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YouTubeCounty might cut Vets Memorial looseFriday, July 28, 2006
Robert Vitale
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
It might be time to bring the curtain down for good at Franklin County Veterans Memorial, two county commissioners said yesterday.
The struggling countyowned auditorium needs another $200,000 to meet its payroll and pay its bills, officials said. If approved by commissioners next week, it will be the facility’s third rescue in less than a year.
Since 2002, Veterans Memorial has needed more than $1.6 million to cover debts and losses.
"It’s time to cut bait," said Commissioner Paula Brooks, who asked county officials to put together a task force of marketing experts, business people and military veterans to study Veterans Memorial’s future.
Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion
County might cut Vets Memorial loose
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Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Posted 5 years ago # -
mellotron
Arena District
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...the facility is unlikely to be profitable again until 2009.
It is occurring to me that I really don't understand business. You read that article and you're convinced it's over - not sure how a profit is in their future. They also mention how they're losing out to private competition in the area - wonder if going private is in their consideration.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Coremodels
Really close to Explorer's Club.
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It's crazy for me to see this, as one of the resident old guys. Vets used to be THE SPOT here in town as a concert venue when I was growing up. I saw tons of great bands there over the years, from Stevie Ray Vaughan to the Kinks.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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mellotron wrote They also mention how they're losing out to private competition in the area - wonder if going private is in their consideration.
I think it would still be hard for them to turn a profit even as a private company with a lot of their competition being newer facilities.
I say rip the place down and replace it with a mixed-use highrise. 8)
Then again, that's my answer for everything. Ha!
Posted 5 years ago # -
gramarye
In Exile
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Heh. True. However, in this case, you may have a point. Think of the city skyline views you could get from eastward-facing views from that vantage (as well as the river to the north). Also, it has the potential to be an assertive first step in whatever redevelopment of eastern Franklinton might be possible.
The one thing I wonder about is the foundation. The floodwall was supposed to have made things better, but better enough for something as big as Miranova? I'm obviously no structural engineer, but it wouldn't surprise me if the floodwall project wasn't *that* big of a cure-all. By pure proximity to downtown alone, that should be some of the most expensive land in the city ... yet it really isn't. Methinks the Powers That Be might know something I don't.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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After looking at ideas on UrbanOhio and CRM, I'd go with a Bodybuilding Hall of Fame (it'd make us the "Capital of Bodybuilding", I'm fine with that as our image) and along the river a boardwalk with places to eat, shop, & live.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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I couldn't imagine that it would. The rest could be torn down and made into public space or something. And there's certainly no shortage of parking in the area.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Franklin County must keep Vets Memorial
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
The July 28 Dispatch article "County might cut Vets Memorial loose" gives veterans the short end of the stick again. No matter what servicemen and servicewomen did for our country, our interests are the first to be sacrificed to serve the convenience of everyone else.
Yes, Veterans Memorial hasn’t done as well as it used to in regards to convention traffic, but lets face it: Columbus is growing.
We have a convention center on High Street that is much more attractive to vendors than Veterans Memorial. But how do you sell a memorial?
Memorial means "serving to preserve remembrance," and "something that keeps remembrance alive," Webster’s dictionary says. To many, Veterans Memorial is nothing more than commercial property to replace once it’s outlived its usefulness.
This site was constructed as a memorial to the veterans from Franklin County who served their country. Some died during that service; others were disabled because of their service. There are presently men and women from Franklin County who are in harm’s way in Iraq, Bosnia and Afghanistan. When they separate from the military, they will become veterans and this building will be their memorial, as well.
Rather than doing away with Veterans Memorial, I would concentrate efforts to attract vendors who would rather have their exhibits in a facility such as Veterans Memorial than the larger centers, where they would be swallowed up with other exhibitions.
A memorial is not something to place and remove. Let’s focus on ways to make Veterans Memorial the asset it once was. It has a great history. Let’s keep the history in place at 250 and 300 W. Broad St. I urge the veterans organizations of central Ohio to rally around this effort. Do not sell or close our Veterans Memorial.
DARREL A. PEAKS
Supervisor Franklin County Veterans Service Commission Columbus
Posted 5 years ago # -
Brewmaster
Portland, OR
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Grasping at straws. Going for the emotional angle. Mr. Parks sounds desperate.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Vets Memorial sale requires legislation
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Regarding the Dec. 25 Dispatch article "Vets Memorial still awaits a fix," it should be noted that when a sale of the Veterans Memorial building was being considered in 1972, it was found that while the Ohio Revised Code provides enabling legislation for financing, constructing and operating a memorial building, that section of law is void of the basic property right enjoyed by all owners of property: the right of alienation.
A memorial building board of trustees may not then dispose of or lease memorials when the interest of the county requires.
In the 1970s, interest in selling the building was brought up to help the county pay its share toward the new convention center at the site of the old Union Station. A Masonic lodge was interested in purchasing a new building and offered $3.5 million for the site. This caused opposition because the original cost of the memorial was $5.75 million. Pending legislation to permit sale of veterans memorials was tabled and never considered.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Paul
Vancouver, BC
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Walker wrote I was thinking the same thing. NO ONE thinks of Vets Memorial as an actual Memorial to Veterans. And it's an awfully expensive memorial to keep around just because of it's name.
As Coremodels pointed out, it's a memorial to the veterans of rock.
Posted 5 years ago # -
ICEBOXER
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yeah, i actually sent in a letter to the Dispatch about how Vets is a parasite on the county's funds and that it's an ugly, dated structure anyway. I argued that the memorial should be moved and the land should be made available for redevelopment. COSI needs something substantial on its flank as its just sitting there isolated (great idea, city leaders!).
What I really think would be great in that spot is an indoor/outdoor market. Let Whole Foods move to Neil-Vine. Merchants from North Market can be assimilated into a larger shopping destination that would include some art galleries, craft/decorative boutiques, an antique mall, and so on. It could be a large, rambling place that would not feel like "redevelopment" (namely, slick, corporate-feeling developments like A.D.)
Anyway, this guy Peaks then writes in claiming that I'm unpatriotic and have no respect for the sacrifices of veterans. Standard BS shut-down tactics.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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County considering what's best for 'Vets'
Monday, March 8, 2010
By Barbara Carmen
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Franklin County leaders are starting to look at what Veterans Memorial should become.
Ideas for expanding the 55-year-old property include building a small hotel and bigger exhibition halls on its 17-acre campus, which offers views of the Downtown skyline and Scioto River.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Quick thoughts: I like the idea of a hotel, expanded exhibition space to be used in conjunction with the Convention Center, and converting parking lots into parking garages, but...
...there's a big opportunity in re-creating the riverfront through here. The hotel should have ground-floor restaurants, cafes, patios and other retail space. The bike/walking path through here could serve as a great riverfront "boardwalk" and extend all the way down past COSI with similar types of river-facing development.
Currently, the banks of the river next to Vet's is grass space, and the only purpose it seems to serve is giving a lawnmowing contractor something to do once a week.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Twixlen
Westgate, Columbus
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Vertical Farming!!! (sorry - I had to)
I completely agree with the riverfront angle - having biked through there a few times, it's a fantastic spot. The view of downtown, just across the river is great, even if you have to shove over a hobo for a spot on the bench to take a look-see.
What if the space were reworked in some way that it could become the anchor for downtown festivals? I'm thinking not only of R,W & B, but the Latin festival and the Jazz and Rib Fest. A hotel could serve these events as well.
And yeah - we have the Convention Center, but it smells weird in there and the whole place feels strange and dated to me. I think Vet's has a chance to do a smart renovation and not compete necessarily with the CC, but definitely offer an additional meeting space.
Posted 2 years ago # -
JimSweeney
E. Fton
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here we go!
Posted 2 years ago #
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