Attack of the Mixed-Use Monsters

Across Columbus and its suburbs mixed-use developments, which often include high-end condos, parking garages, office space, retail and entertainment, are either up-and-running, under construction or being proposed with each new week.

Some of these developments work for certain neighborhoods, especially if the development utilized a property that was either vacated or in need of investment, developments in Grandview and Franklinton, for example.

But cramming a mixed-use development into an already established and historically unique neighborhood is a different beast altogether. A recent case-in-point is the development that replaced Clintonville’s Olympic Pool, a summer hangout cherished by several generations of kids and parents alike.

Even in Upper Arlington there are some residents who see the coming invasion of high-density, mixed-use development as a gamble that not only could cause too much commercialism and increased density, but worse, demolish a community’s soul and character.

Lane Avenue is Upper Arlington’s welcoming corridor and economic spine, and going through a boom in development. A hotel and 100 luxury apartments now tower over what was once a subdued but inviting stretch of Lane Avenue.

Upper Arlington city officials said the new development is making Lane Avenue more walkable and more appealing to visitors. It’s laying the groundwork for long-term economic growth, they say. Another mixed-use project – a seven-story tower with a 277-space parking garage called Arlington Gateway – is also in the works. City officials keep saying this mixed-use boom is going to satisfy the needs of all residents.

But not all residents are jumping out of their seats going rah-rah. One nearby homeowner, the wife of former Cleveland Brown and Buckeye football alum Simon Frazer, told the Upper Arlington suburban newspaper she was “devastated” by the city’s decision to green-light some of these developments. “It’s ruined why we moved to Upper Arlington,” she added.

Nevertheless, Upper Arlington city officials – like many city officials across Central Ohio who are seemingly all in on the mixed-use boom – say these developments are necessary, in part, because of what the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission ( MORPC) has predicted, that Central Ohio could have an influx of 1 million residents by 2050.

But there’s the mixed-use gamble: What if MORPC’s predictions don’t materialize?

According to some city planning experts, mixed-use development is risky because the success of the development depends on all tenants remaining in business. In the short term, mixed-use is profitable, say experts, but if the economy goes sour a community could be left with a boarded up eye-sore.

Nonetheless, city officials across the Central Ohio interviewed by The Columbus Free Press brush-off any suggestion their projects could become the next Continent.

“Upper Arlington is going to see its share of pressure for additional population and we’re ready for it,” says Chad Gibson, Senior Planning Officer for Upper Arlington. “Our Lane Avenue corridor and the success that it’s seeing speaks to that. It’s in high demand. Folks are excited about it. There’s almost no negativity.”

Gibson’s belief there’s “no negativity,” however, is debatable. During a zoning hearing in July, Upper Arlington resident Todd Jaquith, in regards to the proposed Arlington Gateway, said, “Lane Avenue is bad and this project will only make it worse. People are very unhappy who live along the corridor.”

The level of angst or support for high-density development in Upper Arlington is not entirely clear. But there are some Columbus residents who are fighting back against high-density, mixed-use development as if the very soul of their neighborhood depends on it.

Of course in the works for North Campus (or Old North Columbus) is The View on Pavey Square. The fight to convince city officials and developers to give one of Columbus’s most unique and colorful neighborhoods a reprieve from soulless development has become the most dogged preservation effort this city has seen in a long time.

Initially, the developers for The View on Pavey Square proposed an 11-story mixed-use structure that would have demolished nearly all the 100-year-old homes that give this stretch of High Street a distinct look and feel. But a group of local residents and other concerned Central Ohioans calling itself Protect Old North mobilized against the developers and city officials.

Unfortunately, The View on Pavey Square was recently approved by the University Area Review Board. But due to pressure from Protect Old North the developers decided to keep most of the 100-year-old homes intact while also scaling down the structure to five stories.

Joe Motil of Protect Old North says city officials who approve these developments without any apparent reluctance are not only short-sighted but also sold out.

“Placing such a massive structure behind this historic stretch of homes is an abomination that will never stand the test of time,” says Motil, who has run for Columbus City Council in the past. “People will wonder and say someday, what were they thinking? This building is terribly out of place. A history lesson in Columbus politics is where they will find their answers. The development community in this city has full rein to do as it pleases and the unconditional backing of City Hall.”