Does anyone have any photograhs of the completed 8 on the Square in Columbus? I have seen the photographs while the project was under construction and wonder how it looks now completed.  I lived in Columbus until 1991 and remember what an eyesore Broad and High was.

Welcome to Urban Ohio, tampaguy.  That's a good question.

 

I did post a number of Broad and High photos back in November 2007.  They are now in the Completed Projects: Columbus: Broad & High Project thread located here.

 

LAsam posted more updated Broad & High photos in the same thread located here.

 

The Broad and High project is now completed.  However, I don't believe anyone here at Urban Ohio has done an updated photo set of the completed development (myself included).  And it really is an excellent project.  Especially considering the decrepit state it was once in.

 

I might be able to get there this weekend and post some photos by next week.  In the meantime, if anyone else has some recent Broad and High photos, please feel free to post them here. 

 

Here's a few flickr shots I found (and they really don't do the project justice-IMO)...

 

Broad and High 

 

 

Broad and High - May 10, 2008

 

 

8 On The Square - May 10, 2008

 

Also, the developer's website is http://www.broadandhigh.com.

Wait - found some more...

 

Night-time view

 

 

From the Capitol Equities website:

 

 

 

Day-time views of the corner

 

 

 

High Street view

 

 

This looks like the night that the video screens were first lit.  Lots of pols and VIP's in attendance.

 

 

Especially amazing considering this is what Broad and High formerly looked like...

If you want my honest opinion, I think it's pseudo-gradiosity. I'd rather it be there than not but it paints a false picture of what Broad and High is - DEAD. I know it has a decent amount of foot traffic (due to the bus stops along Broad and High) but I still expect better. We need more late night attractions - not just what caters to the typical lunch crowd. The city needs to give LeVeque Tower an overhaul and make for better class office space. There's no reason why it should have such a low occupancy rate. I wonder how many lobbying, PR, news bureaus etc choose not to occupy LeVeque despite its proximity to the statehouse and other gov't buildings because it isn't up to date and rents are too high.

If you want my honest opinion, I think it's pseudo-gradiosity.

 

Uh, yeah.  Did you mean "grandiosity"?  Because gradiosity is not a word.

You know what I mean, snooty f--k. :)

The wideness of the roads also paint a false picture though. If the streets were more narrow, Downtown Columbus would look busier during the day and night. With all the new residential development going on downtown just slightly east and south, I'm sure it'll get better soon.

ain't we sensitive???  first the spelling police and then a snappy retort.  It's things like this that keep me coming back to UO!! And I agree....lots of lights, no action.

The wideness of the roads also paint a false picture though. If the streets were more narrow, Downtown Columbus would look busier during the day and night. With all the new residential development going on downtown just slightly east and south, I'm sure it'll get better soon.

 

Now, I'm not from Columbus and I have only been through it about 4 or 5 times. But, by looking and studying it on google earth, I agree with David. Broad Street is what, 8 lanes wide? I guess that's where the name comes from, but I think that area would definitely benefit from some streetscaping. Close a lane or two and create a nice center median with parking/streetscaped elements next to the sidewalks.  Make it look inviting and walkable. The lights do look nice, but I noticed that the surroundings definitely don't suit it all. This is clearly from an outsider's prospective, and it's only my opinion, but that's what I think could be done.

You know, I remember years ago reading in the paper that they were supposed to put in a grassy median with art sculptures all up and down Braod St. there.  I wonder whatever came of that.

 

 

ain't we sensitive???  first the spelling police and then a snappy retort.  It's things like this that keep me coming back to UO!! And I agree....lots of lights, no action.

 

I think Rider took a cheap shot because he was offended. I wouldn't call him a snob or snap back for disagreeing and proving me wrong but he corrected me for a trivial spelling error on a message board; not a college essay or a contract.

Okay David, calm down.  I didn't assume ulterior motives to your post - so please don't assume that of mine.  You used a word that I was not familiar with about a project that I am familiar with.  There is no need to escalate.  I didn't call you names and you shouldn't call me (or anyone else) names.  But I am willing to grant that your reply to me was meant in jest, and not meanness.  So okay - no harm done - and we'll just leave it there.

Hello everyone-

 

Thank you for the responses!  I am new to the site and it is great!  My father was from Westerville and after we retired out from the military we moved back to Columbus where I went to school.  I moved to Tampa in 1991 and still like to see everything that is going on in Columbus. 

 

I have to say I like the quirkiness of 8 on the Square.  In an odd way it all works.  It must look great at night.

 

I hope to post my first photographs next week.  They will be of the Hotel Floridan in downtown Tampa.  The Floridan was one of Tampa's grand hotels from the 20's that is under restoration after sitting vacant for 20 years!  Please look for the photos and let me know what you think.

 

Thanks again! 

 

 

 

 

 

You are very welcome tampaguy.  Looking forward to those future posts.  New members to Urban Ohio are certainly welcome.

It has a Dunkin Donuts now, btw. And the comment about Broad is dead on. There are already two east-west highways, one just north and one south of Broad, so there's definitely no reason it should be in its current state. The Discovery District SID wanted medians for a boulevard look, but that was awhile ago. Medians would provide an island for pedestrians in case they only make it halfway before the light changes green and also makes crossing the street seem shorter. Downtown needs more people-friendly roads, so plenty need to be converted. If you're a prospective resident it's a big negative to have a mini-highway in front of you. Likewise if you're a prospective business it's very difficult to set up shop on a street that is hostile to pedestrians, since you have to otherwise rely on people wanting to drive around on one-ways to your store and pay for parking. It makes much more sense for bars or clubs or other late-night spots to set up shop and there should be more since at night parking is free, finding a spot is easy, and traffic is non-existent. I'm guessing the artificially inflated land value pushes up rent too high. You have spots which have been empty for over a year, so obviously if it were so desirable, they would have been filled long before. At least in the Short North high rents make some sense , whereas Downtown it just doesn't.

Okay David, calm down.  I didn't assume ulterior motives to your post - so please don't assume that of mine.  You used a word that I was not familiar with about a project that I am familiar with.  There is no need to escalate.  I didn't call you names and you shouldn't call me (or anyone else) names.  But I am willing to grant that your reply to me was meant in jest, and not meanness.  So okay - no harm done - and we'll just leave it there.

 

No biggie. Just a misunderstanding.

 

 

Hello everyone-

 

Thank you for the responses!  I am new to the site and it is great!  My father was from Westerville and after we retired out from the military we moved back to Columbus where I went to school.  I moved to Tampa in 1991 and still like to see everything that is going on in Columbus. 

 

I have to say I like the quirkiness of 8 on the Square.  In an odd way it all works.  It must look great at night.

 

I hope to post my first photographs next week.  They will be of the Hotel Floridan in downtown Tampa.  The Floridan was one of Tampa's grand hotels from the 20's that is under restoration after sitting vacant for 20 years!  Please look for the photos and let me know what you think.

 

Thanks again! 

 

Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to the pics.

 

It has a Dunkin Donuts now, btw. And the comment about Broad is dead on. There are already two east-west highways, one just north and one south of Broad, so there's definitely no reason it should be in its current state. The Discovery District SID wanted medians for a boulevard look, but that was awhile ago. Medians would provide an island for pedestrians in case they only make it halfway before the light changes green and also makes crossing the street seem shorter. Downtown needs more people-friendly roads, so plenty need to be converted. If you're a prospective resident it's a big negative to have a mini-highway in front of you. Likewise if you're a prospective business it's very difficult to set up shop on a street that is hostile to pedestrians, since you have to otherwise rely on people wanting to drive around on one-ways to your store and pay for parking. It makes much more sense for bars or clubs or other late-night spots to set up shop and there should be more since at night parking is free, finding a spot is easy, and traffic is non-existent. I'm guessing the artificially inflated land value pushes up rent too high. You have spots which have been empty for over a year, so obviously if it were so desirable, they would have been filled long before. At least in the Short North high rents make some sense , whereas Downtown it just doesn't.

 

I agree. When I was walking towards the Gay St. development from Broad, I felt so relieved to see that kind of scale. Seeing planting strips and knowing a car wasn't going to run me over because it's forced to slow down. Granted the street was extremely narrow compared to Broad anyway, but a lot can still be done about Broad. I'd love to see a median in the center of Broad and some cool street furniture all along the streets of downtown, personally. Just stuff that gives people a reason to want to stick around beside waiting for a bus.

Okay David, calm down.  I didn't assume ulterior motives to your post - so please don't assume that of mine.  You used a word that I was not familiar with about a project that I am familiar with.  There is no need to escalate.  I didn't call you names and you shouldn't call me (or anyone else) names.  But I am willing to grant that your reply to me was meant in jest, and not meanness.  So okay - no harm done - and we'll just leave it there.

 

No biggie. Just a misunderstanding.

 

 

Thanks for the PM, David.  No hard feelings.

 

Ah, the drama that is UO. Where else would this happen over a discussion of a development on Broad & High in Columbus?

SSP...City-Data...SSC...shit, the Enquirer...

Broad & High is the dead center of our downtown business district. It's not a residential district. It's not an entertainment district. I really don't anticipate it being a thriving 24/7 hotspot anytime soon. Nor does it really need to be. Isn't there a time and a place for everything?

 

 

come on david. let me remind you of the hollywood saying, "lights, camera, action!" it goes in that order for a reason.

 

so hang on there is more "action" to come.

 

and don't so easily forget that that corner was an absolute embarassing craphole before the pizzazz.