[ MUSIC ] >>> COLUMBUS HAS SEASON A LOT OF RECENT INVESTMENT, REDOING OLDER BUILDINGS AND BUILDING NEW.

A LOT HAS HAPPENING DOWNTOWN BY FILLING UP PARKING LOTS AND REALLY BRINGING LIFE BACK TO THE CENTER CITY.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DEVELOPERS DOING THIS WORK, AND A LOT OF IT IS INNOVATIVE AND TODAY WE'LL BE MEETING WITH ONE OF THEM AND DOING SOME REALLY INTERESTING PROJECTS.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> HI, JEFF.

>> HOW ARE YOU?

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> SO YOU HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, THESE DAYS.

>> TRYING AND I THINK YOU CONTROL, WHAT?

THREE CORNERS?

THREE OF THE FOUR CORNERS.

WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?

YOU'VE HAD SOME NEW CONSTRUCTION ALONG WITH OTHER APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF RENOVATING THESE BUILDINGS HERE.

>> I REMEMBER THE BLOCK FROM GATES ARE LONG, AND THAT WAS THE PARKING LOT FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

>> DECADES.

SO YOU FILLEDED THAT IN.

YEAH, WE DID AND THAT'S APARTMENTS.

[ MUSIC ] >> AND THEN ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE STREET OPPOSITE -- SOME PEOPLE REMEMBER THE OLD MADISON STORE.

>> SURE.

>> AND LANY JEWELERS IS THERE, GETTING REDONE.

>> THEY ARE.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> SO THE BUILDINGS AREN'T THE ONLY THING YOU'VE BEEN UP TO.

THEY'RE A FAIRLY SIZEABLE SCULPTURE AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU COMMISSIONED?

>> IT WAS.

AND THEN DONATEDED IT.

>> JANET ECKELMAN IS THE ARTIST AND SHE'S FAMOUS FOR THESE TYPES OF INSTALLATIONS AND SCULPTURES AND WE THOUGHT WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD ESTABLISH THIS AS AN ART DISTRICT AND THERE ARE A HALF A DOZEN GALLERIES THAT WILL MOVE IN AND THEY'LL SET OFF THE AREA.

>> IT IS AN IMPRESSIVE PIECE OF WORK.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> WHAT WAS THE EARLIEST PROJECT HERE THAT YOU DID?

>> I THINK THE EARLIEST PROJECT WAS THE CITIZEN'S TRUST BUILDING AS YOU REMEMBER -- >> RIGHT.

RIGHT.

>> THAT BUILDING ON THE REGISTER, AND CREATED 63 APARTMENTS AND SOME RESTAURANT RETAIL SPACE AND NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF SELLING THOSE APARTMENTS AS CONDOMINIUMS WHICH HAVE BEEN POPULAR ALSO, TOO.

>> WELL, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A LITTLE MORE, RIGHT?

LEAD THE WAY.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> I REMEMBER THIS SPACE BEING MODERNIZED.

I DON'T RECOGNIZE IT AT ALL, THANK GOODNESS.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >>> THERE ARE A LOT OF POPULAR PHRASES LINKED TO THE SUBJECT OF MONEY LIKE MONEY CAN'T BUY YOU HAPPINESS, BUT CHARLENE, I'M GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.

I THINK IT HELPS SOMETIMES.

>> YEAH.

JUST TRY NOT HAVING ANY AND SEE HOW HAPPY YOU ARE OR WHAT ABOUT THIS PHRASE?

MONEY DOES NOT GROW TREES.

>> I THINK I HEARD THAT A TIME OR TWO GROWING UP.

>> I'M SURE YOU DID UPON.

OR NOW ABOUT THE PHRASE, MONEY TALKS WHICH IS AN INTERESTING CONCEPT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT.

>> IT CERTAINLY IS, CHARLENE AND THAT'S A GREAT SUBJECT TO EXPLORE IN TODAY'S STORE STARTING WITH A TOUR OF AN OLD BANK THAT'S BEEN ADAPTED INTO A REALLY COOL LIVING SPACE.

SO LET'S FOLLOW THE MONEY.

>> OH, ANOTHER GOOD ONE.

>> I TRY.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >>> DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS HAS SEEN A LOT OF RECENT INVESTMENT, COMMERCIAL PROJECTIONS, RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS AND RE-DOING OLDER BUILDINGS AND BUILDING NEW.

A LOT IS HAPPENING DOWNTOWN AND WE'RE FILLING UP PARKING LOTS AND BRINGING LIFE BACK TO THE CENTER CITY.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DEVELOPERS DOING THIS WORK.

A LOT OF THEM ARE INNOVATIVE AND TODAY WE'LL BE MEETING WITH ONE OF THEM WHO IS DOING SOME REALLY INTERESTING PROJECTS.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >>> HI, JEFF.

>> HOW ARE YOU?

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> SO YOU ARE HAVING A BIG IMPACT ON DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, THESE DAYS.

>> TRYING.

I THINK YOU CONTROL, WHAT?

THREE CORNERS?

>> THREE OF THE FOUR CORNERS.

>> SO WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE AT GANHIGH?

>> WE'VE HAD NEW CONSTRUCTION AS FAR AS APARTMENTS AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF RENOVATING THESE BUILDINGS HERE.

[ MUSIC ] >> I REMEMBER THE BLOCK FROM GATES AND LONG ON THE WEST SIDE OF HIGH.

THAT WAS A PARKING LOT FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

>> DECADES.

>> SO YOU FILLEDED THAT IN.

>> YEAH, WE DID.

THAT'S APARTMENT AND COMMERCIAL SPACE?

>> THAT'S APARTMENT AND COMMERCIAL SPACE.

[ MUSIC ] >> AND THEN ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE STREET OPPOSITE THE OLD -- SOME PEOPLE REMEMBER THE OLD MADISON CLOTHING STORE.

>> SURE.

>> AND THEN ARCO AND LANY JEWELERS, AS I RECALL AND THOSE ARE ALL GETTING REDONE.

>> THEY ARE.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> SO THE BUILDINGS AREN'T THE ONLY THINGS YOU'VE BEEN UP TO IF YOU'RE AT HIGH.

THERE WAS A SIZEABLE SCULPTURE THAT WAS INSTALLED?

>> YES.

>> THAT WAS SOMETHING YOU COMMISSIONED?

>> IT WAS AND THEN DONATED TO THE MUSEUM OF ARTS.

JANET ECKELMAN IS WORLDWIDE FAMOUS FOR THESE TYPES OF INSTALLATIONS AND SCULPTURES AND WE THOUGHT WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WERE GOING TO START TO ESTABLISH THIS AS AN ARTS DISTRICT AND WE HAVE HALF A DOZEN GALLERIES THAT WILL MOVE IN AND WILL SET OFF THE AREA TO HAVE THIS.

>> IT IS AN IMPRESSIVE PIECE OF WORK.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> WHAT WAS THE EARLIEST PROJECT HERE THAT YOU DID AT HIGH?

>> I THINK THE EARLIEST PROJECT WAS THE CITIZENS TRUST BUILDING THAT WE WORKED ON, AS YOU REMEMBER.

>> RIGHT.

>> PUT THAT BUILDING ON REGISTER AND CREATED 63 APARTMENTS AND RESTAURANT AND RETAIL SPACE AND NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF SELLING THOSE AMOUNTS AS CONDOMINIUMS WHICH HAVE BEEN POPULAR ALSO, TOO.

>> I'D LOVE TO SEE MORE.

>> ALL RIGHT.

>> LEAD THE WAY.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> I REMEMBER THIS SPACE BEING MODERNIZED.

I DON'T RECOGNIZE IT AT ALL, THANK GOODNESS.

>> YEAH.

>> IT WASN'T VERY NICE, TO BE HONEST.

>> NO, IT WASN'T AT ALL.

>> THIS IS THE ENTRY HALL TO THE 1912 CITIZENS BUILDING AND OVER THE YEARS IT GOT UPDATED.

SO WHAT DID YOU DO TO RESTORE IT TO THE CONDITION IT IS NOW IN.

>> YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER THE ENTIRE CEILING IN THIS PARTICULAR LOBBY AREA HAD BEEN STUCCOED OVER AND WE KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING BELOW THE STUCCO AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS AND WE WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO FIND THE CEILING PRETTY MUCH MORE INTACT THAN WE MIGHT HAVE GUESSED.

>> OF COURSE, IT LOOKS LIKE HAMMERED COPPER, BUT I SUSPECT IT'S PAINTED PLASTER.

EVEN IN HISTORIC TIMES THEY HAD SHORT CUTS.

>> THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.

PAINTED PLASTER.

>> BOY T CAME OUT WELL.

>> IT DID.

>> THESE WERE THE ORIGINAL COLORS THAT WERE USED ON THE SURFACE.

>> I BELIEVE SO.

>> LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE YOU DID ON THE BUILDING.

>> GREAT.

LET'S GO UP AND LOOK AT THE BANK HALL.

>> WHAT A GREAT SPACE.

THIS IS GORGEOUS.

THE OLD BANKING LOBBY.

I REMEMBER THIS HAS BEEN ALTERED QUITE A BIT.

THE COLUMNS COVERED WITH MARBLE AND YOU COULDN'T SEE IT AT ALL.

WHAT ELSE DID YOU NEED TO REVERSE TO MAKE IT BETTER?

>> THE WHOLE MEZZANINE AT SOME POINT IN THE PAST, AS YOU MENTIONED THE MARBLE COLUMNS AND THEY WERE CLAD IN MARBLE WHICH WAS A REAL MESS GETTING OFF AND WE HAD TO COMPLETELY RE-DO ALL OF THE PLASTER.

>> THE OLD VAULT IS HERE.

THAT'S A SMALL SPACE.

>> THAT'S ACTUALLY OR MAIL ROOM.

THAT WORKED OUT GREAT.

>> THAT MAKES SENSE.

IT LOOKS LIKE A VAULT STILL BECAUSE MAILBOXES LOOK LIKE SECURITY DEPOSIT BOXES.

>> AND YOU CAN SEE THE VAULT DOOR.

>> THIS HAS BEEN TERRIFIC AND SEEING THESE PROJECTIONS YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT.

WHAT ELSE IS COMING DOWN THE LINE?

WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED?

>> AS WE SPOKE EARLIER, THERE ARE PROJECTS ON EAST HYDE STREET THAT ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

>> RIGHT.

>> WE AILS HAVE THE RENOVATION OF THE PMC TOWER AND IT'S A MIXED USE BUILDING WITH APARTMENTS AND THAT'S NEARING COMPLETION RIGHT NOW.

>> THAT'S THE ONE WITH THE SUNKEN PLAZA.

>> I'LL HAVE TO HAVE A LOOK AT IT AT SOME POINT.

>> IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BRINGING PEOPLE BACK DOWNTOWN AND REPOPULATING THE PLACE AND MAKING IT BACK TO THE CITY IT ONCE WAS AND IT WENT THROUGH A LONG PERIOD IN THE 20th CENTURY WHERE IT REALLY WASN'T AS HEALTHY AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN AND IT JUST IS SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> WHAT SEEMS TO BE IMPORTANT TO YOU PERSONALLY?

THEY'RE NOT EASY.

>> THEY'RE NOT EASY, BUT LIKE YOU I'M AN OLD BUILDING BUFF OR HISTORY BUFF AND I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, AND THERE ISN'T AN EXAMPLE IN THE COUNTRY OF ANY PROSPEROUS CITY THAT DOESN'T ALSO HAVE A HEALTHY DOWNTOWN.

SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO PERSONALLY TO TRY MAKE THAT HAPPEN IS IMPORTANT.

>> I THINK IT REALLY IS HAPPENING AND IT IS THANKS TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU FOR THE TOUR AND FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.

THANK YOU.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ]