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The Walker Evans Effect wrote The Rumor Mill: City Center to become Courthouse?
November 15th, 2007
I got an anonymous tip this morning about the Franklin County Courthouse project delays having to do with the fact that the project may be moving into the City Center. I hope this rumor isn’t coming true because while it might save some construction dollars, the City Center is perfectly poised to bring a breath of fresh air downtown in the form of a mixed-use urban center. A courthouse would make it a 9-to-5 office block that’s unwelcoming to anyone who doesn’t belong there.
Anyway, here’s the rumor:
Related Stories:
- New Courthouse Design Getting Revamped
- City will buy ailing City Center mall for $2.88 million
- New courthouse may offer more
The two most abundant things in the universe are Hydrogren and stupidity.
If it means that the suburban office building won’t get built on Mound St., then I’m all for it.
If it does end up getting done at CC, it needs to go vertical in a big way. A single-use building shouldn’t consume a huge footprint on that site. We need more than just 9-5 pedestrians there.
I get rumors passed along via email all the time. Most don’t get posted. This one did since it’s from a fairly reputable source.
I hope it was just born out of watercooler chatter though and has no real basis.
I know city center needed to be fixed. It was a problem. But if that is true I have to assume that was the plan all along and the inclusion of residents was a farce.
I doubt this one is true…. The new courthouse location needs to be in closer proximity to the existing Franklin County buildings. The CC location has much more parking than would be advantageous for a new courthouse, and would have to be almost wholly razed to allow for a facility with the specific needs of the courthouse program. Not to mention the big $$$ thrown out the window for the design that I believe they are beginning to move earth for….
I think I said in the other City Center thread…
“City…don’t f’ this up”
well, this would be right up in my top 5 of ways to f’ this up.
The Franklin County Commissioners just approved the excavation contract – expect digging very soon on Mound St.
I park with a group at City Center parking garage and I got an email the other day that said they will be closing the top two floors of City Center after Macy’s is out and will move the remaining businesses on those floors to the ground floor. Then they will start construction on something on the top two floors but leaving the ground floor open to store fronts. I have only heard that it will be changed to office space. I have not heard anything about using this area for the courts.
For those of us who have jobs near City Center, the mall has always been more than a place to shop. It’s a warm walkway in the winter months. It’s a nice place for lunch, offering a variety not seen in other parts of downtown. Speed walkers use the top floor to exercise during their break. It was a nice place to kill time and socialize, at least when there was more stores and people there. It would have been a shame if they demolished the whole building. I can live with preserving a third of it.
Hi everyone. Long-time reader, first-time post. And I have a feeling my post is going to be very unpopular, but here goes. I strongly second hockeyfan – I work in the Riffe Center, and my employer provides parking in City Center. The ability to walk through City Center is very important to me and my co-workers, especially during the winter months. It’s more than just being comfortable during bad weather – sometimes I really don’t feel safe walking down High Street (past the liquor store, bail bondsman, etc.) after dark, and now that it’s getting dark much earlier, I worry about having to do it every night.
I know, I know, I should take the bus. But my employer provides free parking, and riding the bus would cost more money than driving my car – I only live a few miles away – and I don’t have much money to spare.
You’re all welcome to commence with the hate on my post…
No hate here, welcome aboard.
Although I see your point completely, I would certainly hope that any new design would encourage some sort of covered/sheltered walkthrough and most importantly eliminate some of the element that create the feeling of being unsafe!
p.s. The Courthouse would do exactly the opposite of this, by lining up criminals outside smoking prior to their various pretrials, arraignments, and trials. Of course the courthouse also houses jail, probation and parole, etc.
No hate at all. I like to think this is a fairly welcoming community around here, even if your opinion isn’t the popular way of thinking.
I’m really in favor of ripping the roof off the inner walkway of the City Center and making it open-air through the middle. I think it would be more inviting to pedestrian traffic and while it might make for colder walks during the winter, I’m sure they could preserve the safety aspect for those who don’t want to walk along High Street.
Welcome to the site! Glad to see you’ve make the jump from lurker to poster! :D
I didn’t want to be a lurker; I’m just a state worker who is too chicken to use my state computer to post my opinions on the web while at work (for the record, I’m at home right now :) ).
I realize something needs to be done with City Center. I’m just hoping they realize that until they tear it down, there are people who still use it. I’d also like the city to consider that stretch of High Street and perhaps come up with some ways to make it a little friendlier in the meantime. I know the Capital Crossroads people are around a lot during the day (I’m not really sure who they are or what their purpose is, but they wear neon green and navy blue uniforms, and I see them picking up trash, cleaning, etc.). Something like that, or maybe a bike patrol officer that just cruises around that area between 5pm and 8pm.
The irony of the situation is that by the time they finally get a solution to City Center in place, I will hopefully have a new job – one that doesn’t require a long commute between me and my car. Better yet – a job that doesn’t require a commute at all – anyone know of any legal positions available in Grandview?
I know, I know, I should take the bus. But my employer provides free parking, and riding the bus would cost more money than driving my car – I only live a few miles away – and I don’t have much money to spare.
You’re all welcome to commence with the hate on my post…
You’re employer pays for your parking?? Lucky you. I have to pay $76 per month and that is because I get a group discount.
I was also told that the parking garage works independant of the mall so if the mall was to get a date with a wrecking ball, the garage will more than likely stay open. Only, we’d have to walk to work outside in this lovely Ohio weather and we’d have only two restaurants to choose from for lunch instead of ten.
Well, if Artspace moves forward with their plans to renovate the Trautman Building (which is one of those buildings on the west-side of High that houses some of the less desirable retail options) then I think it will have a big impact on lifting up that area. Not to mention a revitalized City Center will probably in turn bring about better development all around it.
unless of course the rumor at the heart of this thread comes true, and instead we populate City Center with criminals…
unless of course the rumor at the heart of this thread comes true, and instead we populate City Center with criminals…
Maybe they could move South HS there as well and eliminate the middleman.
A.
unless of course the rumor at the heart of this thread comes true, and instead we populate City Center with criminals…
Maybe they could move South HS there as well and eliminate the middleman.
A.
:lol:
Was at the mall yesterday. Steak Escape has closed shop, they opened with the mall in 1989 (and left a sign saying to eat lunch at Tuttle instead. Thanks thats practical). I also work downtown and liked it for the food options, but now there is a Subway, a couple of Chinese places, the ice cream place, and 3 really strange (and gross) local places (crazy chiken, BBQ place, and angus steak and smoothie place). Oh, and Sabarros.
I think there are still plenty of eating options downtown. Most of the ones in the mall were yucky anyway.
I walk to work all the time and hardly ever go through the city center. I guess people just don’t want to bundle up to go outside? :)
Don’t walk on High St. You will probably feel safer if you would walk over to Third and get to the garage that way. Not very many bus stops and people are not really just standing around on that street.
I think this talk of not feeling safe on s. High St. is absurd at best. It is more internalized fear than fear of anything real in the area. So an economically disadvantaged person may be waiting for a bus? That doesn’t mean I am afraid of them. And some of those shops along S. High are a little different, but it’s not like the mobs outside waiting for you. It is a fact that our downtown is one of the safest in the country, the state, and one of the safest areas in our city. Keeping a structure like city center around for the few people who venture into downtown and want an “enclosed” environment, obviously not enough people or it would be doing better, is not the best use of the prime city center site for the entire population.