SNA Spring News

Short North Alliance Spring Newsletter!

It's almost here: The 7th Annual Short North Gala!

To purchase tickets, contact the SNA office at 614.299.8050

District Beautification

Holiday Décor

The cost to execute the 2012 holiday initiatives was roughly $8,500 (with $5,000 coming from the SNA and $3,500 from businesses). Residents, visitors and business owners have expressed extreme support of the initiative. All have expressed the need to further evolve the Short North to be a holiday shopping “destination” that can support the ever-growing roster of businesses. This has resulted in a proposal to develop a $50k - $100k holiday decoration campaign for 2013. Grants, sponsors and donations would fund this campaign.

District Development

Bike Shelters

Public Art

 

10x10x10

Click here for the 10x10x10 mural map!

The mini-mural project was envisioned by Ralph Rosenfield and chaired by Sherrie Hawk. Between the SNBA and the SNA, $5,000 was contributed in support of the project. This amount was matched twice-over by the galleries, the Columbus Foundation, and the Johnstone Fund for total of $16,500 including the replacement of one damaged mural. The SNA shepherded the project through the Italian Village Commission, Victorian Village Commission and the Architectural Review Commission (downtown). The community was given a 12-month authorization. In 2013, it is anticipated that the galleries will rally again to install a new collection of micro-murals.

200-Tile Mosaic

This is a bicentennial project spearheaded by ROY G BIV. Between the SNBA and the SNA, $5,000 was contributed in support of the project. This amount was matched twice-over by the Columbus Foundation and ROY G BIV donors for total of $15,000. The mosaic will be displayed at the Riffe Gallery, downtown, in January. ROY G BIV is finalizing site selection in the Short North with plans to complete semi-permanent installation in the spring.

Parking

Parking is becoming more and more of a sore point in the community. Residents are resenting business use of non-metered parking on side streets  (both for employees and customers). As construction projects (such as Pizzuti’s and Elford’s) remove even more parking, we can expect people to go to extreme measures to protect what little parking they perceive they have claim to.

The SNA has been engaged in conversations with the city (Randy Bowman) and the Italian Village community since May. Residents have petitioned the city to disallow all allocation of permits to businesses along High Street. Some businesses currently have as many as 23 permits. Currently there are 186 parking spaces available in the IV permit parking area. Unfortunately, over 1,150 permits have been distributed for these spaces. Of these, less than 200 are for business use. It is likely that the city will limit allocations to two per business. Several businesses have expressed concerns of extreme hardship if this is the case. The SNA is working with a variety of partners to determine immediate alternative parking options.

Part of the challenge facing the district is the lack of a professionally led parking study that includes representation from all constituents (SNA, SNF, IVC, VVC, IVS, SNCA, etc…). Without an agreed upon assessment of the situation, answers to parking related questions  (including variances, loading zones, valet zones, metered areas, permit-only areas, garage development, etc…) are handled differently by each constituent. To unite the district and build a plan for the future, the SNA applied for a UIRF (Urban Infrastructure Recovery Fund) grant. In response, the city has allocated $250,000 for 2013. The SNA will be working with Randy Bowman’s office to begin mapping out a strategy this winter/spring.

The SNA has been searching for parking alternatives on private lots for employees. The challenges thus far have been safety (directing employees to park in poorly lit locations behind buildings), enforcing use of lot by employees only, cost of managing small lots. While small lots can be activated for valet purposes, it is more difficult for lower-cost employee parking. Many of the employees who need parking are waitresses, carrying significant tips in cash and getting off work at 2:30AM. The SNA has conducted a survey regarding current employee parking scenarios and is analyzing the results.

City Relations

Food Trucks and Carts

The SNA is participating in conversations with city staff and truck owners to establish guidelines regarding locations where food carts are permitted to set up shop and how they are expected to operate. The city claims carts cannot set up on any form of brick inlay, yet the city is not enforcing that policy by the limestone sofa. The result is a grease-stained, rat-infested park. Food truck vendors want cart-blanche access to set up in virtually in public location, including: parking meters, curbside, and parks.

Marathon Routes

Far too many marathons, walks and runs are routed through the Short North’s residential streets and down High Street. Numerous weekends per year, residents cannot leave or access their homes, and customers cannot get to businesses. In several extreme cases, guests could not depart the Hampton Hotel and shoppers could not reach the North Market for over an hour during prime time on a Saturday because the run route encircled the properties. The SNA has spearheaded intense dialogue with city staff (including all city council members, Public Service Dept, Safety Dept, and Police Dept) to revamp the city’s process of permitting all such functions (including gaining input from the effected communities) and choosing routes for all such functions.

HighBall 

This year HighBall reached a tipping point with 15,000 attendees. We had over 400 volunteers. 500 people attended Party Within a Party, which was hosted by Gordon Gee, Alex Fisher, Doug Kridler and Charly and Jeni Bauer. We are looking for ways to increase revenue from HighBall in the future. This would help us be better able to tackle District-wide projects such as holiday streetscapes. We are also looking to deepen our relationship with the Latino community in Columbus. The future of HighBall may include multi-day programming, various cultural zones, and industry events.

Short North Ambassador Update 

By the Numbers:

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Hospitality and Assistance provided:   approximately 3,572           

Average engagements per day:  17

Shop Checks:            Essentially every business once a month plus many “impromptu” visits.                                                Average Shop Checks per day:  approximately 11

Safety Patrols:  1,884

Number of safety patrols north end of SID:  938 (through November)

Number of safety patrols south end of SID:  946 (through November)

                                                                        Average safety patrols per day: 9

Average miles walked per day:  Approximately 7+ per Ambassador

Flower Watering:  Approximately 610.5 hours spent flower watering.

Number of graffiti removals:

            Total graffiti removed:  approximately 1,178

Graffiti Removal Time:  If each tag takes 4 minutes to remove then 1,178 tags time 4 minutes each = 78 hours
            This is a very rough estimate.  Stickers take only 1 to 4 minutes to remove while spray paint tags can take up to an hour and a half.

This does not include time travel.  I estimate half of these removals or more were during the normal course of a patrol or cleaning and about half were specific projects to go and remove the graffiti.

Average number of graffiti removals per day: 5.6

Significant Graffiti Incidents:

Jellyfish tags:  approximately 84 individual jellyfish from approximately 28 different incidents.  These are not limited to the Short North.

STDK tags:  about 20 spray paint including American Gothic (September)

                        Duck Tags:  65+ (Mostly November)

                        SOE tags:  about 17 spray paint (November)

Number of calls to CPD and responses…

39 total calls – 32 CPD Responses

 


Panhandling

The only 100 percent effective remedy is that the panhandler fails to get handouts because the public refuses to give money because they recognize that it is harmful for the panhandle and the general public.

The Ambassadors approach every Aggressive Panhandler we see and request voluntary compliance.  If they don’t comply, we call the police. Our proactive approach is to address panhandlers when they begin to give signs that they are going to panhandle.  (i.e. Hanging out around parking lots.) 

This is one area where getting to know the street population is paying off because we can approached them, frequently by name, ask how they are and remind them about the Aggressive Panhandle laws.

Recently, one of our regular street people (Lewis) was cited by CPD for “directing cars into parking spaces” then wanting a “tip”.  About ten days later, an Ambassador saw “Willy D” hanging out at the same parking lot and was able to remind him, “You know Lewis got busted here not too long ago.”  Just a genuinely friendly reminder which helps keep Willy D out of trouble and protects the public.

Graffiti

We know from our experience that rapid removal of graffiti discourages vandals.  We aim for removal in 24 hours or less, but sometimes it runs closer to the 48 hour mark (especially when there is a “graffiti attack” by a vandal through the length of the district).

We did have a few of these “graffiti attacks” this year including one who defaced the American Gothic mural.

We have considered using social media to help identify the “taggers” but have determined that “publishing” the graffiti on-line is a mark of pride for these vandals.

This is a crime that depends on the weather.  When the warmth of spring comes around we will again see an increase in tagging.  We are also giving consideration to filing police reports for graffiti.

Landscaping and Plant Watering

With advice form a landscape company who will choose drought resistant, low maintenance plants and more diligent management of the watering program, we anticipate a very successful 2013 for our Short North plants.

In 2013, we will be eliminating all private property flower watering except for our gateway areas (such as High Street by Salon Lofts).   One of the reasons for getting out of the private property watering is that some residents have questioned why they aren’t getting flower watering.

Plant watering took approximately 20 to 25% of the hours Ambassadors worked this past summer.  Once plant watering was complete for the season we were about to dedicate our time to other projects including a clean-up of the construction material at the dead end behind Family Dollar, tree and ivy trimming in Poplar Park, graffiti removal, leaf removal and safety tours.

Welcome to the Spring Issue of the Short North SID Newsletter!

This newsletter contains updates on SID activities, city projects related to the Short North, key property developments, and community activities. To submit ideas for content, please email sid@shortnorth.org.

Special Notice Regarding

Way-Finding Kiosks - Updated Maps

If you would like your business to be included on the kiosk map update coming fall 2011, visit www.ShortNorthGuide.org, or call Kris Harrison @ orbit design / 614.221.2161.

______________________________________________

City of Columbus slates $500k  

for initial engineering study 

to evaluate Short North SID's  

proposed infrastructure improvement plan 

Last night, at a special Capital Improvement Budget hearing held at city hall, Director Boyce Safford announced that the Development Department had earmarked $500k for initial engineering studies required to begin addressing much needed infrastructure improvements in the Short North. The announcement came after many months of collaborative diaglogue between the Short North SID and the city.

The budget allocation will be voted upon by City Council this Monday, March 7. The study would occur this year with the goal of beginning actual infrastructure improvements in 2012 (coinciding with the launch of the restructured SNSID and the opening of the Hilton Convention Hotel).  

The allocation is crucial to clearly defining the gameplan to improve infrastructure deficiencies related to safety, access and aesthetics along the High Street corridor from Convention Center Drive to 7th Avenue. Proposed improvements include:

• Upgrade the district's woefully poor pedestrian-level street lighting... install newer model, architecturally appropriate fixtures; eliminate dark spots and entice pedestrians to explore the district during the evening; activate the north end and lessen the gap between the Short North and OSU;

• Bury utility lines;

• Install traffic light "mast arms" at intersections (do away with the spaghetti of overhead wires); and 

• Install sidewalk "bump outs" on strategic blocks to foster plantings, art installations, al fresco dining and greater access... improve the pedestrian experience and, again, entice greater district exploration. 

The Short North SID enthusiastically thanks the city for this vote of confidence and support of the future development of the Arts District... particularly the mayor's office and Mike Reese (Chief of Staff), the Development Department, and all the city council members who participated in the development dialogue and supported the attainment of this extremely significant milestone.

The SID also sends a shout of kudos to the community. Over the last three months, property owners voted with a very strong resolve to support the reauthorization of the SID and its five-year service/development plan. With a resounding 71% community authorization rate (the highest the city has ever received), the community helped leverage the city's buy-in to also support the vision.

As we move forward in pursuit of maximizing the potential of the Short North, we look forward to many more of these collaborative and celebratory moments.

Cheers!

Sharon O'Brien                                John Angelo 

Short North SID                               Short North SID 

President                                         Reauthorization Coordinator

 

SID Renewal Update 

John to insert text here...

Note from SID Director Tim Wagner

During the past six months, SID activities have included two large re-plantings, four street tree initiatives, 100 hours of graffiti removal, and 50 hours of snow removal.

The mature Burning Bushes in front of the Mac’s parking lot were replaced with thorny Pyracantha bushes. In Poplar Park, the struggling Taxus shrubs along the I-670 fence were removed and 33 Arborvitae and eight Viburnum shrubs were planted.

To improve street tree health, SID personnel removed all the old Christmas lights from the trees and performed substantial interior tree pruning. Following that, all the trees were nourished with fertilizer designed to encourage feeder root growth in the area below the tree grate.

And then to improve the pedestrian thoroughfare, 20 tree grates were reset to eliminate the trip hazard caused by root growth. In seven less severe situations only the bricks around the grates were reset.

Plans for the upcoming warm weather include the usual attention to the planting beds; spraying off the winter gunk from the utility poles, trash cans and kiosks along the street; and finishing the kiosk project. The planting plan for the beds will feature a more orange color scheme with annuals that require less water than petunias.

Tim

 SID Announces 2010 SNAD "Star Awards"

 
The SNSID is proud to announce the winners of the first annual Star Awards, in recognition of those who have made significant contributions to public space enhancement and development in the District.  

The winners for 2010 are:

  

Jackson on High, for quality new development.

Columbus Foundation

and the

City of Columbus

for work on the Short North kiosks.

Bollinger Tower

for a significant renovation. 

The Greystone 

for significant enhancements to the courtyard  

(see June SID newsletter).

The Indianapolis Star Raves about the Short North

Two articles in the March 12 edition of the Indianapolis Star rave about "one of the hippest neighborhoods in the Midwest". Check out the main article here: What Indy can learn from two cities that created great neighborhoods 

A second article compares Indy's arts district, Mass Avenue, to the Short North: 
Mass Ave holds its own but doesn't quite measure up

Update: High Street Trash Can Pick-up Change

Last summer, SID Director Tim Wagner worked with the city to fine tune trash pick-up in the Short North from the cans along High Street. The trash is now picked up on Mondays rather than Tuesdays, in order to reduce the amount of overflow from weekend and Gallery Hop visitors. "I think it’s really good that they now have a Monday pick-up. Trash builds up on Friday and over the weekend," said Chuck Kubat, owner of Magnolia Thunderpussy Records.
 

The SID has also been working on measures to lessen the visual impact on Sundays, by putting in liners and removing garbage following Gallery Hop. 

Parking Meter Installation Update

Installation of new Credit-Card Meters will continue at a number of new locations throughout the Short North this spring, including:

• Along the east side of High St. in between Hubbard & 1st (in front of the Greystone & Dakota Building)

• The south side of Hubbard Ave from Pearl St to Kerr St and on the west side of Kerr St from Hubbard Ave to Hull Alley

 
SID Gardening to Resume in April

The SNSID's resident gardening expert Greg Maynard will be back to work beautifying the district in mid-April, preparing the District's 20 garden beds and 26 container gardens for spring. The newly-planted garden bed at First and High, which contains a variety of roses, petunias, and a Mimosa tree (pictured right, in full bloom late last summer) will receive some special attention as the weather permits. 

Kiosk Update

Many residents and visitors to the Short North have noticed new way-finding Kiosks popping up throughout the District, each containing a map and individual story highlighting the unique historical and cultural identity of the Short North. Content for the kiosks was a collaborative effort involving Columbus historian Ed Lentz, SID director Tim Wagner, former SNBA director John Angelo, Surly Girl Saloon owner Carmen Owens, pm gallery owner Maria Galloway, and Short North resident, Stephen Weed. Kris Harrison and Gina Cronley of Orbit Design handled graphic design work for the panels.

Both the map and the illustrated stories are important to the Short North, says Stephen Weed. “The map side is so important for visitors trying to negotiate the District – it outlines the length and breadth of the Short North, and helps guide visitors to the northern end of the strip.” As for the stories, they “highlight the importance of Columbus’ contribution to the art world. These panels help Short North residents and visitors rediscover our city’s roots, and hopefully prompt further investigation and appreciation.”

The majority of funding for the project came from the Robert B. Hurst Fund of the Columbus Foundation ($50,000) and from the City of Columbus ($50,000). Additional funding was provided by The Susan Scherer Charitable Foundation, The Surly Girl Saloon, Fireproof storage, and GrandView Mercantile & Revue.

The location of each Kiosk and accompanying story is below:

1. Arch City – located almost in front of Camelot Cellars, across from White Castle
2. Goodale Park – in front of Hyde Park on the “Cap”
3. Short North Murals - in front of the public parking lot just north of White Castle
4. Gallery Hop – in front of the public parking lot just north of Greenwood pocket park, where the Limestone Sofa is located
5. Short North History – in front of the parking lot north of Macs, across from Jeni’s
6. Alice Schille  – across from the Rebecca Ibel Gallery at the corner of High & W. Third Avenue
7. George Bellows  – parking lot entrance just north of Utrecht Art Supplies, across from the Bellows mural
8. Hometown Circus – in front of Surly Girl Saloon
9. Union Station – in front of the Bollinger Towers at the corner of High & Warren Street
10. History of High Street – SE corner of Goodale and High, in front of the convention center.  This panel faces south, to capture visitors approaching the SN from the convention center, unlike all of the other history panels, which all face north
11. Emerson Burkhart (forthcoming) - will be located just south of Bodega, just north of the Fireproof building
12. Elijah Pierce (forthcoming, writing text & procuring images) - will be located at the intersection of High & Price, in front of “Price pocket park” and the parking lot (Bellows reprint is currently there)
13. Short North Pioneers (forthcoming, in preliminary design stage) - Location undetermined, but probably at the corner of Hubbard and High, in front of the Greystone parking lot, across from the new Hubbard Grille (Schille reprint is currently there).

City Projects

Buttles Gateway Update 

The Buttles Gateway project – which involves the installation of nine decorative tree guards and eighteen free-standing planters along Buttles Avenue – is moving forward this spring, with completion scheduled for the end of August. Buttles Avenue will be temporarily reduced to one lane between Wall and High during installation. A maintenance agreement between the SNSID and the city of Columbus has been finalized, and a contract for fabrication and installation of the planters is currently out for bid. The contract will be awarded in May. The $85,000 fabrication and installation costs are being covered by a grant acquired by the SNSID from the Urban Infrastructure Recovery Fund. Once complete, the uniquely designed planter stands will contain baskets with flowers, creating an inviting entrance to the District through Buttles Avenue.

   

New Goodale Park Entrance
The new landscaped entrance at the southeast entrance to Goodale Park (the corner of Park and Goodale streets) is complete and ready for the arrival of spring. Stans Sells of Friends of Goodale Park worked closely with architect on designing new entryway, to ensure the stone faced columns that were consistent with the park's original columns. The new entrance "certainly makes a much more inviting entrance to the park, and complements the Goodale gates," said Sells.The project was budgeted at $165,000. The entry will includes concrete pavers, stone columns, bike racks, wrought iron fencing, trash receptacles and a wrought iron arch. A number of representatives from the district were involved guiding the project, including Friends of Goodale Park, Victorian Village Society, Victorian Village Commission, Short North Business Association, Short North Improvement District, Italian Village Society, Italian Village Commission, Community Building Partners, and Columbus Recreation and Parks.

Short North Developments

Goodale Pond Fountain

Installation of the new Goodale Park fountain is to be completed by mid-June, according to Stan Sells, president of Friends of Goodale Park. Granite for the approximately 18-foot-high fountain was cut in India and shipped last summer, which Sells said helped save considerably on material costs. The pond was drained and cleaned last fall.

The unique fountain design is drawn from the history of the park - in particular, the Sells “Circus House” at the corner of Dennison and Buttles. “The Sells Circus was a major circus that traveled internationally,” said Sells, a relative of the original circus owners. “One of the main elements of the circus was the elephants. Real elephants spray water, and the fountain elephants will be spraying water on top of the fountain.” The design is intended to draw inspiration not only from history, but also from the culture of the surrounding neighborhood. “It’s not just a fountain, it’s an art piece. It will be reflective of the arts emphasis of the Short North, and we hope this will become an icon of the Short North.” Once complete, Short North residents and visitors will be able to enjoy the installation year-round, as the fountain is being engineered to operate even during winter months. Ongoing maintenance will be paid through an endowment fund raised by Friends of Goodale Park.

While charitable contributions currently cover the majority of installation costs, the lighting component of the fountain is yet to be completely funded. Tax-deductible donations can be made to: Friends of Goodale Park, PO Box 8266, Columbus, Ohio 43201.

 

Convention Center Hotel Construction Update
Cranes went up over the winter at the construction site of the 532-room Hilton at the south end of the Short North neighborhood, with significant work expected to be completed over the spring and summer. Although currently the site is little more than a large hole, the hotel's concrete base is to be poured this spring, and the entire frame is scheduled for completion by November. The new Hilton will be "an ideal complement to our Short North neighbors, who will offer our guests hours of shopping, 'hopping’ and dining pleasure,” said Julia Hansen, a Hilton representative.

Interior of the new Hilton skywalk

A full-service 160-seat restaurant is planned for the hotel, as well as a specialty coffee outlet. Other features include a large atrium with skylights in the lobby, a 12,000-square-foot ballroom, and a unique glass pedestrian skywalk connecting the hotel to the Convention Center. Once completed, the new hotel will significantly boost Columbus' convention draw and complement the momentum from other Short North projects, such as the redeveloped Kroger and the proposed Pizzuti boutique hotel.

Short North Fitness Now Open
Short North Fitness opened its doors to the public last October, and is currently offering a variety of classes for Columbus residents, including several variations of yoga, a "boot camp" run by former football players, and a number of other fun-sounding classes involving all manner of kicking, dancing, and punching (the air, of course). Classes are included free as part of membership (see www.shortnorthfitness.com for rates), or run $12 for non-member "drop-ins". A "class pass" is also available, offering a package of 10 classes for $100.

The spa-like interior design at SNF was designed to create an "ambience of class and well-being," according to Brad Howe, owner of the center and developer of Jackson
on High. "There is tremendous personal training talent as well," said Brad. Margo Lehring, a manager at SNF, is a former soccer player who - among other things - studied and taught martial arts in China. Margo is a certified as a personal trainer by National Academy of Sports Medicine and a certified Power Yoga instructor, and leads the YogaFit class several times at week at SNF. Membership is open to the public and available on both a month-by-month and yearly basis. The fitness center is located on the first floor  of the Jackson on High building at 1137 N. High. Parking for the center is located just north of Skully's.

Northstar Building Improvements
The single-story building at 951 N. High Street - perhaps best known as the home of Northstar Cafe - will be going vertical this year, as the Wood Companies plans on adding several  floors of residential and office space. The project is planned for completion by the end of 2011. The new four-story addition will contain 10,000 sq. ft. of office space on the 2nd floor and 24 rental units on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors (two units on the 2nd floor, and 11 units each on the 3rd and 4th floor). "We see the project as being a signature project for the Short North, with condo amenities and finishes but for the rental market," said Mark Wood. The rear section of the building will be converted into a 24 car parking garage, with a 4,500 sq. ft. roof-top terrace for residents above.

Short North Happenings

  
The Short North Arts District Gala - May 1st 

The Short North Arts District’s fifth annual Gala celebrates the spirit and vitality of the Short North. The evening begins with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and entertainment in the Greek Orthodox Cathedral’s garden courtyard, where Short North bars, taverns and spirit businesses feature their specialty cocktails. Following cocktail hour, the celebration transitions to the Cathedral’s ballroom where Pagetech Limited and the galleries of the Short North reshape the space with light, sound, projection and art. The evening shifts to a higher gear as acclaimed Short North chefs take center stage to create a one-night-only culinary tour of 12 restaurants giving you samplings of their best dish sure to satisfy your palette.

The Short North Business Association will award and grant three Unsung Heroes: individuals who have championed a higher quality of life through. The 2011 Unsung Heros are still to be announced.  You can send your nominations to diesha@shortnorth.org. The Short North Business Association will also recognize the contributions of the Short North’s most dedicated partners. The Luminary Award for the most dedicated pioneer, a District Partner for supporting our initiatives and a SID award for a property owner who has helped to grow and develop the Short North Arts District.
 

Short North Events Calender
  
April       2             Gallery Hop
 
 May      1             5th Annual Short North Gala
              7             Gallery Hop
             14            Race for the Cure
             14            North Market  Apron Gala

 
Street Closures

Rolling closures will affect the Short North during the Race for the Cure event on Saturday, May 14th between 7:30AM and 12:00PM. 
Portions of Goodale, Dennision, Buttles, and High Street (south of Buttles) will be temporarily closed. For a map of the race route and more information on Race for the Cure, visit www.komencolumbus.org.


Tree guards and planters will be installed on Buttles Avenue between Wall and High streets.  One lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction.  

Spring 2011 to Summer 2011

Thurber Drive will be resurfaced from Collins Avenue to First Avenue. 
Expect various lane restrictions. Summer 2011