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    The List: 10 Things We’d Like to See Happen Next in RiverSouth

    The RiverSouth area in Downtown Columbus was first envisioned around a decade ago, and many of the original set of individual projects have either been recently completed (Main Street Bridge, Annex at RiverSouth, Courthouse Annex, Scioto Mile, RiverSouth Parking Garage, etc) or in the process of wrapping up over the next year (streetscaping and infrastructure improvements, the Rich Street bridge, etc).

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    So… what comes next for RiverSouth? New residential development? Retailers? Or something else?

    Here’s a list of 10 things we’d like to see happen in the RiverSouth area over the next five years:

    1. The infill of retail on South High Street

    South High Street borders the RiverSouth east boundary and provides a strong opportunity to draw new visitors to the area. Currently, there are quite a few retail vacancies between Broad Street and Mound Street, with plenty of opportunity for small individual retailers to set up shop. A few local businesses are already leading the way with MoJoe Lounge opening soon at High & Town streets and The Jury Room having relaunched several months ago at Mound & High streets under the leadership of Elizabeth Lessner.

    2. The infill of retail on Wall Street

    Capital Crossroads and the Neighborhood Design Center collaborated last year on a visioning project that proposes the repurposing of this alleyway into a walkable pedestrian-centric retail strip with public art, cafe space and patios. There’s been some rumors floating around about a pizza shop and wine bar concept possibly being the first to emerge in this area, but nothing formal has been announced as of yet.

    3. More full-time usage of 303 South Front Street

    Ten years ago, 303 South Front Street was the hottest nightclub in town, known then as The Red Zone. Today it’s home to another nightclub called Mansion, but only open for special events. The current owners have sectioned off the front of the venue to create the Quarthouse Bar & Grill which is open Monday through Friday 11am to 11pm. We’d love to see additional portions of the building carved out for similar purposes… restaurants, cafes, bars, and other forms of seven-days-per-week entertainment rather than just the occasional late-night special events.

    4. Renovation of Columbia Gas Building & Parking Garage

    Columbia Gas announced that they’re growing out of their current building on Civic Center Drive and moving to the Arena District in 2014. This means that their old building is ripe for a renovation. Their parking garage borders the new Scioto Mile, and should be revamped to include a better retail presence facing the new park.

    5. Highway caps across Front Street

    The 70/71 Split Fix project will see the demolition and rebuilding of the Front Street bridge that spans the highway. This bridge is a prime candidate for a highway cap conversion that could house offices, retail and restaurants, similar to what was accomplished with the Interstate-670 cap that connects The Short North with Downtown.

    6. Two-way conversion of South Front Street to Brewery District

    A portion of South Front Street running through RiverSouth between Broad and Mound streets was recently converted from one-way to two-way. South of that it reverts to one-way to act as an off-ramp from Interstates 70 and 71. This leaves much to be desired in the way of connectivity between RiverSouth and the re-emerging Brewery District. A two-way alignment would better bridge these areas and create a more easily accessible path for pedestrians and cyclists as well as motorists.

    7. New Apartments at Front & Main

    Casto owns the seven-story storage building located at the northeast corner of Front Street and Main Street, and according to this Dispatch article, they’re already discussing the possibilities of converting it into loft apartments or condos. With the nearby Annex at RiverSouth apartments filling up so quickly after completion, we’re inclined to think that there is demand in the area for rentals. Of course, there’s also a handful of other nearby parking lots that could be developed with new-build residential construction as well.

    8. Two-way Main Street and Rich Street conversions

    Main Street and Rich Street were converted years ago into one-way pairs to accommodate the flow of traffic in and out of the City Center Mall Parking Garage. The City Center Garage still exists, but the Mall is long gone, and the traffic flow is not as heavy as it once was. There should be little reason to keep these streets aligned one-way and even less reason in 2011 to want to shove cars in and out of Downtown as quickly as possible. Main Street in particular is ripe for a two-way conversion as it would provide better access to the new Main Street Bridge as well as better access for the strip of retailers located west of Third Street.

    9. Renovation of Short St between Brewery District & RiverSouth

    You may not realize, but there’s a “back door” access road between RiverSouth and The Brewery District on Short Street underneath 70/71. Outside of the riverfront bike path, it’s the best way to connect The Scioto Mile to the Whittier Peninsula. Currently, this access road has limited sidewalks, crumbling streets, and a dimly-lit and creepy walkway under the highway. It could easily undergo a makeover similar to what Neil Avenue recently received under Interstate 670 between Victorian Village and the Arena District… which looks more like a gateway between neighborhoods and less like a bombed-out wasteland.

    10. The removal of the Main Street Dam

    The 2010 Downtown Development Plan outlines the idea of removing multiple low-head dams from the Scioto River over the course of the next ten years. The Main Street dam could be the first one to go, and it would vastly improve the riverfront waterway adjacent to the new Scioto Mile. The river is primarily stagnant due to the dam and regularly full of trash, debris and waste. Removing the dam will narrow the river, but return it to it’s natural flow, providing a cleaner, safer, less-smelly and navigable waterway that could accommodate kayaks and canoes.

    What other ideas do you have for the RiverSouth neighborhood? Share them with us below!

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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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