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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
I guess what I am saying is, yeah, a bunch of people buying their own houses. That’s what I meant, but failed to say. :?
Man, I should buy that house and just sit on it for a while… or two or three at that price.
20K!
I just paid off my car and I have no plans on ever buying a new one.
You’d pay more for a new car.
west park has some of the larger brick homes in the neighborhood. the housing stock over there seems to be a bit more solid than lets say avondale or hawkes. with the street parks it could make a great neighborhood, well i guess it already is. i know of pockets of folks who live and have rehabed some homes in that portion of franklinton. and yes thats CHEAP!!
Where abouts are you at CDS Sherman?
Maybe we could meet up sometime and talk Franklinton turkey? I could get a group of people interested in coming wiht, I’m sure.
Edit: Where is Nikos on this thread?
I’m down.
I’m just interested in the real low down.
What is the neighborhood like. Where are the interesting spots, buildings. Stuff about architecture. Areas to steer clear of. What-have-you.
I haven’t really been there on the ground with the arts in mind.
Are you serious? I had a friend who lived on Avondale and broad, in that 4 unit rowhouse on the righthand side if you are coming from Broad, and there is absolutely no way artists are going to live in this neighborhood without being attacked or robbed. She now lives in the suburbs, but during the time she was there, about 2 years ago, on avondale alone from broad to sullivant there were 4 murders during that time (remember the samuri sword guy? that was across the street from her). We will not even get into Dakota between Broad and Sullivant and how many crackhouses are there, with crack dealers sitting inside with automatic weapons. I am sorry but those streets are not fit for artists at this time.
:shock: :shock:
Even the pets in Franklinton are hardcore!
I am sorry but those streets are not fit for artists at this time.
Chris, you live there, do you feel safe? I feel safe when I’m inside Downtown Connection. I’ve never thought anyone would come running in with a samurai sword.
Speaking of samurai swords…do you remember the drag queen murder that happened in Clintonville in 2001 or 2002. Crime will happen everywhere, suburbs included.
So since crime is a problem in Franklinton, we might as well ignore the area, right? If it’s not safe for artists, who is it safe for? The folks who live there now?
Lets say hundreds of artists move to Franklinton and the thugs know it…are they going to target a bunch of artists? Maybe they’ll only target successful artists. Before we know it, the thugs will have an appreciation for art because they’re finding out which artwork will be more valuable. Maybe they won’t hurt the artist because they KNOW their artwork will be worth more. So the thugs NEED the artist to produce more work that they can steal and re-sell. :)
From the discussions I’ve had with officials in Franklinton, the violent crime in Eastern Franklinton has dropped a lot in the last few years. There’s still quite a bit of prostitution and drug dealing, but not nearly as much violent crime as other Columbus neighborhoods.
well josh i think i will respond to that one, ive been on mcdowell between rich and town st for 3 years now. i will admit that its rough, i have had not a single incident since ive lived here. i do not own a firearm and feel that i dont need to. there must be at times 15 to 20 dealers on of my corners, some know me from the area some dont. i found that if you leave them alone they leave you alone. i walk around here at night and during the day. maybe im crazy but ive gotten to know alot of the people who live down here. the same can be said for west franklinton. its all about getting to know your neighbors and your surroundings. alot of the crime is targeted and tends to surround the very element that creates it. as long as one doesnt get mixed up in it, they leave you alone. its all about common sense aswell. lock your doors and try not to flaunt anything fancy. i remember when gays were beaten and homes were invaded in parts of town like harrison west and vic vill. to be honest at times i feel safer walking down west broad at night than i do in the short north. i was attempted to be robbed at gun point in the short north 2 years ago at 1st ave and high st. thieves tend to be where the trendy spots are i think more. its hard to rob a crack head on west broad. kinda like getting blood from a stone.
im not knocking the short north i grew up at hubbard and high. that area has changed leaps and bounds. im a hard one to ask about feeling safe i guess because to be honest im used to living in the hood. ive lived and grew up in neighborhoods like this my entire life. so yes i feel very safe. as a women maybe not but im also not a women. dakota ave is really starting to look alot differnt. home again has renovated many homes on dakota near state st. i would not have a problem living anywhere in this part of town. i already live in the worst of it.
very true walker, the crime rate seems to adjust with the weather alot. as its getting colder alot of the people who deal on the corners tend not to be outside. alot of the crime in east franklinton is drug related. the gangs seem to be more concerned with doing that than breaking in to homes and buildings. although property crime still happens. the same can be said for west franklinton. as ive said before its the criminal element that fights change the most!!!
Maybe someone could offer free lesson in Transcendental Meditation to lower the crime rates. It is a proven fact that those who practice TM are more peaceful.
theres got to be a grant out there for that !!! i could see it now. the columbus buddhist temple is here in the neighborhood.
It is not the 17 year olds on your corner that destroy the community selling 100 worth of crack. It is the older guy that has set up a crack house in a crack heads home, and makes 2000 a night with ak47′s at his side. Sure the 17 year old might rob you, but there is an inherent problem in franklinton. The area is traditionally white in race who have sold drugs and had their problems over the years. Young black guys from the east side and other sides have moved in over the years because of gentrification on the east side and the short north and if you look at parts of the eat side compared to franklinton there are nice middle class parts on the east side and some of these kids start with more money in the drug game. Just like there are parts around the park on the hilltop that have wonderful streets it is the same in the east side. There is really no wonderful street or area in franklinton. I am sure you might be able to live and not get robbed, but cars will be broken you into, you will have to deal with swat raids, crack heads, getting gas at the marathon on broad st? I guess a small number of artists who have lived in the “hood” will feel comfortable, but not all have. These are experiences not everyone is used to. I would really not advocate this area to live for everyone. To me if you are advocating Franklinton, you might as well advocate Linden as a safe place to reside. Dumping money into this area, to me is not the best idea as I think Cds Sherman, or another poster before detailed the problems they had while rehabbing there. There are parts of the eastside maybe immediately east of Parsons downtown that are much safer and have much more potential. There are still many more projects to be completed in this area.
TM is not affiliated with any religion or government entity. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has trained several hundred people to teach the method. David Lynch is a huge supporter. I was thinking about trying to get him to come to Columbus for a guest appearance and give a talk on TM….it helps make the world more peaceful, productive, creative, and energized. It rocks.
well buterrior, i cant disagree with you more. many areas of linden have made great changes in the past 10 years. i know atleast 4 people personally who live in linden and own homes. many well mantained streets. as for franklinton again many streets with potential. west park, princeton to name a few. i dont know why you feel so compelled to shit on franklinton. east franklinton will another world here in about 5 to 7 years. theres more development slated for east franklinton than i care to go into and will not get into with you because you seem not to be interested. you need to seperate the to areas. east and west are very different parts of franklinton. go ahead and google images of the short north from hmm lets say 1975. west broad looks a bit nicer i think. thats besides the point. my father has lived in OTE since ohh 1988. and have owned other properties in the area long before that. ote has been very slow to change i think in part of not having much of a commercial corridor and the large pockets of low income sec 8 housing that litters the area. east franklinton is vacant. no homes to demolish, i did that 3 years ago. riverside bradley housing project is slated to be closed in 2010. sunset terrace is being razed we hope in 08. im very much in tune with the city, all the neighborhood assc.
and the hand full of developers that have bought every parcel of land surrounding me and many blocks in either direction. its all about the long term.
if someone doesnt feel safe moving to a certain part of town then i guess they wont. times have changed, theres a lack of the pioneer spirit that helped move vic vill and those kinds of areas today. its all about the property companies and the LLC’s that flip. suburban flight has become big business over the past 25 years. its rare to see the grass root pioneers that OTE and vic vill had in the 70s and 80s. very few over here in franklinton. there are alot of older and long time residents that are involved in the community then people who are or have recently moved into the nieghborhood. and thats a very positive thing,it puts people like me more in touch with the current residents. also allows them to stay involved in the future development of franklinton.
Honey, you’re the biggest woman I know. oh, snap!
But seriously, it does take a certain mentality to live in Franklinton or similar neighborhoods right now. And you’re right, that same pioneer spirit that changed the Short North doesn’t seem to exist anymore but I’m hoping we can change that.
People have this feeling that living in Franklinton or even the Hilltop is like living on Mars. I’m assuming the people on here that dog Franklinton have just had a completely different background than me and you have had…and thats cool…but why do they gotta rain on our parade?
My small town, NW Ohio, country bumpkin ass isn’t going out in the streets looking to score some smack so I’m not gonna hang with the dealers when I’m in Franklinton. Just like I didn’t go hang with the prostitutes I used to see in the Short North. Well, except for that one hot number. Kidding.
snap snap bitches!! lol
I do not see interaction with residents, i can personally name people who were moved from the short north to franklinton and then to hilliard, and barely had any say. East west franklinton whatever, I dont know where one ends and one begins I can say this though Avondale, dakota, hawkes any of those streets near that Marathon are not safe whatsoever. Maybe you found a pocket of great people where you live but I know many people from sullivant to broad along all the cross streets i named, and believe me this is not the area anyone wants to reside. I dont know what projects you are refering to if you are refering to the two tower projects that are very eastern end of franklinton then that area might possibly have potential, but if you are getting anywhere near Avondale you are nuts thinking that within the next 10 or even 15 years you are going to see progress.