Press Release:
Economic Vitality Central to Bicentennial 2012 Commemoration
Mayors Rinehart and Lashutka to Join Renewed Public Planning Effort
As community leaders announced a renewed planning effort for the Columbus Bicentennial 2012 effort, Mayor Michael B. Coleman said economic development will be a key focus of the city’s 200th birthday commemoration. Mayor Coleman joined Franklin County Commissioners President John O’Grady, members of City Council, Organizing Committee Chair Ty Marsh, Program Management Leader Jamie Greene and other top organizers of the Bicentennial planning organization at Grange Insurance Audubon Center to urge Central Ohio residents to share their input and get involved in preparation for 2012. Residents can get involved by logging on to the new Bicentennial website, http://www.columbus2012.org or by emailing bicentennial2012@Columbus.gov.
“In less than two years we as a community will take pride in our past, demonstrate faith in our future, and most importantly, advance our prosperity,†Mayor Coleman said. “It is our past that unites us as a people, but it is our future that inspires and motivates us toward greater civic pride, greater community purpose and greater economic vitality.â€Â
Coleman paid tribute to the three original co-chairs of the Bicentennial Commission, Bishop Timothy Clarke, Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee and Abigail Wexner for their work on the Blueprint for the Bicentennial that set the stage for today’s announcement. Coleman also introduced former Columbus mayors Dana G. “Buck†Rinehart and Gregory S. Lashutka as the new honorary leaders of Bicentennial 2012 organization.
“The Bicentennial of our state’s capital provides the incentive and the opportunity to take a long-term look at where we want to be as a community,†said Commissioner O’Grady. “Franklin County has proudly partnered with both the public and private sectors on strategic economic development investments such as the Scioto Mile, Columbus Commons and the Hilton Columbus Downtown to protect the economic health of the Central Ohio region for years to come.â€Â
Organizers laid out goals for the Bicentennial, including:
Celebration: Coordinating a year-long calendar of events that reaches every Columbus resident, attracts visitors, recognizes the beginning or completion of great projects and garners national and international attention.
Education: Bringing the city’s history, accomplishments and potential to the forefront.
Inspiration: Seeding the next generation of action, with a stronger sense of who we are as a community and what we are building together.
Marketing: Generating local pride, enthusiasm and participation in Columbus’ Bicentennial Celebration and telling the Columbus story.
Action: Championing both high-profile efforts as well as those neighborhood initiatives and projects that advance our prosperity and positively impact the everyday lives of residents.
“The celebration of Columbus’ bicentennial is a launching point for a sustained economic development campaign that I believe will positively impact our city for decades to come,†said City Council President Michael C. Mentel. “Together, we can use the events surrounding 2012 to raise awareness of Columbus and all it has to offer to individuals, families and businesses.â€Â
The Organizing Committee of the Bicentennial includes the Columbus Chamber, Columbus Partnership, Experience Columbus, Greater Columbus Arts Council, the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, the United Way of Central Ohio, The Ohio State University, the Columbus Dispatch, Nationwide Insurance and American Electric Power. The partners continue to add new members and meet regularly to help engage residents and businesses to make the most of this historic period by improving the quality of life in neighborhoods, building civic pride and telling Columbus’ story on the national level.
"We all know that Columbus is among the most welcoming and innovative places in America, with creative arts, excellent restaurants, ground-breaking research and design, shopping, quality education, growing businesses and all the ingredients of a good life," said Experience Columbus President and CEO Paul Astleford. “2012 is a year where we can step up in one voice and tell our story better.â€Â
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