RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
The Columbus Dispatch wrote
Struggle for development in Franklinton
Homes not right fit for neighborhood, leaders say
Sunday, October 28, 2007
By Mark Ferenchik
Vince Gazzara wants to build four houses in Franklinton, the poor Columbus neighborhood of century-old houses just west of Downtown that is struggling to reverse its fortunes. But he doesn’t want to build basements, garages or porches. So neighborhood leaders — as much as they want new construction — don’t want his houses.
The houses Gazzara wants to build aren’t fancy. They’re two-story, vinyl-sided homes on slabs that would sell for $75,000. Carol Stewart, who leads the Franklinton Area Commission, said she wants better.
If nothing else, this episode is another example of the difficulties of building in the city’s core, especially Franklinton, where builders couldn’t go until the massive floodwall around it was finished in 2004.
Related Stories:
- Franklinton: The new Short North?
- City hopes to make Franklinton streets safer
- City demos two more blighted homes in Franklinton
- Franklinton rehabs bring in some new life
well, the problem as I see it is a real lack of rehab-worthy properties in Franklinton. There aren’t a wealth of giant Victorians and multi-story brick buildings.
If the price point isn’t right for building a better house there, then don’t freaking build it yet.
That’s great, except for the people living there who want and can afford something at the price-point their neighborhood reflects. By the time you push prices up to north of $100 and closer to $125, these people are going to either have to move somewhere where housing exists at a lower price, or figure out why they wouldn’t move out to the suburbs and get more SF for the dollar and better schools, less crime as a bonus.
For me, responsible development is more about meeting people where they are than it is about providing people what I want.
I think East and West Franklinton are two completely different beasts.
The developer in the original is going to have a hard time selling spread-out single-family homes for too much money in West Franklinton
East Franklinton on the other hand could be very fertile ground for building large condo developments that are affordable for “young professionals” and offer a very good proximity to downtown. I can imagine medium-sized units selling today between $125-$200k very easily if they’re close enough to the river.
The developer in the original is going to have a hard time selling spread-out single-family homes for too much money in West Franklinton
East Franklinton on the other hand could be very fertile ground for building large condo developments that are affordable for “young professionals” and offer a very good proximity to downtown. I can imagine medium-sized units selling today between $125-$200k very easily if they’re close enough to the river.
How ’bout the Coop? Think there would be enough interest that far East to get a mixed-use project off the ground? In my mind, it has a much better future as housing, neighborhood retail and office, than it ever will as an entertainment venue.
I think the odds of finding a developer willing to put 200k’ish condos in place of Cooper’s Stadium are about the same as Colbert winning the White House.
p.s. As to the Short North comparisons, the other thing I see, at least in how I remember it, is that the Short North revitalization wasn’t a sponsored or city thing. People pioneered it themselves basically, and a huge portion of that was the arts community.
I just don’t see the same thing happening in Franklinton and the whole thing just seems very forced and not at all organic.
For me, responsible development is more about meeting people where they are than it is about providing people what I want.
I guess I look at it more from the standpoint of the people *currently* living in the neighborhood. The 70 year old grandmother whose life savings is esentially wrapped up in the house that she and her husband purchased in 1942. She’s the one whose been sweeping her steps, and cutting her lawn, and planting flowers for the last 60+ years as all of her neighbors have died or moved on, and the houses on her block have deteriorated.
While the same frame house in Victorian Village might sell for 250,000, her house is only going to sell for 40 or 50,000. If some of the empty and deteriorated buildings on her block were rehabbed, her house would likely be worth significantly more.
So maybe when she needs to go to that nursing home, she’ll be able to afford it, and possibly have a little something left over to leave to her kids, you know… the ones who’ve all moved out to Hilliard.
Exactly. That’s why we either need: 1) a developer with the money and the stones to buy up a massive chunk to redevelop things on his/her own, or 2) a huge public project to make the market suitible for developers to enter (i.e. my Central Park idea).
It needs momentum, and it’s clearly not going to get it like German Village or the Short North did. It won’t get it like OTE will either. It just doesn’t have the structures to rehab.
So far I’ve only seen the city say they’ll assist developers in turning Franklinton around without really taking a very proactive role. Where else are you seeing “force” from the city?
So far I’ve only seen the city say they’ll assist developers in turning Franklinton around without really taking a very proactive role. Where else are you seeing “force” from the city?
I don’t mean just from the city. I mean things like the Franklinton Arts District group, this very website, etc. In other words, there wasn’t a need for this big organized push of “We need to fix the Short North” like I’m seeing here. It had it’s own reasons for being attractive and the pioneers saw it and came in. Once they’d done their thing for a little while it started to become what it is now.
That is what feels forced to me. If the opportunity existed in Franklinton that existed in the pre-developed Short North, you wouldn’t need various committees and slogans and ad campaigns, you’d just need to sit back and watch.
Sorry, I keep forgetting that I’m a company with vested interested in Franklinton and not just a person who wants Columbus to be as awesome as possible.
:?
I think generally, people are more aware with what’s going in the city today than they perhaps were 30 years ago with the Short North. I’m sure technology is a big factor in that, but I don’t think it means that Franklinton is going to end up looking more like Easton in a few years.
It was probably quite a bit easier to do in the Short North- the buildings were there, just needed a some love. East Franklinton sounds like a ‘scrape and rebuild from the ground-up’ situation. Even though rehab can cost as much or more than ground-up construction, the existing buildings in SN gave a larger group of individuals the ability to evolve the area piece by piece over a generous span of time.
I tend to agree, but wonder if the nature of the area (ie large swaths of industrial real estate owned by a few players) is such that a more, um, expedited approach is the only way to make it happen.
If I’m right about that (and there’s a good possibility that I’m not…) then I think the points I made in my post on pg2 are still valid.
I think if some of you stopped rushing to get through Franklinton and took a minute to drive around there, you would see several older buildings that would be perfect candidates for renovations, including several small brick warehouses that could be converted to homes. I think most of the housing in Franklinton is more 30s and up due to the substantial floods that have wreaked havoc in the area, so they are lacking architectural style compared to Short North and OTE. They have also not been kept up due to the poverty level of the area which according to Columbus history started in the 1900s. I think it would make sense for the City to think about the type of housing/architectural style that should be available in that area before letting anyone build there. I would like to see something different than what is offered downtown or in the suburbs, definitely with more of an industrial feel to it.
Franklinton has been ignored for about 100 years for redevelopment and growth. Victorian Village used to be “Flytown”, German Village used to be slums, OTE is still going through changes and will be for years to come, so what we are seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg. I just hope someone spends some doe on long term planning for the area and doesn’t let someone like this put in houses that are just quick fixes and won’t bring the necessary people to the area to aid in its redevelopment.
Again though, GV, VV, OTE, etc. didn’t have all these initiatives and websites and talking heads saying “HEY! Go there, I promise it’s gonna be cool soon!”.
The biggest problem that Franklinton has…is that it’s Franklinton.
People don’t want to move there. I wonder how many of the participants in the Franklinton Arts Group actually live in or want to live in Franklinton. I wonder how many advocates for it’s redevelopment believe enough in what they’re saying that they’re putting their money where their mouth is.
That’s the problem and the difference. Know why people didn’t have big committees and websites and slogans advocating buying buildings and living/working in the SN? Because they just went ahead and bought the buildings and did it.
No one wants to do that in Franklinton, they want to talk other people into doing it instead.
Agreeing with Coremodels, isn’t it interesting that the boom after the floodwall was completed never happened. I remember hearing about how that massive public-works project would breathe new life into the area, but it just hasn’t happened yet, at least not on the West end.
It’s actually the “Franklinton Arts District”, or FAD. Quite a different ackronym than that of the “Franklinton Arts Group”. :wink:
It’s actually the “Franklinton Arts District”, or FAD. Quite a different ackronym than that of the “Franklinton Arts Group”. :wink:
LOL…well maybe they should change it, because if they can get the gay community to start believing and buying in Franklinton THEN I’ll believe the hype ;)
People don’t want to move there. I wonder how many of the participants in the Franklinton Arts Group actually live in or want to live in Franklinton. I wonder how many advocates for it’s redevelopment believe enough in what they’re saying that they’re putting their money where their mouth is.
I don’t know that you have to live in an area to promote it, love it, or support it. I agree there is some value to putting your money where your mouth is, but say folks are renters and can’t afford to even buy cheap and then rehab… or have established homes in other communities.
I love and support the revitalization of our downtown. I do not live there currently.
We definitely need to look at Columbus Arts support and development holistically. FAD is important to Columbus development and the arts because Franklinton is part of Columbus.
OK Mike, but seriously…if I go to the next FAD meeting…
Other than it being actually held at a bar in Franklinton, who am I going to see there that either lives or works there?
I just don’t see the point of saying “I’m an artist and I think Franklinton is cool…but I live and work somewhere else and don’t plan on going there other than to the FAD meetings”.
I mean, Harlan Schottenstein surely isn’t living there, I’m quite sure he just bought a helluva lot of cheap ass real estate that he hopes gets less cheap…by talking other people into moving there.
I hear what you are saying Dave and I don’t totally disagree.
I know Franklinton has some challenges. Just trying to stay open minded about it.
I just don’t see the same thing happening in Franklinton and the whole thing just seems very forced and not at all organic.
The short north was not organic.
The vast majority of the Short North is included within the two historic districts, VV and IV. The design review that accompanied that designation *made sure* that people did high quality renovations/restorations. The porches weren’t pulled down, the gingerbread trim was saved… and when enough of the buildings looked respectable, then appropriate infill was constructed. The process has been happening for 20 years… it’s just gotten to the point that people point and admire now.
And may I point out, that for the vast majority of that time, the housing has remained at reasonable prices… it’s only recently that the impact has really changed the dynamic of the neighborhood.
But you make a really good point… the most successful revitalization efforts happen because the community and the government work together. Government programs alone will not “create” revitalization. It also takes private energy, enterprise, and vision.
Franklinton doesn’t have the mansions that surround Goodale Park, but there is a good mix of residential and industrial buildings there. Industrial buildings can be rehabbed into a variety of spaces: residential, commercial, office, art studios. The Franklinton Housing development group has been doing a good job of promoting rehabilitation.
But lose a few of those big industrial buildings… throw a couple of Walgreens up… put in some ugly vinyl sided box on slab houses… and you’ve just got an ugly old neighborhood. It won’t take much to rip the heart out of Franklinton. And they don’t have the kind of protections that VV and IV did. Half the buildings in VV would be gone if they didn’t have the historic district designation. Franklinton doesn’t. And the latest example of this developer wanting to put in crappy housing is going to be exactly the reason why it fails there.