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It’s been widely publicized that Franklinton is on the cusp of a rebirth, with new art studios, businesses, bars and eateries making a big splash in the neighborhood.
A completely different type of splash was made at Dodge Park on June 10th when the park’s new public pool opened. The former Dodge pool was originally constructed in 1964. The new pool boasts many modern amenities including a separated ”tot pool”, a zero-depth pool with a playground structure, two water slides, a competitive swimming area, a leisure swimming area and a separated diving well with two springboards.
According to Columbus Recreation and Parks Aquatics Director John Gloyd, the pool has been well attended since opening, especially due to the unusually high temperatures we’ve recently seen.
“This is a great park for the City of Columbus, but attendance is limited,” he says. “So on those hot days make sure you have your leisure card and get there early so you don’t get shut out.”
The Dodge Park pool is completely free for public use, but a Rec and Parks Leisure card must be obtained in advance (for anyone over the age of six) at the cost of $1, and is good for 1 year. The pool is located at 545 Sullivant Avenue and is open to the public from 1:30pm to 7:30pm, seven days per week.
More information can be found online at parks.columbus.gov.
We couldn’t be happier with this pool! The pictures speak for themselves. Nice work Walker! Thanks.
Awesome, maybe with this new Southern Gateway Initiative launched today, the Lincoln Park pool will receive such a makeover…
Oh, it’s east of Parsons. Too bad for us.
Great stories and photos Walker. I keep up with Columbus thanks to the links to CU my brother Jim Sweeney sends me. Love your site and getting some ideas of my own for my Patch (hyper local news/info/community events) site here in Belmont CA.
Makes me miss Columbus!
@Jim – No problem! Looking forward to going back soon and taking the kiddos for a swim. Let me know when the first annual FTON Springboard Backflip Competition takes place, and I’ll enter to win!
Wow. That looks GREAT! If they would make-over all the Columbus Public Pools, they would all be such a success, like the Dodge pool. That’s a nicer looking pool than most private pools in Columbus.
Good news about the pool, but I think its still way too premature to suggest a re-birth is happening in Franklinton. Very few neighborhoods without attractive housing stock become “reborn” (which is unspoken code for “gentrified”) – that is ultimately what is keeping Franklinton down; and some art studios, etc won’t lift up this place as they did in the Short North/Victorian Village or OTE, where fine houses were waiting to be fixed up.
Thank you for your comment argonauts8844. I also agree that a pool and a few new businesses that have yet to prove themselves do not make for a rebirth of a neighborhood. Don’t forget this is still the lowest part of the city and all of the wood structure small square footage houses on small lots have seen years of flooding with subsequent years of mold developing in these places.
Private developers who control the puppet strings of the Mayor take an interest in areas ripe for razing and all of a sudden Franklinton is now the hot spot. Sorry Coleman but it don’t work that way.
I used the phrase “on the cusp” for a reason. I don’t think anyone is suggesting that Franklinton has been reborn as of today.
That being said, there’s a lot of positive momentum from multiple sources that should not be discounted just because the neighborhood is not exactly perfect.
In the meantime, hope everyone is enjoying the pool!
It’s not way too pre-mature to say that a rebirth is happening in Franklinton. The neighborhood is most definitely changing for the better. Go stand at the intersection of McDowell and Town. Walk down Martin, Dakota, or West Park Avenues. Ask the people who have lived there for generations.
As for gentrification, that is a steep charge. For gentrification you must displace (immediately or over time) the existing population. Thanks to the flooding and zoning, East Franklinton is currently almost completely depopulated. If someone is planning to displace a bunch of people west of 315, no one has told me yet.
Franklinton is not trying to be SN VV or OTE. It’s true that we don’t have the same resources that helped elevate those communities. But we do have resources to work with and we’ll use those to make Franklinton better. It is a multi-year, on-going process. And it is worth doing.
As luck would have it, tonight is the final community meeting for the East Franklinton Creative Community Plan. Open-minded and cynics alike are invited to come see exactly and give feedback on what we’re cooking up. You’ll see we’re not planning “the new Short North”. We’re planning the new East Franklinton. 6pm 421 W. State.
Walker: “I used the phrase “on the cusp” for a reason. I don’t think anyone is suggesting that Franklinton has been reborn as of today.”
I understand your point, but I think a “cusp” implies that something is very close to happening. I don’t think we’re very close at all, hence my “way too premature” comment. We both agree we have yet to get to that rebirth, but I guess we differ on how long it will take (or if it can ever even occur).
JimSweeney: I’m not bashing your neighborhood or wishing it ill. But I guess when I say rebirth, I don’t just mean “cleaning up” a neighborhood, which you’re right to say is happening. I may be biased towards development/significant population increases, etc. as a sign of rebirth, but I agree, it is a better place that it was before. But cleaning up a neighborhood, in my opinion at least, isn’t a rebirth. West Philly near 53rd used to be a horrendous neighborhood. Its been cleaned up over the past 5 years: sidewalks have been fixed, the subway station was rebuilt, police arent afraid to patrol the area anymore, and some eyesores have been torn down. But I don’t think anyone there would argue it is even in the process of rebirth, because no significant private investment has flowed into the area. That despite being a very busy area with excellent transportation links. Private investment is key.
Yes, there are a few “pioneers” moving into Franklinton, just as there are pioneers in East Detroit or Camden, NJ, but those pioneers don’t signal any sort of rebirth just yet. A rebirth will only start to happen if the NEXT wave of investment ever follows those first pioneers, otherwise the place will just eventually stagnate again. And I think its fair to say you need to be able to attract a significant number of new residents (not just rich ones!) to avoid stagnation.
I support your neighborhood community plans, but surely you agree that it will just be a dream on paper unless people actually pour in significant investments into your idea. You don’t need to become another SN/VV either, the point I made is just that they had a strong advantage that Franklinton lacks, and they were able to attract new residents and avoid stagnation. But if you want to get those plans off paper and into action, you need private investment. Those dollars are what Franklinton has to fight for, and best of luck to you in that fight. I want to see Downtown ringed by vibrant neighborhoods, and for that, Franklinton needs to rise up too.
well we got a new pool… just don’t pee in it thanks
@argonauts8844 – You raise some good points, though I’d argue that a photo shoot of the new pool is probably not the best place for it. ;) Ah well…
I agree with you that private investment is key, and that’s exactly what 400 West Rich, Orange Barrel Media, Rehab Tavern and Dinin’ Hall represent. Granted, they may not add up to a massive sweeping change (though Orange Barrel’s commitment alone is nothing to sneeze at) but I’d point out that The Short North started up the same way. The Short North is a large collection of smaller businesses and private investments. Which is the polar opposite of something like The Arena District, which is one massive private master developer. Franklinton may not be modeled exactly like The Short North, but I’d say it does have more in common than with The Arena District when it comes to how those areas came to be what they are today.
So given time, Franklinton will come into its own nicely if this same type of development continues. To me, the fact that these couple of projects have already begun (with more yet to be announced) is enough to say that Franklinton is on the cusp of a rebirth. It’s moving forward. It’s happening. Though it won’t be “finished” for quite awhile.
So… who’s up for a swim?
Speaking of the pool, why isn’t there a single soul swimming on what looks like an outstanding day? :]
I took the photos early in the morning (around 9am) before the pool was open to the public. Did that intentionally to avoid liability with photographing children, or the hassle of dealing with having people signing waivers. Much much much easier that way. ;)
@Walker -
I suppose this isnt the place, but you did allude to a “rebirth” in Franklinton in your article ;)
But you’re right, there are pioneers like those businesses willing to invest (although I think Orange Barrel chose the area because of its high visibility from the freeway more than anything else about the neighborhood). As for 400 West Street, I’m glad it is there, but artists alone won’t draw residents into a place – Look at the massive Russell Industrial Arts Center in Detroit, for example.
While any reborn neighborhood starts off with baby steps, places like the Short North which were also kicked off by artists didnt actually start off from the same starting line – they didn’t have to completely rebuild the neighborhood, and it was flanked on both sides by neighborhoods with attractive housing stock. And it was in a much better physical location between downtown and OSU. I really hope a massive developer steps in (hey, Nationwide!) to invest in the area. The floodwall was supposed to herald a renaissance, but it didnt. Neither did COSI. There is a reason why no major investments are happening there, and I’d argue its the housing stock more than anything else.
But yea, pool!
large developers? Nationwide? you got it all wrong buddy. that would be the wrong direction. dont really want my neighborhood sanitized. we believe in a more organic approach. and yes yea pool!