Photos provided by the Columbus Historical Society
Years ago Columbus had what many around the country felt was one of the most beautiful streets in the nation, East Broad Street. The street had a center boulevard which ran from Third Street to Nelson Road. Majestic elm trees lined the boulevard and both sides of the street, giving a park-like feel to the well-traveled corridor which was a source of civic pride for many years. Then the elm trees were sickened and killed by disease and the city, rather than planting new trees, replaced the boulevard with pavement.
Today, with a new understanding of what makes our cities and neighborhoods more livable, we have the opportunity to bring back the Broad Street boulevard, revitalizing the neighborhoods from Front Street to Nelson Road in the process. Re-establishing this one-time fixture of the Columbus landscape would enhance the neighborhoods all along the route. Many local establishments, such as Taylor Place, Franklin Park, East High School, The Jerry Hammond Building, Old Town East, The Columbus Foundation, The Columbus Museum of Art, CCAD, Capital University Law School, have already invested in the vital community of East Broad Street neighborhoods. Like the arches in the Short North, the Broad Street boulevard would help define the area and give it a unique character and identity. It stands to reason that such an enhancement would also stimulate new economic development, draw more people into the core city, and feed the demand for further development downtown.
I can’t think of a single investment our city could make that would have more impact or the desired development of our core city. And it could be done before the 2012 Columbus bicentennial! The engineering has already been done. Funding could be made available through funds not yet committed from the recently passed City Bond Issue, from Special Improvement Districts (SIDs) such as Capital Crossroads and others, and from private donations and grants. How to sell the idea? A demonstration project on East Broad Street between 3rd and 4th Streets could be an effective, relatively inexpensive, and nearly immediate way to show what can be done. Let’s get the ball rolling!
