Occupying the stretch of land extending from Tuttle Park Place to Neil Avenue are the Point on Lane Apartments, three smaller-scale apartment buildings and the Harrison Apartments. Although each of the buildings serves as a source of multi-unit, living space, characteristically they couldn’t be any more different. It is worth pointing out the Harrison specifically with respect to its height as it is arguably one of the tallest structures in the area, which may in part be due to the fact that it is not grounded at the same level as the other buildings in the area. However, even with that being said, the ground level difference between The Harrison and the other apartments is not vastly significant if you take into account the small parking lot it has in the front of the building; it is still a massive site.
Both the Point on Lane and Harrison apartments are large-scale developments. They completely soar over the three properties in between them. Although there is a decent amount of spacing from building to building, there doesn’t seem to be an adequate allotment of space for traffic flowing off the main road (Lane) to the surrounding area. In addition, the structural and design characteristics of each building as well as their physical condition vividly lends to the age of the properties. The Harrison is not the most aesthetically pleasing building in comparison to the Point which has a very modern, sleek-like design, but nonetheless, like the Point it looks newer. It is clear the three rental properties in between the Point and the Harrison are older. They appear more worn condition wise. Structure and design wise they closely resemble housing properties in the surrounding Tuttle Park neighborhood, which would lead one to conclude they were there prior to the building of both the Point and Harrison. Because, each of the buildings is so different though, the space as a whole lacks a sense of cohesion. The builds are different. The designs are different. The sizing is different. Nothing flows.
On the corner of Lane and Neil is a Shells gas station and Subway. Right next to the gas station is the Thirsty Scholar Bar. Although the bar and the gas station are not connected, they are so close to each other it is easy to mistakenly think they are connected. Not only is there not a whole lot of space between the businesses, but besides the small strip of spaces allotted for parking to the right of the pumps on the Shells lot and the little available parking spaces on the street in front of the bar, there isn’t a whole lot of parking space available in the area at all. Because that area gets such a large flow of traffic, it would make more sense to have a larger surface lot or garage built in close proximity to the buildings to accommodate the parking needs of those traveling throughout the area. Placement wise, although I’m sure many would agree that having the gas station/Subway at the corner is very convenient for those coming and going in and out of the area, the placement in addition to that of the bar, seems so random. Similarly to the comparison of the apartment complexes mentioned in the prior paragraphs, there is a lack of cohesion to the space.
Another space we explored was the residential area along Norwich Ave. One of the first things we noticed was that there was a lot of small-scale multi-unit housing. However, from building to building, the structure and design of each significantly differed. The only characteristic the units seemed to share is that there was not a significant size differential comparing one structure to the next. In addition, there was also not a large amount of space between the buildings and the space that was allotted to residents for parking did not seem to be hardly sufficient enough for the amount of people that must reside in the area. All together it felt very congested.
As we were traveling down the street, we actually had a chance to speak with a realtor in the area, who mentioned that the zoning of the area was actually changed as the university and city became more involved in its development. The realtor said the area had previously been a residential neighborhood, designated AR-4 and was changed to commercial in a push to make the area more high-density.
Our group found a lot of variation in the appearance of buildings on High Street, particularly the stretch between West Norwich Avenue and Woodruff Avenue. Most of the storefronts on the east side of the road were made of different materials, ranging from old stucco to modern metals. While some people may think this makes the area look unorganized and confusing, others might see the history of the buildings. It is obvious which buildings have been there longest and which ones have appeared as OSU naturally expanded. However, all of the buildings share a common past connected to the university. The area suddenly becomes more cohesive when the street is viewed from the lens of history. All different building uses are present along High Street, such as residential, retail, and restaurants. In other areas, this combination could be the result of poor planning, but High Street is unique because it must cater to the needs of a college student without a car. Everything a student wants must be located within walking distance of campus, so the variety of High Street does serve a purpose. Similarly, the spacing between buildings is very close together, but instead of feeling tight, the layout makes it more convenient for students to walk from place to place. While most students do not use cars, there is still a lot of traffic congestion on High Street from commuters going downtown. There is not enough parking for these people to stop and eat or shop. The couple random parking lots that are present are oddly setback from the road, interrupting the line of buildings, and tend to fill up very quickly. More parking garages need to be built behind the buildings so commuters and students alike can take part in the amenities offered by High Street.