New High Density Development In Columbus

By John Gardocki, Greater Ohio Intern The tide is turning in the Columbus metro area from low density to high density development and redevelopment.  Over the past few months developers have been announcing projects to bring mixed-use to fruition for our residents.  The concept of mixed-use development has gained popularity with American people in the past decade and is the symbol of America’s great “Main Street” downtown.  For more detailed discussion on Main Streets visit Ohio Main Streets or APA Great Streets.

High density is not only being utilized in the downtown, it is being used in the suburbs and locating around universities.  It seems that many cities are taking note of the successes developers and communities are having because they are utilizing mixed-use development. 

Downtown Development/Redevelopments:

• LeVeque Tower Apartment- The building will renovate existing office space and add a new boutique hotel into the mix, creating a new mixed-use vibrancy to the building along with renovating floors for new apartments.  The importance of renovating this building is enormous, it is the iconic symbol of Columbus and people will want to flock to it once they see what is being done to the interior and exterior. 
• Columbus Commons Apartments- 300 unit apartment project that will contain 23,000 square feet of new retail space located next to Columbus Commons Park.  This development is one of a kind because it is located next to an urban park and will include amenities for its residents when they are leased.  Aspirations of retail include restaurants/cafes, service retail, and a small urban grocery.  Having access to a food supply is a hot topic in Columbus right now, with the planned redevelopment of Hills Market by Columbus State.

Short North Development:

• The Fireproof Building- Total of 58 rental units with a five story addition.  The development will also contain a total of 15,000 square feet of retail space with a mix of restaurant, retail and office tenants.  With the recent addition of high rise development in the Short North, it is going back to its once former glory of being a sustainable place for the young and the old. 

Grandview Heights Development:

• Edwards Communities at Third Avenue- 205 new apartments located next door to a new Giant Eagle and the Grandview Yard development.  This development will bring even more family style living to an up and coming suburban neighborhood that has excellent walkable amenities and access to alternate transportation.

Lane Avenue Development:

• Lane Avenue Apartments: New five-story building across the street from The Ohio State University.  These apartments will be targeted at students in their layout and price point and will include a covered parking garage within the structure.  The importance of adding these affordable housing to students right next to the university will be one of the first of its kind in quite a while to improve students living conditions in off-campus housing.  While this development does not have mixed-use in the plan, it is a start to the lack of new housing available on Lane Avenue, most of the housing has been on High Street.

Many more projects are taking place around Columbus that will bring a whole new community vibe.  It will be interesting to see what effect these developments have on other communities considering moving to higher density development.

Help Protect Sustainable Communities Funding!

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Sustainable Communities Initiative has helped communities in Ohio create jobs, become more economically viable and create housing and transportation options. Now HUD needs our help protecting the Sustainable Communities Initiative. The Senate is currently drafting a budget for fiscal year 2013, and among their decisions will be how to fund HUD’s Sustainable Communities Initiative. Your voice can help make sure this agency continues to help individuals and communities in the coming year.

Senator Brown sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which will make this important decision by Tuesday, April 17. By speaking out today, you can help the Senator and the Committee to understand how their funding decisions will impact your neighborhood, your town or even the country.

Speak out!

Use the text below on Senator Brown’s contact page: http://www.brown.senate.gov/contact

Message Topic:

Housing

Email Body:

Please support funding for HUD’s Sustainable Communities Initiative in FY 2013

Dear Senator,

I’m writing to urge you to support the Sustainable Communities Initiative at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the FY 2013 appropriations process. Specifically, I encourage you to restore funding for the Sustainable Communities Initiative.

I strongly support the Sustainable Communities Initiative and its work as part of the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities. The Partnership helps communities in Brown develop in ways that lead to long-term prosperity, and as our state emerges from the economic recession, these investments are more important than ever.

HUD’s Sustainable Communities Initiative incentivizes towns and cities to develop comprehensive housing and transportation plans. These plans support economically competitive development, give people transportation options and helps communities better leverage federal and private sector investments.

Again, I strongly support the Sustainable Communities Initiative and ask you to support continued funding in FY2013.

Sincerely, [[First_Name]] [[Last_Name]] [[Street_Address]] [[Street_Address2]] [[City]], [[State]] [[Zip]]

Dublin Bridge Street Corridor Plan brings potential to Columbus Metro Area

By John Gardocki, Greater Ohio Intern The Dublin Bridge Street Corridor Plan is unique to the Columbus Metro region because it calls for such an expansive plan covering over 800 acres of land.  Dublin has issued vision principles and plans for each district that will encompass the plan for smart growth.

 Vision Principles:

1.) Enhance economic vitality

2.) Integrate the new center into community life

3.) Embrace Dublin’s natural setting and celebrate a commitment to environmental sustainability

4.) Expand the range of choices available to Dublin and the region

5.) Create places that embody Dublin’s commitment to community

 Dublin identified eight districts for implementation that will include mixed-use development, greenways, improved transportation and connectivity, and strong connections to existing neighborhoods.  Three districts stand out in the vision that will enable these priorities to be achieved.

The importance of the Historic Dublin District is to be a guiding point for the rest of the project.  Currently, the Historic Dublin area is acting as a model for the plan with a large amount of walkability and development already in place.  Most Dublin residents see it as being the core, so if the core falters then the rest of the project most likely will cease to exist or grow.  Redevelopment is the key to this district to become a livable, walkable community area that Dublin residents will be proud of. 

Riverside District utilizes the connection of the Scioto River.  The plan calls for a park initiative to strengthen the greenways of Dublin and its transportation opportunities as a walkable and sustainable community.  Residential buildings will be located on the river to access the new park land, while new office development will be located behind for easy access to work.  The importance of this is to make residents daily commute be as little as possible; while having access to recreation and retail at the same time.

The Sawmill District is set to alter the suburban mantra that is low-density.  The goal of this district is to provide high density housing, office, recreational, and entertainment for Dublin residents to enjoy.  Concentrations of these activities will be an important connective aspect of the district.  A landmark is currently in the plan to act as a gateway between Dublin and Columbus.  Branding is important for a community because it brings a sense of pride.

 The Columbus metro area will see large benefits from this project.  Development could bring employment to the area as well as new products.  Smart growth initiatives will also start to become more prevalent in Central Ohio with Dublin leading the way.  Continued growth of Columbus’ population will enhance the building potential of other local communities and of the amenities Downtown could offer to its residents.  Linkage between Columbus and Dublin could be put on the list of to-do projects, possibly utilizing public transit opportunities that are currently not available for the Columbus area. 

To check out the plan with more detail visit: 

http://dublin.oh.us/bridgestreet/pdf/VisionReport.pdf

Media Advisory for Properties Institute

 MEDIA ADVISORY  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Alison D. Goebel 399 E. Main Street, Ste.140 Columbus, OH 43215 614-224-0187 217-841-5674 agoebel@greaterohio.org April 3, 2012

Greater Ohio Policy Center to Hold Ohio Properties Redevelopment Institute

 Two day event will provide hands-on strategies to private and public sector leaders to generate redevelopment opportunities for Ohio’s vacant and abandoned properties.

COLUMBUS – Representatives from over 35 cities and towns in Ohio will gather here this week to examine cutting edge solutions to address problem property development challenges and generate redevelopment opportunities. The Ohio Properties Redevelopment Institute is a critical component of Greater Ohio Policy Center’s broader statewide initiative, “Healthy Properties, Rebuilding Communities,” which is shaping property redevelopment policy solutions and practices for comprehensive community revitalization in Ohio.

WHO: The Greater Ohio Policy will host more than 175 state and local leaders from Ohio’s legal, banking, property development, nonprofit, community development, and academic, communities in a two-day discussion on the challenges and opportunities to Ohio’s vacant and abandoned property crisis. 

Local practitioners, financial institutions, and state and national level redevelopment experts will offer panel discussions on strategies for redevelopment.  Professor Frank Alexander, a leading national expert on real estate finance and community redevelopment law will keynote Wednesday’s lunch.

WHAT: The two day event will arm local leaders with new property reutilization tools, showcase best practices from the private and non-profit sectors and provide opportunities for input into policy reforms that align with local community development needs.

WHEN:  Wednesday April 4, 2012 8:30am-5:30 pm and Thursday, April 5, 2012 8:30am-3:30pm.  Frank Alexander keynote is Wednesday April 4, 2012 from 11:30am-1:00pm.  A Bank Panel on strategies to keep borrowers in their homes and discussion on neighborhood stabilization will take place on Thursday April 5^th from 1:30pm-3:00pm.  

WHERE:  Columbus Hyatt Regency (McKinley and Hayes Rooms) 350 N. High Street Columbus, OH 43215

 There is a Self-Park Parking lot at the Chestnut Street Parking Garage for $12. It is located 1 block south of the hotel on Chestnut Street. When entering the garage, please take a ticket and park as normal. The garage connects to the Hyatt Regency Columbus via a covered skywalk and can be accessed on the 3rd floor of the garage.

Journalists attending the Ohio Properties Redevelopment Institute should check in with the Event Registration desk, located outside the McKinley Room. 

WHY: Vacant and abandoned properties have been on the rise in Ohio’s cities and towns for over two decades -- long before the national economic downturn hit in 2008  This Institute comes at a critical time as Ohio’s communities struggle to stem the tide of vacant and  abandoned properties.  The Institute’s goals of training and education, coalition-building and policy advancement are vital economic development interventions that will productively reshape Ohio’s communities. 

ADDITIONAL DETAILS: This Institute is part of Greater Ohio Policy Center’s “Healthy Properties, Rebuilding Communities Initiative,” which aims to equip local leaders with information, policy ideas and practices necessary to make progress against this crisis and to advance state policy reforms that are aligned with local action.  Addressing the physical deterioration of our cities and town is a critical economic development strategy that will help restore our state's prosperity as a whole. 

For additional information please visit http://greaterohio.org/initiatives/ohio-properties-redevelopment-institute, or contact Samantha Spergel at 614-224-0187 or via email at sspergel@greaterohio.org.

Growing Public Transportation Use in Ohio

By John Gardocki, Greater Ohio Intern The American Public Transportation Administration recently announced that the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) had the top increase in ridership nationally for large bus systems from 2010 to 2011.  In 2011, there were 18.8 million total bus trips, an increase of 10.1 percent from 2010.  The City of Cleveland also saw 12.3 percent heavy rail ridership increase within the last year. Nationally, public transportation increased 2.3 percent, the second highest ridership increase since 1957. 

COTA has already seen a 6.1 percent increase in January 2012 ridership from 2011 data.  Some argue that the increased ridership is due to the increase in gas prices and increased consumer-based technology to help with understanding public transportation. 

COTA’s TXT 4 NXT BUS enables users in the Short North and University District to find the bus pick-up time by texting a number which is quick and convenient.  COTA is offering commuters on a budget an effective way to get to work, experience Columbus, and help encourage sustainability.  Increasing the ridership is important for public transportation growth in Columbus.  Multiple public transportation projects have been declined because of recent economic downturns; it is good to see the public taking the opportunity to acknowledge public transportation is good.

Greater Ohio Moderates Columbus Metro Club Forum on Regionalism

Yesterday Greater Ohio’s Senior Director of Governmental Affairs, Gene Krebs moderated a Columbus Metropolitan Club Forum, “Grow Smart, Grow Regional: Practical Examples of Collaboration.”  There has been much talk at the state and local level of the possibilities and pitfalls of a more regional approach to government services and government itself.  Sometimes however, it is not always clear what “regionalism” looks and feels like in reality.  This Forum explored “on-the-ground” perspectives from local business, local government, and education leaders of what regionalism and collaboration means in Central Ohio.

The expert panelists included: Bart Anderson, executive director of the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, Michael Hartley, VP of Government Affairs at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and Ginny Barney, partner at the Collective Genius and former city manager of Upper Arlington, a first suburb of Columbus. 

All three panelists discussed numerous “back office” efforts underway in the region which are streamlining operations.  Some examples offered were the sharing of computer tech support among a number of school districts, small villages contracting municipal services from neighboring villages (instead of hiring their own staff and equipment), and managing payroll and other fiscal operations within a centralized location. 

All panelists spoke to the importance of having an attractive region that makes businesses and potential employees move to the area, and all pointed the role regionalism would play in lowering costs, but increasing service quality. 

Ginny Barney, along with Bart Anderson and Michael Hartley, warned that central Ohio still has tough conversations and adjustments ahead as we “retrofit” our educational systems and local governments to an upgraded version that more closely aligns with today’s realities.  All three were optimistic that Central Ohio’s current regionalism efforts were creating a foundation which would keep our region strong in the future.

This Forum was the first in a yearlong series that will shine a spotlight on current efforts in Ohio and beyond that are creating sustainable communities through collaborative, region-focused, relationships.  The next Forum is under development, but will be announced soon.

Mansfield Properties Conference

Last week, Greater Ohio was in Mansfield, Ohio, participating in the 2nd Properties Conference, hosted by Downtown Mansfield, Inc. and Preservation Ohio.  The purpose of the half-day conference was to learn of the severity of the vacant and abandoned properties crisis in the area and to begin identifying solutions that will help head-off the next round of problem properties that are expected to hit the market in the next 6-18 months. Greater Ohio joined the Cleveland Federal Reserve and Preservation Ohio in discussing state wide initiatives underway that could help cities like Mansfield. Over 50 people attended, from 6 counties, and the topic of a county land bank came up frequently as one important tool for stabilizing neighborhoods.  Jim Rokakis of the Thriving Communities Institute keynoted the event and discussed ways a county land bank could assist the city of Mansfield and other cities in Richland County in stemming the effects of vacant and abandoned properties. 

One of the most fascinating components of the Conference was a Tour of Unique Properties in Downtown Mansfield.  The walking tour took participants into an old car dealership that had been renovated to be used as office space, the 2^nd floor of a historic building in Mansfield’s Carrousel District that is just ripe for condos or a beautiful restaurant. 

The most amazing property on the tour was the 11^th and 12^th floors of Mansfield’s tallest skyscraper—the Chase Building.  Originally, the 11^th floor served as the executive office suite (it includes a kitchen and library) and the 12^th floor as a modest ballroom with funky light fixtures from the 1960s.  These two floors are being remodeled to become a penthouse condo.  The Properties Conference tour was a preview to an event in May that Preservation Ohio and Downtown Mansfield, Inc. will be holding in Mansfield’s central business district: “Forbidden City Tour;” a tour that will give a “unique look at several properties that have not been seen by the general public in decades!”  What an innovative idea to tour closed up buildings and visualize the potential they have for the 21^st Century!

Greater Ohio had a great time learning about efforts underway in North Central Ohio and wishes Richland County the best of luck as it continues to work towards a county land bank.

Forum on Governmental Collaboration at Columbus Metropolitan Club

On Wednesday, March 14th, the Columbus Metropolitan Club will be hosting a lunchtime forum that will explore regionalism efforts currently underway in central Ohio.  Showcasing “on-the-ground” examples of government collaboration, “Grow Smart, Grow Regional: Practical Examples of Collaboration” is part of a year-long series that will highlight efforts in Ohio and beyond that are creating sustainable communities through regionalism and governmental collaboration.  Offering a range of perspectives on collaboration, shared services and purchasing, mergers, and consolidation, the panelists include Bart Anderson, Superintendent, Educational Service Center of Central Ohio; Ginny Barney, Senior Partner, The Collective Genius and former city manager of Upper Arlington; and Michael Hartley, Vice President, Government Relations, Columbus Chamber. Chester Jourdan of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission will be moderating. 

Greater Ohio has provided advice for this panel to the Columbus Metropolitan Club and is excited for the opportunities this and future panels will offer in sparking a dialogue among Central Ohioans on governmental innovations underway and transformative changes yet to come.

To attend this exciting event, tickets can be purchased online at the Metro Club’s website or by phone 614-464-3220.  The event will be Wednesday, March 14th from 12-1.15 at the Athletic Club of Columbus, 136 E. Broad Street.

Mortgage Services Settlement Strong First Step to Rebuilding Ohio Communities

Attorney General Mike DeWine joined 48 other State Attorneys General in announcing a settlement of $25 billion with the nation's five largest mortgage lenders and servicers over foreclosure abuses, fraud and unacceptable mortgage practices, such as  robo-signing.  DeWine estimates $335 million will come to Ohio. Greater Ohio Policy Center applauds the Attorney General’s decision to develop a $75 million matching-grant program for abandoned and vacant property demolition.  This will be a significant tool in the face of Ohio’s estimated 100,000+ blighted and problem properties.

Demolition is a critical first step, but Ohio’s cities, towns and villages must be armed with techniques and strategies that will generate redevelopment opportunities, create healthy properties, and rebuild our neighborhoods.

On April 4^th and 5^th, Greater Ohio will be holding Ohio Properties Redevelopment Institute: Transforming Problem Properties into Opportunity,  This two-day interactive workshop will offer hands-on techniques and strategies for addressing vacant and abandoned property development challenges and generating redevelopment opportunities.

Featuring local practitioners, financial institutions, and state and national redevelopment experts, the sessions will include the following. (The full agenda is here.)

• property acquisition tools
• land banks
• neighborhood stabilization tactics
• revitalization strategies
• property information systems 
• urban redevelopment successes

This Institute will also seek input from workshop participants into policy reforms that will align policies with local community development needs, and arm local leaders with new tools for redevelopment.

With Ohio’s cities and towns at a crisis point, the Institute’s goals—training and education, coalition-building and policy advancement—are vital to productively reshape Ohio’s communities.

This Institute is part of larger multi-year Initiative Greater Ohio is leading—Healthy Properties, Rebuilding Communities—that is designed to combat vacant and abandoned properties and foster community redevelopment.

For more information on the Healthy Properties Initiative or to register for the Ohio Properties Redevelopment Institute, please visit our website.

GO Discusses the Future of ODOT on Local Radio Show

Today Greater Ohio appeared on All Sides with Ann Fisher, a current events radio show broadcasted in central Ohio. Joining Gene Krebs, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Policy was Chester Jourdan from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and Jack Marchbanks, member of the Ohio Transportation Review Advisory Council to discuss the future of funding for Ohio’s Department of Transportation. 

Click the image below or this link for the 50 minute conversation on why ODOT is broke and where do we go from here.