Weiland Park Homes:
Weinland Park Homes appear to fit in with the concept of mixed use housing, where low
income homes are blended into developments of middle and upper-income homes. It appears to
be made of the same materials and in the same architectural style as the neighboring structures.
From the aerial view of Google Maps, the home appears to be well-maintained, with trimmed
green grass and evenly spaced trees beside the road. Parking is on the street, but it does not seem
to be too crowded. There is even a small elevated roundabout in the street outside to slow down
traffic. The surrounding neighborhood is mainly residential, with a couple churches and
Weinland Park located to the west. This makes the area seem more desirable because there are
no obnoxious signs or blaring lights like a more commercial area would have. The location of the
development is very convenient for families of low income because it is 0.6 miles from the
Kroger grocery store on High Street and within walking distance to the COTA bus line that runs
downtown. New homes are also being constructed in a development across the street, so the
value of the area seems very promising.

For the Weiland Park Homes location the crime analytics, in terms of the number of crimes committed at each distance are as follows: 500ft-8, 1000ft-35, 0.25mi-60, and 0.5mi-496. With the buffer set at 0.5mi, the density map shows that the greatest concentration of crime occurs the further outward you move from the property. Criminal occurrences appear to be the hottest nearing the Southern Campus and Italian Village areas. The most common types of crime are non-criminal offenses, burglary from motor vehicles, assault and theft.

The z-estimate for nearby homes starts to increase as you get further from the property. One reason for this might be because it’s hard to have affordable housing right next to market-rate because some people wouldn’t look at that as “fair.” Why should they pay $1,000+ per month when their next-door neighbor pays roughly $650 per month? Another reason for this may be because those with the means to pay for market-rate housing want neighbors with similar looking houses and yards. It’s typical for crime rates to go up around affordable housing, for various reasons; therefore, some people aren’t willing to live near affordable housing.

Nearby Schools:
Weinland Elementary School: 3/10
Dominion Middle School: 5/10
Whetstone High School: 3/10

St. George on the Commons:
St. George on the Commons is located in a very diverse area, where buildings range from
brick to Tudor style and residential units are mixed with commercial facilities. The complex
matches the red-colored façade of the building across the street and its unique “X” shape mirrors
a few of the other buildings on the block. The height and density appears to fit in well with its
surroundings. The lot seems to be very well-maintained along its expansive lawn. In the Google
Earth image, the lines from the lawnmower are even still apparent. A large parking lot is situated
behind the building, which is helpful to escape the congestion on the street. Many health-related
centers are located to the north of the complex, a sports park lies to the east, and a Catholic
school and childcare is a short walk to the south. The closest grocery store is 2.8 miles away,
which might be a little bit of a walk while carrying grocery bags back. In street view, a sign for
the complex can be read with the words “Sponsored by: The Annunciation Greek Orthodox
Cathedral”. It appears that the church is doing a lot of good work for the low-income residents
living here.

For the St. George on the Commons location the crime analytics, in terms of the number of crimes committed at each distance are as follows: 500ft-N/A, 1000ft-19, 0.25mi-23, and 0.5mi-103. In comparison to the Weiland Park Homes location, with the buffer set at 0.5mi for the St. George on the Commons location, the density map shows that the crime is more distributed around the property versus being primarily concentrated in a particular area. There is also a much lower occurrence of crime in general. The most common crimes are burglary, theft, fraud, and vandalism.

With the exception of a few houses, property values again tend to increase the further away you. Again, there are plenty of reasons as to why that might be, and one of those could be the fact that the schools in these areas aren’t good, so parents live further from those neighborhoods and closer to ones in better school districts. Because this is a demand, the property values in these neighborhoods go up.

Nearby Schools:
Winterset Elementary School: 5/10
Ridgeview Middle School: 5/10
Centennial High School: 5/10

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.

Problems:
When our group visited the plot of land along High Street between Lane Avenue and Woodruff Avenue, we were faced with two options, both of which would be prime locations with the congestion of High Street. We were able to pinpoint more issues with the east side of the road, which contains the Ohio Stater Apartment complex. The first problem that came up pertained to parking, particularly how it took up so much space that could have been better used for retail or residential space. Of course, the parking spaces would have to be moved because they would still be required in any scenario. One solution that was considered is underground parking. Near the statehouse in downtown Columbus, underground parking garages have efficiently cut down on congestion at the street level.

In our first option, we realized that we would need to keep a portion of the apartments because the demand for housing around the university is so high. Significantly decreasing the number of apartments on High Street would only increase the price of housing in the surrounding area. In a commercial space, shops and restaurants would reserve the left side of the building, the apartments the middle, and the study space the right. The parking lot would then be re-envisioned into a green space. This solution places merchants closer to their customers, while keeping living space away from the noise of High Street. The shops would get a lot of traffic from college students because there is not a mall within walking distance of campus, as well as a lot of exposure if the façade was done in glass. The only major store on High Street towards north campus is Target, but a department store does not provide the same type of variety that can be found in a mall with many shops.

In our second option, we realized that although the university does provide several study spaces including Thompson Library and the 18th street library there is not an easily accessible space for students who are living off campus to study. By building a green space filled with trees and grass, students are invited to escape the congestion of High Street and spend a few hours in the beauty of nature. The indoor study space would be built using glass, so the site could be used year-round. A green space would also be very appealing amid all the traffic and noise of High Street. Traveling north along High Street from the center of downtown Columbus, a commuter does not encounter any expansive grassy area until closer to Clintonville. By repurposing the Ohio Stater Apartment complex for a study and green space, both visitors and commuters alike would experience a peaceful feeling.
Recommendations:

Option one for this space is to divide the plan into different sections, making one a study space, one a small shopping center, and the last portion would be dedicated to the apartments. In this more commercial option, we’re focusing on repurposing the program of the space. We imagine that we’ll keep the building in the same layout and use mostly the same materials, however we want the study space to consist mostly of glass in order to receive natural sunlight.

Option two is our more natural option. Along the same lines of wanting a study space, we want a green space as well. Our thoughts are to take the current parking lot and turn it into an exterior green space with trees, benches, tables, and chairs. The interior of the building will serve solely as a study space. In order to maintain the sight and feel of a natural environment, as with the first option, we decided the surrounding exterior of the building will be glass, that way the building can receive natural lighting all year round. With the sunlight shining in and green space being in such close proximity, even during the most frigid days of the winter months, you’ll have the feel of being right there outside. To save space, we came up with the idea of relocating the parking underground, underneath the complex.

Implementation/Feasibility
Adoption:
For the two revitalization plans we came up with for the Ohio Stater Apartment complex and shops site both the use and occupation of the space are primarily meant to be of benefit to university district students, professionals, and surrounding university district residents and travelers. As mentioned above, the idea is to repurpose the programming of the space, working with existing elements of the site such as the structure of the building itself, while at the same time introducing new elements to make it multifunctional. Our focus is to build based off what contributions can be made to the space to maximize the utility derived from it, both in terms of access and monetary and nonmonetary benefit. The beauty and appeal of the multifunctional nature of the project is that profit can be generated across the space, meaning each space provides its own stream of revenue garnered from its utilization.

Public Policy:
There are several attributes of our project we must take into consideration with respect to public policy. Probably the most important of which in terms of its effect on the feasibility of both plans is the construction of the underground parking garage. Before the plans can go into effect they would need to be approved by local zoning and building authorities. The location of the Ohio Staters Apartment complex and shops building is in a particularly congested area, traffic and space wise. As provided in the above text, underground parking garages have been shown to provide an efficient remedy for street level congestion, hence the introduction of underground parking can actually produce a more favorable outcome than the existing lot. Second, because for the first option we are maintaining the middle section of the apartment complex as living space, it would also be necessary for us to take into consideration housing laws and assure that each unit of the building is up to code, especially in terms of maintaining the safety and welfare of the buildings occupants. Something else to take into consideration is that the property would need to be vacated for construction which calls into question how do we remedy the effect of the displacement of the building’s current residents? One solution to this is to provide an advanced notice to residents that the building will be undergoing renovation but also work some type of financial assistance for those who are displaced into the budget for the project to assist them with finding new homes.
Build:

Option one of our revitalization plan entails the tripartition of the Ohio Staters Apartment complex and shops building into a study space (right side of building), an adjoining apartment space, and a space dedicated to small shops and restaurants (left side of building), with an underground parking garage.

Option two of our revitalization plan of the Ohio Staters Apartment complex and shops building involves remodeling the building as a study space, relocating parking underground, and utilizing the existing parking lot as a green space.
For both options the goal is to work with as much of the existing structure of the building as we can, partially eliminating the time and financial burden of demolishing the site in its entirety and starting anew. However, in order to keep the existing site, while also pursuing the option to construct an underground parking garage, it will be a necessity for some type of support system to be developed to maintain the building and its existing foundation. For instance, take the development of Time Square’s Palace Theater as an example, a plan was created that called for the structure to be lifted 29 ft. from its original position. How? “Put simply, it will be jacked up. Put less simply, some of the current truss would be reinforced and then another part of it would be removed. A protective crate would be constructed around the theater, both above and below ground. Temporary shoring corner towers would also be put in place. Then beams would be inserted for the theater’s new platform before jacks using a telescopic hydraulic system are also inserted” (Bindelglass para 8). A similar plan of action could be developed so that demolition of the Ohio Staters Apartment complex and shops site is not necessary in order to take on the revitalization plans.

Finance:
There are several channels through which we could finance one of our revitalization plans.
• Partner w/ OSU, bond market, municipal bond
Because both plans are meant to benefit those within/ surrounding the university district, especially OSU students and professionals, it would be within the interests of the university to invest in one of the projects. A less traditional route but one that is becoming increasingly more utilized by universities to finance debt or investment projects is issuing bonds. According to Brian Barnett Senior Vice President of Finance and Operations at the University of Minnesota, “Issuing bonds is a way to finance infrastructure without taking too much risk… The university can maintain its cash reserves for operations, while spreading the cost of a capital project over time” (Katsomitros para. 3). The project would not just be of benefit to OSU, but the local economy all together as mentioned above both options have a means of generating their own stream of revenue. Ultimately either project serves to meet increased demands of living in a city and being a college student!

Works Cited:
Katsomitros, Alex.“The Emerging University Bonds Market.” World Finance, 2018 https://www.worldfinance.com/markets/the-emerging-university-bonds-market.
“Palace Theater To Be Lifted 29 Feet For Expanded Facilities And Retail.” New York YIMBY, 25 Nov. 2015, https://newyorkyimby.com/2015/11/palace-theater-to-be-lifted-29-feet-for-expanded-facilities-and-retail.html