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Started 2 years ago by hivner1
Latest reply from shmoopatties

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hivner1
clintonville
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I am no urban developer, and I know there are people who will read this that are, so... tell me why this story irks me.

My perception is that there is an imbalance of development and a move towards gentrification around S Campus. There seems to be either slum housing or unaffordable housing. Does anyone know the state of the "graduate" housing in the mixed-use mini-high rise on the west side of high st above Aveda, et al? It is an ugly area.

I have worked in the area on and off for almost a decade and the smell of urine has never dissipated. And there is something bleak and depressing about the Gateway- it is half vacant, awkwardly populated with drunkenness and international students seeing late night movies without much in between.

I could rant more but my lack of formal training on this subject may do me in. Advise...

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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Seen this happen in a lot of cities.

You have the city on one end and the campus on the other.
That the two will grow toward each other is expected.
The expensive price tags keep moving north.
Heck, a lot of Victorian Village was out of our price range so we bought in German Village

Wouldn't it be nice to see the short north work it's way up to Campus?

Posted 2 years ago #
JonMyers
HCMC ✈
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The development is dull. There used to be energy around there:

Posted 2 years ago #
hivner1
clintonville
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PAPA JOES!

Posted 2 years ago #
hivner1
clintonville
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My dream is to see C-State and Franklin merge into one and create a truly urban campus to challenge the behemoth, Ohio State!!!

Build lotsa student housing
Sustain nightlife with voracious non-budget conscious student population
Rid the sketchy side of downtown with non-yuppie, academic neighborhood.

... Just my fantasy, I realize the barriers.

Posted 2 years ago #
hivner1
clintonville
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Tenzo wrote >>
Wouldn't it be nice to see the short north work it's way up to Campus?

It would be, but, what do you do with the poor? They already got displaced from the Short North and Ital Village. This is not an easy answer and should be reserved for a different thread, but it is extremely important.

Posted 2 years ago #
blammo
in the shadow of the wonder of bread
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I don't know if Columbus State is going to bring in the non-budget conscious student population! LOL.

Back to the OP, I am not sure why the news of the construction of upscale new student housing in what some would call "the hood" irks you. When I see developers investing money into this part of town, I see it as a good thing. Certainly, the Gateway has kind of a lonely feel to it, but the area certainly seems waaaay less sketchy than it did 10 or 20 years ago. Perhaps rents will drop a bit to accommodate the market & it will eventually fill in.

Posted 2 years ago #
hivner1
clintonville
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I think I am irked by the push for "upscale" building. "Winoland" park is coming along in a fascinating, grassroots way with a focus on education and community organization with minimal displacement and I just hope this doesnt disrupt the organic turn around that I've witnessed thus far.

By non budget conscious, I am simply noting that students spend money like water- PBR and grilled cheeses, hot dogs, etc can do a lot for a community :)

Posted 2 years ago #
blammo
in the shadow of the wonder of bread
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Who are you concerned about being displaced, renters due to increased rents, or home owners, due to increased property taxes? Or some other group of people? I'm certainly no urban developer either, but after seeing many of these areas getting run into the ground by absentee landlord, it just seems like a good thing to me to have someone care enough to invest some $$$ in a new building. I'm not that worried about rents going upÃ¢â‚¬â€œit's not that hard for renters to move around, & find a place within their budget in the same neighborhood. As far as property owners go, I suppose it could turn into a "Flag Wars" scenarioÃ¢â‚¬Â¦but I really don't think 1 or 5 new developments is going to "ruin" the neighborhood. Look at all the failed section 8 housing on 4th that's all boarded up. Someone needs to try something different to improve the neighborhood, obviously THAT approach didn't work.

Posted 2 years ago #
hivner1
clintonville
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Well, I'm with you on the subject of section-8 and absentee landlords = fail.

I never said that new developers would ruin the area. Just don't want another Jeffrey. Nor the overall philosophy "if you build it they will come." If it gets developed too quickly with new builds, could it backfire because of the lack of amenities (grocery stores, gas stations)?

Thanks for your thoughts. This is why I asked- because I'm not that savvy.

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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hivner1 wrote >>

Tenzo wrote >>
Wouldn't it be nice to see the short north work it's way up to Campus?

It would be, but, what do you do with the poor? They already got displaced from the Short North and Ital Village. This is not an easy answer and should be reserved for a different thread, but it is extremely important.

Provide them with better oportunity for better paying jobs by revitalizing the area. I don't think too many poor actually live on high street.

But yeah, this is another discussion.

Posted 2 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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blammo wrote >>
When I see developers investing money into this part of town, I see it as a good thing

Agreed.

hivner1 wrote >>
I think I am irked by the push for "upscale" building. "Winoland" park is coming along in a fascinating, grassroots way with a focus on education and community organization with minimal displacement and I just hope this doesnt disrupt the organic turn around that I've witnessed thus far.

Weinland Park is a big neighborhood. Having a small handful of developers like the one in the article still leaves a LOT of room for more of that "grassroots" development. I really don't think you have to look too hard to find a sub-$100k deal on a house in that neighborhood right now. There is plenty of opportunity for existing renters and existing homeowners to put a little bit of effort into their neighborhood and get some return on their investments in another 10 years if they want to be a part of the resurgence.

Posted 2 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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BTW, the South Campus Gateway is always a funny topic.

If you ask any current students or recently graduated students (it's always been there for them) what they think of the Gateway and they either like it or feel indifferent about it.

If you ask anyone who remembers what was there before, everyone hates the "lifeless" Gateway and wished all the shitty dive bars were still there. Even though they would probably rarely (if ever) set foot in them today. ;)

Posted 2 years ago #
coolbuckeye
South Clintonville
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Just speaking from my own perspective Walker... regardless of the "improvements" I probably rarely (if ever) set foot in them today. Then again I am Brutus ;)
The gateway could have been done more thoughtfully but itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s better than nothing. In addition itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s a gateway not a neighborhood. So letÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not be too critical and accept it for what it is.
With respect to Weiland park, gentrification is the best problem to have for a neighborhood in my opinion. I could think of some other communities in Columbus who would welcome some wealthier homeowners who respect the neighborhood and care about their properties.

Posted 2 years ago #
serialentrepreneur

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Ok, so say what you will about the Gateway, opinions are mixed but straight out of the article is this:

"Celmark got its first taste of working in the OSU area when it renovated the Newport Music Hall five years ago.

It later built a 20-unit apartment complex at 1895 Summit St. after a market study found that OSU students wanted more suite-style apartments with modern amenities, Balakrishnan said. The complex has two-, three- and four-bedroom flats and town-house units that range from $1,250 to $2,495 a month.

"We opened the Summit Apartments building in 2008, and it immediately filled up," he said""

So, supply and demand meet. If people want crap, that's what developers will build and maintain. If they want nice, then that's what will be built and maintained.

I think the area has a long way to go, but, it seems to be heading in the right direction, from my perspective.

Posted 2 years ago #
hivner1
clintonville
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One of my main irks is with the Gateway. What is it a Gateway to? The neighborhood behind it or the school to the northwest of it. Sadly I dont think it is much to either other than mere geographical placement. In that sense then, sloppy old school south Campus was the same thing.

I am nonetheless excited about any sort of movement around this part of the city. While it is far less glamorous than other parts of the city, it is so critical... despite my irks.

Posted 2 years ago #
JonMyers
HCMC ✈
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Imagine if they put a Mall of America on campus. What a recruiting tool to distinguish our University area that would be.

Posted 2 years ago #
hivner1
clintonville
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I'll take a decent grocery store for starters, although the MOA would be fun for a month.

Posted 2 years ago #
jennyw
Clintonville
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I have to say that my mind was pretty blown by the mention of rents of "$1,250 to $2,495 a month" along Summit. That adds up to $15,000 to $30,000 A YEAR in rent to live at Summit and 17th. If you (or, likely more accurately in this case, your parents) have that kind of $$ to spend, why not buy a house outright?

Posted 2 years ago #
michaelcoyote
!seabus
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Walker wrote >>
If you ask anyone who remembers what was there before, everyone hates the "lifeless" Gateway and wished all the shitty dive bars were still there. Even though they would probably rarely (if ever) set foot in them today. ;)

I'd probably go to firdous if it was still there... (and no, firdous express just isn't the same)...

oh, mustard's was long gone before they even started the gateway (i think it "The Pit" by then), but maxwell's was ok.. as was the old Singing Dog records.. as for the rest of it, yeah it was beat down.. probably what will happen to the gateway sooner or later..

Posted 2 years ago #