Westland owners hope to make a mini-Easton
Saturday, May 10, 2008
BY MARK FERENCHIK
Owners of the largely vacant Westland Mall want to demolish it and replace it with an open-air shopping center of big-box stores, restaurants and smaller stores.
The mall turns 40 next year. It once was the primary shopping destination for residents of western Franklin County and beyond, but it was usurped by the nearby Mall at Tuttle Crossing and other malls.
Tearing down Westland and improving the property with such things as new lights and storm sewers would cost $3.3 million.
It's part of an effort to transform Westland into a place people want to visit again -- a smaller, less fancy version of Easton Town Center, catering to blue-collar residents in the area.
New plans offered for Kingsdale
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
BY DEAN NARCISO
The long-frozen redevelopment of Kingsdale Shopping Center in the heart of Upper Arlington might finally be thawing.
In a letter to the city 10 days ago, Regency proposed three options, all of which presume that a Giant Eagle would be rebuilt at nearly twice its current size along the east side of the Kingsdale property, and that the grocer's vacant building would be used in one of three ways: it could be leased to one or two midsize retailers, it could become home to Urban Active, a health club that has wanted to move in, or it could be sold to the city to be redeveloped with medical or other offices.
For about 10 years, the city and Regency have wrestled with different proposals, including bringing in a large retailer such as Target. The city would prefer high-paying medical-office jobs to boost its tax base.
Posted by
Walker
on
Fri May 02, 2008 9:13 am in
Shopping NewsI walked by the sneaker shop Status in the South Campus Gateway yesterday and noticed it had been newly emptied out. I sent an email to Matt Tomamichel to get the details and he informed me this morning that the store was closing down after their one-year lease was up and relocating to Cincinnati with a new name of "Corporate". The new store is scheduled to open on June 14th.
When he was surveying the country for a place to put down his first bike shop, Dan Monig didn't know that going green, getting healthy and skyrocketing gas prices were about to converge on Columbus. He just liked the city's atmosphere.
Since opening Paradise Garage a few weeks ago, he's been appreciating a lot more about the Capital City. The bike and clothing store has seen a lot of traffic as the Short North's come alive this spring, said Monig, who was a partner in the Flagstaff, Arizona, bike store AZ Bikes before coming to Columbus.
Walking into the new West Elm at Easton Town Center, the first thing you'll notice is the how colorful everything is.
The front of the modern home furnishings store is full of bright, lemon-yellow throw pillows and seaside-inspired blue glass vases. They're colors you'll also see down the way at Easton's trendy fashion boutiques.
"We're a very fashion-oriented business," said Bradley Odom, West Elm regional manager. "The biggest color in fashion for summer is yellow, so not only do you find it in the fashion world, now you can find it in the design world."
First tenant opens at Shoppes on Fifth
Thursday, April 10, 2008
ALAN FROMAN
The first tenant at the Shoppes on Fifth retail development at the former Ed Potter Mercedes-Benz site on West Fifth Avenue is now open. Salon Lofts, a Columbus-based company that offers loft space to self-employed beauty care professionals, opened about two weeks ago.
All other tenants are expected to be open by early June, said Paul Bloomfield, vice president of Kohr Royer Griffith, the real estate firm that purchased the property for the redevelopment.
Papa John's Pizza will be the next tenant to open, he said. The anchor tenant will be Buffalo Wild Wings. Another notable tenant will be The Original Soupman, a restaurant chain founded by Al Yeganeh whose original restaurant in New York was the inspiration for an episode of "Seinfeld." Panda Express, four local tenants and a national dry cleaning business will also be tenants.
The Problem With Rag-O-Rama: Why selling used clothing at full price isn't "fetch"
Debbie Bitzan, Editor-in-Chief
Issue date: 4/9/08
Like any typical college student, I am strapped and hog-tied by the limits of poverty. Every so often, there comes a day when my credit card is declined and I am denied the little luxuries that I just can't seem to live without. It is then that I begin to look for alternatives and as much as I love spending an exorbitant amount of time searching for relevant coupons to clip, I find that I lack the appropriate level of motivation to get myself moving in the Super Saver direction. Laziness causes me to embark on the easier, yet more frustrating journey to "thrifting."
Rag-O-Rama is a Columbus favorite for trading used junk that you don't need anymore; but even more so it is a social trademark, denoting those who shop there as independent, environmental and trendy.
"Rags" is actually a chain establishment, which has locations in four cities in the United States, comparable to the much larger thrift store chain Plato's Closet. Both companies pride themselves in their up-to-date fashions and their adequate trade offers. Although I have not been to Plato's Closet as many times as I have been to Rag-O-Rama, I have noticed a discrepancy in price range.
Attention Crafty People! Help me decorate my apron!
Posted by
lisathewaitress
on
Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:47 pm in
Shopping News
The North Market Apron Gala is coming up (May 17th, only $75 per person, and I assure you there is plenty of food and drink to be had), and I am planning my outfit. Last year I wore a super cool apron which was given to me, and came from Anthropologie. It was, of course, fabulous, but I couldn't be seen wearing the same apron two years in a row!!
This year, I thought maybe I'd get a head start on the process, and this is where you readers come in. Are you crafty? Artsy? This is your chance to pimp out your products.
I am thinking of an Ohio-Centric apron. Made by Ohioans, decorated by Ohioans. Ideally, I would like to purchase an apron from a Columbus crafter, hopefully a full bib-style (with pocket) so that I can attach as many things as possible. If you make aprons, or anything food or Ohio-related, which is reasonably priced (say, under $15), which can be pinned/ironed/whatever onto an apron, please let me know (SweetStella, I'm thinking of a pin with an Ohio, a tomato, a corn, a potato, an apple, a cherry?). Please attach picture or link or idea or whatever.
If my apron is fabulous enough, and I am nominated for best apron (which I was last year, it doesn't matter, because the same person always wins), I can stand up and tell everyone where the stuff came from.
After the event, I will take pictures of everything and post links to your etsy/shop/whatever so that my readers can check out your products.
Also, if you make small handbags with really long straps (the kind which can be worn across the chest, messenger bag style, hitting at the top of the legs), please let me know that, too. Those are my favorite kinds of bags. I'll carry that, too. Must have room for small camera, lip gloss, cell phone, and money!
I'd like to have everything by May 12th, which is the Monday before the event.
ps - I look especially good in green!
pps - no Buckeye gear, please
Galeria ZonaCoraZon has closed indefinitely after a disappointing March Madness Sale. Their Ethnographic art from Mexico and other countries hasn't been appreciated in Ohio going back even into the 1980's with the Ohio Gallery.
This bums me out, but I'm not surprised. I really digged this shop, as I'm a big fan of traditional mexican art (I like the masks and retablo art especially).
& MAN I just tried to stop by there today, unfortunate that they shut down.
Spring is about to sing. And once Christie Nohle gets over a bothersome bout of bronchitis, she'll be joining in.
The Urban Gardener owner looks up from a sink set in a worn countertop, where she's filling a watering can, to share her colorful world, as she's done for 10 years since the Short North shop opened.
In just a few weeks, Nohle will glance up to see a much more colorful shop, stuffed with thriving plants and thrilling flowers, and she can't wait.
All year long, though, she's bursting with knowledge.
A trip to Urban Gardener isn't a typical retail experience. Experienced gardeners and those just getting interested can expect to glean a bit of Nohle's green-thumb knowledge.
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