Masonry Magazine October 2001 Page. 41
In Columbus, a 95-acre mixed-use urban village anchored by a privately funded sports arena has transformed the downtown and created a vibrant new entertainment district. The Nationwide Arena is the centerpiece of a $500 million urban masterpiece that includes commercial office space, residential units, retail and entertainment attractions and a large urban park. The district effectively unifies old and new, featuring large pedestrian-friendly areas enhanced by beautiful brick buildings and brick-paved streets, plazas, sidewalks and pathways.
The Challenge
For many years, the neighborhood where the district now stands was badly neglected, characterized primarily by abandoned buildings and gravel parking lots. The largest fixture in the district was the abandoned State Penitentiary, an oppressive building that was literally starting to crumble onto cars parked around it.
Until a few years ago, residents and government officials in Columbus were starting to think their plans for a new sports arena and revitalized downtown would never be a reality. A proposal for the arena was on the table for years, yet five times since 1978, the residents of Columbus voted against the necessary tax hike. But in 1997, Nationwide began negotiations to purchase both privately held and city-owned lands crucial to the development of what is now the Arena District. Nationwide, a diversified insurance and financial services organization based in downtown Columbus, volunteered to privately fund the arena if the National Hockey League (NHL) would guarantee Columbus their first franchise team. When this deal was secured, the city agreed to sell the land where the abandoned State Penitentiary stood.
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MASONRY OCTOBER, 2001 41