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Yesterday, two local racing related projects took two steps forward. Or backward. Depending on which side of these issues you stand upon.
Columbus Hollywood Casino developer Penn National Gaming confirmed that they would closing the historic Beulah Park thoroughbred racetrack in Grove City in an effort to spread out their gaming offerings to other areas of the state, including Dayton and Youngstown. On the flip side, the Columbus Development Commission approved the plan for the development of a auto racetrack entertainment complex at the old Cooper Stadium site.
The Cooper Racetrack Complex has been a hot topic of debate ever since the idea was first announced nearly three years ago. Proponents see it as a shot in the arm for development and jobs on the Near West Side, while opponents are fearful that the noise generated from racing will be audible for miles, affect neighborhoods including Franklinton, Downtown, The Brewery District and German Village.
(Rendering from www.cooperparkcomplex.com)
The closure of Beulah Park is a more recent development, and thus far has been a bit less controversial. The 87-year-old horse racing track was purchased by Penn National Gaming last Spring, prior to the relocation of Penn’s Columbus Hollywood Casino to the former Delphi site on the Far West Side. The Hollywood Casino itself has been a very widely debated topic over the past several years.
(Rendering from www.hollywoodcasinocolumbus.com)
How do you feel overall about the possible addition of an Auto Race Track and the closure of Beulah Park? Is this a net gain for Central Ohio, or a step in the wrong direction?
I think this is a positive. Anyone who has been to Beulah Park recently can see how run down it’s become. It’d be nice if the land was sold off for reuse on some other project or in general just torn down although I’m not sure that’ll happen.
Don’t you mean -1 -10?
Maybe Grove City can now expand their “downtown” with some sort of mixed use development.
Joe,
+1 = Adding something
-1 = Removing something
Additional weighted scores are up to you to decide individually. ;)
Personally, I’m sad about Beulah Park, as there is some history there and that venue provides for a wide range of non-racing entertainment in Grove City. But I’ve also never bothered to visit there, so I can’t really be *too* upset I guess.
As for the Auto Race Track, I’m pretty torn. I like that it’s a multi-faceted that will be used for more than just racing. I think there’s a lot of potential behind that and hopefully can be positions to spur additional development around it. Of course, the noise control is the biggest issue, and I’m not quite convinced that they have it under control yet.
So they approved spending on an auto racetrack, but not alternative transit? Id say thats -10000000.
wow, how exciting, maybe they’ll move all those exciting bus races from ColsMotorSpeedway to Cooper? <sarcastic>.
I think we learned a valuable lesson, a sound wall won’t block sound from Metallica or Aerosmith. I would guess a fence won’t stop open header (no exhaust) noise from these hillbilly naskars.
I like in all the renderings, of the race track there are no houses or dwellings around for miles, it’s just trees.
No one seems to remember the tractor pulls at the OSFairgrounds? till midnight? I used to live in an apartment in grandview and could hear the announcer and the tractor pulls plain as day in my apartment.
You can hear cars at the Indy 500 track for miles and miles away, even when there is just one car there doing testing.
Certain frequencies are non-directional, in other words, uncontrollable. You know the guy with the boom stereo at the traffic light you have no idea where and which car he’s in?
None of the people making this pass through our “system” will live near this track – guaranteed. Would New Albany or Powell or Dublin let this happen in their neighborhoods?
There is a healthier use of this space out there, Columbus does not need another set of chairs for people to sit and eat bad food and drink overpriced beer.
DCist Says: So they approved spending on an auto racetrack, but not alternative transit? Id say thats -10000000.
I don’t believe Arshot has asked for any public dollars for the Cooper Park Complex at this point. The Columbus Development Commission just approved the plans for the project, not the allocation of any public funding.
The proposed casino and racetrack should cement Columbus’ cowtown image.
For some reason, gk’s post gave me the mental image of cows driving race cars. My brain is scary when I’m low on caffeine.
I have never been to Beulah Park, but is Scioto Downs still operating? Maybe this will give them a shot in the arm if they are?
Beulah Park Reuse:
A Cycling Velodrome!
Here the proposal for one in Cleveland, though it’s still on the drawing board and enclosed. I think the Columbus version should be outdoor.
Mod-Dude: Yes, Scioto Downs is operating: http://www.sciotodowns.com/index2.html
Jody: I like the idea of a Velodrome, but selfishly would rather see it closer to Columbus than out in Grove City. ;)
Based on what I’ve read on the website I think that fact this is so much more than a race track is an awesome opportunity. 3 whole paragraphs about how the complex will be used for research and educational purposes for mechanics and engineers.
Penn will relocate the racetrack to an area with low income and high unemployement like they are going to do with Raceway Park in Toledo. It conflicts with their casino operations. mtbwrx has a great point about Polaris/Germaine Ampitheater closing due to the noise complaints; the constant complaints. The only relief those neighborhoods will feel is late fall thru early spring when the weather will not allow for racing.
My other idea, I have sent and proposed to the Mayor’s office and several city council members is a X-Games type of park, or training facility.
We could train the next Shawn White or next x-games athlete or Olympian.
Velodrome yes – a no brainer inside the old baseball park.
Skateboard park – bikes and boards
BMX track and race training facility.
Cyclocross track or training course.
Heck, there might be room for a Half pipe and a snow blower for snowboarders to practice in winter.
Lake or running water
Giant trees on/surrounding property
Way more grass
Still a giant fence -but this time it’s electric to keep those out that don’t need to be in –
You pay to get in – the money goes to support coaches to coach those using the facility and pay for upkeep.
Big Brother, Big Sister members get in free with their lil’ brothers and lil’ sisters.
no noise issues here.
I like that Cooper Park will be more than a track, but the fact that the track is “the hook”, means loud events will be there frequently.
We can be sure that there will be more loud events than the 5 to 6 (or what was 18 to 20 at one time) “major events”. The developer talks about concerts, motorcycle events and others. Even at 5 to 6 major events, we are still looking at 5 weekends, and at least a day of time trials beforehand, in nice weather when neighbors would like to be outdoors enjoying their neighborhood.
Good idea, bad location.
Now that the economy is on an upswing I’d really like to see the County reopen bids for the Coop – the Arshot project was desperately accepted in a bad economy, but that is unlikely to happen.
@MTBwrx love the list. Don’t forget Roller Derby!
The concept video for Cooper Park shows events like BMX and Snow Boarding, so I am not sure this needs to be a choice between cars OR x-games.
http://www.cooperparkcomplex.com/animation.html
As long as the racetrack noise over powers the Rock on the Range noise (the only noise I hear in Merion Village from anything) I will be happy.
How about the Cooper Racetrack Complex move into the Beulah Park site?