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• Gateway project receives $35 million in tax credits
• Application filed for Gateway rezoning
• OCCH and Campus Partners expect to close on Broad Street Portfolio in April
• Petition effort continues on Special Improvement District
• Public safety issues: Lane Avenue, riots, shooting, and Weed and Seed

• African American Heritage Festival moves to April
• Task force hears code enforcement recommendations
• Students meet with Gateway architects
• Committee discusses street sweeping and refuse collection

Gateway project receives $35 million in tax credits

The concept drawings for the University Gateway Center were part of the backdrop to the news conference in Columbus on March 14 when U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow announced the recipients of the first $2.5 billion in tax credit allocations under the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program. Campus Partners was one of three Columbus organizations to receive an allocation and was one of the few nationwide to receive the full amount applied for -- $35 million in tax credits. Governor Bob Taft, Lt. Governor Jennette Bradley and Senator George Voinovich joined Mr. Snow for the announcement.

The purpose of the NMTC program is to stimulate investment, growth and job creation in low-income communities. The program provides tax credits to investors who make "qualified equity investment" in privately managed investment vehicles called "community development entities" or CDEs. Campus Partners will use its allocation primarily to finance the retail portion of the Gateway project. In preparation to apply for NMTC, Campus Partners in 2002 formed University District Community Development Entity LCC and obtained certification of it as a CDE. The allocation of tax credits will significantly reduce the cost of capital for this project and should, therefore, significantly improve the performance of the project pro forma. Campus Partners' success in the stiff competition for the tax credits also is a validation of the efforts of many people to bring the Gateway project to fruition.

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Application filed for Gateway rezoning

The application for the rezoning of the Gateway development site has been filed with the City of Columbus. The University Area Commission recommended approval of the PCD, Planned Commercial Development District, at its February meeting. The University Area Review Board tabled the issue at its February meeting, and Campus Partners will a presentation to the review board at a special meeting on March 20.

The bids were opened Feb. 28 for the phase 1 public improvements on the Gateway site. H.R. Gray & Associates, construction manager for the public improvements, and Campus Partners are negotiating a construction agreement with the apparent low bidder, Complete General Construction Co., and are resolving several key issues with the city's Public Service Department. Campus Partners expects the construction of the public improvements to begin in April and be completed by September.

OCCH and Campus Partners expect to close on Broad Street Portfolio in April

Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing (OCCH) and Campus Partners now expect to close on the Broad Street Portfolio in April. Difficulties with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which had slowed progress late last fall, have been worked out. Neighborhood representatives remain concerned that the there is not likely to be as much de-concentration of the units as had been planned originally. OCCH and Campus Partners remain in touch with Congressman Pat Tiberi's staff about the special legislation needed to accomplish de-concentration, but we don't think it is likely that it will pass, given the attention of Congress on the economy and on a possible war with Iraq.

An important bit of good news, however, was an award of $450,000 to The Ohio State University for the renovation of the Broad Street Portfolio. Congresswoman Deborah Pryce and Senator Mike DeWine secured the appropriation as part of the 2003 federal spending bill finally adopted by Congress in mid-February. This is the second year that Congresswoman Pryce and Senator DeWine have obtained a grant for renovation of this housing. The 2002 federal budget earmarked $750,000 for this project.

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Petition effort continues on Special Improvement District

After a couple of steps backward, the petition drive to establish the University Uptown Special Improvement District is moving forward again. One large corporate owner had indicated that it would not sign the petition, but now appears likely to sign, thanks to some assistance from Ohio State administrators. Another High Street property owner showed an initial interest in the SID concept, but he has so far refused to sign. The SID steering committee is focusing its efforts on four or five other property owners. To create the SID, support is needed from owners of 75% of the proposed area of the SID. The petition effort is at about 65%.

Meanwhile, Pete Cass, a long-time staff member of Columbus City Council, is arranging for a letter to go from city officials to all High Street property owners in the SID area. The letter will encourage property owners to consider seriously the petition and will point out that SIDs is a powerful tool for property owners to enhance the quality of their environment.

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Public safety issues: Lane Avenue, riots, shooting, and Weed and Seed

Fred Harris, general manager of the Holiday Inn on the Lane, met on March 12 with the University Area Safety Committee to discuss the activities on Lane Avenue during home football games. He noted that the competition for listeners among local radio stations is driving the size and number of parties along Lane Avenue. The radio stations each develop relationships with beer distributors and licensed operators. The closing of Lane Avenue has encouraged even more people to congregate. He reported that the business owners along Lane Avenue had met recently and were proposing that they would hire six off-duty police officers, if the state would provide nine liquor enforcement agents. The result would be three teams of five officers each who would go after under-age and open-container law violations. Harris also urged that once the widening of Lane Avenue is completed, then the street should be kept open on football Saturdays. "The folks on Lane Avenue want to be part of the solution," he said.

The next meeting of the University Area Safety Committee will be Wednesday, April 9, at 3:30 p.m. in 33 W. 11th Ave.

The Task Force on Preventing Celebratory Riots is scheduled to deliver its report by April 7. The goal is to have some recommendations in place to deal with parties that may grow out of control as the weather warms up during spring quarter. The traditional date for the "Chit Fest" on Chittenden Avenue falls on Easter this year, so no one is clear what may happen with that unsanctioned event. The Office of Student Affairs is meeting with students on that street to discourage the event. Meanwhile, the Columbus Division of Police hasn't made a decision about banning on-street parking in the neighborhood for weekends when "Chit Fest" or other large parties may be held.

The murder of a 21-year-old man in the middle of the afternoon on March 12 is a clear sign that serious public safety issues remain in the Weinland Park neighborhood. Richard C. Wooden was killed near North Fourth Street and East Eighth Avenue, slightly more than a block from Weinland Park Elementary School. Police report that 37 shots were fired. So far, two teenagers and a young adult have been arrested.

Some residents are concerned that the murder is a sign of renewed gang activity, illegal drug sales and, perhaps, more violence. The Columbus Dispatch reported March 15 that, after a three-month investigation, police had begun arresting people suspected of dealing drugs in the Weinland Park neighborhood. Two young men had been arrested, and police were seeking six more suspects. "They are wanted on charges of trafficking, participating in a criminal gang, felonious assault and robbery," the newspaper reported.

Robert Caldwell, a resident of Weinland Park and a member of the University Area Commission, reconvened the Weed and Seed steering committee on March 17. The U.S. Department of Justice designated the neighborhood as a Weed and Seed site several years ago, and funds were awarded for police work and public safety initiatives from the neighborhood. The designation later lapsed. The mayor's office and the Columbus Compact helped to re-establish the steering committee in 2001 and 2002. A new application for Weed and Seed designation was submitted last year. The meeting on March 17 focused on preparing for a site review in early April from the Justice Department in connection with the application. If the site visit goes well, the Weed and Seed designation likely will be restored. That would permit the steering committee to submit an application for additional funding.

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African American Heritage Festival moves to April

The students planning the 25th annual African American Heritage Festival have made a number of significant changes to the schedule. The week of events has moved to April and will be focused more on Ohio State students. The planners believe the new schedule will discourage the "cruising" along High Street that has backed up traffic on Friday and Saturday nights in previous years. Here are the highlights of the schedule:

-- Monday, April 21 "Town Hall Meeting" with Ed Gordon of BET Tonight in the Ohio Union Ballrooms from 6 to 8 p.m. -- Tuesday, April 22 "Poetry Slam" in Independence Hall from 7 to 9 p.m. -- Wednesday, April 23 "Soul Time at OSU" with celebrity comedians in Independence Hall from 7 to 9 p.m. -- Thursday, April 24 "Pan-Hellenic Black Greek Step Show" in Battelle Hall of the Columbus Convention Center from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. followed by party in Battelle Hall from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. -- Friday, April 25 "The Spring Jump Off Concert" inside French Field House from 8 to 11 p.m. followed by a party with DJ inside French Field House from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. -- Saturday, April 26 "Mahogany Moments," a semi-formal dinner dance in the Blackwell from 8 p.m. to midnight. -- Sunday, April 27 "Tri-BSA Cook-in and BBQ" at the Ohio Union from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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Task force hears code enforcement recommendations

Graduate students in city and regional planning made a presentation of their research into code issues to the University District Code Enforcement Task Force on March 11. The students are enrolled in a course taught winter quarter by Assistant Professor Jennifer Evans-Cowley. With the help of two focus groups of some 60 residents held in January, the students identified the following priority problems: refuse and litter, illegal parking, graffiti, and exterior appearance, including indoor furniture on open porches and grills on roofs. They then documented the problems in specific areas of the University District and conducted research on the existing city code and the codes in other cities. The students' final report will be available by early April on the Web at http://cura.osu.edu.

A question had been raised at an earlier meeting whether the business at the rear of 432 E. 18th Ave. was operating as an illegal salvage yard. Code inspector Sam Harachis reported that an inspector had reviewed the site and determined that the business could continue to operate as a car repair and used car sales lot, but that the property is not zoned for salvage. As a result, some of the used equipment stored outdoors there must be removed. Mr. Harachis also reported that the systematic exterior code enforcement had been completed from East 15th to East 18th avenues (High Street to Indianola Avenue). He said 37 citations had been issued, and that 20 had already come into compliance.

The task force's next meeting will be Tuesday, April 8, at 2 p.m. in the Northwood-High Building, 2231 N. High St.

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Students meet with Gateway architects

The Campus Partners Student Advisory Board met Feb. 20 with David Manfredi and John Martin of Elkus/Manfredi Architects of Boston to discuss the University Gateway Center. They explained the urban design goals of the Gateway project, the evolution of the concept drawings and the next steps in developing the final design. Other meetings with members of the Gateway project team will be scheduled in spring quarter.

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Committee discusses refuse collection and street sweeping

The Campus Partners Public Service Committee met in two sessions on March 12 to discuss street sweeping and refuse collection. The regular monthly street sweeping in the University District will resume on Thursday, April 10, and Friday, April 11. The committee discussed a variety of ways to remind residents that that the sweeping will start.

Jerry Edwards, administrator of the city's Refuse Collection Division, reported that the snow and ice had made it difficult to get trucks down the alleys for pick-up, but he promised an extra effort in the coming weeks to get the alleys back in shape. He had a sample of a laminated card that will be wired to each 90-gallon containers with information on pick-up and on the requirement to remove the container from the curb. He also noted that he had spoken with community leaders from Weinland Park about replacing the 300-gallon plastic containers with metal dumpsters in a higher density portion of the neighborhood. The replacement could take place this summer. He introduced Michael Pickard as the new volunteer coordinator for Keep Columbus Beautiful. Mr. Pickard can be reached at 645-1675.

At both sessions, the committee members discussed several suggestions from Pete Cass, a member of City Council staff who has worked on a number of University District issues. He proposed the student volunteers, perhaps through the university's new Community Ambassador Program, could place reusable yard signs along the curb to remind people of street sweeping days. Other volunteers might commit to a periodic pick-up of litter. In return, the city would consider providing the reusable signs and placing litter containers on high-density residential streets. (Litter containers currently are limited to commercial areas.)

The committee will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, June 4, at the Northwood-High Building, 2231 N. High St. Committee members will focus on street sweeping at 1:30 p.m. and refuse collection at 2:30 p.m.