Scioto Peninsula Development – News & Updates

[Walker EvansKeymaster]

Continue the Development of the Scioto Peninsula

Main CU Feature: 12 Ideas Laid Out for Downtown 2010 Strategic Plan

The Scioto Peninsula represents an opportunity because nearly all of the land is owned by the City of Columbus. The 30+ acre contiguous development site has outstanding views of Downtown and access to cultural and civic amenities.

While COSI and the riverfront are strong anchors for the Scioto Peninsula, more can be done to maximize their potential. Turning COSI inside out by creating a new science and nature park on the riverfront side of the museum will provide a new front door for the museum and activate the riverfront. A new cultural promenade will provide a showcase for public art in Downtown and create a new edge along the Scioto River.

MORE HERE: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/scioto-peninsula

[JimSweeneyParticipant]

well, hello. look at you!

[anilloParticipant]

good news everyone!

[kcrissingerMember]

Hmm, COSI is already going that way. They have a native prarie area in the back of the building and a fairly new awesome rain garden in the lawn in front of the building.

[Rick CarrawayMember]

To me, this is the aspect of the plan that is the most exciting.

Franklinton, the original seat of Columbus, is so well situated with access to the Arena District and Downtown, right along the river, with good freeway access.

To turn this into an area with (inexpensive) condominium communities would be a tremendous, tremendous step, IMO.

[JimSweeneyParticipant]

Rick Carraway wrote >>
To me, this is the aspect of the plan that is the most exciting.
Franklinton, the original seat of Columbus, is so well situated with access to the Arena District and Downtown, right along the river, with good freeway access.
To turn this into an area with (inexpensive) condominium communities would be a tremendous, tremendous step, IMO.

+one zillion!

[Jason PowellParticipant]

Love the highrises. Although, I would like to see more R&D space. This entire development should be LEED Platinum certified and as carbon neutral as possible. It’s an opportunity to build a shining example, not only for Columbus, but the nation. You want to get yourself in “Metropolis” or “Architectural Record” magazine, that’s the way to do it. This development could also strengthen the argument for some sort of light rail line up through the 315 Technology Corridor.

I wander why they didn’t expand the plan over to Vets Memorial. The building itself could use a facelift. It’s 80’s fugly.

+1 on whoever suggested the relocation of the Santa Maria over by COSI. It would definately get more use.

[aloveParticipant]

I haven’t been to COSI in awhile, maybe something like this has already been done, but they could have more (potentially free) outdoor exhibits. The exhibits could focus on green technology, ohio geology & geography, waterways, biodiversity, alternative energy, exercise, health, weather, etc.

[Rick CarrawayMember]

I really think Franklinton as a residential district has a lot of potential.

Young professionals want to be closer to downtown, but there’s a dearth of affordable rentals/condos. That’s slowly changing, sure, with pockets of developments all across downtown.

Short North, German Village, Harrison Park, Clintonville–these are places where there’s consolidation. Franklinton can be another such neighborhood, with very easy access up 315 to OSU, or across the Scioto to Downtown, Columbus State, Franklin, CCAD. Couple that with the benefits of the new park space along the river, the running/biking trails, and the entertainment options in the Arena District and Short North and German Village, and this place is just waiting for the right touch, IMO.

That the area has a great history, and could serve as an impetus to development and and infusion of tax dollars to benefit all of its current residents…and to help Columbus to think about its citizens on the West Side as much as it does the North and South sides…would be a wonderful thing for all of us.

[CDS shermanMember]

i dont mind sacrificing my great views of downtown for some new development on the COSI plains.

[columbusmikeParticipant]

This development has a lot of opportunity. Would be great to see some big, local players get involved in this district to get things rolling (Honda, AEP, OSU, etc).

[colrex7Member]

I think this could be very cool. That area would be so much more vibrant with some retail and dense housing. It would create a little dense “off-shoot” from downtown.

[Walker EvansKeymaster]

With the city owning so much land in this area, it does pose a very unique opportunity for development. Hopefully this is an area that can be developed a bit differently than some of our other large-scale properties recently. It’s great to have a monolithic entity like NRI to tackle projects like The Arena District or Grandview Yard, but the number of big developers looking for big projects is limited.

What we should do with Franklinton is divide this land up into smaller parcels, set dense zoning requirements and lay out some expectations and put out an RFP to the entire country for the best developers, architects and investors looking to bite off one piece here or one piece there. Approach it with one singular unified plan, but allow some wiggle-room to create a more diverse landscape so that we don’t just end up with another area with buildings that all look identical.

[colrex7Member]

Walker wrote >>
With the city owning so much land in this area, it does pose a very unique opportunity for development. Hopefully this is an area that can be developed a bit differently than some of our other large-scale properties recently. It’s great to have a monolithic entity like NRI to tackle projects like The Arena District or Grandview Yard, but the number of big developers looking for big projects is limited.
What we should do with Franklinton is divide this land up into smaller parcels, set dense zoning requirements and lay out some expectations and put out an RFP to the entire country for the best developers, architects and investors looking to bite off one piece here or one piece there. Approach it with one singular unified plan, but allow some wiggle-room to create a more diverse landscape so that we don’t just end up with another area with buildings that all look identical.

I like it.

[cbustransitParticipant]

ok, i love the concept for this…we definitely need to develop that area and we can do it well.

BUT, MSI did a poor job in putting this together. The park in the center will continue to be underutilized space. It is uninteresting and bleak. Even surrounded by buildings, no one will use it. It should be redesigned as part of the build out. Imagine City Garden in St. Louis. There is art, meandering paths, seating, trees, stuff to do.

Secondly, the layout of the buildings seems highly suburban. There are still huge tracts of green space that will go unutilized, especially if we build this massive riverfront park. Two of the residential blocks will face the back of the other residential blocks. That back will be parking lots (if i am viewing this correctly). This isn’t going to give people a walkable, urban feel. In fact, this entire area has no basic walkable scheme to it. Where will the focus be? Perhaps around the park in the center (see above complaints). But there are no interesting corridor streets. Additionally, each use is completely separated here. We have pointless green space in the middle of multiple blocks. I say get rid of all that space, densely build housing and retail there (mixed by building not by block) and focus the energy around corridor streets (which in themselves could be green space) and a single park area that will be well-used. We don’t need more Sensenbrenner or Nationwide plazas, we need more Goodale parks, where there are enough people to adequately use the space consistently. You will not have all of these spaces used if you build them all.

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