City Projects

Buttles Gateway
The Buttles Gateway was proposed by the Short North SID and funded in partnership with the Short North Foundation as part of the Encounters in Urban Art and History Campaign.

The project will add uniquely designed steel tree guards and free-standing planters on Buttles between Wall and High. The tree guards will surround nine existing trees, with two decorative planters between each tree. The project design has been completed and certain components have already been installed, including new sidewalks, new tree plantings, and new tree gates. The fabrication and installation of the tree guards and free-standing planters remains to be completed. The city is currently working on drafting a request for proposals for this fabrication and installation. The RFP will take several months. The project, which is primarily city-funded, will receive money for installation following the July bond sale. The SID estimates the project cost to be approximately $50,000. The trees were funded by a grant the SID acquired from the Urban Infrastucture Recovery Fund, which the SID used to plant 28 trees throughout the district, including the nine new trees on Buttles. Additionally, property owners along Buttles helped finance concrete work for the project.

The Buttles project was one of several conceptually designed by MSI Design for the Short North neighborhood. After selecting the Buttles design concept as a project for possible implementation, the SID set about fundraising with the Short North Foundation. Part of the fundraising effort included a presentation at the Columbus Metropolitan Club. City Councilwoman Mary Jo Hudson was supportive of the project, and included funding for it in the city's capital improvements budget. 

New Goodale Park Entrance Nearing Completion
The three-year long collaboration between the city and a number of Short North partners will come to fruition this summer. The project will significantly enhance two triangular plazas above Interstate 670 and Goodale Park's southeast entrance (the corner of Park and Goodale Streets). Discussions about designing a new park entrance began with the city in the fall of 2007. Over the course of the next year, representatives from Friends of Goodale, Victorian Village Society, Victorian Village Commission, Short North Business Association, Short North Special Improvement District, Italian Village Society, Italian Village Commission, and other community organizations debated plans for the entrance. The landscaped entry will include concrete pavers, stone columns, bike racks, wrought iron fencing, trash receptacles and a wrought iron arch. Benches and tables have already been installed in the plazas. The final elements of the park entrance are to be installed by the end of June. Construction was contracted to Mid-West Landscape, and is budgeted at $165,000.

Parking Meter Conversion  

Parking meters in the Short North are undergoing a number of changes that will affect employees and visitors to the neighborhood. These include:

• Longer hours of operation. Meters will remain in effect until 10:00 PM.

• New rates. The new flat rate will be 75¢ per hour.

• 12-hour meters along Park and Goodale will change to 3-hour and 6-hour meters, respectively.

• New meters will be installed in certain locations, including in front of Bollinger Tower and in the parking lot by Skully's.

• "Smart Meters" that accept credit cards will be introduced to make it easier to pay for parking (over the course of the next 2 years)

We will let you know when city announces the exact date of implementation (expect anywhere from late June to early August)


Tree Replacement Update 
The SID worked with the city to replace three dead trees in front of the Short Stop Teen Center, the Fireproof parking lot, and Marcella's. The trees, all honey locusts, are being replaced with a honey locust and two Chinese elms. The elms, as well as hardy rubber trees, are being introduced in an effort to diversify the street tree inventory. The total replacement cost was $450.