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Business First of Columbus wrote
Arena District vying for last piece of puzzle
Friday, October 3, 2008
by Brian R. Ball
The developer of the Arena District expects to launch the $250 million final phase of the downtown Columbus development next spring with construction of a 238-unit apartment complex.
Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. has asked the city to allow it to improve streets and build the infrastructure necessary to add the apartments and eventually two office buildings and other projects along Vine Street between Neil Avenue and Kilbourne Street. The developer, a unit of Columbus-based insurer Nationwide, would later seek reimbursement from the city for those costs.
Related Stories:
- Giant Eagle & apartments in plans for Arena District
- 22 Acre Development West of Arena District
- One more piece of Arena District coming together
- The Arena District turns 10 years old and growing
- Columbus’ Walkable Neighborhoods: Arena District
It’s not Nationwide’s fault that we don’t have better urban transit options, nor is it their fault for living in the reality that the Columbus electorate gives them.
Dudes… that’s what the little stickers are for.
If anyone would like to attend:
http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17045
wait a second… why do we need a giant eagle in the arena district? is the half mile to the one on buttles too far?
there will only be 1
there will only be 1
i think i get it…
because the one in VV sucks major ass. dirty, small, not enough product. i think they’re trying to compete with the new kroger in the BD.
Last night I was flipping channels and came accross a clip for NBC4′s local news. The headline was “Arena District Plans to Expand and Why some residents dont like it” …….. ok, I’m trying to stay calm, but I’ve had a crappy month and can’t take it anymore. IF YOU DONT LIKE THE ARENA DISTRICT EXPANDING GET THE “F” OUT! People b!tch about giving them taxbreaks and cutting prices ….. guess what if we dont there are 20 other midwestern cities that will and I for one like Columbus and want to see it grow. 2.8 million for that land by VV ….. F it… I dont care if they give it to them because look around, I dont see any other potential buyers who actually want to develope it and help the city … do you?
The Arena District is one of the reasons I moved here …. it showed that not only did this city have plans but it followed through with them. Maybe they’re not perfect but at least they get stuff done. IF YOU WANT TO LIVE IN A CITY THAT NEVER GROWS MOVE 100 MILES SOUTH TO “F”-ING CINCINNATI! That’s all they do there is come up with great ideas but never follow through because of b!tching. At this point if you dont have a solution then I dont want to hear your complaint.
Show me one thing Nationwide has built that hasn’t helped this city? Noone is saying they never have to pay taxes … so give them 15 years to see their idea come through.
And I’m so sick of people not wanting a new bigger and better Giant Eagle to go in. I love North Market, I’m still going to go there to buy fresh fish and eat all types off food …. but when I want a gallon of milk I’ll go to Giant Eagle, just like everyone already does …. it wont change! And these residents who dont want to walk an extra 2 blocks to get their groceries can blow me ….. deal with it.
Anyway, sorry for the rant …. I was fired up over multiple things, not just this …. it just happen to spill out on here.
This move was discussed a the Harrison West meeting this week and a number of great points were brought up. I thlught I would share them with everyone.
-Neightborhood grocery store that is in easy walking distance for residents of the neighborhood and the retirements center, will leave the neighborhood.
-Will the grocery store retain the lease and have a no-compete class in the contract
to keep another grocery store out, thus restricting fair trade in development of the
area.
• Does the TIF backed parking structure serve a corporate entity at the expense of
tax money. Will the parking be compensated and free if you shop at Giant Eagle.
• North Market impact with such a large corporate entity next door. The parking lot
fee for the North Market funds the operation of the market, thus providing free
parking to compete would financially disable the market. Their needs to be a level
playing field when we are utilizing tax dollars.
• Connectivity of the neighborhood to the new Giant Eagle needs to be addressed.
The intersection at Neil and Goodale is not pedestrian friendly and is dangerous to
cross in daylight, but near impossible at night. The intersection needs to be
studied and addressed prior to casualty.
• Arena apartments and condominiums are not enough to support the market, thus
the transfer of our neighborhood buying power will be out of our neighborhood
and into the Arena District and its TIF district.
• The Giant Eagle is in our TIF district and the valuation of the property is unstable
with the unknown outcome of the future lease agreements
It’s not Nationwide’s fault that we don’t have better urban transit options, nor is it their fault for living in the reality that the Columbus electorate gives them.
That has nothing to do with the fact it could be urban, not suburban. They did build the Arena District. Remember that? I’m snarky.
As for the rant about adding to expand, I couldn’t understand why anyone would be upset. It is still going to have the population = to a small town. Now it has under 1,000 residents and it’s not like the streets are packed with a flood of people.
I agree with points made by those in Harrison West (the Giant Eagle is in Harrison West, NOT VV). One problem is that the development surrounding the GE there including the senior housing is suburban/not ped-friendly. That housing should be on top of a grocery store for easy access. Also, there should be dense housing to support the store and also to remedy the Goodale Neil intersection, take out the western stretch of 670 to do both. It would work, but misguided political and public opposition is a great impediment.
I have to agree with Surber17 on this one. Cincy has had that “riverfront project” going on for years, I think around 15, and it’s still a pile of dirt. Meanwhile, everytime I go down there my money goes into Newport, KY’s pockets b/c that’s where it’s at. As a result, if you are on the Cincy side it’s like a ghost town after 6-7 pm, even after a baseball game in July.
So I agree, if we don’t do it someone else will. In the meantime, if you want a city that doesn’t progress just move. I’m sure cities like Cincy, Toledo, Canton, Lima, Youngstown, Dayton, etc don’t have a whole lot of expansion going on. You won’t have to worry about a Giant Eagle closing down their local shops and they’re great places to live…..
To each his/her own, but I’d have to disagree on some points. The issue here is not weather of not the Arena District should grow and expand, the issue is the type of development and the effect on the surrounding land scape will be.
As a resident three blocks away from the current Giant Eagle in Victorian Village next to Harrison West (it is located east of Harrison Ave) I find the walk to get my necessities challenging enough dodging turning cars and inattentive drivers on Buttles Ave. What the current plan will do is move the GE to the Arena District which is much removed from VV by three hostile intersections and a rather uncomfortable walk underneath I670. Not to mention 20 minutes of extra time added on to allow auto traffic to pass through those hostile intersections.
It is unfortunate as well that the land is not being reserved for Columbus’s passenger rail station and intercity and commuter rail. I had long believed that this particular site was well suited because it does have land to expand the railroad right of way and available land to have an attractive station. At this point I can only assume that a potential station will be built near Nationwide and High St. – an expensive piece of real estate at best.
It’s not Nationwide’s fault that we don’t have better urban transit options, nor is it their fault for living in the reality that the Columbus electorate gives them.
That has nothing to do with the fact it could be urban, not suburban. They did build the Arena District. Remember that? I’m snarky.
I do remember that they built the Arena District; you say that like it’s a bad thing.
I agree with points made by those in Harrison West (the Giant Eagle is in Harrison West, NOT VV). One problem is that the development surrounding the GE there including the senior housing is suburban/not ped-friendly. That housing should be on top of a grocery store for easy access. Also, there should be dense housing to support the store and also to remedy the Goodale Neil intersection, take out the western stretch of 670 to do both. It would work, but misguided political and public opposition is a great impediment.
I’d be all for building vertically on top of existing strip centers if there were a way to do so with anything even approaching economic feasbility; the parking is already there in most cases, since most strip centers fill their entire parking lots only extremely rarely, and living directly above a full-service grocery would offer a lot of convenience to a lot of people.
Does anyone know if there is something going to be built on the existing Arena parking lots? The ones between the Arena and LC, House of Crave, etc.? I guy I work with wanted to move into those lots and the people at Standard Parking said that he would have to move in a few months from there because there was going to be building going on there. She wouldn’t go into further details but he said he saw people taking core samples (his description) the other day in various areas of that parking lot.
My guess would be a parking garage to help accomodate the Baseball stadium or to help offset the loss of parking spaces due to the building of apartments across the railroad tracks.
My guess would be a parking garage to help accomodate the Baseball stadium or to help offset the loss of parking spaces due to the building of apartments across the railroad tracks.
I remember reading that Nationwide has plans for buildings/parking garages there, but I dont think that is in the near future …. might be wrong though.
Part of the Arena District Master Plan has always had office buildings fronting Neil and Nationwide BLVD on those lots, while maintaining some of the surface parking behind them. I can’t imagine they would have tennants for any new office space right now.
You would think they would want to get on that before the stadium is done to accommodate the bigger crowed but I could very well be wrong I guess if parking is not an issue for the Blue Jackets games then they could take there time after all.
I heard from someone who attended one of the more recent meetings about the new Giant Eagle development that there were plans to build a garage there at the NE corner of Neil & Nationwide with ground floor retail fronting the streets.
No timeline on when that will happen though as far as I know.
My landlord just forwarded me an e-mail he received regarding the Giant Eagle on Neil Ave.
“I’m very excited to let you know that just minutes ago I was told by the Management of the Giant Eagle, that the plans to move from Neil Avenue are on an “Indefinite delay” status. Thus, they will in the very near future, start a renovation of the current Giant Eagle store.”
AMEN!!!
This is very much welcome news for me, a resident four blocks away from my grocery store “pantry”.
Has either the Vic Village Society or Harrison West Society weighed in on these “now suspended” plans officially?