· May 1995: Campus Partners' consulting team, led by EDAW, Inc., displays major planning concepts, including a mixed-use redevelopment project in the area of 11th Avenue and High Street, at a public open house.

· July 1995: Urban Land Institute advisory services panel reviews the planning concepts and affirms importance of the proposed redevelopment project at 11th and High.

· July 1996: After extensive review by the University Area Commission and the University Community Business Association, Campus Partners publishes University Neighborhoods Revitalization Plan: Concept Document, which recommends the redevelopment project.

· May 1997: The Ohio State University Board of Trustees adopts the revitalization plan as a blueprint for improving the area around Ohio State.

· June 1997: Columbus City Council adopts the revitalization plan.

· July 1997: Campus Partners employs Goody, Clancy & Associates to refine and begin implementation of the revitalization plan's recommendations for High Street, including a sharper definition of the mix of uses, size and financial feasibility of the redevelopment project at 11th and High.

· August 1997: A 40-person advisory steering committee is established to provide input to the consultants. The committee is headed by Pasquale Grado, executive director of the University Community Business Association, and includes representatives of the many constituencies of the University District,

· August 1998: Campus Partners issues a draft report, Creating a 21st Century Main Street: A Plan for High Street, which significantly refines the nature and extent of the redevelopment project now known as the University Gateway Center. The draft report is widely circulated and is being considered by the University Area Commission.

· August 1998: Campus Partners issues a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking developers with extensive experience in urban and mixed-use projects who would be interested in building the University Gateway Center. The RFQ included a description of the project based on the High Street study.

September 1998: Ten developers or teams of developers, representing both national and local firms, respond to the RFQ with statements of their qualifications to undertake the Gateway Center.

· November 1998: After reviews of the statements of qualifications by neighborhood, city, university and student leaders, Campus Partners selects three developer teams to participate in a Request for Proposals process: (1) The Druker Company, Ltd., of Boston; (2) the collaboration of Jones Lang LaSalle, of Chicago, the Don M. Casto Organization, of Columbus, and Arshot Investment Corp., of Columbus; and (3) the collaboration of Towne Properties and Madison Marquette Realty Services, both based in Cincinnati.

· December 1998: After extensive consultation with local leaders, Campus Partners issues its formal Request for Proposals. To help the developers better understand the market and to encourage local input, the RFP includes a lengthy list of contacts in Columbus on such issues as employment for area residents, student concerns, minority and small business resources, and municipal services.

· January 1999: Developer teams participate in open houses to hear recommendations and concerns from students and the general public about High Street and the Gateway Center. In addition, students meet in small groups with each of the developer teams.

· February 1999: Proposals are received from the three developer teams.

· March 1999: Each developer team presents its proposal and displays its concept drawings and related graphics in an afternoon and evening public open house on March 2. Citizens complete evaluation forms on each proposal. The proposals and concept drawings are placed on the Campus Partners web site for public review and comment. On March 15, three 10-person panels interview each of the developer teams in depth and offer evaluations. The panels include students, university faculty and administrators, city development and planning staff, neighborhood leaders, and urban development and financial experts.

· April 1999: Based on a review of the proposals and various evaluations, Campus Partners asks each of the developer teams to respond in writing to a series of questions and issues. The responses are received by the end of the month.

· May 1999: Terry Foegler, president of Campus Partners, on May 5-7 visits projects undertaken by the developer teams in Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, D.C., and meets with the public and non-profit agencies which partnered with the developer firms on those projects. Mr. Foegler conducts final interviews on May 13 and 14 with the developer teams on financial issues related to the Gateway Center. The Campus Partners Board of Trustees on May 20 votes to accept Mr. Foegler's recommendation that The Druker Company be tentatively designated as the preferred master developer.

Economic development agreement with the city

· June 1999: Campus Partners' legal counsel prepares a preliminary draft of an economic development agreement to be executed between the City of Columbus and the new Gateway Area Redevelopment Initiative (GARI), a subsidiary of Campus Partners. The agreement will establish the obligations of GARI to undertake the Gateway Center project in accordance with agreed upon standards and will define the public improvements and actions by the city needed for the project to move forward. Discussions about the agreement begin with the city.

· August 1999: Discussions between Campus Partners and the city on the economic development agreement continue. They hope to bring the agreement to Columbus City Council for approval in November or December.

· November 1999: Campus Partners and staff of the city's Department of Trade and Development finalize a draft economic development agreement to be taken to Columbus City Council in December. Campus Partners completes a major clean-up effort around its properties on the future site of the Gateway Center. Vacant lots were mowed, trash picked up, old fences were removed to allow visual inspection into dark, recessed areas, and broken windows were boarded over. With the assistance of Buckeye Realty staff, Campus Partners inspected every building in preparation for winter and took appropriate steps to prevent damage from freezing temperatures, snow and ice build-up and the increased break-ins which occur with colder temperatures.

· December 1999: Columbus City Council adopts an ordinance Dec. 13 authorizing the city administration to sign the economic development agreement for the Gateway Center project with Campus Partners' subsidiary, the Gateway Area Redevelopment Initiative. Council that same night also adopts an ordinance establishing a Tax Increment Financing district which will use the non-school portion of new tax revenues to help fund the parking facility for the Gateway Center.

Last updated January 5, 2000