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    Pop-Up Shipping Container Park Coming to Franklinton This Summer

    While the long-term plans for the land located just south of 400 West Rich Street call for several new mixed-use apartment buildings, the land won’t be sitting empty in the short term. During yesterday’s East Franklinton Review Board meeting, representatives from CASTO proposed a pop-up shipping container part that was met with unanimous approval by the Board.

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    “The idea here is to create something iconic for the field that is currently vacant for the summer,” said CASTO Development Manager Justin Bird. “This will start to create a brand for the project we’re proposing, but will also be something we can give to the community to help local artists and nonprofits.”

    Bird said that CASTO’s role would be to construct and fund the project, which would then be managed by local entities with close ties to the neighborhood.

    “That’s the key to this project’s success, and we’ve already reached out to the management at 400 West Rich as well as the Franklinton Development Association,” said Bird. “They have ties to community that CASTO does not. We see them as programming this project and working with artists that they know.”

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    As to what that programming might look like, the ideas are still up in the air, but it is said that the shipping container park will keep an arts-centric focus. That could mean pop-up art gallery shows, small art studio workspaces, retail spaces for local artisans, as well as dining spaces that can host food trucks, similar to what 400 West Rich did with Dinin’ Hall across the street for several years.

    “The only thing missing is a ferris wheel,” joked East Franklinton Review Board Member Bart Overly during the presentation.

    Bird said that the shipping container park could be up and running as quickly as six weeks from today, and says that it won’t interfere with construction on the site, which won’t begin until the fall.

    For ongoing discussion and updates on Franklinton, CLICK HERE to visit our Messageboard.

    Renderings provided by CASTO / EDGE.

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    Walker Evans
    Walker Evanshttps://columbusunderground.com
    Walker Evans is the co-founder of Columbus Underground, along with his wife and business partner Anne Evans. Walker has turned local media into a full time career over the past decade and serves on multiple boards and committees throughout the community.
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