^No, more like your one-liners...

That's not very viciously optimistic...

Tell me about it...what a hoax!

From Business First of Columbus, 6/25/07:

 

 

PHOTO: Huntington Park’s luxury suites will not be air conditioned, so patrons will have to get used to the weather.  Courtesy 360 Architecture

 

Backers go 'green' with park design

Business First of Columbus - June 22, 2007

by Jeff Bell

Business First

 

A suit and tie may not be the right apparel for business people planning to wine and dine clients at Columbus' new minor league baseball park.  A golf shirt and Bermuda shorts will be the cooler way to go considering the 32 suites at Huntington Park won't be air conditioned.  They instead will have ceiling fans and overhead doors that can be rolled up to allow breezes to flow through them.  It's part of a plan to create a ballpark that will be environmentally friendly to build and operate, planners said June 18 when they revealed the design for Huntington Park.

 

One of the project's leaders, Nationwide Realty Investors President Brian Ellis, thinks fans as well as corporate execs will buy into the design.  "We want it to be an open, casual and informal place to be," he said. "It will be summertime in Columbus, and people want to be outside."

 

Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/06/25/story5.html

 

County breaks ground on Downtown ballpark

Thursday,  August 2, 2007 11:38 AM

By Barbara Carmen

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Franklin County's new ballpark is several hundred shovelfuls of dirt closer to getting built this morning.  Politicians this morning gave the usual proud speeches at a groundbreaking.  Then they invited fans, who'd come to the Arena District to watch a bit of history, to help dig.  “We are going to be taking a brownfield … and it will soon become a beautiful ballpark,” Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy said.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/08/02/playball.html

Clippers's stadium debut targeted for 2009 opener

BY JEFF BELL | BUSINESS FIRST OF COLUMBUS

August 2, 2007

 

COLUMBUS - Amid speeches, photo opportunities and ballpark food at a ground-breaking ceremony Thursday, Columbus Clippers supporters received an update on how construction of Huntington Park will play out over the next 20 months.  The result, said Nationwide Realty Investors President Brian Ellis, is the 10,000-seat baseball park will be ready for the Clippers' Triple A season opener in April 2009.

 

Utility work recently began at the site along Nationwide Boulevard west of Neil Avenue.  Demolition of several small buildings on the property will begin soon, Ellis said, to be followed by the start of heavy excavation work this fall.  Construction contractors expect to begin erecting structural steel in March, he said.  Masonry work on the ballpark's brick facade will start next summer and the grass field will be in place by fall 2008.  Seating will be installed by the end of next year or early 2009.  "Finally, in April 2009, it will truly be 'play ball,' " Ellis said at the ground-breaking ceremony.

I'm going to take a skybus flight back to columbus just to see a game - guaranteed (if skybus is still around in 09)

One more piece of Arena District coming together

BY BRENT WILDER | COLUMBUS BUSINESS FIRST

September 7, 2007

 

COLUMBUS - Once dominated by the grim, hulking Ohio State Penitentiary, the area west of the former pen - known as Pen West - may be sentenced to a term of accelerated development with the addition of the new Columbus Clippers downtown stadium.  Developers of Pen West, an area west of Neil Avenue adjacent to Nationwide Arena, say there's no doubt the construction of the ballpark at the northwest corner of Neil and Nationwide Boulevard will help spark development in the former industrial area.

 

The only question is how much and how fast.

 

Work to pick up on Huntington Park after county completes bond sale

Business First of Columbus - by Jeff Bell Business First

Friday, October 5, 2007

 

With a successful $42.5 million bond sale behind them, Don Brown and other Franklin County officials are ready to get down to the business of building a new minor league baseball park in the Arena District.  "People are going to see the start of real progress in October," said Brown, the county administrator.  That includes the beginning of excavation work at the Huntington Park site and the awarding of key contracts for concrete and steel structural work - both expected by the end of the month.  Eighteen other construction contracts are to be awarded by year-end, Brown said, as the county pushes for the new home of the Columbus Clippers to be ready for opening day in April 2009.

 

Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/10/05/story7.html

Another Franklin County financing update as demolition clearance work begins at the Neil & Nationwide ballpark site.

 

County approves Huntington Park contracts

Friday, October 26, 2007 - 8:57 AM EDT

Business First of Columbus

 

The Franklin County commissioners have made a flurry of contract approvals to get construction started on the Huntington Park baseball stadium in the Arena District.  The commissioners this month approved a $690,856 contract for Shelly & Sands Inc. of Zanesville for deep foundation work, $1.45 million for McDaniels Construction Corp. of Columbus for mass excavation services, and $3.47 million for structural steel from Marysville Steel Company.  The commissioners also approved a $2.06 million contract for Wanner Metal Worx Inc. of Delaware to supply miscellaneous metals, ornamental fencing and railings.  Turner Construction Co. is the construction manager of the project.

 

Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/10/26/story2.html

And this would be the down-side to a government entity managing a construction project.  Let's hope this gets worked out quickly for the sake of keeping the Ballpark Project on schedule for a Spring 2009 opening.  

 

 

Contractor sues for stadium bid

County chose union shop to pour concrete; nonunion competitor says it had best deal

Tuesday,  November 6, 2007 3:34 AM

By Barbara Carmen, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Construction of the new Clippers baseball stadium hit a delay yesterday after a judge told Franklin County commissioners they couldn't award a $5.9 million contract to start pouring concrete.  In a lawsuit filed yesterday, Lithko Contracting Inc. of Hamilton, in southwestern Ohio, said the commissioners rejected its "lowest and best" bid to curry favor from labor unions.  Lithko is a nonunion employer.  Its only competitor, Baker Construction, uses union labor and bid $17,500 higher.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/11/06/huntpark.html

 

It's always good for business policy to sue customers that don't choose your services.  It's what Tony Soprano would do if he couldn't beat the crap out of people.

Good news on the Huntington Ballpark project.  Great to see the County Commissoners resolving this issue quickly.  Now let's pour some concrete!

 

 

Stadium contract awarded to non-union shop

Saturday, November 10, 2007 - 3:57 AM

By Barbara Carmen, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Franklin County Commissioners moved yesterday to end a lawsuit that threatened to delay construction of their new baseball stadium.  In a special session, Commissioners voted 2-0 to award Lithko Contracting Inc. a $5.9 million contract to pour concrete for Huntington Park.  Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy abstained, saying she's seeking an opinion from the Ohio Ethics Commission over a potential conflict of interest.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/11/10/huntpark.html

Ballpark bidding challenged again

Low bidder upset that commissioners plan to hire union contractor; lawsuit possible

Saturday,  January 5, 2008 2:58 AM

By Barbara Carmen

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Franklin County commissioners, accused two months ago of trying to steer a construction contract on their new ballpark to a union company, are being challenged by another low bidder crying foul for the same reason.  "If they award this contract to someone else, the taxpayers of Franklin County will pay no less than $215,000 more for these contracts," said Ed O'Brien, Columbus regional manager for TP Mechanical Contractors Inc.  Commissioners expect to hire W.G. Tomko on Tuesday, opening the county to a possible lawsuit that could delay construction of Huntington Park.  The $55 million stadium, being built with corporate donations and about $7 million from Ohio taxpayers, is set to open in the Arena District for the 2009 baseball season.

 

Full story at http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/05/BALLPARK.ART_ART_01-05-08_B1_4V8VIAT.html?sid=101

Judge won't stop ballpark contract

Monday,  January 7, 2008  8:45 PM

By Barbara Carmen

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

A judge has told a jilted low bidder that he won’t stop Franklin County commissioners from voting Tuesday morning on a more-costly contract for a new ballpark.  “Until they exercise their discretion by taking action, it’s premature to say what they’re going to do,” Common Pleas Judge Richard A. Frye ruled today.  Commissioner Marilyn Brown questioned whether TP had low-balled its bid.  Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy also noted concerns about company safety and whether TP met the county’s 2002 prevailing-wage policy.  TP violated Ohio’s prevailing wage law four times in 2005.  The county bars doing business with contractors that have three findings within two years.

 

Full story at http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/07/notp.html

As a born and bred Columbusite, I notice that few cities struggle with the union vs. non-union issue as much as Columbus does. It's really in the showdown zone as compared with northeastern cities which are all union vs. Southern cities which are right-to-work. DISCLAIMER: I show no opinion either way, like I should.

UPDATE

Judge blocks ballpark contract with unionized plumber

Tuesday,  January 8, 2008 - 4:44 PM

By Barbara Carmen, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Franklin County’s new baseball stadium is briefly on hold again after a judge this afternoon barred commissioners from signing a contract with a unionized plumber.  Judge Richard A. Frye told both sides to move fast since the ballpark has a tight construction schedule.  Frye set a hearing for Friday morning to determine whether commissioners abused their discretion when they switched to a unionized plumber, jettisoning a cheaper combined bid by TP Mechanical Contractors Inc., a non-union shop.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/08/ballpark.html?rfr=nwsl

New aerial photo of the ballpark under construction.

 

 

What a great location, Arena district just keeps getting better.

Both sides cry foul in ballpark bid

County's overseer of project supports rejected low bidder

Saturday,  January 12, 2008  3:13 AM

By Barbara Carmen

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

A Franklin County judge is expected to decide Monday whether commissioners abused their authority by spurning a low-bidder to hire a unionized plumber, bumping up the cost of the new baseball stadium.  County officials are eager for a quick decision.  The plumbing contract needs to be awarded soon for the $55 million Huntington Park to open on budget and on time for the 2009 baseball season.  The lawsuit is the first big challenge to the county's "quality contracting standards," a policy that deems which contractors are worthy, honest and responsible enough for public works.

 

Full story at http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/12/TPsuit.ART_ART_01-12-08_A1_4191M6J.html?sid=101

Although I do like the ballpark in the Arena District, I wish it could have been closer to the River.

Judge OKs choice of contractors for new ballpark

Monday,  January 14, 2008  12:09 PM

By Barbara Carmen

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Franklin County’s new ballpark has cleared a legal hurdle that threatened its spring 2009 opening in the Arena District.  Common Pleas Judge Richard A. Frye ruled this morning that county commissioners acted properly when they shunned a low bidder in favor of two other companies who meet the county’s Quality Contracting Standards.  TP Mechanical Contractors Inc. sued on Wednesday, arguing that commissioners were unfairly applying the standards — which govern wages, benefits and training — as a guise to discriminate against the company because it is nonunion.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/14/hparksuit.html

Lesson learned for companies who continue to have payroll issues. I salute the County for doing the right thing...

Sure hope the County doesn't have many more bids left.  This suing, threatening to sue and delays are getting old.

^What i find interesting is that all these contractors claim that if they are not awarded the project that the County is then wasting tax payer money.  Do they think litigation comes cheep?

Get a load of this article about the renaming of Brodbelt Lane to Harold M. Cooper Lane, just north of the ballpark site.  Between contractors suing the County and this, I'm beginning to think the County's Ballpark project is cursed!

 

Brodbelts put historic stamp on lane

Council to reconsider renaming street

Thursday, January 17, 2008 - 3:29 AM

By Robert Vitale, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

A standard-issue green street sign marks Brodbelt Lane -- an unexceptional stretch of road between Nationwide Arena and some CSX railroad tracks.  But in the life of 80-year-old Norma Harris -- Norma Jean Brodbelt Harris -- the street stands out as prominently as the corner of Broad and High.  It's her great-grandfather's name up there on Brodbelt Lane, and the 1,000-foot-long street winds through generations of history for both her family and Columbus.  That history, unknown to city officials until last month, has caused the City Council to reconsider a plan to rename the street Harold M. Cooper Lane after the former Franklin County commissioner.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/17/brodbelt.ART_ART_01-17-08_B1_EI9343H.html?sid=101

More contractor bidding fun from Franklin County.

 

Pension lawsuit is news to three

Commissioners say case against ballpark plumber went unnoted

Monday,  January 28, 2008 - 3:06 AM

By Barbara Carmen, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Franklin County commissioners threw out the low bid on a plumbing contract for the Clippers' new ballpark because the nonunion bidder had underpaid workers by $4,000.  It was a matter, Commissioners Mary Jo Kilroy and Marilyn Brown said, of ensuring that county contractors pay fair wages, provide pensions and properly train employees.  What commissioners say they didn't know is that the union company they hired was forced by a court in Pennsylvania last year to pay $48,568 in pension benefits and attorney fees to a worker the company had shorted while he was on military duty in Iraq.  The Plumbers and Pipefitters Union sued the company to get it to pay the worker's pension to their fund.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/28/HPDEAL.ART_ART_01-28-08_B1_MO96C31.html?sid=101

 

Huntington Park field to be redesigned

Business First of Columbus - March 3, 2008

 

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners is going back to the drawing board on the field design for Huntington Park amid long-term cost and structural worries over the original design.  Commissioners on Monday said designer 360 Architecture Inc. has tapped Littleton, Colo.-based Millenium Sports Technologies Inc. to redesign the field at the ballpark, under construction and scheduled for a regular-season opener in 2009.  Ken Schnacke, Columbus Clippers' president and general manager, said potential bidders eyeing the field's original design expressed concern over a planned 10- to 12-inch layer of sand above a 96-inch sewer line that runs through the field.

 

Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/mobile/stories/2008/03/03/daily9.html

WHEW!  The title of that Business First article had me worried. 

 

"Huntington Park field to be redesigned" made it sound like the entire ballpark project was to be redesigned.  Turns out that it was just the grass playing field. 

Ya, I freaked out too!  I was like, this could get messy seeing as though they have already started building the stands.

Still more contractor bidding fun from Franklin County.

 

 

Commissioners reject low ballpark paint bid

State found 8 times when company fell below pay levels

Wednesday,  March 5, 2008 9:19 AM

By Mark Ferenchik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Franklin County commissioners rejected the low bid yesterday for painting work on the county's new baseball park.  All three commissioners -- Marilyn Brown, Mary Jo Kilroy and Paula Brooks -- voted against the Painting Company.  Kilroy said the Ohio Department of Commerce found eight instances over two years in which the company did not pay wages at required levels.  County standards adopted six years ago say contractors can have no more than three such violations over two years within the past 10 years, said Don L. Brown, county administrator.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/05/FCCOMM05.ART_ART_03-05-08_B8_HK9HT6A.html?sid=101

Rejected painting bidder

Union had role in ballpark rules, suit says

Thursday,  March 6, 2008

By Barbara Carmen, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Union leaders wrote the rules that Franklin County commissioners are now using to disqualify nonunion bidders from work on the county's new baseball stadium, a lawsuit filed yesterday claims.  It was one of two challenges yesterday to the commissioners' decisions on ballpark contracts: Rep. Larry Wolpert also asked the state Controlling Board to withhold $7 million Ohio promised for the stadium.  "Since the appropriation, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners has been acting irresponsibly with the taxpayers' dollars by awarding construction contracts to higher bidders," the Hilliard Republican said in a letter sent yesterday.

 

The $55 million Huntington Park is to open in spring 2009 in the Arena District as the new home of the Columbus Clippers.  Corporate donors are paying most of the bill, along with the state grant.  Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy called Wolpert's move "a political attack on me and other Democrats in the county."

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/06/stadiumsuit.ART_ART_03-06-08_B1_A99I8R5.html?sid=101

Stadium funding approved, sort of

State panel doesn't have final say on $7 million for site in Arena District

Saturday, March 8, 2008

By Robert Vitale, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

A state commission approved money yesterday for Franklin County's new minor-league baseball stadium, but the two sides in a running dispute over construction contracts differed on what that meant.  County Commissioner Paula Brooks called the decision by the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission a vote of confidence in the Huntington Park project.  State Rep. Larry Wolpert, R-Hilliard, called the action meaningless.  The approval isn't the final say on $7 million in proposed state funding for the Arena District ballpark, scheduled to open for the Columbus Clippers' 2009 season.  That decision belongs to the state Controlling Board, which Wolpert urged this week to withhold the money.

 

Full story at http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/08/huntbux.ART_ART_03-08-08_B3_BP9J4TD.html?sid=101

Trial to weigh ballpark-bid bias

County steered jobs to unions, losing bidder alleges

Monday, March 24, 2008

By Barbara Carmen, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

When the Columbus Clippers take the field on opening day 2009 and savor the familiar concussion of bat to ball, it won't be the first contest for the new Huntington Park.  A trial is to begin today in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, the latest of three ballpark lawsuits in four months against commissioners.  They've won one and lost one.

 

Contractors contend that the county, which owns the team and is building the $55 million stadium with corporate donations and Ohio tax dollars, is rejecting their low bids to steer jobs to unions.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/24/BIDCLASH.ART_ART_03-24-08_B1_1J9NSFC.html?sid=101 

County misuses rule, says plaintiff

Stadium bidder says standards bent to favor unions

Tuesday,  March 25, 2008 

By Barbara Carmen, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Franklin County adopted a reasonable policy to weed out contractors who "willfully and intentionally" violate state wage laws, attorney Ronald L. Mason said yesterday.  But that system changed two years ago, he contended, when Democrats took control of the county Board of Commissioners and put a union man in charge of determining which contractors meet those standards.  Mason made that charge yesterday in opening statements in the latest lawsuit over work at the county's new Huntington Park baseball stadium.

 

Testimony is to continue today in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/25/BALLPARK_SUIT.ART_ART_03-25-08_B1_4M9O600.html?sid=101 

HUNTINGTON PARK LAWSUIT

Ex-commissioner backs contractor

Wednesday,  March 26, 2008 - 3:11 AM

By Barbara Carmen, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Former Republican Franklin County Commissioner Dewey Stokes told a judge yesterday that he never intended to disqualify contractors who had committed petty wage infractions from county jobs when he voted to tighten selection standards.  Commissioners are now using those standards to disqualify the Painting Co. from a $770,010 contract at the county's new baseball stadium, Huntington Park, because the company had not paid workers state-set wages more than three times in two years.  The non-union company is suing the county, saying commissioners are twisting their rules to favor union supporters.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/26/Ballparkdaytwo.ART_ART_03-26-08_B1_309OFKS.html?sid=101

Ballpark money slides home

Franklin County gets $7 million; lawmaker wanted board's review

Friday, March 28, 2008 - 3:26 AM

By Barbara Carmen, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Franklin County nabbed $7 million this week that Ohio had promised for the county's new baseball stadium.  "Well, hooray!" County Commissioner Marilyn Brown said upon learning that the money had cleared its last hurdle.  State Rep. Larry Wolpert, however, is steamed that the county didn't have to go before the state's fiscal watchdog to get the money.  "I'm not happy about it," he said.  "Others -- the Great American Ball Park and Shuster (Performing Arts Center) -- went before the state Controlling Board, if only as a courtesy.  Grants that go directly to a specific project, such as the ballpark, require only the director's signature.  Broader requests, such as a lump sum for a university, must go before the Controlling Board.  In a letter to the Controlling Board on March 5, Wolpert had asked the group to withhold the Huntington Park grant.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/28/ballparkbucks.ART_ART_03-28-08_B1_V29P3E2.html?sid=101

Happened by the Huntington Park site on Saturday and squeezed off a couple of shots of the progress.  In the background, you can see what will be the seats and boxes that will sit above the Third Base line.  The Second shot shows what looks like a stairwell/elevator shaft neat what will be an entrance off of Neil Avenue.

 

Judge rules for county commissioners on ballpark

Nonunion contractor loses lawsuit over bidding rules

Monday, March 31, 2008

By Barbara Carmen, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Rejecting a low bid for Huntington Park over clerical errors might not make the best business sense, but Franklin County commissioners were within their rights to do so, a judge ruled this afternoon.  “In the absence of clear and convincing evidence of an abuse of discretion, the ultimate determination as to the reasonableness of the Commissioners’ actions rests with the voters,” Common Pleas Judge Michael J. Holbrook writes.  Holbrook’s decision in the Painting Co. lawsuit marks the second victory in three months for commissioners.  Both rejected contractors use non-union workers and claimed commissioners disqualified their low bids to favor organized labor.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/31/ballpark.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101

County commissioners say Wolpert off base in bid to block ballpark funding

Business First of Columbus

Jeff Bell, Business First

Friday, March 28, 2008

 

A state lawmaker unhappy with how Franklin County commissioners are awarding construction contracts for Huntington Park may be unable to block $7 million from the state for the project.  Ohio Rep. Larry Wolpert, R-Hilliard, has been looking into the prospects of the legislature's Controlling Board halting the transfer of money to the county because he thinks the commissioners are wasting tax dollars by not awarding construction contracts to low bidders.

 

But the decision to release the funds is in the hands of Pari Sabety, director of the state Office of Budget and Management, and not the Controlling Board, said Keith Dailey, a spokesman for Gov. Ted Strickland.  That's the case, he said, because of the way the General Assembly approved $7 million in funding for the Columbus Clippers ballpark project in the last capital bill in 2006.

 

Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/03/31/story13.html?

From here: http://bellringerblog.com/2008/04/10/huntington-park-update/

 

<b>Huntington Park update</b>

Posted on April 10th, 2008 by Matt Barker

 

<img src="http://bellringerblog.com/images/041008hp_02.jpg">

 

Above: In this photo, taken April 10, 2008, at 8:00 a.m., shows the progress being made on Huntington Park, the new downtown ball park in the Arena District.

Below: Though not quite at he same level, this computer-generated model which also looks into the park from center field, and gives you an idea what the finished product will look like.

 

<img src="http://bellringerblog.com/images/hp02.jpg">

^Hmmm...for some reason, it looks like Huntington Park will forego displaying the State Flag of Ohio and instead will fly the banner of the Nation of the Bahamas...

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahamas

^Hmmm...for some reason, it looks like Huntington Park will forego displaying the State Flag of Ohio and instead will fly the banner of the Nation of the Bahamas...

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahamas

 

HAHAHAHA, I wonder what's the deal.

I'm guess it's wishful thinking for the renderer ;).

Roosters may rule roost at ballpark

Business First of Columbus

Doug Buchanan, Business First

Friday, April 25, 2008

 

Roosters Inc.'s wings are a fixture at Columbus Clippers games on Thursday nights and now, with the team moving to a new stadium next year, the restaurant chain's franchising arm is looking to make the relationship more permanent.  Shannon Foust, president of Roosters Franchising LLC, confirmed the two sides are negotiating a deal to put a Roosters restaurant in Huntington Park.  Roosters has a relationship with the Clippers, dispatching its catering truck to Cooper Stadium every Thursday to Quencher Corner beyond the left field fence, where it peddles its wings and beer.

 

The franchising company is not just looking for a home run in a high-profile Arena District spot, though.  The business also is trying to keep getting hits with new outlets.  Roosters' first franchised restaurant opened early last year and it's up to six - one each in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Canton, Chillicothe, Circleville and Louisville, Ky.

 

Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/04/28/tidbits1.html

 

Looking good...T-minus 1 year.

HUNTINGTON PARK

'You can start to feel it'

Clippers ballpark, scheduled to open next season, is beginning to take shape

Sunday, May 11, 2008

By Jim Massie, The Columbus Dispatch

 

The moment must arrive in a natural history museum when the paleontologist has reassembled the bones of some extinct creature to the point where a visitor can look up and say, "Oh yes, that's a stegosaurus."  The epiphany also happily exists in construction. Ken Schnacke, general manager of the Clippers, now can visit the busy building site on the northwest corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Neil Avenue and clearly recognize the rising skeleton of Huntington Park for what it will become.  "A ballpark," Schnacke said. "We're not going to call it a stadium. It's a ballpark. I go onto the site at least once or twice a week just to see. Those who know me well know how demanding and how much of a perfectionist I am. This has a chance to exceed my expectations."

 

 

 

 

 

Full story at http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/05/11/clippers_park11.ART_ART_05-11-08_C1_TNA5TME.html?sid=101

Very nice panaramic photo of the new Huntington Park under construction at Neil Avenue and Nationwide Boulevard from Columbus Retro Metro's website.

 

 

For a larger version of the photo go to http://columbusretrometro.typepad.com/columbus_retrometro/2008/05/photo-of-the-da.html

Clippers want to remain a bargain

Move to Huntington Park won't mean a hike in all prices

Monday, June 9, 2008 - 3:12 AM

By Jeff Thitoff

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The Columbus Clippers will have a new address in 2009, and the new ballpark will feature its share of new amenities. But president and general manager Ken Schnacke wanted to make sure not everything changed.  For Huntington Park in the Arena District, Schnacke placed a high priority on keeping the general admission and reserved seats as close to their current price at Cooper Stadium.  General admission prices will remain what they are now and will cover about 30 percent of the seats at Huntington Park.  The price for a reserved seat will increase to $10 for adults, but stay the same ($7) for senior citizens and kids.  Thirty percent of the capacity is reserved seating.

 

"So that means 60 percent of Huntington Park will be 10 dollars or less, which I think is a pretty good number," Schnacke said.

 

Read more at http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/06/09/clippers_tickets.ART_ART_06-09-08_C1_CJAEL50.html?sid=101

 

Downtown ballpark: Tossing low bidder for paint contract was fair, court says

Friday, June 13, 2008 - 1:40 PM

By Barbara Carmen

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Painting can start on schedule at Huntington Park next week, after an appeals court ruled that Franklin County is fairly applying its contracting standards to bids for work on the Downtown ballpark.  In a ruling released this morning, the Franklin County Court of Appeals said that commissioners did not use unannounced criteria to reject a $770,079 bid by the Painting Co.  A bipartisan board of commissioners adopted contractor standards in 2002 to shield taxpayers from contractors who fail to provide workers with benefits and safe job conditions.  Critics, however, say the current commissioners, all Democrats, have interpreted those rules to favor their labor union supporters at the expense of taxpayers and private sponsors who are paying for the ballpark.

 

Overall, however, the $55 million ballpark is $1.4 million under budget.  It is set to open in the Arena District for the 2009 baseball season.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/06/13/countysuit.html?sid=101