University Neighborhoods Revitalization Plan CONCEPT DOCUMENT
Background
In September of 1994, The Ohio State University President, Dr. E. Gordon Gee, and Mayor
Greg Lashutka of the city of Columbus announced a joint commitment to the revitalization
of the area known as the University Neighborhoods. The impetus for the commitment came
from a growing concern about the quality of life in the neighborhoods that are east and
south of the Ohio State campus. A task force known as the University Area Improvement Task
Force had been appointed in January of 1994 to study the issues and make recommendations.
Representatives were chosen from the University faculty, staff and students, community
organizations, and the city of Columbus. The task force recommendations that are the
foundation of the September 1994 joint commitment include:
Creation of a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, which is known as the Campus Partners
for Community Urban Redevelopment, an Ohio 1728 Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation.
The organization was given two priorities for its first year of operations:
To develop a comprehensive neighborhood Revitalization Plan (this document),
accompanied by an Implementation Strategy; and
To actively promote projects and programs that can have an immediate, positive
impact on the Neighborhoods.
Campus Partners, with extensive community input, has directed a team of consultants in
the preparation of the University Neighborhoods Revitalization Concept Document
(Concept) and a planned companion volume, the University Neighborhoods Implementation
Strategy (Strategy). The intent of the Concept is to be used as a decision-making tool
for the city of Columbus, The Ohio State University, and neighborhood groups and
commissions as they fulfill their respective responsibilities for managing or taking
actions that affect the University District. The Concept establishes the core values
of the revitalization process and presents a set of long-range objectives, policies, and
recommendations that future actions should be directed to accomplish. The Strategy defines
the specific actions, timing, responsible parties, and estimated costs for these
improvements.
Location
The University Neighborhoods study area is a subset of the University District, a 2.5
square mile planning area approximately 2 miles directly north of downtown Columbus. The
District’s 1,500 acres are bounded by Glen Echo Ravine to the north, the Conrail
corridor to the east, 5th Avenue to the south, and the Olentangy River to the west. The
study area follows approximately the same boundaries but does not include any of the
District north of Northwood Avenue, nor the area south of King Avenue and west of the
alley directly behind High Street.
Problem Statement
Although the University District remains a vital center of activity for Columbus, it is
failing to retain and attract homeowners and is losing its once-captive market position
for students. Despite its abundance of affordable single and two-family housing stock and
excellent location relative to the University and downtown Columbus, the District has
experienced a tremendous drop in home ownership levels, from 50% in 1950 to just over 11%
in 1990. At the same time, prospective students and their parents, especially high-ability
students, are deciding not to attend Ohio State due to a setting that is perceived as
disintegrating and unsafe. As the University District has lost students and homeowners, it
has received a disproportionate share of federally subsidized Section 8 housing - 2,050
units with one neighborhood in the District claiming the highest concentration of Section
8 housing in the City.
Public safety and crime are also central concerns within the University District. In
1994, on a per capita basis, violent crime in the University District was 14.2 % higher
than Columbus as a whole and property crime was 21.6% higher. The Weinland Park
neighborhood, suffering from gang activity and illegal drug sales, had the highest per
capita rate of violent crime in the city. Problems in the University District attracted
statewide attention in 1994 with the murder of Ohio State freshman student Stephanie
Hummer.
Other visible problems abound. A 20-year legacy of ineffective code enforcement coupled
with the economic pressures of overzoning have led to inappropriate and poorly constructed
renovations and dormitory style apartments. Extremely high densities coupled with
insufficient public services have resulted in overflowing trash containers, unswept
streets, and inadequate or overutilized park and recreational facilities.
The University Neighborhoods are entering a period where change must occur to ensure
health and economic stability. Reversing the trends of disinvestment, declining
homeownership, and loss of security are possible through the collaboration and mandate
established by The Ohio State University and city of Columbus.
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Comprehensive Planning Approach
Recognizing the complex nature of the problems in the Neighborhoods, the scope of the
study effort involved research into issues that go far beyond physical changes. Restoring
the health of a community is intrinsically linked to the resident’s well-being and
pride of place. Understanding the human services network and quality of life issues were a
significant part of the study. An active partner in the planning process has been the Campus Collaborative, a consortium of colleges
and academic units at The Ohio State University, and the Interprofessional Commission of
Ohio. This unique collaborative is comprised of faculty and graduate students from
seventeen different colleges and units of The Ohio State University. Additional input came
from consultants who specialize in the areas of crime and law enforcement, code
compliance, solid waste removal, economic revitalization, circulation and transportation,
and urban design.
The University Neighborhood residents participated in the recommendations contained
herein through extensive community workshops, task forces, neighborhood level meetings,
and written comments. A community outreach program was undertaken to inform all interested
residents, students, property owners, and others of the public meetings.
A third-party review of the early plan recommendations was performed through the
auspices of the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Inner-City Community Building Program.
Conducted during one week in July of 1995, ULI members skilled in community revitalization
confirmed the progress to date and made recommendations which are incorporated in the
document.
Vision Statement and Core Values
Unlocking the potential of the University District and overcoming thirty years of
inertia that has stalled past redevelopment efforts, requires a clear and consistent
vision that engages both the principal partners charged with the redevelopment effort and
the community at large. Working with a group of twenty leaders selected from the
community, a vision statement was developed at a two-day workshop conducted in March of
1995. The intent of the workshop was to articulate a clear set of concepts, ideas,
visions, and guiding principles which could be the foundation for all future
recommendations and actions. The following vision statement and core values are the
underpinning of the programs and recommendations in both the Concept and Strategy:
Vision Statement: "The University District shall become a high quality
‘city-within-a-city,’ characterized by diverse, enriched, safe, livable, and
commercially viable neighborhoods with community features and programs connected by a
district-wide framework of transportation, open space, amenities, and human
services."
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Core Values
The overall vision for the University District embodies six Core Values that serve as
the organizing element for all recommendations and actions. Core Values are firmly held
beliefs that establish the continuity between all future actions. The refinement of these
Core Values has occurred over the nine-month planning process, shaped by public input and
responses to the Revitalization Plan.
Core Value #1: The University District shall be a model for University-community
relationships:
by optimizing University investment in the community according to a mutually
agreed upon Revitalization Plan;
by enhancing human services through university sponsorship and commitment;
by capitalizing on the synergies of academic and community goals;
by providing lifelong learning opportunities; and
by supporting a world class institution in a community of comparable quality.
Core Value #2: The University District shall be a place of pride by maintaining
buildings, and conserving and enhancing architectural quality and character:
by providing an abundance of open space, recreation, and parks;
by providing accessibility to all uses and services for the entire neighborhood;
and
by ensuring adequate levels of public maintenance and service.
Core Value #3: The University District shall be culturally and socio-economically
diverse:
by providing diverse housing opportunities;
by actively promoting home ownership;
by providing housing opportunities for University faculty and staff; and
by providing opportunities to live and work in the same neighborhood.
Core Value #4: The University District shall be a neighborhood of choice:
by being friendly to traditional and non-traditional families;
by including diverse student populations;
by being safe and secure 24 hours per day; and
by ensuring balanced transportation systems to support business and employment
while promoting pedestrian/bicycle/transit options.
Core Value #5: The University District shall demonstrate new leadership and investment
partnerships to reverse the decline in retail and housing:
by coordinating positive investment partnerships between State, City, University,
community, and individual investors;
by expanding the economic base;
by upgrading market standards; and
by working positively with University-related residential and commercial cycles.
Core Value #6: The University District shall accomplish its larger civic goals through
the active participation of community individuals and agencies:
by maintaining open communication among all participants;
by removing barriers and disincentives to participants; and
by forging a new leadership collaborative of University, city, and community.
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Translating the Vision and Values into Goals
An important foundation for the year long planning effort revolved around the
definition of goals which move the vision and core values beyond its moral and
philosophical underpinnings to an achievable plan. The key recommendations of the
Revitalization Plan were developed to achieve four goals:
- Increase homeownership in the University District;
Improve the core student area so that it is competitive with housing which students can
rent in the suburbs; and
Enhance and expand retail and commercial activity on High Street.
Secure the involvement of The Ohio State University’s faculty and staff in the
neighborhoods of the University District.
Concept Plan Recommendations
The 16 major chapters of the Concept Document are organized around the six Core Values.
Each Core Value and its corresponding major recommendations for the University District
are described below;
Core Value #1: The University District shall be a model for University-community
relationships.
Key Recommendations:
Faculty Participation
- Develop and implement increased opportunities for community-based teaching and
inquiry in partnership with existing agencies, schools, businesses and community
organizations, to prepare students in their discipline of study.
- Develop and implement a University District faculty seed grant program to
encourage faculty and graduate student inquiry in the University District.
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Core Value #2: The University District shall be a place of pride by maintaining
buildings, and conserving and enhancing architectural quality and character.
Key Recommendations:
Code Enforcement
- Improve/strengthen the current code enforcement program through revisions to the
code language and changes in enforcement.
- Institute a University District Pilot Code Enforcement Program.
- Institute a Case Management System.
- Develop and implement a Public Information Program.
- Provide incentives for property owners to address long standing code violations.
Parks and Greenways
- Develop new parks in the South Campus and Weinland Park (West) Neighborhoods.
- Expand Indianola Middle School grounds south to 18th Avenue.
- Expand Weinland Park to include the entire block between the Fourth and Summit
Street pairs, on the south side of Seventh Avenue.
- Create a new park north of the existing fire station on the west side of
Indianola Avenue between Eighth and Ninth Avenues.
- Develop greenways along 15th Avenue, 12th Avenue, Summit Street, Fourth Street,
Indianola Avenue, Woodruff Avenue, Lane Avenue, Seventh Avenue, and 10th Avenue, including
street tree programs, new lighting, signage, and bike route/bike lane designations.
Trash/Solid Waste Collection
- Provide twice weekly trash collection in the Neighborhoods, particularly during
the school year, (September to June).
- Increase the frequency of bulk collection on a seasonal basis coinciding with
changes in the University schedule.
- Establish a Solid Waste Service Fee Structure with revenues dedicated to funding
solid waste/trash/and garbage collection services.
- Enact legislation that restricts deposition of litter on private and public
property.
- Review present functional department structure for the regulation of health,
environmental, waste, building codes, and inspections and assess the potential to combine
departments for better efficiency and effectiveness.
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Core Value #3: The University District shall be culturally and socio-economically
diverse.
Key Recommendations:
Land Use and Zoning
- Examine downsizing certain neighborhoods to reflect the Overlay density
standards.
- Mixed use areas that focus activity and new development should be located close
to The Ohio State Campus.
- A strategy for identifying, prioritizing, and removing non-permitted properties
should be established.
- The boundaries of the University Impact District should be expanded to include
those areas that will be most susceptible to inappropriate development, given successful
revitalization momentum and new investment in the District.
- A public relations program should be developed to communicate the objectives,
intent, and benefits of the Overlay to homeowners, developers, and investors.
- Technical assistance should be made readily available at no cost or low cost for
single family homeowners and purchasers that wish to renovate property or bring their
property up to code, but are unsure how to work with or interpret the Overlay.
- To improve the economics of removing problem properties or upgrading of
substandard properties in the East, North and South Campus Neighborhoods, aggregation of
lots and transfer of development rights should be considered as incentives for new
development in the proposed Mixed Use Areas.
- A task force of neighborhood representatives, city of Columbus Code Enforcement
Officers, and the City’s Attorney office need to identify and prioritize problem
properties and work to remove or upgrade the worst offenders.
- Campus Partners, working with funding from the city of Columbus, The Ohio State
University, and private banking institutions, should acquire the worst single family
properties and facilitate their rehabilitation to single family homes if
appropriate or complete removal.
- A limited number of sites from Fifth Avenue to Ninth Avenue that can accommodate
new retailer should be identified.. Design criteria that meets community objectives to
maintain the urban character of High Street coupled with development incentives should be
offered for these sites.
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Residential Revitalization
- Work with City and State officials to dedicate a portion of funds from existing
homeownership programs to the University District, this will ensure that potential
homebuyers have a guaranteed level of funding from existing programs.
- Ohio State should lead with a new program of specific incentives for faculty and
staff homeownership in the Neighborhoods. The program could provide loan guarantees,
interest subsidies, and downpayment assistance using models from other institutions around
the country.
- Establish a marketing strategy and basic level of information and program support
for any individual wishing to purchase a home, or rent long term in the University
District.
- The city of Columbus and Ohio State should establish a Problem Property Fund to
acquire and remove problem properties, targeting removal of 15 properties by the year
2000.
- For single family structures to be rehabilitated or de-converted from rooming
houses, provide subsidies to ensure they can be sold at market rate to single family
homeowners after renovation.
- Seek consistency with city of Columbus policies to avoid concentration of
poverty.
- Work with HUD/CMHA to determine exact number of Section 8 units in given block
areas, and develop strategies to transfer rental units into ownership while decreasing
concentrations of property in accordance with City policy.
- Convene a planning committee to address potential displacement and identify
possible solutions.
- Provide financial and organizational support to Columbus Housing
Partnership/Northside Development Corporation for the development of 50 new units of
affordable homeownership.
- Ohio State and city of Columbus, working through Campus Partners, should provide
gap financing and assistance in managing the acquisition and renovation process of
available properties.
- Following the financial commitments of The Ohio State University and the city of
Columbus, Campus Partners should convene a Committee of Housing Providers, to decide how
the proposed programs can best be implemented, and to determine what resources each
stakeholder can bring to assist in the revitalization of the Neighborhoods.
- A district level plan should be prepared for the East, North and South Campus
Neighborhoods based on thorough inventory of existing conditions. The plan should guide
problem property acquisition, location of off street parking, pocket recreation facility
development, and prioritize new development sites for upgraded rental units.
- Develop 400 new rental units by the year 2000 that offer upgraded products.
(compared with what is currently available in the East Campus)
- The Columbus Apartment Association with the assistance of Campus Partners and the
city of Columbus, should create a Property Owners Association for portions of the East,
North and South Campus Neighborhoods to provide levels of security, litter removal, front
yard maintenance, parking, and open space development commensurate with the density and
character of the area.
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Health and Well-Being
- Plan a Healthy Community Initiative in the University District.
- Plan and establish a Women Students and Children’s Transitional Housing
facility in the University District.
- Assure all new improvements provide appropriate accessibility for the disabled.
Employment and Economic Development
- Plan and establish a Comprehensive Employment Program for residents in the
University District.
- Develop a Business Incubator in the University District.
- Develop mechanisms to advocate employment of University District residents by
local employers.
Student Quality of Life
- Establish a Student Services Center in the East Campus Neighborhood to provide a
community-based, integrated approach to the housing, and education, counseling, social
service, and academic learning requirements of students living in the area.
- Expand and develop opportunities for all university students, faculty and staff
to participate in community service.
- Increase University funding for student activities and develop and implement a
diverse program of student activities offered at a variety of times and places throughout
the campus and the University District.
- Develop a University training program for resident student managers for approved
off-campus student housing.
- Implement the recommendations of the University’s Alcohol and Other Drug
Advisory Committee.
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Core Value #4: The University District shall be a neighborhood of choice.
Key Recommendations:
Safety and Law Enforcement
- Work to assure successful implementation of community policing in the University
District.
- Begin studying the possible expansion of The Ohio State University Police-CDP
Mutual Aid Pact.
- Begin to develop positive relationships between the City, The Ohio State
University, and community anchors. Conduct police sensitivity training for officers
assigned to the area.
- Plan expansion of the Community Crime Patrol in the Neighborhoods.
- Work with Neighborhoods of Choice Coordinating Committee to develop a Super
Agency to coordinate delivery of intervention services.
- Consider redefining cruiser districts to optimize police presence.
Community Schools
- Establish additional professional development schools including faculty and
student placements in University area schools.
- Develop and provide additional seminars for teachers and other school
professionals to improve skills in curriculum development and instructional strategies in
urban schools.
- Develop a Partnership for Technology in Education to link the 12 public schools
serving the University area, Columbus Public Schools at its North Education Center and The
Ohio State University through its College of Education.
- Establish a Center for Community Learning in at least one University area school.
- Establish a Family Focus Center in at least one University area school.
Vehicular Circulation
- Improve automobile circulation for the University District by delineating a clear
system of primary streets and neighborhood circulators for people moving either to,
through, or within the University District.
- Provide two-way circulation on neighborhood streets, where possible, being
particularly sensitive to parking needs.
- Minimize the volume of traffic passing through the Neighborhoods through the
application of traffic-calming techniques and where necessary, defensible space treatments
to reduce criminal activities.
- Provide proper access and circulation for Ohio State and its related facilities
and for businesses along the corridor (including service vehicle access).
- Coordinate the access and circulation system with major pedestrian routes to
provide safe pedestrian crossings.
- Link the access and circulation system with parking facilities.
Transportation Alternatives
Bus/Shuttle
- Enhance and improve the COTA bus service to encourage non-automobile travel to,
from, and within the Ohio State area and its adjacent neighborhoods.
- Enhance and improve Ohio State's shuttle system to encourage non-automobile
travel and to facilitate connections between Ohio State activity nodes and the adjacent
neighborhoods.
Pedestrian/Bicycle
- Coordinate major on- and off-campus pedestrian routes and provide safe pedestrian
crossings of roadways.
- Establish a system of bicycle routes through the area and connect The Ohio State
University and neighborhood bicycle route system with the city-wide bicycle system.
Parking
- Define parking needs by neighborhood and block; provide on- and off-street
parking space needs based on code.
- Provide off-street parking facilities in the off-campus student core to
facilitate long-term (warehouse) parking; encourage students to warehouse their vehicles
in the long term parking facilities.
- Control/eliminate commuter parking in the residential areas.
- Provide parking facilities for businesses in accordance with patron and employee
needs; define operations and enforcement to control use by others.
- Devote on-street parking to short-term use in the zones serving the High Street
commercial area.
- Expand the off-street parking supply through a combination of new parking
structures and improved marketing of Ohio State parking garages.
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Core Value #5: The University District shall demonstrate new leadership and investment
partnerships to reverse the decline in retail and housing.
Key Recommendations:
Commercial Revitalization
- Support existing businesses and assist development of new locally owned
businesses, while also attracting new national caliber retailers to create a vital mix of
unique retail offerings and cost competitive retailers.
- Create a Special Improvement District for the High Street Corridor (East 9th
Avenue to Lane Avenue) to provide daily maintenance, improved safety, District-wide
marketing, and business support.
- Concentrate new and rehabilitated retail tenants into three distinct activity
centers (11th and High, 15th and High, Lane and High) to serve as anchors for High Street
revitalization while focusing available retail demand.
- Develop subsidized structured parking at locations within easy walking distance
of the three activity centers to ensure the success of concentrated retail venues.
- Develop Design Guidelines for Retail and Commercial Uses within the University
District and High Street in particular. Administration of the Guidelines should be by the
existing University Area Review Board.
- Encourage conservation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings when feasible.
Where new building construction is required, ensure that design is compatible with the
existing scale, texture, and character of the corridor.
- Redevelop Pearl Alley as the primary service corridor for High Street businesses,
with a minimum width of 24’ and a maximum width of 36’.
- Upgrade the physical appearance of the High Street Corridor from 5th Avenue to
Norwich Avenue with coordinated signage, lighting, street furnishings, and
pavement systems.
- Create new public plazas and open space along High Street at current and proposed
street closures to allow for passive and active retail and community uses.
- Strengthen the gateway role of Lane with significant architectural treatment of
structures that frame the intersection of Lane and Tuttle Park Place on both the north and
south side.
- The Ohio State University should assist in the Lane Avenue corridor redevelopment
by offering creative parking solutions for new businesses, and building new structures
that create a street wall on the south side of Lane from Tuttle Park Place
to Neil Avenue.
- Create new commercial development in the 5th Avenue corridor (east of Hamlet
Street) by combining lots with defensible street closures at Sixth Street, Hamlet Street,
and Fifth Street.
-
- Facilitate the acquisition and exchange of public/private lands to create a new
neighborhood center located between Fourth and Summit Streets on the north side of 11th
Avenue. Ensure that the proposed city of Columbus Division of Electricity substation is
not detrimental to the redevelopment of this key parcel.
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Core Value #6: The University District shall accomplish its larger civic goals through
the active participation of community individuals and agencies.
Key Recommendations:
Stakeholder Roles and Responsibilities
- The President of The Ohio State University and the Mayor of Columbus need to
execute a memorandum of agreement committing to roles and financial commitments for the
first five years of the revitalization effort.
- The Campus Collaborative should continue to be the primary mechanism for linking
the University District with the academic mission of the University.
- Campus Partners News needs to be continued and expanded as one of the
Neighborhoods’ main communication publications.
- The University District Organization should assume the role as the umbrella
organization for all neighborhood groups active within the University District.
- The University District Organization should play an active role alongside Campus
Partners in promoting homeownership programs, as well as the desirability of living in the
Neighborhoods.
- The University Business Community Association should play an active role in the
development of the Special Improvement District for High Street, as well as assist Campus
Partners in the revitalization and redevelopment efforts for High Street.
- The University Area Commission should continue its leadership role in promoting
revitalization and constructive change by actively supporting proposals that will achieve
the plan goals.
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Conclusion
Achieving the proposed vision of the University Neighborhoods as a city within a city
that is safe, viable and diverse can only be accomplished by concurrently improving High
Street, raising levels of home ownership, reducing both the reality and perception of
crime, securing the active involvement of the University's staff, faculty, and students,
and improving the competitive position of the student core area.
The Redevelopment Plan assembled by Campus Partners' planning team lays out specific
recommendations to accomplish these tasks, by creating both physical and programmatic
changes in the neighborhoods. Revising both the primary and secondary circulation system
creates a new clarity and opportunity for residential areas to redevelop. Improved,
expanded or new parks, all connected by a logical circuit of greenways and bike routes
will improve both the visual quality of the area, the perception of open space and the
ability to use transportation modes beyond the automobile. Finally, the recognition and
formalization of neighborhood units that share similar concerns as well as zoning and
policy considerations, provide a platform for grass-roots organizations to seize back
their neighborhoods and take control of their long term destiny.
These physical improvements are balanced with specific programs such as community
policing, comprehensive youth involvement programs and stronger cooperation between Ohio
State and City of Columbus Police, all directed at improving the perception and reality of
safety. Specific incentive programs for homeownership, modeled after successful programs
throughout the country, will bring a dramatic level of private investment into the
neighborhoods for little to no cost. Public service improvements, some of which are
already underway, will require significant political leadership and community involvement
to effect change. Finally, an innovative approach to leveraging the resources and talent
of Ohio State and to an expanded definition of 'education' will provide the missing link
between one-dimensional bricks and mortar improvements and the truly long term
redevelopment success that so many other communities have sought.
In summary, the problems facing the University Neighborhoods are not insurmountable.
However, the momentum of decline is accelerating toward a rapid downward spiral.
Successfully turning this tide will require a multi-layered approach...one that utilizes a
diverse group of resources, sponsors, and clear actions all focused toward holistic
redevelopment of the University Neighborhoods as a unique, vital urban community.
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Back to the Plan’s Table of
Contents