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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
You’re talking about two separate things though H.
Preservation of the neighborhood is one thing, but it’s totally different than what spurred the revitalization of VV and IV…which was people simply deciding to start being there.
I’m just not seeing anyone deciding to be in Franklinton, and instead just a lot of people saying that people should…
It may very well be that the only people who want to be in Franklinton are already there…and I bet a survey would show that most of them don’t even want to be there.
EDIT: p.s. the only thing I’ve seen so far that seems a real idea that I feel could work is Brew’s, which is to create something there that would make the area actually appealing. Of course, it could also end up being a hunormous tax dollar money pit from hell if it didn’t work.
True. Some of East Franklinton needs razed. Some of it has already been razed. But there’s still a lot there that can work with just a little bit of TLC.
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.
+1
Wait, so you’re complaining about the Internet VS The Good Old Days ™? :roll:
How many people do you speak for? Because while only the fringe might be willing to move there as-is right now, other neighborhoods started the exact same way. People didn’t want to move to German Village in 1950. People didn’t want to move to the Short North in 1980. Why can’t Franklinton be looked at during similar points on a rebirthing timeline?
It sounds like the major players in the area are still holding their cards very close to their chest. Everyone is waiting for everyone else to make a move or for someone else to offer to buy everyone out and it’s not happening yet. There have been some smaller projects here and there, but of course they don’t get as much attention and are still looked over as the general mindset continues to be “PEOPLE DON’T LIKE FRANKLINTON”. :?
I love and support the revitalization of our downtown. I do not live there currently.
Franklinton is part of Columbus.
Very well said. I don’t live in Franklinton, but I have no problem being a cheerleader if it can get redeveloped and make downtown Columbus that much more vibrant for the rest of us.
It sounds like you’re jumping the gun. This isn’t a neighborhood yet. It sounds like you’re tring to compare Franklinton 2007 with Schiller Park 2007 or Short North 2007, which is a completely useless comparison. We need to look at how we’ve managed to redevelop those neighborhoods decades ago and start front scratch in Franklinton.
If you can manage to look at Franklinton a bit more objectively I’m sure you’ll see that it does have potential. It’s just that the “who”, “when”, and “why” are still uncertain.
I think the city should have a program for all the downtown neighborhoods that provide incentives and subsidies for builders and developers to build infill housing and commercial space. Imagine if, instead of sinking millions upon millions of dollars into Whittier Peninsula, the city took that same money and gave it to builders in increments of 25K (just for conversations sake). That would mean for every 1 million that the city would spend on a new neighborhood that we debatably don’t need, they could provide seed money for the construction of 40 new homes in an existing neighborhood. Of course, with the money would come design review by someone or some office. That could really go a long way towards filling gaps in Franklinton, OTE, Merion Village, Schumacher Place, Weinland Park, etc.
I agree with Core :shock: though, it would be nice to see it happen in a more organic way. Just take a look at whats happening northeast of Fourth and Gay to see what happens when we let the city try to make too many things happen at once.
I still say Central Park. It’s got all of the public/private goodness, every real city has one, it gives visitors another place to check out, and it converts some of the overwhelming land area in Franklinton from a negative into a positive. It’s well connected to the riverfront and bikepath. It’d also be a great place for festivals and watching Red, White, and Boom.
It also gets a national buzz going about an area of town we used to want people to overlook. Should be great for fostering a nice housing market in the area surrounding the park.
The only problem I have with a central park idea is the corporate sponsorship that would inevitably come with it. We would have Nationwide Park or The Limited Park. It would be nice to do something like that and name it after someone from the neighborhood but then it would be the So and So Park presented by Nationwide.
How many people do you speak for? Because while only the fringe might be willing to move there as-is right now, other neighborhoods started the exact same way. People didn’t want to move to German Village in 1950. People didn’t want to move to the Short North in 1980. Why can’t Franklinton be looked at during similar points on a rebirthing timeline?
How much of the ‘don’t want to move there’ mentality has to do with the whole floodplain issue? Even with the floodwall, do buyers still need to secure flood insurance as a precondition for getting a mortgage?
LOL…yeah, cause as often as I’m on here I’m clearly anti-internet. Again, the point is that the Short North and OTE and GV didn’t need an ad campaign to drive people there, people saw the value and just did it. This isn’t happening with Franklinton, and I wonder if a single member of this forum lives there. If not, again…it’s a whole bunch of people saying “Move to Franklinton and make it cool…so I don’t have to”
How many people do you speak for? Because while only the fringe might be willing to move there as-is right now, other neighborhoods started the exact same way. People didn’t want to move to German Village in 1950. People didn’t want to move to the Short North in 1980. Why can’t Franklinton be looked at during similar points on a rebirthing timeline?
yes…they did…that’s how those areas became what they are, not through hard selling and advertising…but because people wanted to live there and after enough of them actually moved there instead of telling other people to, they became revitalized areas
It sounds like you’re jumping the gun. This isn’t a neighborhood yet. It sounds like you’re tring to compare Franklinton 2007 with Schiller Park 2007 or Short North 2007, which is a completely useless comparison. We need to look at how we’ve managed to redevelop those neighborhoods decades ago and start front scratch in Franklinton.
um…this has been a neighborhood for longer than any of us have been alive. It just hasn’t been a hip/cool/expensive/rejuvenated neighborhood. Nor do I think it will be.
If you can manage to look at Franklinton a bit more objectively I’m sure you’ll see that it does have potential. It’s just that the “who”, “when”, and “why” are still uncertain.
Again, the rehabilitated areas in the downtown area have become that because people just did it. They just went ahead and moved there, bought property, rehab’d it, moved in shops, because they wanted to be there or saw a real value there. It wasn’t for tax abatements, ad campaigns, catchy slogans, mayoral speeches, official designations as “art districts”…it was because it was desirable real estate.
If Franklinton met this criteria we’d all be posting threads like “WOW! have you been in Franklinton lately?” instead of “how can we talk people into believing that Franklinton is the next place they should move?”.
Preservation of the neighborhood is one thing, but it’s totally different than what spurred the revitalization of VV and IV…which was people simply deciding to start being there.
Preservation and economic development/revitalization are flip sides of the same coin.
Google the name Donavan Rypkema (I hope I spelled that right…) and read the studies he’s done on the economics of historic preservation. Historic preservation drives economic redevelopment… it’s local, it’s green, and it’s unique. It defines community character, and provides the framework that all of these other initiatives get built around. Why were galleries able to open in the Short North back in the day? Because there was existing commercial space there. Cheap rent and cheap housing. They provide the incubator for small businesses.
Let’s talk abou the high rent issues. The Cap. Carlyles Watch. The reason why Carlyles Watch got so expensive? They had to rebuild everything from scratch. The most successful downtown development projects are the ones where there was an existing building to rehab. Call the Downtown Development Resource Center, and ask for the stats.
Everyone didn’t just decide that the SN was cool one day. There was a park, cool buildings, cheap rent, and an opportunity. The historic designation made sure that the cool stuff stayed intact, and that new development complimented the character of what was there. Artists and gallery owners were drawn there because the existing infrastructure supported their aims, and that in turn generated opportunity.
I don’t know what sorts of insurance is required. I did read that there was some sort of no-build restriction placed on the neighborhood for decades that was lifted after the completion of the floodwall. No one could really do much in the way of building improvements in the area since it was prone to be destroyed by flooding pretty easily.
The current stigma associated with Franklinton is the exact same stigma that plagued the Short North 25 years ago. It was a run-down dump with crime and poverty issues.
But stigmas can be overcome. I’d hate for everyone to give up on the City Center or COTA just because they’ve got a negative stigma.
Vic Village’s historic district weren’t even adopted until 73, and it’s district guidelines in 89.
Same as Italian Village.
German Village was established in 60 as a historic district…it’s guidelines also adapted in 89.
The move to those areas had very little to do with the preservation of them, IMO, the preservation of them happened after people moved there and decided they wanted to keep it a certain way after the investments were made.
But stigmas can be overcome. I’d hate for everyone to give up on the City Center or COTA just because they’ve got a negative stigma.
Actually the current stigma is all of the above…and that it’s ugly. Therefore eliminating all of the things that actually made the Short North attractive despite the stigma.
I know its difficult to see beyond the crap, but I just took a drive down West Park and Dakota on Thursday and saw a couple of new builds and several renovations. They’re MUCH better than the vinyl dream that the Vince Gazzara dude has. Some empty lots were shown to me where there will be future new builds (with garages and porches) available to be grabbed up by willing home buyers. It’s a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. But, obviously, whoever buys these homes will have to understand that there’s still gonna be some shady neighbors close by along with pockets of great neighbors! Sounds like ANY neighborhood to me!
I bought in the Hilltop four years ago and I’ve been an advocate for both the Hilltop and Franklinton ever since. Its my dream to have the Franklinton Arts Group and the Hilltop Arts Group to join foces and become FAG HAG. :)
But seriously folks, you don’t HAVE to live in Franklinton to be able to go to the Franklinton Arts District meetings or events. There are gay and straight members, some who live in the area and some who don’t. We’re going to be having a Holiday Party in December, stay tuned for details.
I think it’s tough to expect anyone who has the intentions to improve the area to move to Franklinton right now. For those of you how already have – you have my respect. But there are a lot of public safety issues to clear up before lots of people invest time and passion in that neighborhood on an individual level. Maybe if they close down that liquor store where I see a drug deal going down 9 times out of ten when heading to 315…
I think the only way Franklinton is going to get the makeover it deserves is with a big corporate partner and a from-scratch rebuild. I like the Central Park idea. I like the idea of Euro-style pre-fab low cost high-density housing geared toward young professionals (like right-out-of-school yps without $200,000 to drop on a downtown loft), young families and artsts of diverse backgrounds. I also think this is the one close downtown neighborhood where we can try something new with architecture. Sure, there are some beautiful buildings worth preserving, but our generation should leave our own mark on the city (and I hope its a more thoughtful and aesthetic mark than the McMansions in a Powell subdivision.) We have many beautiful historic neighborhoods in Columbus – let’s try something new in Franklinton and encourage local creatives to open businesses outside the strictures of some of the historic neighborhoods. It would be just one more facet that truly makes Columbus the Indie Art Caiptal of the World.
The Central Park idea is cool, (especially since COSI used to be Central High School)….it could be Central Park 2. Although aren’t they still trying to turn Whittier Peninsula into some sort of park? Maybe we can get two huge parks close to downtown.
And while I’m sure Franklinton has their share of drug deals, I’ve seen plenty of drug deals at various night clubs around town. Or are drugs okay as long as you’re wearing?
Thought I’d save Daniel some time on this one…
“Back in the early 1980′s the Short North was known for dilapidated buildings, crime, drugs, and prostitution. The name “Short North” was used by police to describe the run down area between downtown Columbus and The Ohio State University.”
Go here for a few pictures of what the Short North used to look like. http://www.woodcompanies.com/History.htm
Funny shirt about Franklinton! I found a similar picture of a shirt circa 1984.
:)
Again though Josh, the difference was a pretty distinct one.
The Short North still offered those amazing houses and buildings and
High Street, and was desirable to the artists and pioneers of the neighborhoods…without having to explain to them why it was desirable.
To me, that’s always going to be the difference with Franklinton.
I’ll give the Short North the fact that the houses are huge, something Franklinton doesn’t have. But, its not like those houses came already renovated. In the 80′s, one acquaintance of mine had to turn his Neil Avenue “mansion” back into one home. It had been converted into apartments. He told me his friends thought he was crazy when he bought that home…not because of the amount of work, but because of the location. The same way pioneers had to fix up those houses, is the same way pioneers in Franklinton have a semi-blank slate. Have you seen Chris Sherman’s loft in Franklinton? Freakin’ amazing! He has a view of downtown that I don’t think anyone in the Short North has.
As for the buildings, Broad Street is our High Street. The buildings on Broad Street in Franklinton are no different than how the buildings used to look in the Short North…although I think they’re taller there. The Short North is about the same distance from downtown as Franklinton is. The corner of Broad and High is a historic downtown corner and since everyone has taken over North and South High, I would think people would begin to stretch out onto Columbus’ principle East-West road.
The Miranova is directly across the river from Franklinton (haha, I wonder how THEIR views are) and the new Main Street bridge is going to be completed in a few years…basically connecting Miranova residents with Franklinton. Who’s gonna cross the bridge first?
I don’t think anyone has to explain to me why Franklinton IS desirable.
Maybe I’m just drinkin’ the Kool-Aid that a few people are serving.
well…drinking the kool-aid maybe…buying the property, not so much…
That’s what I’m saying. I see a whole lot of people telling me how up and coming Franklinton is, how much potential it has, how it’s such a great move to start thinking of Franklinton’s future.
I just don’t see any of them actually buying, renting, or otherwise investing in it.
If someone was telling me about this hot stock tip, and they weren’t buying any for themselves, I’d be equally skeptical.
The only thing keeping me, personally, from buying in Franklinton right now is that I already live in a house locked in at 5.5% for 30 years. But I’m just a stones throw from Franklinton anyway. And even that isn’t keeping me from looking at lots for a potential new build in Franklinton. But I’m only one guy, there are other people already investing in the area.
Something was messed up with this link today but it normally works:
http://www.franklinton.org/success.html
And here are some of the homes:
http://franklinton.org/City%20view.htm
And then there’s the Mayors Home Again project:
http://development.columbus.gov/Bizdevelopment/HomeAgain/Index.asp
The B&T Metals site is still up in the air and Cooper Stadium just got annexed for future development.
Here’s what your own mayor said about that:
““We want to see Cooper Stadium reborn as an asset to the entire community, whether as a site for recreation and tourism or jobs and business development,†said Mayor Coleman. “The City is in the bullpen, ready to help our partners the Franklin County Commissioners as they pitch private developers. The City is already engaged in the surrounding area, with hundreds of jobs being developed at West Edge Business Park and our efforts to improve housing throughout Franklinton.â€Â
And I consider every member of the Franklinton Arts District as inventors whether they live there or not.
People are investing, they’re just buying low. It might be a long time before anyone starts selling high. But I don’t expect change to happen overnight.