Weinland Park Community Civic AssociationLand-Use and Business Development CommitteeMinutes of Meeting of March 4, 2015

Joyce Hughes, committee chair, called the meeting to order at 12:36 p.m. with 13 persons present.

Ms. Hughes introduced Erin Prosser as co-chair of the committee. Ms. Hughes proposed that, at future meetings of the committee, the members will be asked to approve the minutes of the previous committee meeting.

Billboard project. Ms. Hughes and Steve Sterrett explained the Weinland Park billboard project. Local artists and neighborhood youth are creating a series of four large images that will be placed on the huge billboard on North Fourth Street just north of East Fifth Avenue. Each image will be posted for three months beginning in April. The images use art to project a fresh vision for Weinland Park at a major entrance to the neighborhood.

The billboard project is a collaboration of the Wexner Center for the Arts and the R.I.S.E. Youth Club, a partnership of Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbus and Godman Guild Association. R.I.S.E. offers a year-round, drop-in, after-school program for middle- and high-school youth in Weinland Park. The Weinland Park Collaborative supports R.I.S.E. and the billboard project.

The billboard will be publicly unveiled during a neighborhood celebration on Saturday, April 11, at 2 p.m. Mr. Sterrett will distribute invitations to the celebration to members of the Land-Use and Business Development Committee.

Campus Partners. Ms. Prosser, community relations director of Campus Partners, provided background information to Campus Partners work over the past 20 years. She spoke of the housing investments in Weinland Park, then explained the purchases in mid-2014 of the D & J carry-out at North Fourth and East Eighth Avenue and the Kelleys carry-out at North Fourth and East 11th Avenue.

Ms. Prosser said the D & J property will be redeveloped by Community Properties of Ohio. She explained that Campus Partners must deal with multiple tanks buried at the Kelleys property. She said the current plan is to renovate the Kelleys building for use by a tenant for five to 10 years without removing the buried tanks. Campus Partners is obtaining an estimate to renovate the building and to determine the rent required to cover the costs. She hopes to discuss potential uses of the property with the neighborhood over the next several months. In response to a question, Ms. Prosser said area residents have suggested that the Kelleys property have a retail use, such as a restaurant or deli. Kimberly Johnson reported that she had talked with Ms. Prosser about a restaurant-deli concept that might work on the Kelleys property.

Ms. Prosser said Campus Partners next major project will be redevelopment of the east side of the intersection of High Street and East 15th Avenue. She said the university is working on an arts district on the west side of the intersection. Campus Partners has asked the city to rezone the site.

Ms. Prosser also explained that Campus Partners over the last decade has acquired properties south of South Campus Gateway and obtained city approval last year for rezoning the site. Campus Partners prepared a framework plan for the site that put limits on redevelopment. The redevelopment will include a new apartment building for Community Housing Network. Campus Partners has engaged Edwards Communities as a private developer to plan the project, then the property will be sold to Edwards Communities to develop. Ms. Prosser said Campus Partners now has letters of intent for all of the vacant retail space at South Campus Gateway due to the potential addition of new housing in the south of Gateway project. In response to a question, Ms. Prosser explained that Campus Partners has purchased the Wendys on High Street at East Ninth Avenue and will keep the business open until the new Wendys on High Street at Woodruff Avenue is completed.

In other matters discussed by the committee:

Sam Hasan expressed concern about the appearance of the railroad underpasses that are gateways into the University District. Joe Williams agreed with Mr. Hasan that the railroad underpasses are unattractive. Matt Hansen said that the University District Public Service Committee is meeting next week, and he will put the appearance of the railroad underpasses on the agenda. Committee members discussed the potential of the property at the northwest corner of North Fourth Street and East 11th Avenue and of the property on the northeast corner of High Street and Seventh Avenue. Steve Sterrett reported that he had spoken recently with the owner of the Beer Barn property on East Fifth Avenue who indicated he was looking for someone to purchase the property. Mr. Sterrett announced a city-sponsored open house on March 4 on the repaving of North Fourth and Summit streets; Roots & Roofs neighborhood beautification event on May 16; the annual Weinland Park Neighborhood Festival on August 8, and the opportunity for local businesses to include information and coupons in a welcome packet for new residents. He will send more information about these opportunities to the business owners. Ms. Hughes reported the civic association has applied to the city for the east side of the neighborhood to be a Neighborhood Pride area this summer. Mr. Williams reported that Wagenbrenner Development has nine new houses under contract for construction in Grant Park along North Grant Avenue and 18 leases signed for the Grant Commons apartments along East 11th Avenue. Matt Hansen, executive director of the University Community Business Association, announced his organizations next lunch and learn program will be April 30 at 11:30 a.m. at North High Brewing, High Street and East Sixth Avenue. Mr. Sterrett will send invitations to committee members to attend the lunch and learn without charge.

Future agenda items. In discussing the possible agenda items for future meetings, committee members proposed: Updates on business-related matters. Hearing from a city representative regarding city services. Isom Nivins, the citys neighborhood liaison, and the new small business concierge were suggested. City incentives for building faade improvements. Hearing from the new director of the Columbus Neighborhood Design Center.

Next meeting. The committee agreed to meet again on Wednesday, May 6, at 12:30 p.m. at Godman Guild Association, 303 E. Sixth Avenue.

Ms. Hughes adjourned the meeting at 1:48 p.m.

Meeting minutes prepared by Steve Sterrett.

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