Topic: Columbus: RiverSouth News

[Ronnie]

^Columbus is doing that (one-way to two-way conversion? Good! That means Dayton is not the only screwball in Ohio!

Those renderings look pretty good. I actually thought they were existing garages at first glance!

[Columbo]

Feel kinda torn on this one.  This isn't exactly an award-winning, ground-breaking design.  But then again, it doesn't look bad. 

And this is a functional parking garage we are looking at.  Whether streetcars happen or not in downtown, parking garages would still be necessary. 

[Keith M.]

I just see this as more of the same. I understand wanting to maintain the same amount of parking, but by adding spaces when are we ever going to shift our focus from cars to people, bikes, and mass-transit? ِAnd this is just like the rest of north Front which consists of nothing but walls of parking garages and we´re going to do this on the south end too? They can get this started in spring, but it´s been decades and nothing has been done regarding biking infrastructure downtown aside from 50 bike staples and little for pedestrians, the latter is admittedly much more difficult because you can´t just plop mixed use buildings in the several surface lots.

[Ronnie]

^---Unfortunately sprawl has killed any chance in this state of walking or biking, and has almost killed off mass transit. I know it's what WE want, but we have to be realistic about this. Ohio's cities just aren't dense enough like Chicago or New York to be bikeable or walkable. Mass transit may take some rush hour traffic off the street, but most suburbanites are too vehicle dependent and will cite one-way streets and parking as 2 of the primary reasons for not going downtown. Columbus is working on the one-way streets (as is Dayton) and it's working on the parking, but you could never have too much parking since it's what the everyday non-city dweller simply wants (even if their is an abundance of it). Society is just getting extremely lazy and want to be able to park right at the front of the door if they could.

Go watch people park at any mall. it's funny as hell watching them waste more time finding a close parking spot instead of walking an extra isle.

[Keith M.]

I know there has to be compensation, but it seems like it's still cars first. While our cities aren't like Chicago or New York, I can attest that it's not so bad that you totally need a car all the time, particularly if you live in the urban parts of our cities. I live in Downtown Columbus which I mentioned before has roughly the same population as Groveport (4,500ish). While certainly a bitch to walk within downtown (way too many surface lots and garages) or to another urban neighborhood (more lot crossing up and back) I can "shrink" the size of downtown several times negating the effect of those lots and at the same time reach German Village or the Short North in the amount of time it takes to walk a few blocks: I bike.

If just 5% of residents in each of our urban neighborhoods and even urban suburbs would use a bike regularly for some trips instead of a car, you'd have around 15,000 cyclists out and about (not all at once of course). It's this lack of education in parts of our cities that are already urban where people really need to become aware of the fact that you don't need to just wait for streetcars or light rail to come, since a bike affords you personal mobility, you need no more than your own two feet and you'd be surprised at how far they can take you. It seems like even on his website there's not much emphasis on how effective bikes are as a mode of transportation. Not to mention the reason why more Americans should like it: free parking.

[J.Remy]

Hey all, I think this is a step in the right direction.  Yes, we are still geered towards cars, but that is not all bad right now.  Atleast we are getting rid of the surface lots and replacing them with housing.  Transferring our focus from cars to people will take some time.  Once we atract enough people downtown, we can start making it more people friendly.  I mean, we can start now, and I think we have, but we still are a very car oriented society.  A lot of these conversions will take time.  Someone showed me a video about Copenhagen--they probably have the video on here--and there conversion to being a more biker friendly place.  It took 40 years for it to happen!  It surprised me because I thought Europe would be more on the ball with something like that.

[J.Remy]

Oh, and the new parking lot is light years better than what is there now!

[Columbo]

NEW VENUE: OSU finds creative niche in Lazarus building
Sunday, January 20, 2008
By Bill Mayr
FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

In a bid to meld big-university capabilities with big-city sensibilities, the Ohio State University College of the Arts will unveil its new venue Feb. 5.  The space will offer exhibits and wide-ranging programs in art, dance, music, theater and more.  A cultural component in the effort to reuse the venerable Lazarus building at W. Town and S. High streets, the Urban Arts Space occupies roughly 10,000 square feet on the ground floor.

The venue is also the answer to a few prayers at OSU.  "It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time, and finally it is coming to fruition," said Karen Bell, dean of the arts college. "It’s sparking new ideas; innovative space can do that."  Pedestrians on Town Street can peer into large windows and get an idea of what’s going on inside — an echo of when passers-by used to check out Lazarus department-store windows.  The space, which contains two gallery-performance areas and a conference room, opens off a grand enclosed galleria that replaced a stretch of Wall Street.  The galleria also leads to offices for government and private organizations moving into the building.

Read more at
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/20/LAZARUS.ART_ART_01-20-08_B2_UHUI.html?sid=101

[CMH_Downtown]

OSU arts center in Lazarus building set for February opening
Business First of Columbus

Ohio State University's art space in downtown Columbus' renovated Lazarus building is set to open its doors next month.  The university said the 10,000-square-foot OSU Urban Arts Space on the ground floor of the former department store will open to the public with two exhibits beginning Feb. 5.  Plans for the space - an outlet for student and faculty exhibitions and performances - have been in the works since fall 2005 when the Columbus Downtown Development Corp. outlined plans to open the center in the building.

The corporation received the Lazarus department store building as a donation after Federated Department Stores Inc. closed in 2002. Following renovations that began in December 2004, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency moved in as initial tenants, while several mostly public development offices are set to occupy about 700,000 square feet early this year.  City officials have said the building's third phase, which entails recruiting tenants for 50,000 square feet of retail space, is set to begin in mid-2008.

Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/01/21/daily16.html?jst=b_ln_hl

[Columbo]

Riverside revamp
January 24, 2008
By John Ross, Columbus Alive

In 2002, Mayor Michael Coleman described ambitious plans for a 23-block region along the Scioto River south of Downtown. Starting next month, he hopes to give the region dubbed RiverSouth a substantial facelift as part of multimillion-dollar improvements.  Mayor Michael Coleman's plan for the RiverSouth area of Downtown includes building two parking garages and new housing. If his proposal is approved next week, the city plans to convert the following streets to two-way operation:

• Front Street, between Broad and Rich streets. Brick turn lanes, trees, ornamental lighting and a rain garden will be added.

• Ludlow Street, between Town and Rich streets. Trees, ornamental lighting and a rain garden will be added.

• Rich Street, between High and Ludlow streets. Ornamental lighting and plantings will be added.

• Wall Street, between Town and Rich streets. Shrubs and ornamental lighting will be added.

Read more at http://www.columbusalive.com/?sec=upfront&story=alive/2008/0124/u-city.html

[BrownsFan]

Columbus City Council puts parking garage on hold
Monday, January 28, 2008
BY ROBERT VITALE AND MARK FERENCHIK

Council members tabled a resolution that would have allowed work to begin on a $14.5 million public-parking garage planned to replace a condemned garage at S. Front and Rich streets.  Ohio House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty accused city officials of ignoring her calls and dismissing her fears that 15 months of construction and the street closings that come with it would kill off a clothing shop she owns at S. High and Rich streets.

Her husband, Downtown Commission member and former state Rep. Otto Beatty Jr., told council members the city should just buy the S. High Street buildings that the couple own. They house his wife's business and several tenants and are valued by the Franklin County auditor at more than $1.4 million.

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/28/GARAGE.ART_ART_01-28-08_B2_HGGII.html?sid=101

[Columbo]

Here's a more updated article from the Dispatch on the parking garage and city council.

Columbus City Council
Parking garage put on hold
Tuesday,  January 29, 2008 - 3:08 AM

City Council members held up approval of a new Downtown parking garage last night after a high-ranking state lawmaker and a member of the panel that rules on such plans told them it would drive tenants from their nearby property.  "We have a major investment in this building and we're going to be losing revenue," Otto Beatty Jr. said.  Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Columbus, paraphrased a standard campaign line of Mayor Michael B. Coleman, whom she said didn't return her calls, either.

Council members tabled a resolution that would have allowed work to begin on a $14.5 million public-parking garage planned to replace a condemned garage at S. Front and Rich streets.  Amy Taylor, spokeswoman for the Capitol South Community Urban Redevelopment Corp., said the delay might be costly.  The construction company chosen to do the work guaranteed its price only through Thursday.  Councilman Kevin L. Boyce said he doesn't think the cost will rise much, if at all, and he said the Beattys' combined clout didn't influence council members' decision.  They gave city officials a week to address concerns of the Beattys and other property owners.

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/29/COUN29.ART_ART_01-29-08_B2_U996MPK.html?sid=101

[BrownsFan]

It's like Joyce Beatty in our city government that make me want to puke.

[Columbo]

Artful pioneer
OSU hopes its big new gallery in the old Lazarus building will help rehabilitate a moribund corner of Downtown
The Other Paper
By Richard Ades / January 31, 2008

If you’re going to dream, you might as well dream big.  That seems to be Karen Bell’s motto.  The dean of Ohio State’s College of the Arts says the school’s new Urban Arts Space gallery could be good not only for her students but for the Downtown area that surrounds it.  First, though, OSU has to convince art lovers to come Downtown to visit the gallery.  That won’t be an easy task, Bell admitted.  “We talk about fostering the revitalization of Downtown,” said Bell, “and we know we’re pioneers at the beginning of this.”

Despite the challenges it poses, enough major pieces came together to make the gallery happen that Bell and her colleagues couldn’t resist taking the plunge.  The biggest piece fell into place in mid-2004, when OSU was offered the opportunity to take part in the rebirth of the former Downtown Lazarus store.  At that point, Bell said, she had already spent a couple of years planning “some kind of gallery presence in the community.”

Read more at http://www.theotherpaper.com/top1-31/substory3.htm

[Columbo]

CITY COUNCIL
Downtown parking garage approved
Tuesday,  February 5, 2008 - 3:19 AM
By Dean Narciso, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Additional parking is essential to keep business Downtown, and plans will move ahead to build it, the Columbus City Council concluded last night.  The council's unanimous vote came a week after charges that an eight-story, 773-space parking garage at Front and Rich streets would depreciate adjacent commercial property owned by Ohio House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty and her husband, Otto Beatty Jr., a Downtown Commission member.

The couple didn't attend last night's meeting. But the council responded to objections that the Beattys raised at a Jan. 28 council meeting, which prompted the tabling last week of legislation to move ahead on the project.  The couple had said that city officials have been unwilling to listen to their concerns that the garage would decimate business at Mrs. Beatty's clothing shop and drive away other tenants.

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/02/05/COUN05.ART_ART_02-05-08_B1_H198SIL.html?sid=101

[J.Remy]

Willis Brown, who leads the King-Lincoln Bronzeville Neighborhood Association, questioned why the city needs more parking when new Downtown housing has its own garages; businesses are relocating to the suburbs; and "Columbus City Center is dying or already dead.

Perhaps they are moving to the suburbs because parking is limited or they do not like the current condemend parking garage that exist now?

[Columbo]

More news about two-way street conversions and associated streetscape upgrades in the RiverSouth part of the downtown from http://downtowncolumbus.com/development/parkingGarages.php.

• Phase one of road conversions, from one way to two way, is set to begin this summer. Estimated cost of this phase of conversions and the associated streetscapes, utility upgrades, resurfacing, new sidewalks and ADA-compliant ramps is $9.5 million.

• Front (Broad to Rich) – Brick turn lane, street trees, rain garden, ornamental street lights ($6.3 million)

• Ludlow (Town to Rich) – street trees, ornamental lighting, rain garden ($1.5m)

• Wall (Town to Rich) – street will be all brick, shrubs, ornamental lighting ($1m)

• Rich (High to Ludlow) – ornamental lighting, some plantings ($750,000)

[Columbo]

From http://columbusretrometro.typepad.com/columbus_retrometro/2008/02/columbuschamber.html
Posted by Paul Bonneville on February 12, 2008

ColumbusChamber completes lease deal at Lazarus building
Business First of Columbus
February 8, 2008

The ColumbusChamber has completed a lease deal to move into a part of the former Lazarus department store downtown but has yet to finalize a move date.  The business association will fill 14,000 square feet on the second floor of the building off West Town and South Front streets, said spokeswoman Susan Merryman.

The chamber will share the offices with the Columbus Downtown Development Corp. and the city Department of Development's economic development office. The move to the Lazarus building is expected to occur by late this year, Merryman said.  "We still have not sold our building" at 37 N. High Street, she said.

[WalkerEvans]

My wife & I stopped by the grand opening of the new OSU Urban Arts Space in the old Lazarus building a few weeks ago. The first two exhibits to be showcased in this 10,000 square foot space are titled “Midnight Robbers: The Artists of Notting Hill Carnival” and “Linking the Past to the Future". The former is a show about the Notting Hill Carnival that features some photography from OSU students, and the latter is a historical look at the past, present, and future of the Lazarus building in downtown Columbus.

Opening night was jam packed. I was told there were over 900 RSVPs to the event, with many people showing up sans RSVP as well. I'm glad they had such a huge turnout, but it did make it a little hard to really enjoy the space and see everything being displayed. I guess that just means we'll have to go back to have more time to ourselves.

Overall I think this space is a welcome addition in the heart of downtown and I think it will nicely compliment a redeveloped City Center as well as potentially being a neighbor of the Artspace development (if they choose to locate in the Trautman Building a few doors down High Street). I'm looking forward to being a frequent visitor here.

[Columbo]

Nice report on the opening of the OSU Urban Arts Space in the Lazarus building.  Sounds like the new gallery is off to a great start. 

[CMH_Downtown]

Cheaper Downtown housing
Rentals, condos being designed, priced to draw young professionals
Friday,  March 14, 2008 3:23 AM
By Mike Pramik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

A local developer plans to build a $25 million apartment and condominium project south of the old Lazarus building, continuing a renaissance in the city's RiverSouth district.  Lifestyle Communities plans to begin work this summer on 130 apartments and 76 condominiums that will be marketed to young people who can't afford some of the other Downtown living options. The units are expected to open in winter 2010.  The project will cover two parking lots sandwiched between the Lazarus building and the former Lazarus parking garage.  The residences are part of the RiverSouth transformation that will include:

• Restoration of the former Lazarus department store, which has been converted primarily to office space.

• Construction of the Scioto Mile, a mile-long park along the Scioto River that stretches into RiverSouth. That project is expected to begin this year and be completed in 2011.

• The city's development of a 773-space garage at the southeast corner of Rich and Front streets.

• Conversion of a portion of Front Street to two-way traffic.

• Creation of a pedestrian-friendly environment along Wall Street.





Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/03/14/Downtown_condos.ART_ART_03-14-08_C10_BR9L008.html?sid=101

[Columbo]

Wonderful news!  I was concerned when Lifestyle Communities was announced to be doing this residential development in RiverSouth. 

But this doesn't look like any typical suburban Lifestyle project.  Well done!

[CMH_Downtown]

But this doesn't look like any typical suburban Lifestyle project.  Well done!

I was concerned that we'd get a vinyl siding eyesore too!

Though to be honest, it seems like Lifestyle Communities has really embrased the downtown environment. First the invested in PromoWest Pavillion, secondly they're in the process of completing their new corporate headquarters in the Arena District, and now they've announced their first downtown housing. If only more suburban companies could follow in their footsteps, we'd be in good shape.

[ColDayMan]

Absolutely love it.  It fits in with the old German Village extension and has some design elements of the Brewery District as well.  A+!

[WalkerEvans]

Not my favorite development (could be a little taller) but not bad either. Looking forward to having more affordable units downtown.

[Keith M.]

The only gripe I have is that if you want to get around by bike do you have to carry is up and down those stairs every time? If so, that flies in the face of Coleman trying to make the city even more bike friendly.

[X]

Maybe you would have the bike parked in the ground level garage?

Columbus is getting some attractive period revival townhouses, though it surprises me how close to the skyscrapers of Downtown developers are building this sort of lowrise neighborhood-ish style of development.  It's similar to that development happening up on Gay in that sense.  Attractive, though.  I'm a sucker for brick.

[Keith M.]

It's not too surprising. There were single family homes and mansions along Broad and  Gay where they're putting in 3 story residential. What's surprising is how out of place those skyscapers were being built right next to Downtown neighborhoods.

[ColDayMan]

And on top of that, I think it makes Columbus, well, Columbus.  The idea you can have these beautiful old townhomes (and infill) next to these 500 foot towers (yet still planned unlike Houston) is quite interesting.  Out of scale?  I dunno, I think it kinda works in this case.

[Columbo]

There's been two new projects announced for the RiverSouth area of downtown.  These projects have posted in separate threads here in the Central & Southeast Ohio Projects forum:

1) City Set to Build Two Downtown Parking Garages @ http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,15009.0.html

2) Lifestyle Communities to Build Housing Downtown @ http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,15606.0.html