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The Columbus Foundation owns this building on Broad Street and are planning on demolishing it and from what I understand, plant gardens there. It’s a little disappointing that a institution that does so much good would do something so wasteful and, in my opinion, disrespectful. They are building a new building behind the old governors mansion that is going to be LEED certified. You would think that if they were truly interested in sustainability, they would find a way to reuse this structure instead of destroying it. I was told that this used to be home to the Firestone family. It is right next to the Broadwin and across from a block of houses that were slated to be demolished in the 90′s. Casto ended up buying those and saving them and now they are some of the most beautiful homes in the neighborhood.
Word through the grapevine is that the President of the Olde Towne East Neighborhood Association has tried to contact them many times but has not gotten any sort of response. Today a coworker told me that there is now a construction fence around the building and construction equipment sitting next to it.
We lost an equally impressive mansion on Broad Street a few years ago. The church that owned it decided to tear it down and replace it with a gravel parking lot.
I don’t really know if anything can be done to prevent this. None of the papers had much in them about this. We just found out about this in the neighborhood a couple weeks ago so I’m guessing they tried to keep it hushed up until it was too late to do anything about. Sucks.
Here’s their press release:
[url]http://www.columbusfoundation.org/GD/Templates/Pages/TCF/TCFSecondary.aspx?page=470[/url]
What if we start a movement to get it on the National Register of Historic Places? That may impede their plans a bit- Don’t think you are allowed to tear down structures on the national register.
Listing in the National Register would not prevent a private entity from demolishing its property. The National Historic Preservation Act, which established the National Register, does not regulate private property, it only legislates review of projects using federal funds.
The only legislation that can prevent a private property owner from demolishing a historic structure would be listing on the local register, the Columbus Register of Historic Places.
The only legislation that can prevent a private property owner from demolishing a historic structure would be listing on the local register, the Columbus Register of Historic Places.
Best example of this: The Kahiki was listed as a historic building, but got torn down anyway…
Wednesday, September 5, 2007 5:33 AM
In conversation with Bruce Gilbert, Realtor, I decided to make a “gift sale” to the Columbus Foundation for the Firestone house on E. Broad Street I was unable and unwilling to expend the necessary funds to renovate the structure (“Historic home will soon meet the bulldozer,” Dispatch article, Aug. 25).
Due to several factors, including the lack of security on the property and its condition, I was unable to obtain suitable tenants. The Franklin County real-estate taxes exceeded the income.
My personal office space on the second floor of the building was maintained in the condition which I referred to as beautiful and was suitable for my architectural practice and other social purposes.
It was my decision accept their generous offer for the property and their decision to use it for the most appropriate purpose suitable for their needs and the enhancement of E. Broad Street and the community.
Soon after the purchase, the foundation secured the property to protect it from being vandalized until a determination for its proper use was achieved.
I regret that my comments to the Dispatch reporter may have caused negative perceptions about the proposed enhancements on the very studied proposals for the excellent use of the property.
Certainly, every avenue including any possible existing use of the building was given due consideration, with the result being the current proposal.
I am certain that the gardens, the new structures and the entire new development will exceed all expectations and be a substantial addition to E. Broad Street, the entire community and the reputation of the Columbus Foundation.
JOHN P. GIBBONEY
Columbus link
Still can’t find anything on starting a petition (to include the mansion on the local register of historic places as mentioned above). Help please.
Found a number to call, will update…
Buildings don’t advance to the Registry absent the owner’s support.
bumping to the top and linking discussions…
http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11009
From an Olde Towne East Neighborhood Association trustee:
This Saturday is the public site hearing about the Firestone Mansion. We are trying to organize and tell as many people as possible to show up and protest. We’ll need signs made and we’ll need to tell as many people as possible, including news media.
Saturday, December 8, 2007 11:00 AM 1266 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43205 Demolition Application: 07100-0-00305 Applicant: Columbus Foundation Partners, Inc Applicants seeks demolition permit for 1266 East Broad Street
Someone is going to buy materials to make signs tonight. We can meet at my house Sat morning around 9am to make them if that works for everyone. Then, we can walk from there. My address is 1456 Bryden Road. Yes–I’ll have coffee.
Someone is putting together a news release tonight.
I would like to go to this but have plans to be out of town this weekend. If anyone wants to get more involved, PM me and I’ll send OTENA contact info to you.
For Immediate Release
December 6, 2007
Neighbors Rally to Stop Demolition of E. Broad St. Mansion
Representatives of the Olde Towne East Neighborhood Association (OTENA) and other neareastside
community organizations will be facing off against the wrecking ball this weekend. A
meeting of the Near East Area Commission’s Zoning Committee will consider the fate of the historic
Firestone mansion at a site hearing this Saturday, December 8, at 11:00 a.m. The Columbus
Foundation has filed for a permit with the City of Columbus to demolish the home at 1266 E. Broad
St. to allow for construction of an overflow parking lot and greenspace as part of its site
development project.
The Firestone mansion is a 10,000 square-foot, neo-Italian Renaissance-style home, one of only
two remaining in Columbus. The home was built at the turn of the 20th century by Joseph Firestone,
who was Vice President of the Columbus Buggy Company, one of the pre-eminent businesses that
gave Columbus the reputation as the “buggy capital of the world†and propelled the Firestone family
into the automotive tire business. Architectural historians speculate that this building was designed
by local renowned architect Frank Packard, like the Governor’s Mansion next door (research is still
being conducted). The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing
building to the E. Broad Street Historic District.
Demolition of the mansion would be in defiance of the Near East Plan developed by the City’s
Department of Development in cooperation with a number of neighborhood organizations. The Plan
discourages further destruction of significant and contributing structures along the E. Broad St.
corridor between I-71 and Nelson Rd., and advocates for the rehabilitation and preservation of the
existing historic stock of private homes and professional offices. Ironically, The Columbus
Foundation helped fund the study that culminated in the Near East Plan.
While neighbors of the Firestone mansion recognize the significant level of contributions and
support that The Columbus Foundation has provided in the form of solicited grants to support civic
activities, OTENA and others believe the Foundation has ignored the neighborhood’s pleas and
suggestions for preservation and adaptive re-use of the home. Built by the leading industrialists and
civic leaders of their day, homes along the E. Broad St. corridor have created a grand entrance to
Ohio’s capital city for more than a century. We are at risk of losing the few remaining monuments of
that historic period of the city’s development.
For additional information on Olde Towne East and the Olde Towne East Neighborhood
Association, visit their Web site at http://www.oldetowne.org or call 1-866-234-0414 (toll-free).
Olde Towne East is the largest historic district in the city of Columbus. It was one of the first “neighborhoods” of Columbus
adjacent to downtown and just down the street from the Franklin Park Conservatory. Olde Towne is undergoing an amazing
renaissance while preserving its diversity, with many professionals and city leaders choosing to make their homes there.
More than 1,000 homes representing 50 architectural styles are located in the Olde Towne area and date from as early as
the 1830′s. The neighborhood is fast becoming a national model for downtown living for people who are interested in historic
preservation, green building and adaptive re-use smart growth strategies.
If anyone can tell me WHERE this meeting is to be held, I would really appreciate it. None of the press releases have specified a location for the meeting. I would like to attend.
How did it go? If I’d gotten an email giving me more than 2 days notice I’d have been there.
From The Daily Reporter:
Historic Broad Street house faces wrecking ball despite neighborhood opposition
——————————————————————————–
MELANIE MCINTYRE
Daily Reporter Staff Writer
12/12/2007
The Columbus Foundation has filed a permit with the city of Columbus to demolish a home at 1266 E. Broad St. Doing so would clear the way for construction of an overflow parking lot and greenspace that are part of the foundation’s expansion project which broke ground Aug. 1.
Not everyone is happy with the proposed expansion plans, however. Members of one local neighborhood association contend that tearing down the residence stamps out yet another important building from Columbus’ historic landscape.
The home facing demolition is known as the Joseph Firestone mansion, a 10,000-square-foot neo-Italian Renaissance-style home that is one of only two such homes remaining in Columbus, according to the Olde Towne East Neighborhood Association.
It was built at the turn of the 20th century by Firestone, who was then vice president of the Columbus Buggy Co. – one of the businesses that contributed to the city’s reputation as “buggy capital of the world†and thrust the Firestone family into the automotive tire business.
[url]http://www.sourcenews.com/news/index.lasso?-database=news5&-layout=web&-response=%2fnews%2fstory.lasso&-recordID=39962&-search[/url]
Columbus Foundation is having their holiday open house tonight from 4:30 to 6:30. I bet they would really appreciate protesters when the guest arrive :twisted:
I have to admit that Kridler is right in that no one wants it, but I wish they would still just let it sit there until someone does despite the unpleasant abandoned building factor right next door to them.
I think Mercurious and Motorist should sit outside the Columbus Foundation in a buggy to evoke the “buggy capital of the world” motif and to guilt them into letting the building stand.
I always say we should look to our past and to other cities for solutions to problems we’re facing, so I should have found this much earlier and thanks to UrbanOhio I found it. West Central, a beautiful, historic residential neighborhood in Fort Wayne faced the same dilemma we face here with great historic homes facing the wrecking ball. The Columbus Foundation stated that they don’t have use for the Firestone Mansion (still standing last I checked) and so are not going to dump $3 million and then some to pay for the upkeep of a building that no one else is occupying and have offered to sell the building for $1 if it is moved off of their property. I’m waiting to hear back from the Columbus Landmarks Foundation and need to ask OTENA if they have pursued what the West Central Neighborhood Association did; seek corporate sponsorship to move entire homes of historic significance, place them on new foundations and then sell them to private owners for renovation. Here are a couple of examples:
READ MORE
Why does it have to be moved? That’s a huge waste of money and resources, and takes it out of its context! Grr! Buy some land somewhere else!
The good news is the original demo permit has expired and no new one has been filed. – yet.
If they’re going to move it, there are plenty of spots Downtown…like the sizable parking lot for the Junior League and Kelton House.