ADVERTISEMENT

    DRAC Celebrates Ten Years, Looks Back at Changes Downtown

    ADVERTISEMENT

    2013 marks the tenth year of the Downtown Residents’ Association of Columbus. A party is scheduled for September 18th at the Renaissance Hotel to officially celebrate the anniversary, although the organization has been marking the milestone with events all year.

    In April, for instance, they took a look back at their beginnings by releasing the results from their very first survey of Downtown residents.

    Kevin Wood, who served as president of DRAC for its first five years and sat on the board of the organization until last year, was kind enough to answer some questions for us. See below for his thoughts on the changes that have taken place over the course of ten years, what the future might hold, and a surprising omission from the 2003 survey answers.

    Brent Warren: What was most surprising looking back at the survey answers from ten years ago?

    Kevin Wood: It seems surprising in retrospect that no one who answered the question regarding what should be done with City Center, suggested a park. Yet, Columbus Commons has become in a very short period of time, one of the most loved and used amenities that we have Downtown.

    BW: How do you feel about the progress made Downtown in the decade?

    KW: I feel that a lot of the early skepticism from nay-sayers who said Columbus wouldn’t support Downtown living has been put to rest. The past ten years have shown that there was definitely a pent-up demand for Downtown residential – a demand that just keeps growing, with all of the recent apartment growth. I’ve heard many stories of Downtown residents whose friends decided to move Downtown after having visited their urban home. One of the biggest changes I’ve seen is in the type of person moving Downtown. The early “settlers” were mostly people like myself who lived in the neighborhoods that surround Downtown (German Village, Victorian Village, Olde Towne East, etc.). In recent years, I’ve met numerous people of all ages who have moved Downtown from the suburbs and surrounding cities and rural areas, after visiting or working Downtown, and seeing the positive changes occurring.

    Columbus, Franklin County and corporate interests have made bold commitments to our Downtown over the past decade, which have paid off handsomely. The parks, development enticements and efforts to make our Downtown more pedestrian friendly have all greatly enhanced the Downtown experience.

    BW: What is at the top of the wish list now for Downtown residents?

    KW: Hills Market was a fantastic addition to our Downtown, and some of the city’s best new restaurants have opened Downtown over the past few years. We would like to see more in the way of retail shops and amenities – especially in the vacant storefronts along High Street. DRAC has requested that the city take whatever action it can to strongly encourage absentee landlords to either improve or sell their vacant properties. This would help to provide needed space for the long list of interested entrepreneurs who are working with Kacey Brankamp at the SID.

    BW: Lots has changed Downtown in the last ten years – any predictions for the next ten?

    KW: Personally, I think that our Downtown has hit a stride that will only increase in the coming years. The surge of development that occurred in the years leading up to the recession positioned the city well for the current “second surge” of private investment that we are experiencing. As the number of people who live Downtown increases, the demand for retail and other amenities will increase accordingly. Our public transit system will become more and more important as the urban core and surrounding neighborhoods deal with parking and traffic issues – not to mention the fact that not everyone wants to own a car. Downtown Columbus is truly at an exciting place and I’m convinced that the next ten years will result in bigger and bigger things.

    More information can be found online at www.dracolumbus.org.

    Photo by Logan Miller of www.LCMphoto.org.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Subscribe

    More to Explore:

    11th Annual Urban Living Tour Returns on Sunday, May 5th

    Looking for a new place to live? Want to see what living in the city could be like? The Urban Living Tour is a self-guided open house of apartments, condos, and homes in the Columbus area. You'll see an assortment of new builds, remodels, apartment communities, parks, and all the amenities that go with city living!

    CCAD Wants to Uncover Historic Building, Fill in Parking Lot

    The Columbus College of Art & Design has submitted...

    French Bistro Slated for Prominent Downtown Corner

    Another new restaurant is coming to the corner of...

    Updated: Madison County Solar Farm Would Be One of the Largest in U.S.

    UPDATE (3/21/24): The Ohio Power Siting Board voted seven...
    Brent Warren
    Brent Warrenhttps://columbusunderground.com/author/brent-warren
    Brent Warren is a staff reporter for Columbus Underground covering urban development, transportation, city planning, neighborhoods, and other related topics. He grew up in Grandview Heights, lives in the University District and studied City and Regional Planning at OSU.
    ADVERTISEMENT