February 20, 201114 yr It sounds like you now live there, so is there any chance you've met with the HWNA (if you live in that part of the Hilltop)? The Hilltop should by all means be well ahead of Olde Towne East. Just check out the income levels of the large central section which dwarfs Downtown, the Near East side, Old North Columbus, and are comparable to 5th by NW, Merion Village, and Graceland. The only explanation I can come up with is that no one knows this. If this were well-known among local entrepreneurs, I'm all but certain W Broad and Sullivant would look a quite a bit better today.
June 24, 201113 yr Once-busy Hilltop building symbolizes area's decline Vacant former pharmacy raises the question: What can be done to heal the neighborhood? Monday, June 20, 2011 By Mark Ferenchik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ed Salser owns a building that was once a neighborhood landmark: a pharmacy that for three decades supplied customers with not only medicine but also products as varied as candy, goldfish and Hoover sweepers. Last year, his building, which had been turned into an after-hours nightclub, was the scene of a fatal shooting. Today, the building is empty. It has been tagged with graffiti and stripped of its copper pipes. Salser, 80, learned that last part when he returned home from a stay in a hospital this month. READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/06/20/once-busy-hilltop-building-symbolizes-areas-decline.html?sid=101
December 29, 201113 yr The Hilltop may lose Jack's Coneys, it's pretty much the lone destination on W Broad near Hague to open in years. They've been having issues with the landlord; more on their website. http://jacksconeys.com/
December 29, 201113 yr It sounds like you now live there, so is there any chance you've met with the HWNA (if you live in that part of the Hilltop)? I think David lives in downtown Canal Winchester now. Haven't heard from him much lately on the forum.
December 30, 201113 yr Aww. Well, I did find more going on in the Hilltop and sadly it's not great news yet. The Highland West Neighbors Association posted this about vandalism and property damage done to Holton Park. As many of you already know, Holton Park was the object of vandalism just before Christmas. Someone tore up much of the lawn with a car or truck and then to top it off, someone ran the vehicle into the side of the Shelter House, leaving a gaping hole. It appears that the City may not repair the damage, and have opted to take down part of, if not all, of the Shelter House. Our civic association has absolutely no information on anything, not what happened nor what is going to be done about it ... the City has made no communication at all to the President or Vice President of the HWNA, even though they have both of their email addresses and phone numbers. The City is also aware of the great depth of our involvement in the upkeep and restoration this HISTORIC PARK and its creek. WE NEED EVERYONE to email and call the members of City Council, the Mayor's Office, the Parks and Rec Department, demanding answers. ALSO, you MUST make it clear that removing the Shelter House, like the former permanent restrooms, will NOT BE ACCEPTABLE to YOU or to the HIGHLAND WEST COMMUNITY. Anyone who gets answers, please email it to [email protected]. Highland West deserves the same respect that other neighborhoods get .... so DEMAND IT! Below are the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of the people we are asking you to contact: Andrew Ginther, City Council President [email protected] (614) 645-2931 Hercel F. Craig, City Council President Pro Tem [email protected] (614) 645-7379 Zachary M. Clein, City Council [email protected] (614) 645-5346 A. Troy Miller, City Council [email protected] (614) 645-2013 Michelle M. Mills, [email protected] (614) 645-5344 Eileen Y. Paley, City Council, [email protected] (614) 645-2010 Priscilla R. Tyson, City Council [email protected] (614) 645-2933 Alan D. McKnight, Director of Parks and Rec [email protected] (614 645-3300 Mayor Michael Coleman, [email protected] (614) 645-7671 This Park is a success story of our neighborhood, please don't let it die!! http://highlandwestneighborsassociation.ning.com/profiles/blogs/park-emergency-holton-park-needs-our-help-now-save-our-shelter
January 26, 201213 yr ^Looks like that post has been removed from Highland West Neighborhood Association site. So I googled a cached copy and found out why. It looks like the OP pushed the panic button before knowing the facts. Here's the cached copy from the Highland West website: Comment by John R on December 28, 2011 at 10:36pm My understanding from some workers that were there is they might remove the back storage area. I saw a picture on the workers phone of the actual damage to the storage area. It is extensive! There are arches there so if the storage area is removed the shelter house would still look symmetrical. It would be open on all sides with the arched openings. Comment by Geoffrey Phillips on December 29, 2011 at 1:16pm I just got off the phone with Director McKnight at Columbus Recreation and Parks who told me the plan was to remove the storage room addition and put it back to being a free standing shelter house, open on all four sides. They do not plan to totally tear it down and will finish the work they already began on the rafters and the roof.
January 26, 201213 yr Housing proposed on city-owned Hilltop site Units planned for low-income and senior tenants By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch Saturday, January 21, 2012 - 6:15 AM A Westerville developer wants to buy a long-vacant city-owned property on the Hilltop to build a housing complex for senior citizens as well as single- family homes. The Woda Group LLC plans to ask the city to rezone the 22.5 acres off Wheatland Avenue just north of W. Broad Street. The company wants to build the project in three phases, said Greg Large, the zoning chairman for the Greater Hilltop Area Commission. The first phase would be 60 rental units in an L-shaped building toward the back of the property, with construction beginning in 2013, Large said. Forty-two units for senior citizens would be built after that. Plans also call for 33 homes, Large said. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/21/housing-proposed-on-city-owned-hilltop-site.html LOCATION MAP OF THE PROPERTY
March 13, 201213 yr Couple of items about the Westgate neighborhood located within the larger Hilltop area. The Westgate neighborhood is defined as the area bounded by South Hague Avenue on the east, Demorest Road on the west, West Broad Street on the north and Sullivant Avenue on the south. A post from the Westgate Neighbors Association: 2011 — A Good Year In Westgate An article from Columbus Alive about young professionals purchasing their first homes in the Westgate neighborhood: Westgate on the rise
August 2, 201212 yr Some encouraging news for the Hilltop reported by Columbus Underground. The Elizabeth Lessner led Columbus Food League announced the formation of their seventh restaurant in Columbus. This newest restaurant will be a second Dirty Frank’s location at 2836 West Broad Street in the Westgate section of the Hilltop. The 2836 West Broad Street location was previously a long-time neighborhood hangout, the Western Cafe. After the Western Cafe closed a few years ago, it was briefly Jack's Coneys. The new Dirty Frank's restaurant in the Hilltop will be twice the size of the Downtown original and is slated to open in Spring 2013. It should be interesting to see what the Columbus Food League has it store for the building (which doesn't have much going for it, other than a kinda-cool stainless steel door). Below are two photos of 2836 W. Broad Street during its Western Cafe and Jack's Coneys days. Below is also a link to the Columbus Underground article about the Columbus Food League announcement for the location: CU: Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace to Open Second Location in Westgate
August 2, 201212 yr Westgate is really taking off, isn't it. Well done Liz! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
August 5, 201212 yr Wow, that was fast. Once again it's Liz Lessner to the rescue, but this time it's not one of the top neighborhoods in the city, so this bodes well for her project in Franklinton. Despite this being located in Westgate (barely) this should really be seen as a steady foundation and opportunity for urban W Broad in general and Highland West specifically. Just two blocks east you get a building waiting for someone else to compliment Liz's establishment and then the occasional urban commercial space for about seven mostly residential blocks before reaching that dense business district on Broad. Just like Dirty Franks II will transform the entire block, since that's all there really is, so could other single businesses accomplish the same further east and likewise entrepreneurs there don't have to worry about factoring in neighboring forlorn commercial spaces until that stretch fills out. Something like a Rehab Tavern opening nearby in lieu of Mike's Lounge (a blemish on the area in its current state) would really get the wheels moving in motion at a good pace, as great as it is that a Dirty Frank's will be officially opening on W Broad. What do you guys think? Is the Liz Lessner brand strong enough to get others to locate on W Broad in neighborhoods like Hilltop or Franklinton? I'm still taken aback that Liz Lessner is the one and only leading pioneer entrepreneur for both Franklinton and Hilltop in a city as big as Columbus: she'll be able to take credit for single-handedly starting whatever revitalization may occur in the West Side/W Broad. ^Used to? Whereabouts now?
August 6, 201212 yr ...Liz Lessner is the one and only leading pioneer entrepreneur for both Franklinton and Hilltop... False.
August 7, 201212 yr How so? No businesses moved to Hilltop because of Jack's Coneys and it would be sitting empty if she didn't live there and swoop in to save the day. In Franklinton even after decades of Tommy's Diner's success they didn't attract more destinations like she did in once empty pockets of Downtown and the Short North. That's not the fault of these pioneering entrepreneurs, but none have lead revitalization efforts, which is what Liz Lessner is poised to accomplish since others simply put much more stock in what she does despite having been able to join businesses that made the leap to open a business in the West Side years ago. Now that she's put her stamp of approval on the West Side only now are other entrepreneurs going to be like, "hey it's no so bad here after all!". Even though that was the case a number of years ago.
August 7, 201212 yr How so? No businesses moved to Hilltop because of Jack's Coneys and it would be sitting empty if she didn't live there and swoop in to save the day. In Franklinton even after decades of Tommy's Diner's success they didn't attract more destinations like she did in once empty pockets of Downtown and the Short North. That's not the fault of these pioneering entrepreneurs, but none have lead revitalization efforts, which is what Liz Lessner is poised to accomplish since others simply put much more stock in what she does despite having been able to join businesses that made the leap to open a business in the West Side years ago. Now that she's put her stamp of approval on the West Side only now are other entrepreneurs going to be like, "hey it's no so bad here after all!". Even though that was the case a number of years ago. The near West Side has become attractive and has momentum now, something that was not true even 5 years ago. Even if one or two people opened new businesses at this time, there really wasn't any kind of revitalization push that there is now, so it's really no suprise that these singular businesses alone did not spur on neighborhood revitalization. I really think you are vastly oversimplifying the impact of a single business. Lessner has no more power to fix an entire neighborhood than did Jack's or Tommy's. The difference is perception, which HAS changed, at least enough to have more people become interested. And I think Walker's point is that she's not the only one working on revitalization through new development. There are quite a few people involved, which is the only real way that change happens. You really do a disservice to these efforts by not recognizing all the others taking part. Lessner should be commended for taking chances in freshly up and coming areas, but let's be honest, she's still a business owner and wouldn't have done so unless she saw a business opportunity. After all, you don't open a business to fix a neighborhood, you open it because you believe you can make money there.
August 7, 201212 yr Since I've repeatedly recognized others taking part, and I know that you're well aware of that fact being my #1 replier, I've done no disservice at all. I never said she was opening West Side establishments as an act of altruism. She simple saw business opportunities that had been there, but since no one else was going to take them she did and that's their loss. Perception has changed, but only on a small scale for a few select areas of both West Side neighborhoods and Liz Lessner has demonstrated that she is a huge part of that based on the before and after of her other locations: someone could have opened a destination in the Surly Girl space or adjacent empty spaces before she did and the same goes for the empty storefronts on 4th St and Gay St, but they didn't did they? Liz Lessner's establishments largely act as the only stamps of approval other entrepreneurs will take note of, though why to the extent they have I find baffling. I always thought it strange that despite the success of the restaurant cluster on Franklinton no one else saw fit to move in. I think the discrepancy between the past several years of no one else moving in despite a successful cluster of restaurants on Broad vs after the opening of the (tentatively named) Franklinton Tap Room is going to be rather telling, as if already having seen this phenomena repeated at other locations wasn't telling enough.
August 8, 201212 yr Since I've repeatedly recognized others taking part, and I know that you're well aware of that fact being my #1 replier, I've done no disservice at all. I never said she was opening West Side establishments as an act of altruism. She simple saw business opportunities that had been there, but since no one else was going to take them she did and that's their loss. Perception has changed, but only on a small scale for a few select areas of both West Side neighborhoods and Liz Lessner has demonstrated that she is a huge part of that based on the before and after of her other locations: someone could have opened a destination in the Surly Girl space or adjacent empty spaces before she did and the same goes for the empty storefronts on 4th St and Gay St, but they didn't did they? Liz Lessner's establishments largely act as the only stamps of approval other entrepreneurs will take note of, though why to the extent they have I find baffling. I always thought it strange that despite the success of the restaurant cluster on Franklinton no one else saw fit to move in. I think the discrepancy between the past several years of no one else moving in despite a successful cluster of restaurants on Broad vs after the opening of the (tentatively named) Franklinton Tap Room is going to be rather telling, as if already having seen this phenomena repeated at other locations wasn't telling enough. You just got done stating that Lessner was virtually alone in development efforts on the West Side, and now you're saying you regularly recognize others. Which is it? And yes, she saw an opportunity, one that didn't exist a few years ago. You make it seem like the West Side has been prime real estate and no one noticed. I really think the perception change came from four main events: 1. Completion of the Franklinton Floodwall. It removed federal restrictions on development. 2. City focus, particularly in the East Franklinton area. 3. The casino. It's not going to save the area by itself, but it focused attention to the neighborhood unlike any project in decades. 4. The 600 Rich project that created an artist community that's created a feel similar to the very early days of the Short North. Combined, these events gave the perception of momentum. And I don't think this perception change has only been in a few select locations. It really feels like the entire West Side area has a much brighter future. Other projects like Orange Barrel moving it's HQ in Franklinton, COTA adding and expanding routes along W. Broad from Downtown, the recently completed Franlinton Development Plan all keep that sense of progress going. Lessner is just one part of a much bigger picture that's evolving.
August 8, 201212 yr No, she's the only one to take a lead role in local revitalization efforts: didn't you notice my posts earlier on at least one local business in the Hilltop? Pretty sure I've talked about various Hilltop businesses before in the Hilltop thread and elsewhere. Like this for example: Taco Truck Bike Tour 2010 - The Hilltop Existing businesses, as I said earlier there's not much they can do, but they don't have the pull that Lessner does. That's just the reality of the situation. You can list off the best businesses in the Hilltop, but they certainly haven't attracted many new entrepreneurs, have they? Westgate has been healthy for decades, the floodwall has been up since 2004, it's been known for quite some time that the casino is moving, that the projects were being torn down in east Franklinton (though that really didn't matter if you were opening a destination on W Broad west of 315), etc. Quality urban entrepreneurs are what will make the West Side a good place on a daily basis and provide a real alternative to High St. However, Lessner is the one they're looking up to, which is not my doing by the way, and I'm quite certain we'll see this play out in similar fashion to her past locations. If other local businesses were found compelling enough to join it would have happened already. Whatever the case, for them it has to have Lessner's name on it. Hell, I'd go as far to say that this is the only reason why Hal & Al's hasn't seen any complimentary neighors move in next door for over three years since they opened. Franklinton, unlike Hilltop, has seen city funding to attract more residents and businesses, but that's on the east side and Lessner is opening a spot blocks outside of this investment zone, just FYI. I think it (city commitment, FAD,FDA) was enough to get her to move there, like the untapped potential for Westgate residents starving for local restaurant options, but you'll note no one else is moving onto W Broad yet: just her. In Franklinton and the Hilltop.
November 5, 201212 yr Redevelopment project targeting 40 Hilltop homes By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch Friday, November 2, 2012 - 6:16 AM Across the eastern half of the Hilltop are 150 houses so fire-damaged or dilapidated that they should be demolished. That’s the assessment of Leah Werner, project manager for a Dayton-area development company that surveyed the neighborhood over the summer. Her for-profit company is working with the nonprofit Homes on the Hill to build or fix up 40 houses in the neighborhood in 2014. She and Hilltop leaders say they hope that the lease-to-own houses will take shape on those lots. (. . .) Werner’s Oberer Companies, of Miamisburg, has applied to the city to buy 15 land-bank properties in the neighborhood for the lease-to-own project, said John Turner, the city’s land-bank administrator. The developers say they also will apply for low-income housing tax credits in February to finance the project. Werner said 57 properties have been identified as potential sites for the 40 houses, including the 15 in the land bank. She hopes the remaining lots could be acquired through expedited tax foreclosures and placed in the land bank. READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/11/02/extreme-makeover.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
February 6, 201411 yr Business First had two reports about a 10,000 sq. ft. Family Dollar store breaking ground last week at 2373-2395 W. Broad Street in the Hilltop. The news of a Family Dollar coming to the Hilltop is good. The news that the store will be replacing a couple of vacant two-story buildings is not so good. There's no information about the design of the new Family Dollar, but there is a photo of the existing buildings at the below linked articles: Family Dollar coming to Hilltop More to Hilltop deal than just Family Dollar
February 6, 201411 yr Some encouraging news for the Hilltop reported by Columbus Underground. The Elizabeth Lessner led Columbus Food League announced the formation of their seventh restaurant in Columbus. This newest restaurant will be a second Dirty Frank’s location at 2836 West Broad Street in the Westgate section of the Hilltop. The 2836 West Broad Street location was previously a long-time neighborhood hangout, the Western Cafe. After the Western Cafe closed a few years ago, it was briefly Jack's Coneys. The new Dirty Frank's restaurant in the Hilltop will be twice the size of the Downtown original and is slated to open in Spring 2013. It should be interesting to see what the Columbus Food League has it store for the building (which doesn't have much going for it, other than a kinda-cool stainless steel door). Below are two photos of 2836 W. Broad Street during its Western Cafe and Jack's Coneys days. Below is also a link to the Columbus Underground article about the Columbus Food League announcement for the location: CU: Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace to Open Second Location in Westgate The long awaited Dirty Frank's location at 2836 W. Broad Street in the Hilltop's Westgate neighborhood is now open. Columbus Underground has a phototour of the place on opening night at the below link: CU: First Look: Dirty Frank’s Westgate
April 4, 20169 yr Mayor Ginther planning to invest millions to boost low-income neighborhoods: From the above linked article: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/02/24/mayor-ginther-planning-to-invest-millions-to-boost.html "In new Mayor Ginther's 'State of the City' address, he announced $34 million in infrastructure for the Hilltop in the city’s upcoming capital budget." From a follow-up article in Business First: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2016/02/heres-what-61-million-will-do-for-hilltop-and.html HILLTOP: $34 million - Sidewalks on Mound Street, one of the west Columbus neighborhood's main roads - Flood control and streetscape improvements along West Broad Street - Reopening of the Glenwood Community Recreation Center The Hilltop is directly west of Franklinton, an enclave that has received a lot of city funding and attracted new businesses and national media attention.
April 4, 20169 yr Ginther looking for business partners for Hilltop, Linden redevelopment By Tom Knox, Reporter - Columbus Business First March 21, 2016, 11:09am EDT Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther wants to spend $61 million to help revitalize two downtrodden city neighborhoods, but Hilltop and Linden are different than similar investments the city has made. Other regions helped by the city have received major boosts from private partners. Wealthy families from venerable businesses, like the Grotes of Donatos, helped the south side. So did the Crane Group and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which is the big business presence there. Ohio State University has thrown its weight and incentives to spur improvements in neighboring Weinland Park, and American Electric Power threw its weight behind redeveloping neighboring Scioto Mile. There are no such obvious partners for the Hilltop and Linden. Getting buy-in from potential funders is one of the new mayor’s priorities, he told Columbus Business First in a weekly podcast at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/feature/podcasts/2016/03/podcast-a-conversation-with-columbus-mayor-andrew.html MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/03/21/ginther-looking-for-business-partners-for-hilltop.html
April 26, 20169 yr The new $7.2 million Glenwood Community Recreation Center opened last Saturday in the Hilltop: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/04/23/new-glenwood-recreation-center-opens-today-on-the-hilltop.html
August 3, 20168 yr CU report on affordable housing being managed by Homeport in Columbus. Below is the part that deals with 39 infill homes being built in the Hilltop neighborhood: Homeport Wrapping Up New Homes on Hilltop, Rehabs in University District By Brent Warren, Columbus Underground July 6, 2016 - 8:12 am On the Hilltop, 30 of the 39 homes that Homeport is building as part of its Hilltop Homes II development have been completed and the remaining houses are on track to be finished by the end of August. The 1,400 square foot homes are available to families making less than 60% of the median income in Columbus, and can be purchased by residents after a 15-year period. They are located on scattered lots between West Broad Street and Sullivan Avenue, east of Hague Road. The homes were built in partnership with Homes on the Hill and are being leased and managed by Community Properties of Ohio. MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/affordable-housing-hilltop-university-district-bw1
August 3, 20168 yr Another report about the 39 infill homes being built in the Hilltop: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/home_and_garden/2016/07/03/01-39-new-hilltop-houses-intended-to-transform-lives-of-low-income-tenants.html
August 3, 20168 yr Couple of video reports about the Hilltop infill housing: - Dedication video: http://www.homeportohio.org/news-posts/2016/7/27/hilltop-homes-ii-celebration-video - 10TV news report: http://www.10tv.com/article/city-teams-businesses-build-new-homes-hilltop-neighborhood
January 26, 20178 yr New apartment complex coming to the Hilltop The struggling Hilltop neighborhood is getting an affordable senior housing complex. Woda Group Inc. is building a three-story, 42-unit rental community at 180 Wheatland Ave., a vacant lot between West Broad Street and Interstate 70. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/01/26/new-apartment-complex-coming-to-the-hilltop.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 27, 20178 yr Couple of video reports about the Hilltop infill housing: - Dedication video: http://www.homeportohio.org/news-posts/2016/7/27/hilltop-homes-ii-celebration-video - 10TV news report: http://www.10tv.com/article/city-teams-businesses-build-new-homes-hilltop-neighborhood That house is funny-looking. If they spaced the windows out on the second floor it would blend in very well but instead, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Still, glad to see infill.
January 27, 20178 yr There's always something "off" about that kind of stuff when it's new. We've forgotten how to do it inexpensively.
February 3, 20187 yr New Public Art for Hilltop Neighborhood, Hilltop Rising, to be Installed June 2018 Summer Jam West has been on a mission to bring more public art to the Hilltop neighborhood. Currently, the group has secured five pieces by artists and has placed them in prominent places throughout the neighborhood. The pieces currently installed include: an 80’ Fantastic Food Garden mural by Danielle Poling in Westgate Park, a 14’ stainless monarch sculpture in Westgate Park, a 95’ Movin’ & Groovin’ mural by Roger Williams on the Camp Chase Trail (just north of North Sylvan Avenue), an 8′ X 4’ art panel by Tiffany Christopher at La Chaparrita (on West Broad Street), and an 8′ X 4’ art panel by Brian Marcus on Cream & Sugar on Sullivant Avenue. A call for submissions was held earlier last year to find the piece for 2018. More below: http://www.columbusunderground.com/new-public-art-for-hilltop-neighborhood-phoenix-rising-to-be-installed-june-2018-ae1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 24, 20187 yr City of Columbus working with the Hilltop Business Association on a study to boost retail in the Hilltop: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170721/columbus-will-take-new-look-at-hilltop-retail
March 24, 20187 yr Profile from The Metropreneur about Westgate BusinessWorks, a group that bought two commercial buildings at the corner of Broad Street and Westmoor Avenue: http://themetropreneur.com/columbus/westgate-businessworks-brings-hub-of-small-business-activity-to-westside/
March 24, 20187 yr ^ Dispatch profile of a coffee shop that opened in one of those Westgate BusinessWorks commercial buildings at 3058 W. Broad Street: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180226/new-coffee-shop-aspires-to-be-hub-for-discussions-about-hilltops-future
March 24, 20187 yr CU profile of The Annex at 801 - a new events venue in a renovated industrial building at 801 Harrisburg Pike: https://www.columbusunderground.com/the-annex-at-801-brings-downtown-style-venue-to-south-hilltop-tm1
January 15, 20205 yr This isn't a big construction announcement - but with the Hilltop you take what you can get. This is another community plan in Mayor Ginther's "focus on distressed neighborhoods" promise from his first term. A similar plan was released for the Linden neighborhood in October 2018. To review the Hilltop plan, go to https://www.envisionhilltop.com/ Hilltop next up on city’s priority list A new plan to transform struggling areas of Columbus’ Hilltop aims to address issues residents have raised in the past year as priorities, including drug addiction and trafficking, living wage jobs and training, and home repair and maintenance. “We really wanted to come up with a plan that focuses on the people,” Nick Bankston, the city’s project manager for neighborhood transformation strategies, said of the Envision Hilltop plan announced Tuesday. The plan is similar to the One Linden plan the city released in October 2018. That plan also included recommendations to reduce crime, rebuild commercial corridors, improve housing and boost job opportunities for residents. But Bankston said the Hilltop plan is different because a lot of its recommendations focus on the root causes of problems facing the neighborhood — from litter and trash to prostitution and drug use — to make the Hilltop again a productive, strong, blue-collar, middle-class neighborhood. “It addresses socioeconomic issues, not just infrastructure ones,” he said. MORE: https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20200114/hilltop-next-up-on-cityrsquos-priority-list
January 15, 20205 yr 59 minutes ago, Zyrokai said: Wait. What happened to Franklinton? Are we done now? I'm pumped for Franklinton, but no offense to that area, they have it "in the bag" at this point. Soooooo much private sector investment and inevitable tax abatement investment that I have zero worries or pity for them. They have a guaranteed beautiful 20 years ahead of them.......but that's just my perspective. Hilltop and Linden still require so much assistance to get a good footing for the future.
January 15, 20205 yr 12 minutes ago, Gnoraa said: I'm pumped for Franklinton, but no offense to that area, they have it "in the bag" at this point. Soooooo much private sector investment and inevitable tax abatement investment that I have zero worries or pity for them. They have a guaranteed beautiful 20 years ahead of them.......but that's just my perspective. Hilltop and Linden still require so much assistance to get a good footing for the future. Yep. East Franklinton is already booming and once CoverMyMeds moves into their HQ, I imagine it won't be long before West Franklinton is booming as well. Especially including the planned redevelopment of Mount Caramel and the old Graham Ford lot.
January 16, 20205 yr ^A couple of weeks ago a friend was in the UDF on W Broad in Franklinton. He mentioned Franklinton and someone yelled at him "This ain't Franklinton motherf**ker, this here is the Bottoms!" ? I wouldn't say Franklinton is "in the bag" - it has a long way to go.
January 16, 20205 yr That's fair, I guess. I forgot about Linden. Maybe I should have asked that instead, lol. Is Linden now saved? ? I guess I just see a lot of problems in West Franklinton. Honestly, East Franklinton (east of 315) will probably feel completely different from the rest. I'd honestly be in favor of just naming it permanently the Scioto Peninsula. The residents in the west probably don't want to even be associated with the east. But I don't know much. What is the difference between "Scioto Peninsula" and "East Franklinton" anyway? Why are we calling it two things? And I know it used to be called the Bottoms, but wasn't it also always called Franklinton? I know that name dates back to the founding of the city when they almost named Columbus "Franklinton".....but when did the "official" name because Franklinton and the Bottoms no longer recognized by the city? I think I just need a really quick history lesson, of anyone would be so kind ?
January 16, 20205 yr 6 minutes ago, Pablo said: ^A couple of weeks ago a friend was in the UDF on W Broad in Franklinton. He mentioned Franklinton and someone yelled at him "This ain't Franklinton motherf**ker, this here is the Bottoms!" ? I wouldn't say Franklinton is "in the bag" - it has a long way to go. That's West Franklinton. East Franklinton is already "going." Just wait until Gravity 2 and the next phase of River and Rich are done and it will going even more. And, I agree, West Franklinton has a long way to go. But, it's definitely going to "go." It will be unrecognizable in 20 years. There's too much planned and big money heading that way for it not to.
January 16, 20205 yr 32 minutes ago, Zyrokai said: That's fair, I guess. I forgot about Linden. Maybe I should have asked that instead, lol. Is Linden now saved? ? I guess I just see a lot of problems in West Franklinton. Honestly, East Franklinton (east of 315) will probably feel completely different from the rest. I'd honestly be in favor of just naming it permanently the Scioto Peninsula. The residents in the west probably don't want to even be associated with the east. But I don't know much. What is the difference between "Scioto Peninsula" and "East Franklinton" anyway? Why are we calling it two things? And I know it used to be called the Bottoms, but wasn't it also always called Franklinton? I know that name dates back to the founding of the city when they almost named Columbus "Franklinton".....but when did the "official" name because Franklinton and the Bottoms no longer recognized by the city? I think I just need a really quick history lesson, of anyone would be so kind ? Pretty sure the area considered the Scioto Peninsula is east of the tracks but is also still in East Franklinton.
January 16, 20205 yr 57 minutes ago, Pablo said: ^A couple of weeks ago a friend was in the UDF on W Broad in Franklinton. He mentioned Franklinton and someone yelled at him "This ain't Franklinton motherf**ker, this here is the Bottoms!" ? That's like the South Side vs. South End argument. I was in a restaurant on the South Side a few years back and two guys I didn't know were talking -- "I don't see why people call it the South Side. It's the South End. I've always called it the South End." I didn't pipe up 'cause I didn't want to be the "Well, actually..." guy, but that guy didn't know that "South End" is a Portsmouthism for the South Side that he's been using all his life from being from Portsmouth or his family being from Portsmouth. Since Portsmouth is a river town, the West End and East End are used for the ends of town that are on the Ohio River (just like Cincinnati) whereas the "West Side" of Portsmouth is West Portsmouth (an unincorporated Census Designated Place) that is not on the west end of town but rather on a hillside west of the Scioto floodplain. So the West Side of Portsmouth is west of the West End and a wholly different "place" just like in Cincinnati. Columbus doesn't have that kind of separation between the South End and South Side so that's how they get lumped together. And almost certainly, the Franklinton name predates The Bottoms nickname. Edited January 16, 20205 yr by GCrites80s
January 16, 20205 yr ^That was absolutely fascinating. Glad I randomly popped into a Columbus thread this evening for that cool little lesson. Carry on!
January 16, 20205 yr 33 minutes ago, GCrites80s said: And almost certainly, the Franklinton name predates The Bottoms nickname. Yes, that's true. Franklinton was incorporated around 1797. It was annexed by Columbus in 1859. The comment made me smile because of its brashness. The comment also expressed the real fears gentrification by locals.
January 16, 20205 yr Okay, so what I thought was essentially correct. It's always been Franklinton, and the Bottoms seems to be a less than flattering nickname. I'm assuming it came post-flooding.
January 16, 20205 yr From my understanding, the bottoms was originally contextualized by the geographic terrain and propensity to flood. Also, being the bottom of the western ridge above the river. During white flight, the context was changed. The bottoms was often meant to refer to the 'bottom of the barrel' in that it was an extremely unsafe and unattractive part of the city. I know people born and raised in or near Columbus that only know it under that context as the days of flooding are long gone. The term was never formally adopted from a city standpoint to my knowledge. That connotation stuck for decades. With the resurgence, people thaht have embraced 'the bottoms' see the return to Franklinton as a white washing and just another example of gentrification. People that understand the later context don't embrace a the seemingly derogatory term (to many) as much as the formal term. NPR had some interesting reporting a couple years ago about renaming or 'nicknaming' established neighborhoods once they become attractive through displacement and gentrification. I personally think it would be worth it to keep the name the bottoms even if it becomes a sub neighborhood of Franklinton. Perhaps the commercial and retail hub of West Franklinton could be the 'Bottoms District' Now, the conversation over west vs east Franklinton is charged in itself. It is seen as a way to some to exclude the area west of 315 from economic development etc etc but that argument will slowly dissipate I assume. With such a dividing cavern, it's only reasonable that there be a separation in much the same way that the original German Village portion North of 70 is not considered German Village anymore and has been absorbed into downtown. And if a new Hilltop plan is successfully implemented, the influence from east and west will help West Franklinton. I agree that Hilltop needs this more than Franklinton. I think this may also be a priority for the city because Franklinton has had a strong community plan and vision for a number of years now. I believe their plan was implemented and codified prior to university district plan(?). At the very least, it was finalized before. Not sure about codified in city code. It is nice to see some focus on the east/west portion of the city. Particularly the Hilltop. It, to me, is an often overlooked area of the city that could, offer more affordable housing options for single family homes for those looking for something smaller.
January 16, 20205 yr The CU article has an image from the report showing Broad St with two dedicated BRT lanes. Article here: https://www.columbusunderground.com/plan-lays-out-vision-for-the-hilltop-bw1 Edited January 16, 20205 yr by TH3BUDDHA
January 16, 20205 yr 5 minutes ago, TH3BUDDHA said: The CU article has an image from the report showing Broad St with two dedicated BRT lanes. Article here: https://www.columbusunderground.com/plan-lays-out-vision-for-the-hilltop-bw1 Hopefully we get real BRT and not just a specially branded bus.
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