Eastland Mall, once a thriving hub of retail activity in Columbus, has closed its doors for good. Historian Doug Motz takes a look back at the history of the mall and examines its impact on the local community, the retail industry, and the city as a whole. We also discuss the political fights that have always followed developments in Columbus and the need to look at the plan for the neighborhood now that Eastland is gone.
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As the Assistant Director of Housing Strategies for the City of Columbus, Erin Prosser wakes up every day thinking about housing in the city. In today’s episode, we discuss strategies for combatting NIMBYism, the importance of non-commercial partners when we think about housing, why housing should be thought of as infrastructure, and how we can right-size our systems in order to align them to our priorities.
As a bonus this week, we have an additional conversation with entrepreneur David Hunegnaw about one possible micro solution to density: Lease the Lawn.
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As a growing city, we have growing city problems. No one knows that better than Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin. With the influx of new residents and new jobs, President Hardin discusses transit as an equity issue, the importance of continuing conversations around race and policing, why we have to do big things now, and the big changes coming to how the city council will be elected, starting next year.
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At a time when the city seems close to a boom in terms of economic development, it also faces challenges with that growth. This week, Columbus’s Director of Development Michael Stevens discusses the portfolio of the Department of Development, how the department works to improve the lives of Columbus residents, evaluating investments at a neighborhood level, and how tax abatements happen in the city.
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Communities around Central Ohio are facing rapid change. That’s apparent in Upper Arlington where Steve Schoeny serves as City Manager. In this week’s episode, we discussed the role of a city manager, his time as Development Director for the City of Columbus, addressing diversity in communities, and the new development coming to UA.
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54,000 households in Central Ohio pay 50% of their income for housing. Homeport, along with other Columbus-based organizations, are working to fix that. This week, Homeport President and CEO Bruce Luecke discusses their work, the growing need for affordable housing in Columbus, and the contributing factors that hamper Columbus’s housing market.
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The work of architects has an impact on our lives every day. But how does that work get done? This week, we’re talking architecture and development with the principal of architecture and design firm JBAD, Jonathan Barnes. We discussed how architecture firms work, the importance of relationships, the issues that should be kept in mind as Columbus continues to grow, and whether we’re doing a good job of addressing those issues.
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There’s a rich history in Franklinton. This week, we dive into the origins of 400 West Rich and the larger 400 Square with the curator of their 400 History Show and Mini-Museum, Zach Henkel. We discuss the history of Franklinton, how the building has evolved over time, and what you can experience at the exhibition.
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When it comes to development, the City of Worthington, like many cities with their size and limitations, has to play a balancing act on navigating varying interests. Reporter Brent Warren sat down with the city’s economic development director and assistant city manager, David McCorkle, and Worthington City Manager Matt Greeson to discuss developments coming to Worthington and how they’ve evolved.
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With the threat of protests and the coronavirus raging, what’s going to happen to downtown Columbus? On the occasion of his recent retirement, we spoke with the former executive director of the two downtown special improvement districts, Cleve Ricksecker, about the state of downtown, why he retired, and why Columbus needs a screamer.
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Much like the rest of our city, the land controlled by and surrounding The Ohio State University is continually evolving. Reporter Brent Warren spoke with Ohio State’s Vice President of Planning, Architecture and Real Estate, Keith Myers, to discuss their framework plan, the importance of connecting the university to the surrounding community, and why consistent leadership and vision are needed for productive change.
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The City of Reynoldsburg is in for some big changes in the coming years. How they go about that change and get buy-in from their residents is key to their success. Reporter Brent Warren sat down with OHM Advisors Principal Aaron Domini and the city’s Director of Development Andrew Bowsher to talk about how they’re approaching the coming changes and best practices for planning for the future.
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