"Section 8 housing to be torn down" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Section 8 housing to be torn down
Mark Ferenchik and Jonathon Riskind
The Columbus Dispatch
May 8, 2008

The company redeveloping the Columbus Coated Fabrics site into apartments and condominiums plans to build unsubsidized housing along E. 11th Avenue to create a gateway to the old industrial site.

But to do it, it will need the help of Congress and the president.

Wagenbrenner Development plans to tear down 96 units of blighted, government-subsidized housing along 11th Avenue owned by the nonprofit Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, said Eric Wagenbrenner, company vice president...

"Symphony will shut down for summer with future in doubt" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Symphony will shut down for summer with future in doubt
Jeffrey Sheban
The Columbus Dispatch
May 8, 2008

Citing a lack of funds, the Columbus Symphony plans to shut down June 1 and will not perform its Picnic with the Pops and Popcorn Pops summer series, the board said today.

The upcoming indoor season, which starts in October, also is in doubt, the board said in a statement.

“Whether the CSO will be able to perform its tentatively scheduled 2008-09 season … will depend on whether and when it is able to reach agreement with the musicians' union on a new contract to take effect Sept. 1,” said the board in a statement...

"YOU'RE WELCOME" The Other Paper

Link: YOU'RE WELCOME
Lyndsey Teter
The Other Paper
May 8, 2008

...Although “I’ve never heard the mayor say ‘I read this on a blog,’” Brown said, he himself reads Columbus Underground and arguably the second-most popular online news aggregate, Columbus RetroMetro, every day. Other popular local blogs, including columbusING and Xing Columbus, a transportation blog, are “hit or miss,” he said...

...One reason Coleman might love the energy is that bloggers have embraced his pet proposal: streetcars. The online community has been more supportive than the public at large for the mayor’s plan, which is now stalled, to run a streetcar line between Downtown and campus.

Many bloggers have put “My blog supports Columbus Streetcars” icons on their websites. RetroMetro’s Paul Bonneville has launched Columbus-streetcars.com, the “unofficial citizen support site for the Columbus Streetcars.”...

"Task Force To Examine Transportation System" WBNS-10TV

Link: Task Force To Examine Transportation System
ONN
WBNS 10TV
May 8, 2008

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland launched a statewide task force Wednesday to look at Ohio's transportation future.

At their first meeting in Columbus, the 60 members of the task force were told to explore all options, including unpopular steps such as calling for increases in gasoline taxes to fund improvements in roads, bridges and public transit, ONN's Dan Weist reported...

"Transportation-policy group sees trains, bikes, boats in Ohio's future" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Transportation-policy group sees trains, bikes, boats in Ohio's future
James Nash
The Columbus Dispatch
May 8, 2008

...Beasley, the director of the Ohio Department of Transportation since March 2007, outlined a vision of a less car-centric state at a summit yesterday to plan Ohio's transportation future.

Trains could carry more passengers and freight. Rivers aren't used to their potential as conduits of goods. Even bikes ought to be seen as a means to commute rather than simply as recreation.

Those points were raised during the first meeting of the Ohio 21st Century Transportation Priorities Task Force, a 62-member panel that's supposed to sketch the future of transportation in the state.

The buzzword was "multimodal" -- a seamless web of roads, airports, rail lines, bus and bike routes, and even boats...

Ohio Statehouse to Hold Civil War Encampment

press release
Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10, 2008 on the Lawn of the Statehouse
See you at the People’s House!

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY - 1st Ohio Statehouse Light Artillery, Battery A Civil War re-enactors will offer living history lessons during an 1860s-era encampment of Union Army Troops on the West lawn of the Ohio Statehouse; Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.  This event is free and open to the public.  The events will recreate proceedings very similar to the actual camp life at the Statehouse during the Civil War.  Union Army Troops used the Ohio Statehouse grounds and interior as they awaited their orders to depart for combat between 1861 and 1864 at the height of the American Civil War.

The Statehouse Encampment will educate visitors about Ohio’s role in the Civil War and foster interest in the study of Ohio and American history through living history activities. Encampment activities will include interactive talks, demonstrations, ceremonies; and reenactments of camp and civilian life in mid-19th century America. These activities will take place at the Ohio Statehouse and will involve the safe use and demonstration of four original Civil War cannons that reside on the Statehouse grounds. Civil War cannon firing demonstrations will take place every hour on the hour beginning at 9 a.m. both days.

There will be special crafts and activities for children.  Visitors of all ages may observe or join in games such as hoops and graces, tug-of-war, jump rope, croquet and other traditional leisure activities often pursued in Victorian times.

Battery A exists to serve the state of Ohio and its citizens by being accomplished living history educators and the best Civil War artillery unit in the United States. Battery A’s mission is to promote the Ohio Statehouse and its identity as a site of civic involvement, education and visitation; and also to promote awareness of state government and the state legislature.  Battery A is an extension of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board and the Statehouse Education & Visitors Center. 

A 30 second PSA promoting the event can be viewed at www.ohiostatehouse.org.

Direct Link: http://www.ohiochannel.org/your_state/ohio_statehouse/multimedia/videos.cfm?file_id=110708

"House OKs $15B to buy and fix up foreclosed properties" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: House OKs $15B to buy and fix up foreclosed properties
Julie Hirschfeld Davis
Associated Press
The Columbus Dispatch
May 8, 2008

The House has approved sending states $15 billion to buy and fix up foreclosed properties. The vote Thursday was 239-188 to approve the bill, which most Republicans opposed. It would provide loans and grants to areas hit hardest by the housing crisis.

Supporters say the legislation will prevent neighborhoods around foreclosed homes from sliding into blight.

The measure is separate from a broader housing package to provide $300 billion in refinanced mortgages for struggling homeowners. The House was expected to vote on that bill later Thursday...

"States Get In on Calls for a Gas Tax Holiday" New York Times

Link: States Get In on Calls for a Gas Tax Holiday
Damien Cave
New York Times
May 6, 2008

...Since 2000, four states have enacted gas tax holidays: Florida, Georgia, Illinois and Indiana. In general, retailers did not pass on all of the intended savings.

When Illinois and Indiana suspended about 7 cents of their state gas taxes in the summer of 2000, prices fell by an average of only 4 cents, according to a study by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, which opposed the plans. Drivers saved no more than $2.50 a month, while each state lost tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue.

Previous gas tax holidays caused other problems, too. During the last gas tax suspension in Florida in 2004, people hoarded gasoline, driving up demand and prices...

"Streetcars are big success in Houston" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Streetcars are big success in Houston
Letter to the Editor
The Columbus Dispatch
May 7, 2008

In 2001, I moved from Houston to Columbus to attend Ohio State University. During that time, Houston was in the process of breaking ground on a light-rail project that was met with heavy criticism. As a homeowner in the University District, I can't help but feel that Columbus would be remiss if it didn't at least give the streetcar a chance.

Those who fail to see the need should stop and look at the big picture.

We need a green alternative to transportation in the city, an opportunity to bring economic development to Downtown and a chance to connect the 50,000-plus students and residents of the University District to the city's core...

"Newly approved city budget sets aside much debated streetcar cash" The Lantern

Link: Newly approved city budget sets aside much debated streetcar cash
Anna Gerber
The Lantern
May 7, 2008

City council members unanimously voted to pass a $1.1 billion Capital Improvements Budget Monday night, but the five-year financial plan does not include funds for Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman's proposed streetcar line.

The budget originally earmarked $2 million for the design of a streetcar that would run on High Street from Mound Street to the Ohio State campus. The line would be finished in time for the city's bicentennial celebration in 2012. The $2 million for the project is still included in the budget, but is included as part of the funding for "miscellaneous economic development."...

"City council debates streetcar network" KING5.com

Link: City council debates streetcar network
Charlotte Starck
KING5.com
May 6, 2008

SEATTLE - No planes, trains, or automobiles - streetcars are the transportation proposal of choice in front of a Seattle City Council committee Tuesday.

The Seattle City Council Transportation Committee are debating the feasibility of a citywide streetcar network.

About a thousand people a day ride the South Lake Union Line. Now it seems it may be possible to build streetcar lines connecting neighborhoods with downtown and stadiums to move people around Seattle...

"Once bulletproof housing markets lose some luster" CNNMoney.com

Link: Once bulletproof housing markets lose some luster
Les Christie
CNNMoney.com
May. 6, 2008

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Some of the last, best housing markets - the ones that continued to climb even as the rest of the country cratered - have turned south lately.

Seattle, Portland Ore., Charlotte, NC, and Salt Lake City all posted home price gains during 2007, even as more than half of the 150 markets tracked by the National Association of Realtors registered declines. Now they've joined the losers.

"What the numbers are saying is that the trend is broadening out," said Michael Larson, a real estate analyst with Weiss Research. "[The downturn started with] the markets that had flown the highest. When the speculative bubble popped, those got hit first. These [bulletproof] markets are now getting hit for traditional economic reasons."...

"Study: Expect home sales improvement soon" Business First of Columbus

Link: Study: Expect home sales improvement soon
Business First of Columbus
May 7, 2008

A new National Association of Realtors study shows existing-home sales remained soft in March, but the organization is forecasting sales will begin to improve over the summer.

The association's Pending Home Sales Index, a key measure of contract activity, dropped 1 percent to 83 in March from the month before and was 20 percent lower than the index level a year ago. The Midwest saw the strongest index decline among all four regions of the U.S., the score slipping 10 percent from February to 74.1, down more than 22 percent from the pace a year ago...

"Council delays $2M for streetcar plan" Business First of Columbus

Link: Council delays $2M for streetcar plan
Matt Burns
Business First of Columbus
May 6, 2008

A $2 million appropriation for design and engineering work on the proposed downtown streetcar line is still on the table, but it might be harder to find in the $1.1 billion capital improvement budget approved by Columbus City Council Monday night.

Responding to criticism of the $103 million streetcar plan, Mayor Michael Coleman asked that the $2 million earmark be delayed.

"Frankly, we are not ready to spend these resources," Coleman wrote in a memo to Council President Michael Mentel. "We have an obligation to further educate the public on this proposal's connection to a more comprehensive rail and transit plan citywide."...

"Request for streetcar design is shelved" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Request for streetcar design is shelved
Robert Vitale
The Columbus Dispatch
May 6, 2008

In a public-works budget approved last night by Columbus City Council, streetcars are now known only as "miscellaneous economic development."

Bowing to criticism from council members who've complained about being left out of the debate and responding to concerns of residents and businesses, Mayor Michael B. Coleman removed a request to begin design of a High Street route and acknowledged he has more selling to do.

In a memo to Council President Michael C. Mentel pitching his $103 million idea as a catalyst for economic development, Coleman said, "While these issues are clear to me, our public needs more information."...

"Demolition of Firestone Mansion Imminent" Columbus Landmarks Foundation

Link: Demolition of Firestone Mansion Imminent
Columbus Landmarks Foundation
May 6, 2008

COLUMBUS LANDMARKS FOUNDATION’S RESPONSE TO IMMINENT DEMOLITION OF 1266 E. BROAD ST.

Physical evidence at the Joseph Firestone Mansion located at 1266 E. Broad Street suggests that demolition is imminent. Columbus Landmarks Foundation (CLF) is disappointed with the Columbus Foundation’s decision to demolish this historic building as part of the restoration and expansion of its headquarters at the Old Governor’s Mansion. CLF’s Board of Trustees and membership have made significant efforts over the past several months to persuade the Columbus Foundation to preserve the National Register-listed residence in the East Broad Street Historic District in recognition of its architectural, historical and urban design importance. It appears however that those efforts were in vain and that the building will be lost...

"Firestone Mansion Falls to Wrecking Ball" WOSU

Link: Firestone Mansion Falls to Wrecking Ball
Same Hendren
WOSU NewsRoom
May 6, 2008

Efforts to save the city's Firestone Mansion from demolition have failed. Workmen have completed salvaging pieces from the 3-story home built by Columbus carriage maker Joseph Firestone.

The Columbus Landmarks Foundation wanted to save the Firestone mansion at 1266 E. Broad St. It put together a team of preservation consultants, architects, engineers, developers, and contractors who drew up alternatives to demolition. There were negotiations with the building's owner, the Columbus Foundation. But in the end, the owners decided to tear the building down. Columbus Foundation spokeswoman Carol Harmon.

"Our governing committee has decided as it did last summer that the structure did not have viability and we've delayed its removal as long as we can," Harmon says...

"Contract to allow purchase of Cooper Stadium signed" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Contract to allow purchase of Cooper Stadium signed
Barbara Carmen
The Columbus Dispatch
May 6, 2008

William J. Schottenstein got his signed contract today to buy Cooper Stadium for $3.3 million, but only after some last-minute changes to calm a case of seller's nerves.

Commissioner Paula Brooks said she'd first seen the draft contract Thursday and questioned why the deal was being rushed.

But Commissioner Marilyn Brown said the board got the contract two weeks ago and that lawyers brokering the deal for the county had then offered to meet with each commissioner...

"More homeowners walking away from foreclosures without a fight" Business First of Columbus

Link: More homeowners walking away from foreclosures without a fight
[account required]
Kevin Kemper
Business First of Columbus
May 2, 2008

A shift in foreclosures appears to be gaining momentum as a difficult economy continues to take its toll on homeowners with trouble making mortgage payments.

Deeds-in-lieu-of-foreclosure are becoming a more popular way for strapped homeowners to get out of properties they no longer can afford. In short, the homeowners hand over deeds to their houses, rather than contest foreclosure actions through drawn-out, expensive court proceedings...

..."We're not going to hit bottom until housing prices stabilize," Steidtmann said.

Cosgrove says he is betting foreclosures will peak in Ohio between the fourth quarter of this year and the first half of 2009.

"The Watch: Crumbling curbs on 4th Street bridge must wait until 2011" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: The Watch: Crumbling curbs on 4th Street bridge must wait until 2011
Jim Woods
The Columbus Dispatch
May 6, 2008

Sections of the curb on the 4th Street bridge resemble a crumb cake.

Flakes of concrete litter the road, and rusted rebar is exposed in places along the curb.

State and Columbus officials recognize that something must be done about the span over railroad tracks between Nationwide Boulevard and Goodale Street...

...The Ohio Department of Transportation has scheduled the bridge's deck for rehab in 2011, said Nancy Burton, a department spokeswoman...

Beginning a new era of alternative transportation for Columbus

Memo from Mayor Michael B. Coleman to Council President Michael C. Mentel

As you consider the proposed 2008 Capital Improvements Budget (CIB) for May 5th's meeting, our team appreciates the opportunities Council members have provided for added individual and public briefings. To date, we have carried out four large public briefings, more than 30 small group briefings, nine working group meetings and we are currently booking many more. This outreach includes upcoming briefings for the Central Ohio Restaurant Association, Downtown SID, Downtown Residents Association, Harrison West, Italian Village, Short North Business Association, Short North SID, Short North Foundation, University Area Commission, Victorian Village, among others. If you have additional groups that you would like for our team to meet with, please advise Michael Reese, my Chief of Staff.

I am a strong believer in taking our time to get public input and commend Council of' the important questions it has asked recently as it has deliberated on the proposed CIB.

This memo is to follow up on the Streetcar Public Hearing hosted by City Council on April 28, to provide further background and answer some of the questions posed by members and residents.

After two years of research and debate, 10 years since COTA last put a rail option on the ballot, I believe we are facing a crossroads in Columbus on a critical decision of how we remain competitive. Cities of the future must move forward with new ideas, including innovative and green transportation alternatives that are safe and affordable for residents. This includes biking, with trails and routes, and rail transit, including streetcars, light rail and high-speed rail connecting cities. Columbus is already becoming a national leader in the distribution of freight by rail, but we are ranked dead last among our peers when it comes to moving people by rail. This cannot continue.

STARTING A TRANSIT REVOLUTION
Columbus is over-reliant on the automobile. As gas rises to $4 a gallon and our City continues to grow, I am convinced that the public will be demanding more transportation alternatives. This streetcar proposal should not be viewed in the narrow silo of downtown. Streetcars should be viewed as a first step in an overall vision of an integrated system of rail (streetcars and light rail) throughout the City of Columbus.

It is time to begin a transportation revolution in Columbus to jump start a broader rail system for all of Ohio. I believe "that revolution starts with a streetcar line along the city's spine, connecting our densest job corridor downtown to our densest residential neighborhood around the Ohio State University campus, and helping redevelop the 36 underused acres along Higli Street. This 2.8 mile streetcar line is a conservatively planned first step that will allow us to test rail in Columbus and show that such a system can work, and will allow us to engage in a broader public debate over the future system to add streetcars to other neighborhoods, light rail-to our airport and suburban job centers, as well as fast trains to Cleveland, Cincinnati and the rest of the nation.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
It is clear that in addition to serving as the catalyst for transit, streetcars also will help continue the momentum we've begun in downtown redevelopment, create local jobs, and help leverage economic development, especially in the benefit district. Streetcars are just one more tool in our strategy to increase density, create additional jobs, retail and housing opportunities in downtown, especially along 'The Mile on High." Through the 2012 Bicentennial Commission effort, the beginnings of a downtown master plan is being developed which includes rail transit alternatives, a key component to the economic vibrancy of downtown. This downtown master plan will require more public discussions as well.
Based on the successes in other cities, and research by the Danter Group, we estimate $300-$500 million in local economic impact from new jobs and businesses along the High Street Line, as well as a growth in residential development and tourism activity. Cities must be innovative in fighting for jobs and attracting the creative workforce of the 21st Century, and I've heard clearly that they want better transit.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
To achieve these missions, we must start today. The public is clearly interested in the dialogue, and many of the speakers at your recent hearing agree with me that a broader system beyond the High Street Line is important. Since I am asking Council and our entire City to make a significant commitment for our future, I urge the Council to join me in these action steps:

1. Do not earmark $2 million for Streetcars in the CIB, but instead set the funding aside for Council consideration later in 2008 when the Streetcar Financial Scenario has been refined and adjusted. Frankly, we are not ready to spend these resources. We have an obligation to further educate the public on this proposal's connection to a more comprehensive rail and transit plan citywide and its connection to the master plan for downtown. While these issues are clear to me, our public needs more information.
2. Pass legislation to continue our consulting teams for $200,000 to $250,000 from the City's existing Street Fund to allow us to continue to educate and listen to the public, engage stakeholders, make critical changes to the financial scenario, including the possibility of positioning the City for future Federal funding. After listening to the extensive public comment, it is clear that this additional planning and outreach is needed. COTA recently voted to allocate up to $50,000 to this effort. I am confident the result of our collaboration will be a sound financial plan that we will present in late 2008
3. Create a City Council Rail Transit Development Committee in partnership with MORPC, COTA, the Ohio State University, OROC and other local groups to advance the vision of improved regional transportation, to encourage public engagement and to advocate for 'funding to assist in future research, planning, construction and operations for rail transit alternatives including streetcars.
4. Consider a community visit to Portland or other cities to learn first-hand how streetcars and rail transit can benefit a city.

Our financial scenario, while not final and requiring changes, is a realistic plan for Columbus and will not significantly impact our CIB or our long-term General Fund Operating Budget. The plan we have put forward adheres to the key principles I outlined in 2006, when I first proposed streetcars during my State of the City Address. Our proposal is financed without raising the citywide income tax (or property taxes); it will serve as a catalyst for substantial economic development along the line; and it will reconnect the Downtown area with adjacent neighborhoods as well as connect residents to jobs, entertainment and attractions.

In continuing the discussion, it is important to remember that streetcars will not be funded in the Bicentennial Bond Package that will be presented to voters this November. Streetcars are the first step in shaping our long-term transit vision and building another piece of our economic future.

I look forward to continuing to work on this issue with you and your colleagues.

Columbus City Council Meeting Highlights: May 5, 2008

For More Information:
John Ivanic, 645-6798

COUNCIL TO VOTE ON 2008 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS BUDGET: The Capital Improvements Budget (CIB) provides a blueprint for the financing of City assets such as police and fire stations, parks and recreation centers, roads and bridges, computer systems, and sewer and water systems.  As chair of the Finance Committee, President Pro Tem Kevin L. Boyce will put forth the 2008 CIB budget for Council’s consideration. 

O’SHAUGHNESSY ADVANCING HIGH STREET IMPROVEMENTS:  The City is preparing to launch a series of streetscape improvements on the portion of High Street between Lane Avenue and Arcadia Avenue.   Ordinance 0615-2008, sponsored by Public Service Committee Chair Maryllen O'Shaughnessy, will appropriate $13,306,007.75 to begin the project.  This phase includes the widening of Hudson Street between Neil Avenue and East Avenue.  Also included are all side streets to the first alley both east and west of High Street and the sewer outfall that extends west on Dodridge to Neil and to the northern terminus of Neil Avenue.  The improvements will consist of concrete curb and sidewalk replacement along the entire project, pavement milling and overlay, lighting, traffic signals, overhead utility removal, neighborhood entry features at both ends of the project in the form of arches, water line work, sewer separation in the form of new storm drain piping, and landscaping. This project will not change the existing size of traffic lanes or sidewalk except for an additional turn lane at Hudson Street.  Four miles of sidewalk will be replaced and brought to current ADA standards with 182 curb ramps.  New bike racks and additional trees will also be installed.  This is a major transit route and bus pads will be upgraded as part of this project.

SUPPORTING MINORITY RECRUITMENT:  In an effort to support the Columbus Division of Police’s minority recruitment program, Public Safety Committee Chair Andrew J. Ginther has invited Sgt. Anthony Wilson of the Minority Recruiting Unit to brief Councilmembers on the work to attract more minority police recruits.  Sgt. Wilson will highlight the Diversity Recruiting Council, a group of community and business leaders who have pledged to encourage the recruitment of under-represented minority groups by partnering with community and faith-based organizations to increase diversity on the police force.

ASSISTING SENIOR CITIZENS:  Columbus and the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging are working together to provide health and wellness opportunities for senior citizens.  Recreation and Parks Committee Chair Priscilla R. Tyson is sponsoring ordinance 0703-2008 to appropriate $175,000 for the Senior Farmer's Market and the Chronic Disease Grant programs.  The Senior Farmer’s Market grant will provide participants with up to $50 in coupons, which can be redeemed at various farmers market locations throughout Columbus.  The funds allocated to the Chronic Disease Grant program will be used to train individuals who provide instruction to senior citizens on how to manage chronic pain.

FUNDING ADDICTION SERVICES:  The Columbus Health Department offers a wide range of services to help individuals who are battling drug and alcohol addiction.  Ordinance 0599-2008 sponsored by Health, Housing and Human Services Committee Chair Charleta B. Tavares, will direct the Board of Health to accept a grant service contract from the Franklin County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board in the amount of $1,080,840 and to authorize the total appropriation of $1,641,246.  The grant will be used to fund the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Outpatient Program, Adult Prevention Services, Women’s Project, Children & Adolescent Prevention and the Alcohol Other Drug/HIV Prevention programs.

CRAIG SUPPORTING COMMUNITY ACTIVISM:  Judiciary and Court Administration Committee Chair Hearcel F. Craig will be a guest at City Year’s annual gala, Starry Starry Night on Thursday, May 8, 2008.  The event will kick off at 6:00 p.m. with a special reception with Limited Brands officials, Bruce Soll and Tom Katzenmeyer at the Bar of Modern Art (583 East Broad Street).  City Year is a non-profit organization that places young people from ages 17-24 in Columbus neighborhoods to serve as tutors, mentors, and role models.

MENTEL DISCUSSES ISRAELI BUSINESS MISSION:  Council President Michael C. Mentel is scheduled to be the featured guest on City Council’s public affairs radio program, Call The Roll.  President Mentel will be discussing his participation in the City of Columbus’ recent trade mission to Israel and the follow-up steps that are being prepared to capitalize on the business opportunities that were developed on the trip.  Call The Roll can be heard every Saturday on 91.5, WHKC-FM at 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

"Revised Commerce District plan OK'd" This Week News

Link: Revised Commerce District plan OK'd
Alan Froman
This Week News
May 1, 2008

Grandview Heights City Council last week approved a revision of the community plan related to the Grandview Commerce District.

The Commerce District is the portion of Grandview that includes the former Big Bear property, the site for Nationwide Realty Investors' Grandview Yard project.

The entire district is about 100 acres on the city's east side generally bounded by Third Avenue, the railroad tracks, Goodale Boulevard and Edgehill Drive...

"'Green' features to help Audubon center blend in with park" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: 'Green' features to help Audubon center blend in with park
Mike Pramik
The Columbus Dispatch
May 5, 2008

For at least four days a year, the sun will be as important as birds or the rain at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center on Whittier Peninsula.

The center, which will be under construction soon, has a design feature in the roof that will create an indoor sundial. Four days a year -- the winter and summer solstices and the spring and autumn equinoxes -- the sun's rays will strike a disc embedded in the floor...

...The $14.5 million Audubon center will sit on 5 acres in the 84-acre Scioto Audubon Metro Park, which is under construction on the Downtown peninsula. Project director Heather Starck said the National Audubon Society plans to select a general contractor for the building within weeks. An opening date is expected in about a year.

The purpose of the 18,000-square-foot center revolves around the environment. DesignGroup and the Audubon Society are seeking silver-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification for the building, a designation that marks it as an environmentally sustainable design...

"Office vacancy rates buck national trend by remaining steady in 1Q" Business First of Columbus

Link: Office vacancy rates buck national trend by remaining steady in 1Q
[account required]
Laura Newpoff
Business First of Columbus
May 2, 2008

As office vacancy rates rise in major cities across the country, Columbus seems to be holding steady amid a restless economy and unemployment rate that's higher than the national average, according to first quarter data compiled by three of the city's largest brokerage houses.

Colliers Turley Martin Tucker Co. reports office vacancy rates in Columbus and its suburbs improved for the quarter.

Grubb & Ellis | Adena Realty Advisors' numbers show vacancies dipping in the city's central business district, but rising slightly in the suburbs.

And CB Richard Ellis reports downtown and suburban vacancies are up for the quarter, but by less than a percentage point...

"Companies gravitate to existing spaces along technology corridor" Business First of Columbus

Link: Companies gravitate to existing spaces along technology corridor
Brian R. Ball
Business First of Columbus
May 2, 2008

...Operating under the umbrella of TechColumbus, the area's business technology promoter, Scitech consists of a collection of buildings on OSU's West Campus and between 60 and 70 acres the nonprofit research park leases from the university. Much of the existing space, principally old warehouses and light assembly buildings, remains undeveloped as the idea of the stretch of properties along Route 315 between North Broadway Avenue and downtown is promoted as the technology corridor gains momentum.

But planning efforts could go well beyond those property holdings to include all of the OSU land bounded by Lane Avenue, Kinnear, Kenny and North Star roads, said Scitech President Terry Foegler...

...To that end, Scitech in March engaged Massachusetts-based planners at Sasaki Associates Inc. to study the long-term demand for research and development space in the university-sponsored park, including the feasibility of multistory buildings served by structured parking. The study should get unveiled in late summer or early fall.

"For this to accomplish what we want, (Scitech) is going to have to be a more dense, urban environment," Foegler said, noting many university parks have hundreds if not a few thousand acres to market. "If you create a critical mass of activity, the prospects for innovation can grow."...

"Spike in gas prices help burst housing bubble, a Portland economist suggests" OregonLive.com

Link: Spike in gas prices help burst housing bubble, a Portland economist suggests
Dylan Oregonian
OregonLive.com
April 30, 2008

...The report, funded by CEOs for Cities, a pro-urban Chicago-based nonprofit, advances an argument gaining steam in national urban planning circles: Rising gas prices have made it less attractive to live in suburban neighborhoods that require driving to work, shop and fun.

In metro areas where home prices are falling, they're falling more steeply in suburbs than in central areas. In metro areas with strong inner city neighborhoods -- like Portland -- prices of centrally located homes continue to rise while the region's prices fall...

All downtown is a stage

Sometimes my brain starts swimming in all the facts and opinions that are out there about the various initiatives and issues that Columbus faces on a daily basis. It is too easy to get caught up in the details of all the individual issues and never stop to zoom out to a 10,000 foot view of all the issues, how they play together and what it all means. I see that as a problem, personally.

It is the big-picture that is what has always kept me interested in following the story of downtown Columbus' efforts of revitalization. But it's that big-picture that gets lost in a sea of details. I guess it's a case of not being able to "see the city through the buildings" in a manner of speaking.

Currently though, as the buzz about the downtown condos is but an echoing memory and as we once again let City Center fall to the back burner as we wait for the next piece of breaking news, we can witness downtown itself fall off the radar a bit, even in the midst of a critical issue such as the streetcars.

With the streetcars for example, folks get caught up in potentially overlapping COTA routes and bus service offerings or investing in safety equipment or spending money on other programs and departments that are in need of funding. Businesses, with concerns about their stores being strained for customers if and when construction on a streetcar line were to take place, focus on the few months that there storefront might be partially blocked off.

These are all valid concerns and issues for citizens and businesses alike that do need to be addressed, but the big-picture becomes impossibly out of view when we're down in the details of individual issues.

In my mind, the answer to seeing the big-picture lies in finding a way to tell Columbus' story over the next 20 years by pulling together all the issues we face and the initiatives we have going that are designed to address them. As I always say, that is no easy task, but it is not impossible. I'll go so far as to say that I think it is actually imperative that we start to address telling a much more comprehensive story for Columbus as we roll out some of our more skepticism-prone initiatives.

People say they want to see what the bigger plans are for Columbus, be it with streetcar, rail transit, bike paths, downtown retail...etc. But I'll suggest that all the pieces are there and already working in unison, but the story is not being told as one. The stories are playing concurrently in separate theaters, but if you watch just one, it won't make any sense. Watch them all and you can see that they are all very clearly connected.

If you just skim all the titles from this week's RetroMetro newsletter, do you see the connections between many of them?

What does the Columbus Symphony's budget shortfalls have to do with a shrinking 25-44 year old workforce? How does that tie in with the fact that gas prices continue to climb and freight rail is making a comeback? What does the future of City Center have to do with the fact that Columbus is paying $2.5 billion to separate storm water lines from sewer lines throughout the city? How does the streetcar tie together the Convention Center, OSU and downtown in a way that is different from a bus? Where are all the opportunities and overlaps with these issues and how do we identify them?

If you use downtown Columbus as the anchor for the drama, it becomes very easy to tell a bigger story where the issues and initiatives are the actors and the Central Business District (CBD) is the stage. If we select a common theme of revitalizing downtown to the end of generating a massive increase in tax revenue in the CBD because of its potential for high density, mixed-use growth, in a place with paid-for infrastructure then we have an outcome that benefits every single citizen in Columbus. More tax revenue gives us the funds to provide more and better services to downtown and all of its suburbs, not just downtown. And that's just the opening act.

It's time to start writing the story I suppose, or at least begin drawing more connections between all of our initiatives on a more regular basis. There is a greater story yet to be told...

Postcards from the Past: Ohio National Bank

Postcard Caption: The Ohio National Bank, Columbus, Ohio

"City to vote on $1.1 billion capital spending plan" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: City to vote on $1.1 billion capital spending plan
Robert Vitale
The Columbus Dispatch
May 3, 2008

...The City Council will vote Monday on the request to set aside money for the renovation as part of a $1.1 billion capital budget Coleman's administration submitted three weeks ago.

The plan includes dozens of projects that officials want to at least get a start on during 2008. Nearly three-fourths — $788.4 million — would go toward sewer and water improvements by the Department of Public Utilities.

Utilities spokesman Rick Tilton said most of the improvements are part of an agreement between Columbus and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to fix aging sewers that spill millions of gallons of sewage yearly into area waters...

"Roadwork hits money potholes" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Roadwork hits money potholes
Tim Doulin
The Columbus Dispatch
May 3, 2008

...Because of tight finances, the Ohio Department of Transportation is re-evaluating and prioritizing future projects. But the flat revenue and rising construction costs are eating away this year at the funds that counties have for the roads and bridges they maintain.

Franklin County received about $26.9 million last year from license-plate registration fees and local taxes; it received $26.8 million in 2000.

High gas prices are causing people to buy less fuel, which is leading to relatively flat gas-tax revenue, another source of funding for counties. Franklin received about $2.4 million from the tax last year, Ringle said...

"Gas tax holiday roundup" Smart Growth Around America

Link: Gas tax holiday roundup
Smart Growth Around America
May 2, 2008

...A proposal that sounds noble and caring in soundbyte form, will not only result in relatively small relief at the pump, but most importantly, it will cut off funding to the Highway Trust Fund and infrastructure funding for 15 weeks, at a loss of roughly $9 billion, according to estimates. In case you’ve forgotten, as it stands now, the Fund is due to run out of money in a short period of time. (Has it been so long that we’ve forgotten the Minnesota I-35 bridge collapse?)...

"Home Prices Drop Most in Areas with Long Commute" NPR

Link: Home Prices Drop Most in Areas with Long Commute
Kathleen Schalch
NPR
April 21, 2008

Economists say home prices are nowhere near hitting bottom. But even in regions that have taken a beating, some neighborhoods remain practically unscathed. And a pattern is emerging as to which neighborhoods those are.

The ones with short commutes are faring better than places with long drives into the city. Some analysts see a pause in what has long been inexorable — urban sprawl...

"Downtown Gahanna reborn at Creekside" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Downtown Gahanna reborn at Creekside
Gail Martineau
The Columbus Dispatch
May 3, 2008

Gahanna is celebrating the rebirth of its original downtown with the formal opening of the city's multimillion-dollar Creekside project.

The mixed-use development features 100,000 square feet of retail and office space, 71 loft condominiums and an underground parking garage.

Gahanna Development Director Sadicka White said she's ecstatic over the completion of the project, which also includes public plazas, waterfalls, a lagoon and an outdoor stage...

"Streetcar snubbed at capitol" Business Courier of Cincinnati

Link: Streetcar snubbed at capitol
Dan Monk
Business Courier of Cincinnati
April 25, 2008

Republican lawmakers from the Tri-State suburbs are trying to derail Cincinnati's request for state dollars to build a downtown streetcar system.

"It has zero support at present," said Ohio Sen. Bill Seitz, one of six Hamilton County Republicans who recently submitted capital spending requests that exclude the $6.5 million sought by city officials for a downtown streetcar loop.

"The city should be looking at their budget problems rather than thinking of new ways to spend money," said Ohio Rep. Michelle Schneider, R-Madeira, who joined with five other house members in submitting a $19.4 million package of capital grants they support...