Psychiatric Hospital.  In all, 106 single-family houses with attached garages were supposed to sprout on Wheatland Avenue north of W. Broad Street before the end of 2004.  But none of it happened.  The 22-acre plot that was to become a neighborhood remains an empty field.  "It’s a site we really tried to work with," said Dominion spokesman Tom Hart.  "But everybody involved with it was really surprised with what happened there."  The surprise involved how much cleanup the land needed and how much it would cost.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/17/20061217-C1-00.html

Grant designed to create more housing opportunities

Business First of Columbus

Thursday, July 19, 2007

 

One of the biggest challenges for Columbus-based nonprofit developer Homes on the Hill has been closing the gap between housing rehabilitation costs and the selling price to local families.  A $500,000 grant from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency will do just that.  The funding plus state and city aid will let Homes on the Hill maintain existing sale prices for 12 homes it is expected to build over the next 30 months.

 

MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/07/16/daily22.html

Hilltop residents vying for better retail mix

 

Mari Ann Binder Futty wants some coffee.  For the nine-year west side resident, her options are limited to brewing her own pot or hopping in the car and driving.  That's because the West Broad Street area she calls home is sans-Starbucks, Cup O'Joe, Caribou - or any coffee shop for that matter.  But, she said, "If you want to buy a used washing machine, this is the place to be."  Futty and other community members think that behind the pawn shops and used-appliance stores lining West Broad in Columbus' Hilltop and Westgate districts is a population with the desire and the means to support more retail businesses.  Columbus City Council will see if they're right.  Council members July 9 approved $15,000 for a market analysis that will look at West Broad, examining the demographics and business makeup of the area, as well as what the community would like to see and what businesses could be supported.

 

Read more at http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/othercities/columbus/stories/2007/07/23/story6.html?b=1185163200^1494386

Chris "Boring"? Would suck to have that last name. I think it would be great for start-up businesses. Offices, a government agency or two. The storefronts probably need a lot of work before quality tenants are willing to occupy them.

I'm surprised you haven't heard of Chris Boring. He's one of the most quoted people in the Columbus media. He's some kind of retail analyst.

I'm more aware of Cincinnati names. I consider both Columbus and Cincinnati home; so it's hard to take in so much news from multiple cities and be "in the know" with each.

I have come around to finally leaving the Hilltop after many years..my little neighborhood is going through a transition. Funny about the article mentioning used washing machines. I will be selling one of those, plus a dryer, freezer, etc. lol.

 

Sick and tired of the increasing criminal element and drug shit in this little area I live in. Plus ancient house needs $$$$$ work. Very true that it is impossible to find anything close..hell you have to drive 5 miles to find even a Chipotle!

^You go to the Chipotle in Hilliard too?!?

 

 

Here are the results of the Hilltop neighborhood market analysis reported earlier in this thread (aka The "Boring" study)  :laugh:

 

High on Hilltop's consumer power

Business First of Columbus

By Jeff Bell, Business First

Friday, October 26, 2007

 

Retail consultant Chris Boring's eyes were opened wide when he looked at some of the numbers emerging from a market analysis he's conducting of the Hilltop-West Broad Street corridor in Columbus.  The study reveals surprisingly powerful consumer clout in an area where the buying power and demographics seem to be overlooked by restaurants and retailers.  Nearly a third of the 30,000 households on the Hilltop earn at least $50,000 a year, which is about $6,000 more than the city median, said Boring, principal of Columbus-based Boulevard Strategies. The analysis also shows the Hilltop's 67,000 residents will spend an estimated $525 million on retail purchases this year.  "There's a great deal of disposable spending power that many restaurants and retailers are not aware of," said Boring, who noted the Hilltop is underserved by the kind of restaurants and stores preferred by middle-class residents in the neighborhood.  Boring is conducting the analysis for the Hilltop Business Association through a $15,000 grant from the city.

 

Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/10/26/story4.html

Buckeye Ranch might move into former Hilltop grocery

Sunday,  December 16, 2007 - 3:20 AM

By Mark Ferenchik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

At the end of the month, a West Side retail experiment will end.  The Hilltop Marketplace will close, leaving the Hague Avenue-W. Broad Street neighborhood without a full-service grocery, but perhaps with a new school for troubled kids.  The Buckeye Ranch wants to move its Worthington school and 32 middle- and high school-age students to the store by next September and relocate some of its offices from Grove City and the Near East Side. It would not be a residential facility.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/12/16HILLTOP04.ART_ART_12-15-07_B4_A29HJV9.html?sid=101

Here is some very good news on the fate of one the City's remaining historic firehouses on West Broad Street in the Hilltop...

 

City OKs construction contract for clinic

Tuesday,  March 4, 2008

By Robert Vitale, The Columbus Dispatch

 

The city's health-care safety net will grow when a clinic for West Side residents opens next year.  Columbus City Council members approved a construction contract of more than $6.1 million last night for the city-supported clinic, which will be built around a 95-year-old former fire station at 2300 W. Broad St.  The new clinic -- part of the Columbus Neighborhood Health Centers system -- will serve more than 7,000 people in Franklinton, the Hilltop and Westland.  It will offer general medical treatment as well as dental, vision, podiatry, pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecological services.  The fire station will be preserved as a community meeting space, and the building around it will include energy-saving and environmentally friendly features.  "It's a win-win for everybody," said Gary L. Baker II, former chairman of the Greater Hilltop Area Commission and a member of the Columbus school board.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/04/council04.ART_ART_03-04-08_B2_A29HJV9.html?sid=101

 

 

THIS IS THE EXISTING FIREHOUSE AT 2300 W. BROAD ST.

IT WAS VACATED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT A FEW YEARS

AGO WHEN THEY BUILT A NEW FIRE STATION DOWN THE

STREET.  THE BUILDING IS IN GREAT CONDITION.

 

 

THIS IS A RENDERING OF THE EXISTING FIREHOUSE WITH

THE PROPOSED HEALTH CLINIC ADDITION TO THE RIGHT

City Targets Hilltop For Mobility Plan

Denise Yost, NBC4i.com

January 22, 2009

 

The City of Columbus is targeting areas of the city that need to be more pedestrian and traffic friendly.  Linden, Franklinton and Weinland Park are all the midst of mobility plans.  But work is about to begin in another neighborhood and residents said it's about time, NBC 4's Mikaela Hunt reported.  The Hilltop area during rush hour translates into a tough time for those trying to navigate the historic neighborhood.  The City of Columbus wants neighbors to tell officials what their top traffic and accessibility complaints are.  Residents will get a chance to do just that during two meetings next week. The meetings for the plan in the Hilltop are on Jan. 28 at Hoge Memorial Presbyterian and Jan. 29 at Crossroads United Methodist Church.  Both begin at 4 p.m. and continue until 8 p.m.

 

Read more at http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/article/city_targets_hilltop_for_mobility_plan/12095/#When:21:40:13Z

I have come around to finally leaving the Hilltop after many years..my little neighborhood is going through a transition. Funny about the article mentioning used washing machines. I will be selling one of those, plus a dryer, freezer, etc. lol.

 

Sick and tired of the increasing criminal element and drug sh!t in this little area I live in. Plus ancient house needs $$$$$ work. Very true that it is impossible to find anything close..hell you have to drive 5 miles to find even a Chipotle!

 

What's very sad about the west side is that it has so much potential. The Hilltop used to have a strong middle class but now it is just as bad as the bottoms in terms of crime and blight. The Westgate sub-neighborhood of the Hilltop is GREAT. I used to go fishing in Westgate Park. The fish were disgusting and there was a giant mutant catfish about 4 feet long that I saw people catch in that park. Everyone just threw him back. Some of my greatest chilhood memories are at Westgate Park. That are is still nice but there's a lot of crime nearby and I'm sure that causes a lot of people to look elsewhere. The closest decent amenities are in the westland/New Rome area, sadly and even Westland area has gone to hell. I remember when they had Media Play, Sun TV, and westland mall was vibrant. The Hilltop neighborhood business district has gone to hell. It's all pawn shops. There's really no reason for anyone with a decent amount of money to live in the Hilltop unless they just care about getting a good deal on a house.

There are a whole bunch of reasons for why the Hilltop went downhill (such as the fact that suburbanized neighborhoods got dumped for newer suburban sprawl, rinse and repeat), so I'll just mention a couple of things that could possibly turn the area around.

 

First, start with Westgate. Right now the two commercial corridors of Broad and Sullivant all along this neighborhood have been totally suburbanized/uglified ( except for one intact, rather rundown block). The residents there are off to a start to attract higher-quality urban development by forming a neighborhood association and there was even a study done showing the spending power here that has been untapped. If there's not already, the city needs to enforce an urban overlay stat.

 

Long-term the city has to allow schools to have more leeway with unruly students and their parents who are responsible for them until they're 18. Hague and Broad east of Hague saw by far the majority of homicides in the entire neighborhood. Of course, the police could focus on these streets and blocks which straddle these streets, but then this activity would find a new home elsewhere, probably inside the neighborhood since it's so large. If the city really wants to change this they're going to also have to legalize drugs to keep that money out of the hands of gangs. Sadly, the city isn't interested in doing either which ensures that schools will not attract suburban families and gangs will continue to get their government welfare.

Columbusite, you make many good points about the reasons for the challenging conditions in the Hilltop neighborhood.  The building of more suburban developments further from the central core than the Hilltop is certainly one of the major reasons.  You might say that many residents traded Hilltop for Hilliard!

 

However, you might want to be careful when using the term "the city".  The City of Columbus is certainly responsible for development standards, neighborhood maintenance, police, etc.  But to use the term "the city" in the context of public school policy and drug legalization seems off base. 

 

The schools are run by Columbus Public Schools, which have a superintendent and school board that is independent of the City of Columbus.  And any legalization of drugs is way outside the purview of the City of Columbus.

<b>Hilltop Offers Affordable Housing Opportunities</b>

By Walker | May 2, 2009 10:30am

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/hilltop.jpg">

 

Press Release:

 

Looking for a housing value? Go West

 

Struggling artists, young families with bills to pay and college graduates with student-loan debt may find homeownership within their reach – if they look to the Hilltop.

 

Homes on the Hill Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit housing organization, has five move-in ready Hilltop homes for sale – all of them lead safe and comprehensively rehabbed. Two are available for lease/purchase.

 

Qualified buyers will have household income of 80 percent or lower of Columbus-area median income. For a household of one, this is $38,400, or $44,000 for a two-member household. Down payment assistance is available.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/hilltop-offers-affordable-housing-opportunities

There's hardly any decent restaurants, clubs/bars, or retail on that portion of Broad St. Sullivant is even worse. I would love to live there for the affordability but seriously, aside from the gyro place and nearby Ding Ho, there just isn't much to get excited about. The 'nice' parts of the Hill don't even have sidewalks. The area is so stagnant.

That's what these new initiatives are for. To bring some new and exciting things to the area. A group of residents over there are leading the way and working on having a coffee shop and gallery/performance space opening soon on Broad.

 

I'll post more details as I get them.

Friends of The Hilltop?

I don't know if it's the same group, but I'm sure there's some overlap. The main contact I have in the area is a friend who moved over there about a year ago.

Via Columbus Underground and Friends of the Hilltop.  Followed by a Business First article on trying to jump start additional retail in the Hilltop/Westgate neighborhood.  Nice older neighborhood attempting to revitalize itself.

 

Westgate featured in new home and garden tour on the Hilltop

 

COLUMBUS - West Side volunteers from three community organizations will present the inaugural Hilltop Home & Garden Tour, featuring the Westgate neighborhood, on Saturday, June 13, from 4 to 8 p.m.  The tour will start at the Westgate Masonic Lodge, 2925 West Broad Street.

 

Tickets may be purchased the day of the tour at the Masonic Lodge for $10, or $8 in advance at the following locations:

 

• Gearhart’s True Value Hardware, 2885 West Broad Street

• Growing Solutions, 1040 Georgesville Road

• Haldeman Cleaners, 3117 West Broad Street

• Tigertree, 771 North High Street

• Wallpaper Outlet, 3770 West Broad Street

• Westside Messenger, 3500 Sullivant Avenue

 

Sponsored by Friends of the Hilltop, Friends of Westgate Park, and Westgate Neighbors Association, the tour features architecture, home renovations, and garden design at 12 Westgate homes and/or gardens.  Included in the tour are an organic vegetable garden and a photography studio.

 

“We want to share the charm of our neighborhood with others and let people know that there is a lot to offer in the quality of the housing, its affordability and the creativity of its residents,” said Lisa Grazier, president of Friends of Westgate Park.  “This tour is the first in a series of annual home and garden tours spotlighting the undiscovered neighborhoods of the Hilltop.  It’s a great place to live, and an interesting place to visit with a wonderful city park and other unique points of interest.”

 

The neighborhood of Westgate is currently being discovered by young professionals looking for affordable and unique housing, but it began in the 1920s on land that was at the edge, or the west gate, of Camp Chase, a Civil War Union installation and, later during the war, a prison housing Confederate soldiers.  More than 2,000 Confederates are buried at the federally operated Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery on Sullivant Avenue, at the southern edge of today’s Westgate neighborhood.

 

For more information on the tour, visit www.friendsofthehilltop.com or contact: Mari Ann Binder Futty at 614-276-9668 / [email protected]., or Lisa Grazier, spokesperson for the tour, at 614-274-4382 / [email protected]

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/hilltop-home-038-garden-tour-in-westgate-61309

Westgate residents look for buy-in on biz plan

Business First of Columbus - by Dan Eaton

Friday, May 15, 2009

 

Josh Quinn sees residents and visitors a year from now spending the day shopping and dining along West Broad Street in the Hilltop and Westgate area.  Neighbors share his vision, but the question is if he can find entrepreneurs to agree.  “If something major does not happen on Broad Street in the next year, I fear our opportunity will have passed,” said Mari Ann Binder Futty, president of the Westgate Neighbors Association.  Futty is one of several community members pushing for redevelopment in the Hilltop.  Quinn, who bought a house in the Westgate neighborhood of the Hilltop last fall, is new to the effort but is every bit as eager to see some transformation.  With the help of the Economic and Community Development Institute and community members, he hopes to redevelop a west-side block into a home for multiple neighborhood-scale retailers.

 

“We have a group of longstanding residents who need services like groceries or dry cleaners or banks or delis,” said Nancy Rhynard, of the Hilltop Business Association.  That was borne out by a 2008 market study commissioned by Columbus and conducted by Columbus-based Boulevard Strategies.  The study found 51 first-floor retailers in the nearly two-mile Broad Street strip in the Hilltop, accounting for 125,000 square feet.  That could fit inside an average Wal-Mart with room to spare.  Those businesses garnered only $28 million of the estimated $525 million in retail purchases by Hilltop residents in 2007.

 

 

Dan Dougan, left, is supporting a Westgate neighborhood revitalization plan championed by Josh Quinn.

 

Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/05/18/story5.html

That building looks crooked on top. Hope they're able to get together money to renovate these buildings, since I'd like a good reason to venture out this way.

I just rode my bike in that area and checked out Camp Chase. It would be nice if they could focus on one area; the Sullivant Ave. corridor or Broad St. I think it would be easier to notice change that way. With all of the vacant properties available, it would look extremely sporadic. That's one thing I loved about Cincinnati..the centralization of businesses in the neighborhoods. I often wonder where people in Westgate shop; clearly it isn't Broad or Sullivant because the business district wouldn't look the way it does.

 

There are a few cool places even on Sullivant lately that I noticed though. I noticed a pizza place with an outdoor patio near Camp Chase and a Shi sha lounge (hookah lounge). Too bad I don't smoke anymore :(

 

That building looks crooked on top. Hope they're able to get together money to renovate these buildings, since I'd like a good reason to venture out this way.

Sadly, the building collasped onto these people just after this photo was taken, prematurely ending the Hilltop revitalization efforts. (Just kidding!)  Seriously, it's probably just a lens quirk.  I've been past these buildings recently and they don't look to be in any danger of falling down. 

 

Speaking of the Hilltop revitalization effort.  I found an older NBC4 story about those efforts here.  It features many of the same people from the Business First story previously posted in this thread.

 

VIDEO LINK: http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/article/hilltop_revival/15500/

Found one more Hilltop report from NBC4.  This one's about recent arrests by a team federal, state and local police in the Hilltop area.  Apparently two rival gangs were the focus of the arrests.  Hmm, rival gangs ... maybe the Hilltop really is like the Short North of the late 70's/early 80's! (Again, just kidding!)  Here's the news report...

 

15 In Custody As Result Of ‘Operation Hilltop’

By Mike Bowersock, NBC4 Reporter

Published: May 19, 2009

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Federal state and local authorities made ten arrests and unsealed charges against five convicts during “Operation Hilltop” Tuesday.  The Hilltop Soldiers and The Murder Gang were the focus of the arrests.  Teams of federal, state and local law enforcement officers arrested 10 people who were charged in a series of federal indictments and complaints with committing violent crimes, including trafficking crack cocaine, use of firearms in drug-trafficking crimes and possession of firearms by people who have been convicted of felonies.

 

The charges were the result of a 12-month investigation known as “Operation Hilltop.”  Columbus police, investigators with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections and Ohio Adult Parole Authority and ATF agents into drug and violent crimes in West Columbus neighborhoods were involved in the arrests.

 

VIDEO LINK: http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/crime/article/15_in_custody_as_result_of_operation_hilltop/15886/

 

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/04/council04.ART_ART_03-04-08_B2_A29HJV9.html?sid=101

 

THIS IS THE EXISTING FIREHOUSE AT 2300 W. BROAD ST.

IT WAS VACATED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT A FEW YEARS

AGO WHEN THEY BUILT A NEW FIRE STATION DOWN THE

STREET.  THE BUILDING IS IN GREAT CONDITION.

 

 

THIS IS A RENDERING OF THE EXISTING FIREHOUSE WITH

THE PROPOSED HEALTH CLINIC ADDITION TO THE RIGHT

Found a better rendering and some more info on this health clinic project at the architect's website.

 

    WEST SIDE FAMILY HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER

      2300 W. Broad Street - Columbus, Ohio

• 10,500 SF renovation of former 95-year old firehouse
  
• 25,000 SF addition for neighborhood health and wellness center
  
• Passive solar addition with updated mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire suppression systems, added insulation and energy efficient windows in the existing firehouse building
  
• Seeking LEED Silver Certification
  

Article about a new neighborhood association for a Hilltop neighborhood located east of Hague Avenue.  The neighborhood, Highland West, has a website at http://highlandwestneighborsassociation.ning.com.

 

 

Hilltop neighborhood association latest effort to revitalize W. Broad Street

 

It's just a city street. But to many Hilltop residents, Hague Avenue is a distinct boundary.  To the west lies the well-kept Westgate neighborhood with owner-occupied houses and involved neighbors.  To the east, Highland West, a section that has struggled with violent crime, drugs, prostitution, foreclosures and boarded-up houses.  "Hague Avenue has always been a dividing line in this community," said Geoff Phillips, 50, who lives in Highland West.  Phillips and a handful of others are forming the Highland West Neighbors Association with the goal of re-establishing "the Hilltop everyone knew and loved."

 

Full Story: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/08/28/HIGHLANDWEST.ART_ART_08-28-09_B1_8EET5UM.html?sid=101

I already knew that east of Hague, things get rough. The 2008 homicide map clearly shows that the mast majority of murders occurred east of Hague and in most cases is the result of criminals killing other criminals. Despite the crime and abandonment which only hurts the situation, it's good to see neighbors get together to make a difference. There's also the Hilltop mobility plan which calls for calmed roads, etc, which not only make it easier to get around and more urban-friendly, but a side effect could be on crime. It's harder to commite a crime and speed off when you've got speed humps and traffic circles in your way.

West Side's new health clinic incorporates old firehouse

W. Broad Street complex to offer tours, open Monday

 

Three years ago, a group of Hilltop residents opposed the city's plan to make an early-20th-century fire station part of a new community-health clinic, fearing that it would destroy the station's historic nature.  Today, many residents seem happy with the result: the $7.9 million city-supported Columbus West Family Health and Wellness Center at 2300 W. Broad Street, which will open to the public on Monday.

 

"I'm very pleased with the way the city was able to preserve the character of the fire station," said Dave Horn, vice chairman of the Greater Hilltop Area Commission.  "It's a tremendous win for us." 

 

The brown brick of the new building is similar to the brick of the fire station, with an open concourse linking the two.  The hose tower of the fire station will be illuminated at night.  Geoff Phillips, president of the Highland West Neighbors Association, said the design of the new building, which includes such environmentally friendly features as sun shading to reduce energy costs, helps it blend into the neighborhood.

 

 

READ MORE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/09/22/copy/WESTSIDEHEALTH.ART0_ART_09-22-09_B3_IKF59JI.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

W. BROAD ON THE HILLTOP

Bicyclists, businesses at odds over bike lanes

Monday,  November 30, 2009 - 3:08 AM

By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch

 

A consultant's recommendation to eliminate parking along the north side of a section of W. Broad Street through the Hilltop to accommodate bicycles has some area business owners shaking their heads.  The city wants to create bike lanes along W. Broad east of Hague Avenue between Harris and Clarendon Avenues as part of a 2010 resurfacing project.

 

Kansas City-based TranSystems recommends keeping on-street parking on the south side of the street.  That proposal would reduce the number of lanes from three in each direction to two westbound and one eastbound, with a middle left-turn lane and bike lanes in both directions.  The city hasn't made a decision yet, but proponents and opponents are ramping up efforts to sway officials at a Greater Hilltop Area Commission meeting on Tuesday.

 

BIKE LANES PLAN AND MAP

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/30/HILLTOPBIKES.ART_ART_11-30-09_B1_9EFRDJI.html?sid=101

This stretch of W Broad will be fine with some signage and sharrows. Now the highway interchange separating this neighborhood from Franklinton needs serious changes to make it resemble a city street and not a mini-highway.

From http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-24466-Columbus-Alternative-Transportation-Examiner~y2009m12d2-Hilltop-Commission-meeting-recommends-no-new-bike-lanes

 

Hilltop Commission meeting recommends no new bike lanes

 

The hot topic at Columbus's Hilltop Area Commission meeting last night was the possible installation of bike lanes and the removal of a parking lane on West Broad in the Hilltop neighborhood.  As discussed in the Columbus Dispatch on Monday, the suggestion was supported by a majority of residents but widely disliked by business owners.  The commission voted to recommend that no bike lanes be added and that street parking be retained on both sides of West Broad. 

 

West Side's new health clinic incorporates old firehouse

W. Broad Street complex to offer tours, open Monday

 

Three years ago, a group of Hilltop residents opposed the city's plan to make an early-20th-century fire station part of a new community-health clinic, fearing that it would destroy the station's historic nature.  Today, many residents seem happy with the result: the $7.9 million city-supported Columbus West Family Health and Wellness Center at 2300 W. Broad St., which will open to the public on Monday.

 

"I'm very pleased with the way the city was able to preserve the character of the fire station," said Dave Horn, vice chairman of the Greater Hilltop Area Commission.  "It's a tremendous win for us."  The brown brick of the new building is similar to the brick of the fire station, with an open concourse linking the two.  The hose tower of the fire station will be illuminated at night.

 

PHOTO OF NEW HEALTH CLINIC

 

LOCATION MAP

Found some photos of the completed health clinic and former firehouse renovation project at the Highland West Neighborhood Association photo page. 

 

 

 

 

I think it was great that the city listened to residents in this case and hopefully will regarding the bike lane issue. I like the outcome myself.

 

I've entered a request for a bike rack at this location and for one on basically every block on the urban stretch here. You'll be seeing bike racks there in 2-4 months (High St requests seem to get acted upon much faster). The ones I requested at an earlier date next door in Franklinton are being installed. There's one in front of Tommy's Diner and the city is installing more in front of Josie's Pizza and Milo's Deli.

 

FYI on the retail scene here, there is a newer used-motorcycle shop called Cycle Co., The Taste Pizzeria, Tortilleria Amanecer, and a new night spot where Tu Casa used to be called Buchanan's Bar & Billiards. A little ways west there's also a Mexican store, La Chaparrita, which has a taco truck out front and I recall those being there for a while. Not exactly the laundry list you get with someplace like the Short North, but things are happening.

The ones I requested at an earlier date next door in Franklinton are being installed. There's one in front of Tommy's Diner and the city is installing more in front of Josie's Pizza and Milo's Deli.

 

FYI on the retail scene here, there is a newer used-motorcycle shop called Cycle Co., The Taste Pizzeria, Tortilleria Amanecer, and a new night spot where Tu Casa used to be called Buchanan's Bar & Billiards.

 

The bike racks at those locations sound like a really good idea. My guess is that it would bring a lot of hipsters into the area.

 

There's no excuse for a street this mighty to not have bike racks, let alone be generally ignored by developers for decades.

 

 

 

I took care of the bike rack heres, maybe you can take care of the affordable urban condos everyone's asking about. Thanks!

Hilltop neighborhood seeks lasting fixes

Sunday, July 11, 2010  - 2:59 AM

By Mark Ferenchik

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

This week is Pride Week, when city crews converge on a neighborhood to clean alleys, cut tall grass, replace burned-out streetlights and cite homeowners for code violations.  During a recent canvass (of this Hilltop neighborhood), code-enforcement officers warned 250 property owners of violations.  That's more than half of the 448 residential properties in the area.  Houses on Burgess, Ogden, Richardson and Terrace avenues already had 46 standing orders to correct violations, mostly environmental problems such as tall weeds and trash, code-enforcement manager Dana Rose said.

 

The Pride neighborhood is in the southern part of Highland West, an area plagued by absentee landlords and property-flipping, said Geoff Phillips, who leads the Highland West Neighbors Association.  The Hilltop neighborhood is the second of four the city has targeted this year.  Chuck Patterson, who leads the Greater Hilltop Area Commission, suggested the neighborhood as a target after Pride crews visited other areas on the Hilltop.

 

Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/07/11/hilltop-neighborhood-seeks-lasting-fixes.html?sid=101

The active Highland West Neighbors Association has started a new community garden off of N Wheatland just a block north of W Broad. The association has also been working to hang banners along their stretch of W Broad to brand the area.

 

 

 

 

Here is what residents are working towards as outlined in the updated design charrette for W Broad. Looks like they sadly need to convince the city leaders that this is more important for the west side than adding lanes to sprawling Hilliard-Rome Rd.

 

Artists' Lofts Before

 

Artists' Lofts After

Bump outs

 

Bus Shelters

 

Coffee Shop Before

 

Coffee Shop After

Crosswalk Before

 

Crosswalk After

 

Gateway Before

 

Gateway After

 

Mural 1 Before

 

Mural 1 After

 

Mural 2 Before

 

Mural 2 After

 

Parking Lot Screen

 

Pocket Park

 

Senior Housing

 

Youth Center Before

 

Youth Center After

As a resident of the Hilltop, I can pretty much guarantee that the area will continue to be largely ignored.  If Franklinton, which is far closer to Downtown than we are can't see real changes, then I don't hold out much hope for us.  There is a lot of potential along the Broad corridor, and I wish the people luck involved in trying to make these plans a reality, but it will be too late for me as I will have already moved out. 

It's not Olde Towne East or Merion Village: this is the next untamed frontier. North of Broad here is without a doubt well ahead of south of Broad. Franklinton has been seeing more change with the demolition of some crime- ridden projects, 70 new homes, annual events, and even Liz Lessner is looking to open a restaurant there. Thing is, since most of that is off Broad you won't notice these improvements, although a bike co op will be opening in a vacant building there soon. Welcome to UO! I take it you're not going to move to Linden then.

I know that many peopole don't want to hear this but I grew up in Franklinton ane have strong ties to The Hilltop so I think I'm qualified to say it. The Hilltop is BAD. I'm a shapeshifter- lived in every kind of environment and learned to adapt but even I can't ignore how bad crime is getting. It seems worse than in the 90s when The Bottoms seemed like the worst part of the west side, not The Hill. Some Planners are kinda clueless in their ideas simply from not having lived in different environments. Here's an example: "Garages should always be behind the house!" "Back alleys alleviate traffic and hide garbage for pickup". The reality in crime ridden great lakes neighborhoods w/ that design is that you get your garage broken into on a regular basis. We had people cutting through our yard to get to Dana ave. from the Dairy Mart which meant things in the yard/on the porch came up missing. That's not to say there's no crime prev. solutions but they're costly and not 100% effective, esp. in such bad areas.

The Hilltop is the quintessential, all-American neighborhood in its architecuture and urban form but I think that works against it because it doesn't have any particular identity. There isn't much industry to speak of which thankfully allowed them to avoid an inevitable mass of brownfield sites but offices and retail are also few and far between. If The Hilltop is to succeed, it needs to reinvigorate itself through creativity and drastic measures from the city that would mostly focus on creating jobs/increased employment in The Hilltop. I'll give an example on how the relationship between work and residency can shape cities. Where I work is technically in Columbus but borders Hilliard. My company worked out a deal with a rental management company. One of our perks includes 20% off of rent if you choose to live in certain apts near our building but those apts are in Hilliard. It's too bad Hilltop's big employer is a state gov't agency. You can't expect to see ODOT incentivizing workers to live nearby.

To be fair, not all of the Hilltop is BAD. Westgate is worlds away from the worst part next door. The center of the worst crime in the entire neighborhood is located between Broad and Sullivant somewhere east of Hague and west of Wheatland. It's no coincidence that this is where the highest concentration of homicides occurred last year along with other crime. Of course, that crime finds it's way outside of these broders too and it doesn't help that every other storefront on this stretch of Broad is a liquor store. The area is very similar to the old Short North and that unfortunately includes the high crime rate. But, you have to start somewhere and this isn't the only neighborhood in an American city that has seen similar situations and made strides. Areas like this in Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, etc, are seeing grocery co ops, non-profit coffee shops funding neighborhood improvements, etc. It's always one step at a time and it's about time that long overdue step be taken here.

I love how every neighborhood here gets compared to the Short North prior to gentrification. It's apples to oranges. Every neighborhood in Columbus is "the next Short North". Yeah.

Keith, do you actually live in The Hilltop? The reason I ask is because man, nothing kills your optimism like returning to all the places you went to 20 to 14 years ago and seeing that either nothing has changed, places are more run down, or don't exist anymore, leaving an empty shell.  What is all this talk about hipsters? Waiting on hipsters to appear (which causes the gays to appear and then ultimately yuppies, right?) sounds just as formulaic as...well, the city and developers proposing most new transportation and building projects in the Short North, as it's a "sure bet".  I have never heard of any truly creative solutions for the west side, especially ones that capitalize on it's current assets.

I'm guessing coffee shops and co ops = hipsters? I believe there are some in Westgate and I've even seen a few in Franklinton (must be all the blue-collar bars serving PBR for under a $1). Bear in mind that only recently did a neighborhood organization form among outsiders moving into the neighborhood along with long-time residents in the Highland West area east of Hague, which contains the rotten core that is holding back the rest of the area. They do cleanups of W Broad, battled the city over keeping on-street parking and kept half of what would have been lost, started an annual Christmas lights competition, are working on addressing crime with the city, etc. It's a good start, but it's not going to be easy to stabilize the area.

 

I don't live on the west side and I know visiting is a totally different experience from living there (especially at night). Really though, this is just about the only other urban neighborhood that really can be compared to the Short North. The dense collection of commercial buildings there can't be found in Linden or even Olde Towne East where you only have a little bit left here and there vs. block after block consecutively. As for gays investing in the area, according to the census the west-central part of the Hilltop (roughly W Broad to Briggs and Demorest to Hague or Whitehorn) consists of a large area where gay couples represent 3-5% of all couples (depending on the tract) and in larger number than OTE out of approx. 6,300 homes. Still no yuppies yet, but this would certainly help explain the overlooked disposable income which comes in part from all of the DINKS here and (just checked) yep, these same tracts also have the highest income levels in the Hilltop. This could very well have been a more recent phenomena than when you where there over a decade ago, or was this already the case?

 

Even though I'd like to the focus be on the urban business district that unfortunately borders the worse part of the Hilltop, I don't see why there haven't been many noticeable improvements on W Broad or Sullivant in this zone. I know a new and popular coney restaurant opened up on W Broad in this area, but that's all that caught my eye.

The best thing going for neighborhoods like Hilltop and Franklinton is that Columbus continues to grow at a strong pace.  I don't think these central urban neighborhoods will remain the way they are for too many more years.  I'm a native of Columbus and have seen HUGE changes within the city over the last 10-15 years in particular, but to me, Franklinton and Hilltop have basically been "bad" for decades.  That may be starting to change finally, but it's going to take some time.  From everything I have heard, these groups have had big plans for this neighborhood for a LONG time, with very little to show for it.  I'm not convinced that anything is different now. 

Crime is a big issue.  I've lived here for 4 years, and in that time I've had my lawnmower stolen, had 2 homes raided by the police across the street, had a shooting on the corner, a large fight break out at my intersection, had an arson fire in the alley behind my house, etc.  Generally, it's pretty quiet, but that is just way too much in that short time.  There are far too many people who rent the houses and clearly don't give a crap about them.  There's trash everywhere with burned and boarded up homes on just about every street.  It's a real shame because these houses are generally 75 to 100+ years old, and many of them have a lot of character if anyone would take care of them.  My own house has 5 original stained glass windows, original hardwood floors that are diagonal instead of straight, a beautiful mantel with original tiles and carved pillars, a 3rd floor level, etc., but all of that is just not enough if the neighborhood is bad.  My property values suck and to put more money into it now would be a waste.  I would be happy to live in an up and coming neighborhood that is rough around the edges but has positive momentum.  So far, I just haven't seen that here.  I don't think things have gotten WORSE, but they sure haven't gotten better.   

My sister looked into renting a house in The Hilltop. In the Craigslist ad, the first thing they said was, "the pipes aren't copper".  No joke!