"Fitch comes in from woods with Brewery District move" Business First of Columbus

Link: Fitch comes in from woods with Brewery District move
[Account required]
Brian R. Ball
Business First of Columbus
July 4, 2008

Fitch Inc. is moving its North American headquarters to the Brewery District in a bid to help the product brand and design firm catch a bit of inspiration from the urban Columbus setting.

Fitch plans to move from the sylvan offices in Powell that it has called home since 1972 into the Brewers Yard complex at 585 S. Front St. It will take about 20,000 square feet, where it will set up operations for 100 workers.

It expects to complete the move by Nov. 1...

"EPA to greenlight nature center" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: EPA to greenlight nature center
Mark Ferenchik
The Columbus Dispatch
June 19, 2008

Construction of the Audubon Center on the Whittier Peninsula should begin soon after state environmental officials clear the way today.

The director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Chris Korleski, is to sign an agreement that says the city of Columbus has met state standards in cleaning up 26 acres and will not be sued.

The EPA could go after the city if contaminants are found that had been missed. But finding anything is unlikely, said Sue Kroeger, an Ohio EPA staff lawyer. "They were very thorough."...

"'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...

"Audubon Center breaks ground" ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Link: Audubon Center breaks ground
David J. Cross
ThisWeek Community Newspapers
April 24, 2008

Officials from the Grange Insurance Audubon Center celebrated the groundbreaking for a new facility Tuesday with an Earth Day tree planting.

The 18,000-square foot center, located at Scioto Audubon Metro Park on the Whittier Peninsula, is expected to be completed late spring 2009.

The event also marked the start of the not-for-profit's fundraising campaign. To date public and private donations have contributed about $13-million to the center's $14.5-million goal. The organization is looking to the public to help close the funding gap...

"City's Impound Lot Could Move South" WBNS-10TV

Link: City's Impound Lot Could Move South
WBNS-10TV
December 10, 2007

COLUMBUS, Ohio - City Council members were set to vote Monday evening on a multi-million dollar move for the city's impound lot, currently located south of downtown on the Whittier Peninsula.

The move would relocate the impound lot farther south near state Route 104, 10TV's Tanisha Mallett reported.

The proposal was slated to be decided during council's meeting Monday evening...

"Red Roof headquarters to return to Columbus; 80 jobs to be created" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Red Roof headquarters to return to Columbus; 80 jobs to be created
Mike Pramik
The Columbus Dispatch
November 28, 2007

Red Roof Inn, a lodging company that began in Columbus, will move its corporate headquarters from Texas to the Brewery District next year.

The company said it plans to occupy office space at 605 S. Front St. during the first quarter of 2008. The move will create about 80 jobs over the next year-and-a-half to two years, Red Roof said in a statement.

Red Roof currently has a training center at 121 E. Nationwide Blvd. It has eight hotels in central Ohio, including one Downtown near the Greater Columbus Convention Center...

"Red Roof moving HQ to Brewery District" Business First of Columbus

Link: Red Roof moving HQ to Brewery District
Business First of Columbus
November 28, 2007

Red Roof Inns Inc. is headed back to Columbus, but the site of its headquarters won't be on Watermark Island off Dublin Road.

The company on Wednesday said it will move to the building at 605 S. Front St. in the Brewery District in the first quarter of 2008. And while the company was considering moving 37 administrative and training center jobs from its offices at 121 E. Nationwide Blvd., next door to its convention center hotel, Red Roof said it will keep the operation.

The hotelier's decision comes more than a month after the state approved a five-year, 50 percent tax credit valued at $550,481 for the company. The incentive was put together after Red Roof announced this summer it was looking to leave its Carrollton, Texas, offices and relocate to the Midwest...

"MORPC Relocating to Better Serve the Community" MORPC Regional eSource

Link: MORPC Relocating to Better Serve the Community.
MORPC Regional eSource
October 15, 2007

Nothing says past, present and future like the Brewery District. The area is known for its distinct businesses and interesting venues.  It is a collaboration of the old and the new and a historical landmark in Columbus, Ohio.  The Brewery District is continually transitioning to meet the needs of the community and so is the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC).

After 25 years of being located on East Main Street MORPC is moving to the Brewery District, a hub of cooperation and an inspiration for regional partnerships...

"Officials Plan Construction Project For South Side" nbc4i.com

The Whittier Peninsula is back on the table for discussion once again and visions of residential still seem to be hanging on. This is somewhat deja vu though:

Link: Officials Plan Construction Project For South Side
Andrew DePaul
nbc4i.com
September 18, 2007

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Local city council members discussed a development project Monday that could bring life back to the city's south side.

The Columbus City Council approved a $45,000 planning project to develop the Whittier Peninsula, NBC 4's Mike Jackson reported.

Officials said they would like to build residential housing, a golf facility and wetlands in the area...

I personally would like to see it grow over with vegetation and have it appear as an extension of the Scioto Audubon Metro Park until we run out of land to use up in the Central Business District downtown.

Now, run the streetcar line down into the area they I'll start singing a different tune :)

"Residents making noise over Brewery District bar" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Residents making noise over Brewery District bar.
Mark Ferenchik
The Columbus Dispatch
September 1, 2007

Major Woody's Bar is a major pain, say some Brewery District residents who want to see it go away.

They say they're tired of the fights and noise, and their quality of life is being eroded.

"All I want is some peace and quiet for our residents," said Jeannette Tannert, property manager for Liberty Place apartments, which opened earlier this year across a large parking lot from Major Woody's.

It's a common scene across the country, as residents in rejuvenated urban neighborhoods such as Cleveland's Warehouse District and Seattle's Pioneer Square have voiced concerns about activities around popular clubs and bars...

"Eclipse proposes 50 condominiums" Business First of Columbus

Edwards Companies keeps on the move with not only their Gay Street neighborhood development but now with yet another project in the Brewery District. 50 condos is a pretty hefty count in the current market:

Link: Eclipse proposes 50 condominiums (account required)
Brian R Ball
Business First of Columbus
August 10, 2007

The main developer in the Brewery District in Columbus plans to turn the former Salvation Army property at 570 S. Front St. into 50 condominiums.

Eclipse Real Estate Group Inc., a division of Edwards Cos., has shown conceptual plans for the condo complex to the Brewery District Commission. Reid Wasserstrom, the commission's chairman, called the two buildings that would be converted a "fabulous opportunity" given their many windows and detailed brick exteriors...

"Parking is a sticking point on bar plan" ThisWeek Community Newspapers

It always seems to come down to parking in our urban neighborhoods when it comes to new development, this time in the Brewery District. While I'll save from commenting, especially when it is not my neighborhood, we can see the desperate need for alternative forms of transportation outside of the personal automobile. It's getting to that system that is the trick.

For now, we have the current reality to deal with in that car is still king in Columbus and will be for some time to come until some form of rail makes its triumphant return to Columbus:

Link: Parking is a sticking point on bar plan.
Sue Hagan
The Columbus Dispatch
August 9, 2007

Members of the Brewery District Commission indicated last week that a proposal to add a bar and patio to a Front Street bait and tackle shop "might work," despite protests from neighbors who worry about parking problems.

At last Thursday's commission meeting, seven residents who live within a few blocks of the R & R Sports Headquarters, 781 S. Front St., said that patrons of the proposed bar/restaurant would take up parking spaces needed by residents...

"Audubon Center to sport environmentally-friendly design" Suburban News Publications, Columbus, Ohio

The soon-to-be-constructed Audubon Center on the Whittier Peninsula will be touting some true "green" technology which will significantly reduce it's operational cost given the limited power requirements it will have:

Link:  Audubon Center to sport environmentally-friendly design
Jennifer Nobilt
Suburban News Publications.
August 8-15, 2007

...Along with the donation, the Audubon Center also released renderings for the building, which is planned to open in early 2009.

The renderings include "green" features such as geothermal heating and cooling, solar power and construction from recycled materials...

...The renderings include a green roof for parts of the center. The roof built to support vegetation is said to reduce heating and cooling as well as increase the roof's lifespan.

Starck said the way the center deals with storm water and the addition of native plants will also help the environment in the area...

There are various types of "green" technologies that are used in green building that range from paints that use fewer chemicals and give off less emissions (called low VOC paints, for volatile organic compounds), to solar panels on the other end of the spectrum that not only reduce the effect of a building on the environment but can actually benefit the environment by creating their own source of energy.

There are a lot of varying levels at which any given project can be considered "green". I'm sure there is some sort of a classification level derived out of how great an individual item that is used in the building process impacts the environment, but for me, the biggest hitters are the ones that have both immediate economic benefits to the consumer, on top of their benefits to society.

The realities of the economic feasibility for any consumer-based green home technologies need to be able to come into play in order for more widespread adoption. Some technologies are easier than others to achieve profit with for their respective manufacturers, but for the most part green takes extra green...of the dollar sort.

It's a simple and quick lesson economics centered on supply and demand.

Let's take solar photovoltaic for instance:

The panels are expensive to manufacture because much of the R & D into making the panels more efficient at grabbing energy from the sun is quite costly and the production and materials are expensive too.

One way for production costs to go down for the manufacturers, and in turn for the retail prices to go down, is to have an increase in the demand so that technologies for manufacturing the products become more efficient as a function of a competing market.

When multiple companies are supplying more panels to the market, the competition between the businesses creates an ongoing effort to be the company that can offer the best panels at the lowest cost. To do that, you need better raw material supply chains for the parts and pieces you make the panels with and you need better manufacturing processes to build the panels better, faster and cheaper than the next guy.

Demand means competition. Competition ultimately leads to better and cheaper products. Cheaper products means a higher level of adoption and absorption into the retail market.

Right now, the general consumer market won't bare the expense of solar panels as they are priced today, let's say for the average home. It takes too long to recoup the cost of the systems, leaving solar panels system implementations to those folks who feel a bit of an altruistic, good-for-the-environment motivation within themselves to the tune of $15,000 to $20,000. We could also call those folks the early-adopters who are willing to fork out the additional dollars.

Now if the cost of energy triples, then the factors in my supply and demand scenario above obviously change, but until that happens, we either have to wait for the slow and natural evolution of the demand for solar technology to take place as manufacturers slowly evolve the technology with limited financial inputs OR we figure out how to stimulate the market another way.

I won't go into the other ways to stimulate the market, such as tax credits and grants, but hopefully the illustration painted a general picture for you.

Until green technologies see a higher demand on an ongoing basis, the costs are likely to remain high.

As cities, state and the country move to more aggressive energy policies maybe there will be some mandates that will see the demand for green tech increase. Once that happens, the cost for the products will come down and their implementation into the traditional building practices will become the norm.

Should be an interesting 10 years in the world of green tech.

"Park gets $1.5 million from AEP Foundation" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Park gets $1.5 million from AEP Foundation.
Tim Doulin
The Columbus Dispatch
August 2, 2007

American Electric Power Foundation is making the second-largest donation in the campaign to build a nature center on the Whittier Peninsula.

The foundation is contributing $1.5 million toward the $11.5 million Grange Insurance Audubon Center at the Scioto Audubon Metro Park.

Whittier Peninsula is a 160-acre refuge along the Scioto River just south of Downtown...

"City reviving idea of 9-hole course set in Brewery District downtown" Business First of Columbus

Link: City reviving idea of 9-hole course set in Brewery District downtown
Doug Buchanan
Business First of Columbus
July 13, 2007

Downtown workers and residents may be in line for a suburban amenity to sweeten life in the urban core.

City officials have had preliminary discussions about turning 80 acres in the Whittier Peninsula into a nine-hole golf course. Stalled plans for development in the old industrial area, plagued by contaminated and unsettled soils and the threat of flooding, have prompted the discussions...

Honestly, in my opinion this is currently one of the highest and best uses for the peninsula given the hurdles that would be faced to develop the site. Between soil compaction issues and contamination and being in the flood plain, the costs and risks far exceed the benefits of developing the peninsula at this point in time. I'll add a caveat by stressing "at this point in time"

I was once told by an authority on the peninsula that if standard residential construction took place on certain portions of the site that it could potentially sink 5 to 20 feet in areas where there were compaction issues. This means that in order to avoid this, structural piers would need to be put in place that would go deeper in the dirt to act as more stable anchors for foundations to be built on. That would significantly increase the cost to build even standard residential structures a few stories tall, never mind high rises. Even then you could still end up with unforeseen issues with infrastructure and roads that would be built in the area.

After dealing with the sinking potential, in certain sections of the peninsula you would then have to deal with being in the flood plain. While it doesn't necessarily flood there at the moment, it only has to happen once to wash away a significant investment either today or 20 years from now.

Once we become so overdeveloped in downtown that there are no more underutilized parking lots to develop and the value of land shoots through the roof, then and only then would the cost to overcome the current development barriers begin to approach any type of potential payoff.

So for now, the Golf Course concept seems a smart approach because we can always quickly and easily repurpose the land if and when the time would come that various factors align themselves in a favorable direction that could overtake the potential risks that exist today.

"Proposed Whittier Peninsula park gets a name" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Proposed Whittier Peninsula park gets a name.
Suzanne Hoholik
The Columbus Dispatch
July 10, 2007

The proposed park on the Whittier peninsula finally has a name — Scioto Audubon Metro Park.

The Franklin County Metro Parks board unanimously approved the name of the Downtown park along the Scioto River this afternoon. It's the 15th park in the system.

Metro Parks officials solicited ideas for names from the public for about a year. Several people suggested Whittier Park, and Scioto Skyline made it in the running, said Peg Hanley, a Metro Parks spokeswoman...

"Columbus hoping to clear homeless camps" ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Link: Columbus hoping to clear homeless camps.
Sue Hagan
ThisWeek Newspapers
June 21, 2007

The city of Columbus, the Community Shelter Board and a number of social service agencies working in collaboration hope to break up homeless camps on the Whittier Peninsula, down the hill from the Brewery District, by the end of summer...

...The process starts with social workers and city employees speaking to every person in the camps to assess their needs and find permanent "supportive" housing that links them to social services.

Then, the homeless are relocated to housing, the camps are taken down and the area is cleaned up.

The collaboration's first effort last October, which closed a large camp in the Neil Avenue-Vine Street area, took about two months...

"Grange buys more land next to HQ" Business First of Columbus

Link: Grange buys more land next to HQ
Brian R Ball
Business First of Columbus
May 18, 2007
 

Grange Mutual Insurance Co. has expanded its real estate holdings close to its Brewery District headquarters with the purchase of two office and retail buildings and 3.9 acres of land.

Public records show Grange paid $13.93 million for the 110,000-square-foot office and retail complex and $1 million for an adjoining surface parking lot...

"Brewery District still is evolving" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Brewery District still is evolving.
One-time hot spot has cooled with rise of the Arena District
Monday,  May 14, 2007 3:24 AM
By Debbie Gebolys
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The Brewery District is growing up.

A decade ago, the tiny neighborhood south of I-70, between the Scioto River and German Village, was the homecoming queen of the young singles scene.

But the spotlight has moved elsewhere, and residents say they're happy to have a quieter neighborhood of familiar, friendly faces. Now, people take their dogs to bars and softball games, and poker nights have replaced ladies' nights.

A once-hot condominium market has cooled to the point that homes remain unsold for more than six months...

"Liberty Place lays out luxury" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Liberty Place lays out luxury
Long-delayed Brewery District complex should be ready for first tenants in May
Monday,  April 30, 2007 3:24 AM
By Mike Pramik
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

"We're opening buildings one, two, 10, 11 and 12," said property manager Jeannette Tannert.

Eventually, Liberty Place will have 12 buildings, but only five will open this spring. There will be 135 apartments among them, less than half the planned total of 314 units.

Winther, based in Texas, has been struggling to get Liberty Place off the ground since announcing the project in 2000. Seven of the structures have been put on hold until the Ohio Department of Transportation determines where to reroute I-70/I-71...

" Name game a pain for new Metro Park" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Name game a pain for new Metro Park.
Whittier site so far defies easy labels
Sunday,  April 29, 2007 7:39 AM
By Dean Narciso
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

"I'm trying to find something that really reflects the shared responsibility that we have," O'Meara said. "It's a name that hopefully people will recognize and respond to, and it's distinctive."...

...The park is expected to open next spring, Hanley said. The Grange Insurance Audubon Center, which will be part of the 84-acre park, also is expected to open in 2008.

Columbus is leasing the site to Metro Parks for $1 and still plans to add condos or apartments, stores and offices to 60 other acres on the peninsula, said Lori Baudro, a city planner, despite the reluctance of developers who determined last year that pollution on the site would make building too costly...

"Columbus Audubon gives $100,000 to Whittier center" ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Link: Columbus Audubon gives $100,000 to Whittier center
Thursday, April 12, 2007
By SUE HAGAN
ThisWeek Staff Writer

The Grange Insurance Audubon Center, which will be built in the Whittier Peninsula Metro Park, has received another donation -- this one from the Audubon organization itself.

The Columbus Audubon chapter approved a donation of $100,000 to assist in the center's construction. About $40,000 has already been paid out and the rest is committed over the next three years...

"Resident paying to have park land brush removed" ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Link: Resident paying to have park land brush removed.
Sun Hagan
ThisWeek Newspapers
APril 5th, 2007

...D'Elia, who owns a home on Front Street that she is converting to condominiums, said the cost could run as high as $6,000 but to her, it is worth it.

"Not only will this open up the view (from the park) to the river, but it will discourage the homeless from setting up camps there," she said.

Homeless camps have been a sore point among Brewery District residents for a long time, but issues seem to come to head when the weather warms up, she said...

"German Village looking into special improvement district" ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Link: German Village looking into special improvement district.
February 15th, 2007
ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Sue Hagan

The desire to ramp up security is driving a preliminary look at creating a special improvement district in German Village.

In a SID, property owners are assessed a specific amount which then goes to pay for services the SID governing board decides upon. In German Village, the focus would likely be on paying for additional police protection or other safety measures...

Neighborhoods Concerned about Children's Hospital Expansion

This is a forwarded message from our firends in German Village and Schumacher Place. Please read below.

As you are all aware, Children’s Hospital has huge expansion plans.  We feel very lucky that they made the decision to stay downtown to build their research campus, rather than to take it out to the suburbs, and we have enjoyed a terrific relationship with them as members of their “Good Neighbor” network, partners in the 70/71 advisory council, and we are very proud to have a number of their professionals as German Villagers.

That said, we have been disappointed to learn that the hospital is proposing the demolition of several houses on the south side of Livingston Avenue to make way for a new Ronald McDonald House.  That they are starting over, in spite of the less-than-2-year-old Ronald McDonald House because they don’t like the location after all, is their issue, but that they are asking City Council to donate two alleys to them so they can demolish houses and create a new building site without looking for other solutions is bad precedence.

Three of the houses are classic story and a half cottages that could be moved, and two larger structures, filled with beautiful woodwork, vintage hardware, and original stained glass should be at least considered for incorporation into the new plan.

As they expand into the neighborhoods they are going to have to take the extra care that comes with dealing with historic houses.  Just because a neighborhood isn’t protected as an official historic district doesn’t mean that what is unique and significant should be demolished because it is the cheapest and quickest way from A to B. Purchasing residential properties and then allowing demolition by neglect isn’t necessary for the success of the Children’s Hospital master plan.

As members of the preservation community, we encourage you to join our neighbors from Merion Village and Schumacher Place in urging City Council to delay action on the “emergency” legislation that has been proposed to vacate and the alleys and transfer them, waiving the $39,000 cost, (Ordinance 85-07) until a careful study of all of the options is completed and solutions are given a chance to be implemented. We are NOT obstructionists, be we know, perhaps better than anyone, what can be gained by careful management of historic resources.

You may write all Columbus City Council members in care of Council President Michael Mentel at
MKrutkus @ Columbus.gov

"Front Street ideas discussed at meeting" ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Link: Front Street ideas discussed at meeting.
Sue Hagan
ThisWeek Community Newspapers
February 15th, 2007

Although the Front Street bridge over I-70/71 won't get an elaborate cap during the makeover of the freeway split, improvements will make it more pedestrian friendly. And a decision will soon be made as to whether Livingston Avenue will become a one-way collector road.

Questions on those two topics dominated the Feb. 7 Brewery District Society meeting, during a presentation by representatives of the Ohio Department of Transportation and its design consultant.

Residents have said they would like a Front Street freeway cap with buildings and green space to create a smooth transition between the Brewery District and downtown...

...Construction is slated to begin in 2010 on the $850-million highway reconstruction project, which ODOT officials say will untangle the overlap of I-70 and I-71. Now, drivers have to shift lanes to get to exit ramps, and the section has seen hundreds of accidents...

"Brewery District to go for rezoning" ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Link: Brewery District to go for rezoning.
Sue Hagan
ThisWeek Community Newspapers
February 15th, 2007

Brewery District residents are starting a drive to get portions of their neighborhood rezoned. They want to make the area more conducive to mixed residential and commercial living.

Members of the Brewery District Society have drafted and approved a letter, to be sent to city planners, to get the rezoning process started...

"Grange gets moving on bigger HQ" Business First of Columbus

New construction on the Grange headquarters project finally gets underway in the Brewery District:

Link: Grange gets moving on bigger HQ
Business First of Columbus
December 14th, 2006

Grange Mutual Casualty Co. kicked off construction of its Brewery District headquarters expansion Thursday.

The Columbus-based insurer expects to complete the 240,000-square-foot attached tower at 650 S. High St., and an accompanying 1,000-vehicle garage, in January 2009. Gilbane Building Co. of Providence, R.I., is overseeing construction of the $85 million project...

"Audubon raises another $3.3M for nature center" Business First of Columbus

Whittier Peninsula park plans continue to reach their fundraising objectives:

Link: Audubon raises another $3.3M for nature center
Business First of Columbus
December 13th, 2006

Audubon Ohio is getting closer to its goal of raising $11.5 million for a nature center in Franklin County, with seven donors contributing another $3.31 million...

"Gift will help transform 'neglected backyard'" ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Columbus Monthly has been stepping up their game recently and been covering more controversial topics, and in this month's issue they cover the Whittier Peninsula. I haven't read the article yet but by the title, I'm in line with the discussion they are opening with it's title, "Big Dreams, Bad Dirt." I'm not a Brewery District basher but the spending of such funds for our "backyard" (see below) when our "front porch" (downtown) needs a lot of TLC and rejuvenation is not something I'm personally on board with.

Yes, we've made a lot of progress on downtown in terms of cleaning it up but we are currently lacking ANY grassroots efforts to turn things around. The city can only take us so far:

Link: Gift will help transform 'neglected backyard'
Thursday, November 23, 2006
By SUE HAGAN
ThisWeek Newspapers

Calling the Whittier Peninsula the "neglected backyard of Columbus," Jerry Tinianow, the executive director of Audubon Ohio, said a $4-million donation from Grange Insurance Companies will help transform the site into an "urban oasis."...

"Grange donating $4 million" The Columbus Dispatch

Here's a great developent for the Audubon center on the Whittier Peninsula. I'm still of a mind to keep the residential prosposed work for the peninsula on hold until a list of downtown area projects is compiled and prioritized in conjunction with how they fit into a comprehensive downtown plan.

There hasn't been any further publicly released info on the Whittier Peninsula since Pizzuti stepped down as a potential developer for the area in regards to plans for mixed-use development. Pizzuti sited unknowns and complex development as the reason for dropping out:

Link: Grange donating $4 million
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Debbie Gebolys
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Grange Insurance will donate the largest single gift to an Audubon center in the United States to help build a nature center on the Whittier Peninsula.

Grange is to contribute $4 million to build and operate the center, officials are to announce today. The $11.5 million Grange Insurance Audubon Center is to open in 2008 as part of a redeveloped Whittier that will include 80-acre Whittier Metro Park...

"Voters will decide Club Diversity Sunday sales" ThisWeekNews

Whether or not you are a resident that this issue would effect, I wanted to highlight this as an issue that demonstrates one of the functions of voting that can have an immediate impact on a community at a local level. Quite often in the sea of the majority group of folks that don't vote, it is actually the smaller issues, in relation to items at the state level, that can stir people up to hit the poles if they were more aware of them:

Link: Voters will decide Club Diversity Sunday sales.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
ThisWeek Newspaper

...The owner of Club Diversity, 863 S. High St. in the Brewery District, is hoping her neighbors will approve Sunday liquor sales in the club. The liquor option is on the Nov. 7 ballot, for residents who live in Precinct 2-F.

The club already holds a permit allowing Sunday sales, from its previous location on East Main Street. But voter approval is required for the permit to be transferred to the new location, according to the Ohio Division of Liquor Control...

As with this license issue in the Brewery District, I'm curious as to how informed the effected community is on this specific issue and if they are informed, how did they find out about it.

Communicate the issues efficiently, educate citizens, neighbors and the community and engaging all the stateholders to get them involved in the discussion automatically is a function that should be built into our governing processes. It should a system that is so condusive to communicating what is happening in our communities, all the way up to the state level, that the folks that aren't informed are the exceptions. Our community building initiaitives and governing processes need to be intermingled into our culture in such a way that it blends in with our everyday lives. That's the only way Columbus can become an national competitor as we go into the arena for attracting businesses, development and talent.

If we can inovate in the area of how the public is involved in helping grow the city then I think we could see Columbus' identity evolve.

We can build all the big projects we want and offer all the spectacular incentives but until the people are involved...and not just as an obligatory gesture...Columbus will never be able to hold its own in attracting growth. At the end of the day, it's the people, not the projects.

"Audubon has big plans for Whittier Metro Park facility" Suburban News Publications

When trying to balance our urban development equation from the standpoint of the average citizen I have yet to fully understand how the Whittier Peninsula is factoring in.

As part of the Scioto Mile plan that is targeted at overhauling our riverfront areas and parks, I do understand, but as a part of machine that is making up a revitalized downtown, the anticipated return on the substantially large investment in this area of the Brewery District is still not clear:

Link: Audubon has big plans for Whittier Metro Park facility
By GARTH BISHOP
October 4 - 11, 2006
Suburban News Publications

...A list of potential activities for the facility was circulated at the meeting. They included a plethora of possibilities: urban stargazing, campfires, movie nights, book clubs, coffee mornings, nature photography, bird banding, music, rain gardens, canoe trips, bat watching, nature poetry events, citizen science programs and much more...

With the issues that the peninsula faces and the associated costs in making it development-ready (beyond the parkland portions) making it a higher-than-average risk from an investment standpoint, I'd like to see more about the quantifiable and tangible results that are anticipated from the completed project.

I suppose if you factor in the cost of the streetcars, which it is anticipated that the working group who has been studying the feasibility of such a system will recommend we go forward on the Wednesday, then the dollars would seem appropriate when comparing the applied investment between the Brewery District and downtown, but return on the investment is still not clear.

"Parking in the central city stands to improve" The Daily Reporter

There is also a parking structure that Grange is building in the Brewery District that is going to integrate retail and office space on its first level. The garaged is mainly for employees but it sounds like there will be some amount of public parking available:

Link: Parking in the central city stands to improve
MELANIE MCINTYRE
The Daily Reporter
09/13/2006

...The Columbus-based firm recently closed on the purchase of 1.4 acres of property at 570-600 S. Front St. as a part of its headquarters expansion plan.

The property, formerly owned by the Salvation Army, was purchased for $2.81 million. In addition to the purchase price, Grange has pledged a $940,000 donation to the Salvation Army and $500,000 to the local Salvation Army's capital campaign fund.

The 1,000-space garage will feature office and retail space on its first floor, while warehouse space on the property will be preserved for further development...

"Grandview lures lawyers to Goodale" Business First of Columbus

While it is good news for Grandview, this move is another blow to the Brewery District. I haven't heard much about what the state of things are down there these days:

Link: Grandview lures lawyers to Goodale
Brian R Ball
Business First of Columbus
September 8th, 2006

A Brewery District law firm plans to pull up stakes early next year and move to Grandview Heights with assistance from that city.

The suburb has offered Manley Deas Kochalski LLC an 11-year, 30 percent income tax credit to move its 130 paralegals, attorneys and administrative workers to 42,000 square feet at 1400 Goodale Blvd...

"Lux is now open only for events" ThisWeek Newspapers

The struggle for survival continues in the Brewery District. In a city of nearly 800,000 the fact that we can only keep one or two entertainment districts alive speaks much to our popular culture. A) The city is no place to go for fun unless it is a concert or a sporting event and B) the only demographic who has some money to spend and would go downtown are the twenty-somethings looking to get hammered on the weekends. Why is it such a stretch to try and create an entertainment district, even a tiny one, geared towards and older crowd (30+...in which I am included) and then aggressively market to them? Hellooouu?:

Link: Lux is now open only for events
Thursday, August 17, 2006
ThisWeek Newspapers

The Lux Lounge and Patio, which opened last September as a full service bar and restaurant, is now open only for events. Those include the popular "Pups on the Patio" gatherings, held every Wednesday evening, which will continue through Oct. 25.

Owners made the change, effective Aug. 10, because business was slow, said spokesperson Alisa Argust. Her fiance, Brad Kitchen, owns the business with partner Gordon Yocum...

"Park, nature center leading way" ThisWeek Newspapers

With a slowing housing market, does it make sense to continue pushing forward with the Whittier Peninsula by putting millions in public funds towards reclaiming the land, which includes relocating the impound lot and stabilizing the land itself? Could those millions be used in other ways to help with revitalizing the central city or other blighted neighborhoods at this point in time?

I'll continue to say that the Audubon Nature Center project is great, but what is that really doing for downtown? Where does it sit in the list of priorities for the city, above or below the Strategic Business Plan for Downtown Columbus when it comes to commanding dollars?

Hate to bring up more questions than answers but if you've got some input or opinions be sure to chime in by COMMENTing on this posting:

Link: Park, nature center leading way
By SUE HAGAN
ThisWeek Newspapers
August 3rd, 2006

...The two developers with initial proposals backed out after questions arose about cost and site conditions -- particularly unstable "fill" soil and the fact that part of the Whittier was recently designated as being in a flood plain.

Now, Baudro said, the city will work through the plan in greater detail and might market individual areas to a variety of developers.

"We're trying to create a 'place,'" as opposed to a development, she said, adding that means varying housing prices and styles mingled with commercial development...

View the Whittier Peninsula Metro Park plan

"Club's Owner Petitions To Allow Sunday Liquor Sales" nbc4i.com

This illustrates something I realized that last time I looked into the issues on the ballot...there are a number of the liquor licensing issues that make their way onto it to be voted on. It just seemed to me to be an odd place for local issues to get mixed into the voting process, especially given the fact that there is such a low percentage of voter turnout these days.

It's a slow process of education for myself personally on how and where local and community issues are handled and who sets the wheels in motion for them.

The third point in my usual mantra of "communicate, educate, seek involvement" is focused on getting people involved in the urban revitalization of Columbus. From my perspective, the best way to start is by understanding all the ways that people can get themselves active in the city by fully understanding the existing system provided by our local government. From area commissions, zoning, neighborhood associations and business associations, there are a lot of tools already available for shaping our communities but how they play together is a little bit more complex.

But there really is no better way to learn than by example, such as we have here:

Link: Club's Owner Petitions To Allow Sunday Liquor Sales
nbc4i.com
July 31st, 2006

...Club Diversity already holds a liquor permit allowing Sunday alcohol sales, but it's moved to an area that is currently dry on Sunday, NBC 4's Tacoma Newsome reported. But that could all change if they get enough signatures in time for the November ballot...

"Proposed site can’t support buildings as is" The Columbus Dispatch

Moving the impound lot to the location which is discussed in this article is one of many pieces of the Whittier Peninsula puzzle that starts adding to the price of the vision for that project. Why that fact is not referenced in the article is one of those informational gaps that I come across that always concerns me.

In my opinion, if you are attempting to inform the public, you need to give them the full picture, to the best of your ability, so that we can understand everything in context. That is not something we as a city have been very successful at doing in communicating and educating folks on downtown issues:

Link: Proposed site can’t support buildings as is
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Jodi Andes
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The South Side field that Columbus officials are considering for the new home of the city’s impounding lot is "unsuitable to support" buildings unless the city is willing to sink some money into it, a study has found...

...So far, the city has spent nearly $70,000 to evaluate the site, though that price also includes an appraisal of the city’s Jackson Pike property, Taylor said...

...Shelly’s appraisers estimated that the 60-acre site was worth $5.7 million. That’s $95,000 an acre, or more than 10 times what Shelly paid for it in 2002...

...Appraisers hired by the city say the 60 acres are worth $250,000 — $4,166 per acre. Only 45 acres of the land is usable; the other 15 acres are along the Scioto River in the floodplain, the city’s appraisal noted...

I've recently had the opportunity to get a rather in-depth look into the Whittier project at lunch a few weeks ago, to include its history and where it stands today. A lot of what I learned was very valuable in the process of trying to fully understand the project in order to form my own educated opinion for the project

This article brings up another one of the complicating factors for the Whittier project which has been on the table for nearly 10 years. The city has done a tremendous amount of studying and work on the Whittier Peninsula but there are still a number of significant challenges to be overcome in order for the project to be successful. The bottom line though: whatever happens with the peninsula, it won't be cheap.

A majority of the land it planned to be used by Metro Parks and the Audubon Society for parkland which I think is a spectacular idea and use for the very valuable land. When you start talking about residential development on the peninsula, my opinion, based off of all the information I have at this point, would be to put the residential component of the project on the back-burner and focus any and all dollars on other to-be-determined downtown initiatives, be it subsidizing land or leases for businesses or focusing on the retail and business aspect of elements that would contribute to downtown's success. Not that those are complete thoughts or ideas but I think all eyes should be focused on the downtown core in terms of the spending of public dollars.

"South Side group questions land swap" The Columbus Dispatch

This is the previous article written a few weeks back concerning the moving of the impound lot off of the Whittier Peninsula that I just wrote about in the previous post. Keep in mind, that this is all being done in order to develop the Whittier Peninsula.

While I won't dive into the entire issue (might make a good round table), I'll only ask you that this: if you had to vote on whether or not the Whittier Peninsula is a good idea or not, do you have enough information to make that choice? I just want to get you thinking, that's all. If you read the post just before this one, note my bolded quote below:

Link: South Side group questions land swap
City wants to move vehicle-impounding lot near neighborhood
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Jodi Andes
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

..."Why swap land in the middle of a residential area if you have commercial property sitting right off a thoroughfare?" asked Mike Wiles, president of the council...

...The city needs to move the lot off the Whittier Peninsula, south of Downtown and west of German Village along the Scioto River. The peninsula is being developed as a bird sanctuary, park and condominiums...

...However, as long as tests show the Shelly site is suitable for building, the city will start negotiations, Columbus Finance Director Joel Taylor said...

..."They assured us it was really going down here and the only choice we have is where (people) would go in and out," said the group’s president, Judy Campbell...

"Whittier development uncertain" The Columbus Dispatch

Hopefully the funds that have been invested up to this point are somewhat limited. I'm going to have to go with "rethink the whole idea" as the article suggests as one of the options for the future of the uncertain development of the Whittier Peninsula. We can certainly take any public funds that were involved and put them towards some other initiative in the downtown core. The peninsula isn't going anywhere anytime soon...accept maybe underwater if there is a flood while we work on some other projects.

One of the first people I met when I started to venture out into the city to attend some public and neighborhood meetings for the RetroMetro cause pointed out some of the reasons discussed below as to why they thought the Whittier Peninsula was impossible. Being the forever optimist, I thought thought that maybe they were being pessimistic. To see the exact same list pop up again makes me wonder how we've come full circle in essence.

How much money have we spent on this only to arrive at a conclusion that was obvious to some from the very start?:

Link: Whittier development uncertain
With developers gone, city contemplates its options
Monday, June 26, 2006
Debbie Gebolys
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Columbus’ quest to build a neighborhood on the Whittier Peninsula might be an impossible dream...

...However, the only two developers who had expressed interest in the project withdrew in May, saying city leaders might have been unrealistic about the cost of turning an industrial wasteland just south of Downtown into a neighborhood. That has left city officials to decide whether to look for other developers, go it alone or rethink the whole idea.

The presidents of the two developers, Pizzuti Cos. of Columbus, and Leyland-Alliance of Tuxedo, N.Y., said Whittier faces a triple whammy: contaminated soil, uncompacted fill dirt and the Scioto River flood plain...

"New park begins to take shape Downtown" The Columbus Dispatch

The Whittier Peninsula is trucking along. While the residential and commercial portions of the project will still take some time to design and development, the park portion is well under way:

Link: New park begins to take shape Downtown
Crews excavating ponds on Whittier Peninsula
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Dean Narciso
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

...Anyone who has recently passed the site south of Downtown might have noticed clouds of dust or the drone of earth movers...

..."It’s very new, very exciting," he said. "It’s fun being a part of the Downtown energy. To find 80 acres on which to build a park in any major city is really unheard of."

The redevelopment of the site is a partnership between Metro Parks, the Columbus Audubon Society and city of Columbus...

Brewery District Society Meeting Tonight

Please join us for an exciting evening
Proposed Streetcar System for Downtown Columbus
Brewery District Parking & Traffic

Speakers
Larry Fisher, president and
CEO of Columbus Downtown Development Corp

Kevin McSweeney, Transportation Department
City of Columbus

Tuesday, May 23 @ 7 pm
Germania Club, 543 South Front Street

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, ask questions and socialize with your neighbors!

Brewery District Residents to meet with City of Columbus Representative

(Columbus, Ohio): BREWERY DISTRICT SOCIETY MEETING
Please join us for this very important meeting and the opportunity to directly speak with a City representative!

Residents are invited to meet with City of Columbus representative to discuss Brewery District concerns, issues and community involvement and representation.

Date:
Tuesday, May 23 at 7:00 p.m.

Program:
Residents meet with City of Columbus Representative

Location:
Germania Singing & Sports Society
543 South Front Street

For info:
614.542.9007 or bds@wowway.com

The Brewery District was established in 1836 when Louis Hoster opened the area’s first brewery, is one of five designated historic districts in Columbus. District boundaries are Interstate 70, Pearl St., Greeenlawn/Thurman and the Scioto River.

BREWERY DISTRICT SOCIETY WHITTIER PENINSULA UPDATE PRESENTATION

(Columbus, Ohio): Brewery District Society would like to invite Brewery District residents and
business owners to attend a meeting at the Germania Singing & Sports Society at 543 South Front
Street on Wednesday April 19, 2006 at 7 p.m.

Lori Baudro, City of Columbus, will give an update on the Whittier Peninsula Development.

Calendar Listing:
BREWERY DISTRICT SOCIETY MEETING
Whittier Peninsula Update Presentation

Date:
Wednesday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m.
Program:
Whittier Peninsula Development Update
Location:
Germania Singing & Sports Society
543 South Front Street

For information:
614.542.9007 or bds@wowway.com

"More U.S. homeowners seek historic designation" The Wall Street Journal

Did you know...
That there are a total of 19 historic districts in Columbus? There are only 4 historical districts in the city of Columbus that are officially recognized by the City Council: Victorian Village, Italian Village, German Village and the Brewery District.

Owning a home in a historic neighborhood has pluses and minuses, some of which you should familiarize yourself with before you start house hunting. If you have big dreams of renovating a home in a historic of buying a lot and building a new home, there are explicit guidelines to which you must adhere to and get approval from the architectural review commissions for the specific neighborhood you are dealing with:

Link: More U.S. homeowners seek historic designation
Thursday, March 16, 2006
By Sara Schaefer Munoz
The Wall Street Journal
taken from www.post-gazette.com

...Experts say designation can affect home value because it leads to neighborhood pride and better upkeep of homes and yards. Most designations encourage repairs to be made with high-quality material, such as wood, rather than vinyl, and prevent a hodge-podge of styles by blocking any new construction that doesn't fit in. Historic designation can also bring financial incentives such as tax credits and matching grant programs for home maintenance. For example, homeowners in many California cities can save between 40 percent to 60 percent a year on property taxes with an historic-district designation. A matching-grants program in Scottsdale, Ariz., will reimburse homeowners in historic districts for 50 percent of the total cost of an improvement, up to $10,000.

But there are downsides to historic designation for many homeowners. Strict regulations on construction and home modification can make repairs costly and burdensome. The potential headaches are leading some homeowners to resist being included in a historic district. In Rockford, Ill., one resident recently led an unsuccessful charge to roll back part of a historic district after the town barred her from installing vinyl siding...

For more information on the 4 officially recognized districts, visit the Historic Districts page of the City of Columbus Planning Division's INFObase website.

To learn more about all of the historic neighborhoods in Columbus, visit the Council of Historic Neighborhoods website. There are only 18 historical neighborhoods shown on this website and the city's INFObase page says there are 19 so I'm not sure which one is missing.

If you are curious about how specific the guidelines get or how the commission's function check out the City of Columbus Department of Development's Historic Preservation section of the city's website on Architectural Review Commissions.

BREWERY DISTRICT SOCIETY MEETING

Get invovled in your neighborhood!

Date: Wednesday, March 22 at 7:00 p.m.

Location: Germania Singing & Sports Society
543 South Front Street
For information: 614.542.9007

Parking:  Adjacent to Germania Singing & Sports Society
Additional parking at Grange Insurance and The Grange Bank lot at Sycamore and Front Streets

The Brewery District was established in 1836 when Louis Hoster opened the area’s first brewery, is one of five designated historic districts in Columbus. District boundaries are Interstate 70, Pearl St., Greeenlawn/Thurman and the Scioto River.

The Brewery District Society would like to thank Germania Singing & Sport Society, Grange Insurance, The Grange Bank and LUX Lounge & Patio.

Meeting Information: 614.542.9007 or BDS@wowway.com