FACT SHEET ON THE PURCHASE OF THE
LONG COLLEGE BOOK COMPANY
August 17, 2000
As student at The Ohio State University, Frank C. Long operated a book business in the basement of University Hall. In 1902, he opened Long’s Bookstore at 11th Avenue and High Street. In 1909, he moved the bookstore to its current building at 1836 N. High St. at East 15th Avenue. His son, Frank C. Long, Jr., was born that same year in the family’s apartment over the bookstore.Under Frank Long, Sr., the Long College Book Company became one of the largest bookstores in the nation, published books and anthologies, entered the used textbook market, and developed a nationally known rare books department. He died in 1956.
Frank Long, Jr., graduated from Ohio State’s College of Medicine in 1936. After his father’s death, he left his medical practice to direct the business. Long’s Bookstore phased out the rare books department and increased the sale of art supplies. Dr. Long died in 1998 at the age of 88.
After settling Dr. Long’s estate, the Long family and other members of the corporation’s board earlier this year decided to sell the Long College Book Company. After several months of negotiations, an agreement was reached to sell all the stock in the company to Campus Partners. The assets of the book company include the Long’s Bookstore business; the property at 1824-1836 N. High St. on which the bookstore operates; a residential property at 31 E. 15th Avenue; and a long-term lease on property at 1658-1660 Neil Ave., the site of a McDonald’s restaurant.
Ohio State created Campus Partners for Community Urban Redevelopment, Inc., in January 1995 as a non-profit organization to work with the city, community agencies, neighborhood leaders and the university itself to improve the quality of life in the neighborhoods around Ohio State. Campus Partners sponsored a comprehensive community-based planning process in 1995 and 1996 which developed the University Neighborhoods Revitalization Plan: Concept Document. Campus Partners led a second community planning process in 1997 and 1998 which prepared a master plan for High Street in the University District. Among the accomplishments of Campus Partners are:
Creation of a highly successful homeownership incentive program to encourage Ohio State faculty and staff to buy homes and live in the University District;
Substantial improvements to the city’s refuse collection, code enforcement and street sweeping and more effective coordination of public safety services in the University District;
Development of a partnership between the university and the public schools serving the University District and promotion of a number of other human service initiatives;
Employment of a national consultant to work with property and business owners on a special improvement district to provide a higher level of clean and safe services;
Preparation of draft urban design guidelines for High Street which are currently under review by the University Area Commission and the city’s Planning Office.
Acquisition of land and designation of The Druker Company as master developer for the University Gateway Center, a major, mixed-use urban redevelopment at East 11th Avenue and High Street.