Update from Campus Partners:  May 17, 2002

Contents:

Demolition begins for University Gateway Center

        Ohio State University President William E. Kirwan, Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, City Council Member Richard W. Sensenbrenner and student government president Eddie Pauline released a wrecking ball on May 1 to begin demolition along two blocks of North High Street to make way for construction of the University Gateway Center.  The Gateway project, which will be built on 7.4 acres in the area of 11th Avenue and High Street adjacent to Ohio State's Columbus campus, will be a dynamic blend of entertainment, retail, office space, rental housing and parking to serve one of the nation's largest collegiate markets.  The total investment in the project is likely to be more than $100 million.

        “The Gateway Project is one of the nation’s largest and most exciting urban redevelopment projects.  It represents the university’s and the city’s commitment to revitalizing the University District,” Kirwan told the 125 people at the demolition event.  “We believe that Gateway will better serve our students and other area residents; it will be a catalyst for the renewal of the entire High Street corridor; and it will be a significant stimulus for further private investments.”  Mayor Coleman agreed.  “Gateway represents the type of high-quality, urban mixed-use development I believe is so critical for both our urban neighborhoods and for our downtown. We are at this point in the project because the city, the university and various neighborhood groups have collaborated toward this common goal,” he said.

        King Wrecking Company Inc. of Cincinnati is conducting the demolition, scheduled to be completed in mid-July.  The first-phase public improvements, such as burial of overhead utility lines, the installation of various storm and sanitary sewers, and a variety of roadway improvements, may begin near the end of 2002, according to Terry Foegler, president of Campus Partners.  Once those public improvements are largely completed, construction of the new buildings could begin in the latter part of 2003.   The second-phase public improvements, such as the installation of brick sidewalks and decorative pedestrian lighting, will take place in the final stages of project development.  Under this schedule, the project would be complete by the summer of 2005.

        For photographs from the demolition event and for more information on the University Gateway Center, see the Campus Partners Web page at www.osu.edu/CampusPartners/

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Broad Street Portfolio

        At the request of the Ohio office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Campus Partners in February 2002 entered into a memorandum of understanding with HUD’s Ohio office, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing (OCCH) and the current owner of the Broad Street Portfolio of subsidized housing.  The memorandum articulated the issues which need to be resolved if Campus Partners and OCCH were to close on the properties by June 30, 2002.  The local HUD office arranged a meeting in Washington on April 16 with HUD’s top legal staff on housing and representatives of Campus Partners and OCCH to discuss these issues in more depth.  Campus Partners and OCCH are waiting for HUD’s written response on several issues discussed at that meeting.

        Meanwhile, the Office of Multifamily Housing Assistance Restructuring (OMHAR) is expected to issue its restructuring plan for the Broad Street Portfolio within the next two or three months.  OCCH is likely to take the lead to close on the Broad Street Portfolio because that is preferable to permitting the portfolio to be restructured through the federal Mark-to-Market program with the existing ownership arrangement.  A restructuring with the current ownership arrangement would guarantee the continued deterioration of this housing to the detriment of the residents and surrounding neighborhoods.  A closing by OCCH, however, isn’t likely by June 30 due to HUD’s delay in responding to several issues in the memorandum.

        In other matters related to the Broad Street Portfolio, OCCH is working with Moody-Nolan, Ltd., to complete the architectural review of the more than 240 buildings in the portfolio.  This review is defining the scope of renovation, as well as buildings that might be suitable for market-rate housing or which may be candidates for demolition.   Hal Keller, president of OCCH, also is working with top officials of the Ohio Department of Development and Ohio Housing Finance Agency on financial support for the portfolio.

        Campus Partners and OCCH are reviewing the best uses for the $750,000 in the Economic Development Initiative (EDI) appropriation which Senator Mike DeWine and Congresswoman Deborah Pryce sponsored last year for improving the Broad Street Portfolio.  Campus Partners has provided Senator DeWine and Congresswoman Pryce with information for another EDI request for $3.5 million in the 2003 fiscal year.  Congresswoman Pryce has already forwarded the request to the appropriate House committee chair.  University, city, neighborhood and civic leaders wrote letters of support for the EDI appropriation last year.  A similar effort will be needed this year.

        Campus Partners and OCCH were notified on May 13 that they and a laundry-list of more than 40 government officials and local corporations, including at least one non-existent organization, are being sued in federal district court by the Neighborhood Research Institute, William D. Shaffer III and David Fisher.  The plaintiffs list their addresses on the Near East Side.  It is uncertain exactly what they are asking for in the suit, except to prevent any action on the portfolio.

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University Uptown Special Improvement District

        The final petition is being prepared for the University Uptown Special Improvement District with the goal of circulating the petition among property owners before the end of spring quarter.  In the last couple of months, the petition effort has focused on a careful review with key property owners of the precise northern and southern boundaries of the proposed SID.  As now proposed, the SID will include High Street properties between Wall Alley on the west and Pearl Street on the east.  The southern boundary will be East Eighth Avenue and West 10th Avenue.  The northern boundary will be East Norwich Avenue and West Northwood Avenue.   The petition will specify that the assessment for the SID could be effective Jan. 1, 2003, or Jan. 1, 2004, depending on how quickly the petition and assessment are approved.  The SID is likely to generate about $230,000 annually from the assessment and $40,000 annually each from the city and the university in expected contributions.

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High Street plan and design guidelines

        The culmination of nearly five years of work came May 6 when Columbus City Council approved an ordinance to adopt A Plan for High Street: Creating a 21st Century Main Street.  The legislation also includes adoption of the University/High Street Development & Design Guidelines and expansion of the authority of the existing University Area Review Board to oversee implementation of the guidelines.  Terry Foegler, president of Campus Partners; Ron Hupman, president of the University Area Commission; and Pasquale Grado, executive director of the University Community Business Association, spoke in favor of the legislation.  The adoption of the guidelines was one of the city’s commitments within our Gateway Economic Development Agreement.

With financial support from the university and the city, Campus Partners employed Goody, Clancy & Associates as lead consultant in mid-1997 to develop the more detailed High Street plan and to better define the proposed redevelopment project that became the University Gateway Center.  Mr. Grado chaired a broad-based advisory panel which oversaw the planning effort.  Campus Partners widely circulated the first draft of A Plan for High Street in late 1998 and published the final product in 2000.

        Goody, Clancy & Associates in late 1998 also released the first draft of the development and design guidelines.  The University Area Commission and the city’s Planning Office worked on a major revision of the guidelines.  Campus Partners, UAC and the city then worked with Goody, Clancy in the last several months to fashion the final product as an attractive document to complement the High Street plan.

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Crime Stoppers

       University Area Crime Stoppers, in cooperation with student volunteers and area property owners, is placing large decals on metal dumpsters warning against setting fires.   The 11x17-inch decal reads: “Have info on dumpster arson or other crimes?   It pays to call 247-8477.  Rewards available.”  The 300 decals are being paid for by the university and by property owners.

        At its last meeting on May 3, the University Area Crime Stoppers Board agreed to focus on the large number of auto break-ins and auto thefts in the University District.  Board members are gathering additional information on problems and will promote prevention measures against these crimes and will offer cash rewards for tips leading to the arrests of perpetrators.

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Heritage Festival

        The African American Heritage Festival will offer a series of events on campus from May 13 to 19.  The Columbus Division of Police and University Police are cooperating on traffic control.  Depending on traffic conditions, Columbus Police will implement a traffic plan on Friday and Saturday evenings that will restrict traffic movement and will direct vehicular traffic one-way north on High Street from Fifth Avenue to Lane Avenue.  The festival’s major events will be:
-- 15^th Annual Pan-Hellenic Black Greek Step Show on Friday, May 17, at 7 p.m. in the Schottenstein Center followed by a dance in the parking lot of French Field House from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
-- Komen Columbus Race for the Cure on Saturday, May 18, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Fawcett Center and Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.  The event may draw 25,000 participants.
-- On the Town Square festival on Saturday, May 18, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the Oval followed by a dance in the parking lot of French Field House from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
-- Campus Picnic on the Oval from noon to 4 p.m. and a community clean-up from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 19.  Clean-up volunteers should report to the Heritage Festival headquarters in the Ohio Union.  (Amanda Runyon Lynch of the University District Organization and Steve Sterrett and Brandy Ethridge of Campus Partners are leading the community clean-up.)

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Public safety

        Despite a number of programs and activities in place, the riotous behavior on Chittenden Avenue on Saturday night, April 20, once again brought police action, unwanted publicity to the University District, and a firm university response.  A police policy of strict enforcement, on-street parking controls, university sanctions against offending students, efforts by university staff and student leaders, and cool weather helped to prevent a repeat of such behavior on subsequent weekends.

        In other public safety news, the Campus Partners Safety Coordinating Committee and the Off-Campus Strategies Committee merged in March as the University Area Safety Committee.  The merged committee, which includes a substantial number of students, meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 3:30 p.m. in the Student Affairs building, 33 W. 11th Ave.  Other new members of the committee include representatives from the Columbus College of Art and Design and Columbus State Community College, both of which have a number of students living in the 43201 zip code, and a representative of the fire investigations unit of the Columbus Division of Fire.

        Armed robberies have been a particular problem on campus and in the University District neighborhoods over the last several months.  Police agencies have been devoting attention to the problem and received a break with the recent arrest of a suspect in a number of robberies off-campus and in the university parking garages.  Police caution, however, that one arrest will not solve the problem and that people should continue to take precautions.

        Columbus Police Sgt. Terry Perrigo told the safety committee at its meeting May 8 that police officers are prepared to enforce the city’s new noise ordinance that went into effect on May 1.  He distributed copies of the information being supplied to officers about the ordinance.  In general, the ordinance gives police officers greater discretion in writing a ticket for excessive noise.  A further violation could result in the perpetrator being charged with a fourth degree misdemeanor.

        The next meeting of the University Area Safety Committee will be Wednesday, June 12, at 3:30 p.m. in room 101 of the Student Affairs building, 33 W. 11th Ave.

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Refuse collection and street sweeping

        The Campus Partners Public Service Committee on refuse collection met in April and again in early May to discuss the annual special collection of bulk trash in the University District.  In the last several years, the city’s Refuse Collection Division has placed roll-offs (large, industrial-size dumpsters) in selected locations in the University District in late August and early September as students move out of their apartments.  Students and other residents are encouraged to place their bulk trash in these roll-offs.  Gerald Edwards, administrator of the city’s Refuse Collection Division and chair of the Campus Partners Public Service Committee, hopes to increase involvement by property owners in the special collection and improve the efficiency of the program.

        The city resumed its street sweeping program in the University District in April.  Students and other residents were informed of the street sweeping through flyers, Lantern advertisement and news story, electronic highway sign at 15th Avenue and High Street, and through notices in the weekly Buckeye Net News.

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Code enforcement

        The University District Code Enforcement Task Force continues to meet regularly on the second Tuesday of each month with Pasquale Grado as chair.  In its recent meetings, the task force has proposed re-instituting the program of systematic exterior code enforcement.  The program was suspended when the city instituted its Neighborhood Pride program and funds were exhausted for the “envelope program.”  The task force has suggested that the program focus on the predominantly student neighborhood where there are few, if any, homeowners.   The initial target area could be bounded by High Street on the west, Indianola Avenue on the east, East 11th Avenue on the south and East 14th Avenue on the north.   The issue was discussed with area property owners at the task force’s meeting on April 9.  So far, the major property owners have supported the systematic approach.  No date has been set for restarting the systematic approach since details are being worked out.

        The task force has established two committees: 1) the legislative committee will deal with several issues for which legislation may be needed to strengthen the city’s enforcement on graffiti, handbills, indoor furniture on porches, charcoal grills on roofs, cars parked on lawns, etc.; and 2) the noise committee to monitor the city’s newly adopted noise ordinance.   In other matters, Andy Baumann, code enforcement supervisor, reported that the city has metal signs which warn against dumping.  If residents have suggestions about where the signs should be placed in the University District, they should contact J.D. Compston of the city’s Refuse Collection Division.  His e-mail is: jdcompston@cmhmetro.net

        The next meeting of the University District Code Enforcement Task Force will be Tuesday, June 11, at 2 p.m. in the Northwood-High Building, 2231 N. High St.

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Student involvement

        The Campus Partners Student Advisory Board sponsored a survey of Ohio State students during the first two weeks of April to determine their attitudes on a number of issues related to High Street.  Many of the questions were taken from a similar survey conducted in January 1999.  This latest survey was open to all Ohio State students who were asked to complete the questionnaire on a secure Web page.  Responses were received from 924 students.  A copy of the survey results is available from the Campus Partners office and soon will be on the Campus Partners Web page.  The results are similar to the 1999 survey, although the latest survey included a significantly higher proportional of female students and students living in the 43210 and 43201 zip codes.

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New student representative

        Campus Partners is seeking applications from students to succeed Greg Lestini as the representative of graduate and graduate-professional students on the Campus Partners Board of Trustees.  Mr. Lestini’s term expires June 30, 2002.  His successor will serve a term from July 1, 2002, to June 30, 2004.

         The position is open to graduate and graduate-professional students and to graduating seniors who have been accepted into and plan to enroll in a graduate or graduate-professional program at Ohio State in autumn quarter 2002.  The deadline for applications is Friday, May 17.  Mr. Lestini will chair the selection committee for his successor.  The committee is scheduled to bring its recommendation to the Campus Partners Board in June.

Special event

        Long’s Book Store, the University Community Business Association and Campus Partners joined with the High Street Neighborhood Guide and other businesses and civic associations to produce the first COTA High N’ Seek Treasure Hunt on Saturday afternoon, May 11.  The heart of the University District at 15th Avenue and High Street was one of the nine neighborhood stops.   At that stop, Long’s Book Store gave away pieces of cake in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the book store.  In addition, the Wexner Center provided free passes to its current exhibit, “Mood River.”  Participants also received a bag of free items and coupons to area businesses.

        The purpose of High N’ Seek was to showcase High Street as a fun and exciting destination from Worthington on the north to the Merion Village neighborhood south of downtown.  Proceeds from the event will benefit the High Street Fund to support civic life along High Street.

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