JEB
Evan, Josh and Ben
The location of revitalization on N High Street we chose was from the corner of High Street and E Woodruff Ave. This area currently is home to a Dunkin Donuts and other small companies. Connected to these shops is a very large apartment complex called the Ohio Stater which houses many Ohio State students. While our group was inspecting this location we talked about the many issues that this plot of land had. A problem we discussed was that the complex was massive and was taking up a lot of unnecessary space. Another problem we found was that the area is just not in good shape. The pavement is very cracked and filled with potholes and has not been redone in years. Overall the area is an eye sore and revitalization will benefit not only the apartment complex but the shops that are connected.
The first idea for revitalization we came up with for this plot of land was to create a new and improved apartment and shopping complex like the ones you see further down the High Street. This apartment complex will house hundreds of off campus Ohio State students. This would add more off-campus housing options to OSU students and allow for new business to cash into the economy of the university area. The new building will be right up against High Street removing eliminating the problem with misuse of space. Students will be able to park in the existing parking garage that currently sits behind that complex.
Our second idea for the space was a public park. This would be freely accessible to anyone and would help to brighten the busy and bustling high street commercial area. This would also provide a place for all nearby residents of the apartment complex a place to rest and relax without having to make the long walk to the oval. Overall this could also have a positive effect on land value in the area and wouldn’t be that expensive to maintain. With OSU’s tradition of making large green spaces, it shouldn’t be hard to find investors to back the construction of such a park.
It can probably be guessed that the space we selected, so close to campus, has an extremely high land value. We would need large investments to buy and then transform the lot. This would most likely be achieved by first asking the University for some sort of aid. Since our plan would be a public work and would benefit the campus. Secondly we could ask the city for grant money for the park, some sort of subsidy might exist for public recreation. Finally we would have to ask private investors like local apartment buildings, and see if they’d assist with the cost of construction. Since both of our plans benefit local businesses on high street they might be willing to sponsor us.