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    20 Things to Look Forward to in 2017

    2016 is over and 2017 has officially arrived. What better way to kick off a new year on a positive note by highlighting some of the upcoming big events (that we’re aware of) and get the next 365 days off to a good start. The list below is by no means an all-inclusive one, as there will certainly be many more announcements, events, grand openings and surprised to be unveiled over the course of the year.

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    1. The Grand Opening of IKEA

    Many local shoppers have been looking forward to the grand opening of the Columbus IKEA ever since it was first announced two years ago. Construction officially broke ground last May, and the letters went up on the building in October. An official grand opening date has not yet been announced outside of “Summer 2017” but we’ll be brining you more details as they’re made available.

    2. New Restaurants Opening at Bridge Park

    While residents began booking their tours of new apartments and condos at Bridge Park in Dublin at the tail end of 2016, the new restaurants, bars and other amenities have yet to arrive. You can expect the floodgate of grand openings to begin in 2017 at venues that include Local Cantina, PINS Mechanical Company, Cap City Fine Diner, 3 Palms Pizzeria, The Avenue Steak Tavern, RAM Restaurant & Brewery and more.

    3. The New Scioto Peninsula Park

    Work has officially begun on a new greenspace next to COSI that will bring another outdoor attraction to the riverfront Downtown. The eight-acre site is replacing former surface parking lots for COSI, which will be buried underneath the park in a new 620-space underground parking deck structure.

    4. Dinosaurs at COSI

    Speaking of COSI, there’s something new planned for the inside of the building as well. The organization announced a partnership with the American Museum of Natural History that will bring dinosaur skeletons to COSI later this year for a new permanent installation and ongoing programming support from AMNH.

    5. New Grandview Heights Pool

    The City of Grandview Heights got straight to work on tearing out their old municipal pool after closing the 2016 season out a few weeks early back in August. This summer, a new pool will open to residents and guests that includes a toddler pool, competition pool, diving wells and water slides.

    6. The Big Give

    While The Big Give 24-hour nonprofit fundraising event has taken place biennially in Columbus, the exact date is never announced until the last minute. The last event that took place in 2015 set a record mark by raising over $15 million for 587 local and regional nonprofits in a single day, and even bigger goals will be likely set for this year.

    7. PRIDE on The Riverfront

    The organizers of the PRIDE Parade and Festival announced in October that the annual event will be relocating in 2017. Instead of taking place in Goodale Park, the festival will be held on the Riverfront in a configuration similar to the Arts Festival. The PRIDE Parade route will remain largely the same on High Street, but will run south-bound instead of north-bound with the Riverfront as the ending destination.

    8. An Upgraded Gay Street

    2016 was a big year for construction in the Gay Street area Downtown, and some of those projects will start to launch in 2017. Work is slated to wrap up this year at The Madison, bringing new retail, offices and residents to the area. Interior work will be completed on The Citizens Building in early 2017, which includes new apartments and the relocated Veritas Tavern on the ground floor. The new POP Retail Incubator is slated for a Spring 2017 launch. And four new restaurants and bars are already in the works for early 2017 openings, including a bourbon bar, an Irish pub and a poké shop.

    9. Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza from Giordano’s

    Speaking of new restaurants, one of the biggest imports to Columbus in 2017 will be the arrival of Giordanno’s. Representatives with the Chicago-based deep dish pizzeria have confirmed plans for a local store, but few other details about the location or the expected grand opening. Stay tuned for more details.

    10. New Breakfast Shop, The Original Pancake House:

    Another “coming soon” announcement that excited our readers in 2016 was the news of The Original Pancake House coming to Columbus in 2017. The Portland-based company is slated to launch their first Central Ohio location at The Shoppes on Lane Avenue in Upper Arlington this summer.

    11. “Upscale” Tacos at Taco Bell Cantina

    Here’s one more big restaurant announcement of 2016 that caught everyone’s attention… that the South Campus area Taco Bell would be replaced with their more Chipotle-style competitor known as “Taco Bell Cantina“. The restaurant was announced with a 2017 opening, but given that it will be located on the ground floor of a new six-story building that has yet to start construction, it could end up being delayed to 2018.

    12. Indianola Getting Bike Lanes and a Road Diet

    A busy section of Indianola Avenue is slated for a “road diet” this year, which includes the installment of bike lanes. Expect construction between North Broadway and Morse Road while the project is under way.

    13. WiFi on COTA Buses

    Want to bust out the iPad and surf the web while you commute on the bus? In 2017 you’ll be able to, as the Central Ohio Transit Authority announced last summer that all buses will contain public WiFi services by the end of 2017.

    14. Chris Rock, Metallica and a Whole Lot More

    The summer concert and festival season is always a busy one in Columbus. So far, there’s been a couple of big upcoming acts announced for the year including comedian Chris Rock at The Palace in February and Metallica headlining Rock on the Range in May. Stay tuned in the coming months for plenty more at PromoWest Fest, the Nelsonville Music Festival and more.

    15. Biscuit & Branch Bringing Southern Charm to the Short North

    The owners of Westies Gastropub in the Brewery District are headed to the Short North in 2017 with Biscuit & Branch. With noteworthy local chef Paul Yow at the helm of the kitchen as Culinary Director, this is another new restaurant that is guaranteed to turn some heads upon opening this year.

    16. LC RiverSouth Begins to Wrap Up Construction

    The long awaited completion of the first of two LC RiverSouth buildings is slated for this fall, which was delayed for quite awhile following the original start of construction. Nonetheless, the intersection of Rich and High will soon start to look less like a construction zone as the work continues toward the finish line.

    17. Short North Construction Begins to Wrap Up (Sort of)

    A drive down High Street through the Short North right now reveals a lot of lane closures, bagged meters and sidewalk closures due to multiple ongoing construction projects. Some of those will begin to be completed in 2017, including Hubbard Park Place, which is aiming to wrap up this summer or fall. Of course, there’s other projects that haven’t even started yet like the Pizzuti building and the Haiku building, so more construction is still on the way.

    18. Lots More Construction on The Way

    If you’re an urban development fan, and enjoy watching new buildings rise, then 2017 will be another banner year for crane-spotting. With over 60 development projects announced in 2016, construction is likely to begin on many of them this year, including the second 12-story Parks Edge building in the Arena District, another 11-story RiverSouth building, a new eight-story hotel on Park Street, the Pavey Square development near OSU, CASTO’s large-scale mixed-use Franklinton development, many new homes and apartments in Weinland Park, and the Grandview Crossing retail development, just to name a few.

    19. The Northside Branch Library Re-Opens

    The Northside Branch Library closed last February, leaving a void in the University District for library patrons. The good news is that the new library building replacing it is nearly complete. Representatives from CML have stated that they’re on track for a Spring-or-Summer 2017 grand opening.

    20. Lots More Columbus Underground Events

    We can’t close out this list without tooting our own horn a bit. Columbus Underground debuted some exciting new events in 2016, and we’ve already mapped out both new and returning events in 2017. More details will follow in the coming months, but keep your eyes peeled for the return of Best Bites: Sweet Treats in February, the Urban Living Tour in May, and the sequel to our popular Columbus Coffee Fest in the fall.

    What else are you looking forward to in 2017? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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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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