If you need a definition for revitalization, take a trip to one of central Ohio’s top walkable attractions — The Arena District in Columbus, Ohio.
Head back into the last century and you’d have found a lot of empty lots and nothing that really made for a reason to exit of I-70 or St. Rte. 315. And people were not. The downtown area was struggling as residents coninued to move further into Union and Delaware Counties in endless sub-divisions. Of course, there was the Short North, German Village, and campus areas that had desirable sections. For the most part though, downtown was a place to work and then return to your home in the suburbs.
When Nationwide Arena opened its doors in for the Tim McGraw and Faith Hill “Soul to Soul Tour” in 2000, it ushered in a rebirth of another urban area and created another “true” downtown environment.
Sites that had been destinations before became hubs of downtown living. The North Market has been around for more than 125 years, but it became a community “market” for those moving into downtown around the area. Reports have a Whole Foods Market moving into the area and of course the new Huntington Park will open in 2009 as the home of the Columbus Clippers.
There are several options in the Arena District for those looking to live. Among them are the Arena Crossing Apartments which rent from $685 to $1,950 per month. However if you want to purchase, then there are the North Bank Park Condos and the starting price for a 1500 square-foot condo with two bedrooms and two bathrooms is around $350,00. Burnham Square Condos are priced closer to $400,000 and with only a few of the suites remaining – it has been a popular option for downtown residents.
So why are so many people moving to the Arena District. I guess a better question might be why not?
“With the addition of the Clippers to the Arena District to go with the Destroyers, Blue Jackets, and other venues, it is quite possible we are going to have something going on every night,” said Clipper’s president and general manager Ken Schnake during a recent presentation at the Central Ohio Home Plate Club.
In addition to sports, Lifestyle Communities Pavilion is a regional venue and brings acts such as Taylor Hicks and Mastedon to town. The Arena Grand Theatre is one of the top movie-houses in Columbus.
Want to grab a bite to eat before the show? Well you have a lot of options in the great Arena District. Right across from Nationwide is Ted’s Montana Grill and just around the corner is the Frog Bear & Wild Boar Bar. Just two of the numerous options.
So head on down to the Arena District and take a walk, you’ll enjoy it.
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Great discussion of this post at the Columbus Underground.
Great article, but it did not include the synergy of The Arena District west of Neil Avenue. The new Clipper Stadium and tremendous street improvements for the area represent over $60,000,000 of public investment that will be made over the next 18 months. The 68 lofts at The Buggyworks (448 West Nationwide) represent the most widely absorbed loft condominium project in the city. A $25,000,000 second phase of The Buggyworks is about to be announced that will yield a 400,000+ sf mixed use urban village. And there are over 50 acres of land in the area slated for near term development. This area is indeed walkable and benefits from proximity to the river, North Bank and Goodale Parks, the Arena District amenities, immediate access to all freeways, a safe environment, and has the potential for 2,000 residences. The mixed use energy about to explode west of Neil will help make this walkable neighborhood even more exciting and diverse.
Kyle – Thanks for stopping by and adding that great secondary point of view on the Arena District. I have to admit that I’m not as familiar with the western side of the District (yet). And it is great to see how exciting this area is becoming for central Ohio.
Home Turf Media has chosen this post to be included in its 10th Carnival of Cities.
First time visiting this site – The article was nice, but I can’t get over the header picture – very nice =)
CK – Thanks for stopping by. Wish I could take credit for the photograph, it is a WordPress theme, and I’m hoping to have it updated to a Delaware, Ohio image sometime in the next week or so.
Eric Fredericks at Walkable Neighborhoods has include this on his site, as “Columbus Walkable Neighborhood: The Arena District“.