Columbus Neighborhoods
Downtown Columbus Buildings That Stood Before Parking Lots
Clip: Season 7 Episode 17 | 9m 9sVideo has Closed Captions
A look at same downtown Columbus parking lots and the lost buildings.
Nancy Recchie and Randy Black visit downtown Columbus parking lots and share the history of buildings that once stood there, along with a conversation about past and present historic preservation and urban development.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Columbus Neighborhoods is a local public television program presented by WOSU
Columbus Neighborhoods
Downtown Columbus Buildings That Stood Before Parking Lots
Clip: Season 7 Episode 17 | 9m 9sVideo has Closed Captions
Nancy Recchie and Randy Black visit downtown Columbus parking lots and share the history of buildings that once stood there, along with a conversation about past and present historic preservation and urban development.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Columbus Neighborhoods
Columbus Neighborhoods is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship[ music ] >> WE ARE HERE TODAY TO TALK WE HAVE A LOT OF THEM IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, FEWER THAN WE USED TO HAVE BUT WE STILL HAVE AN AWFUL LOT OF PARKING BUILDINGS.
LOTS THAT ONE TIME HAD HISTORIC WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO START AT THIS PARKING LOT TODAY BECAUSE THIS WAS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT FOR THE CITY LOSSt THIS BUILDING OR NOT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER >> IT STARTED WITH THE CITY IN 1993 WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE HAPPENED.
SAME YEAR THAT THIS INCIDENT >> JANUARY OF '93 >> I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE THIS WAS AN EXAMPLE OF LOSS THAT WE HAVE SEEN TURNING TO PARKING LOTS AND OVER.
OVER >> IT WAS THE PRE-CIVIL WAR ITALIAN VILLA, YOU CAN IMAGINE IT SAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LOT AND HAD A BIG, SQUARE TOWER.
THE ENTRANCE ALTHOUGH IT WAS PAINTED BLACK WAS A DOUBLE ENTRANCE , ROUND ARCH >> A COUPLE INTO THE BUILDING.
>> MUCH SO, IT WAS THE ENTRANCE INTO THE EAST TOWN STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THIS WAS A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE FAIRLY WELL OFF PEOPLE LIVED, THE BUILDING NEXT DOOR WAS THE BRENT LAZARUS HOUSE.
ANYONE WHO GREW UP IN COLUMBUS KNOWS --IT REALLY WAS AN EFFORT TO TRY TO PRESERVE IT.
OUR DISCLAIMER IS MY HUSBAND, JEFF AND I WERE A PART OF THAT WITH THE IDEA OF RESTORING THESE HISTORIC BUILDINGS BUT BUILDING NEW CONDOMINIUMS FACING THE LIBRARY PARK.
WITH A COMBINATION OF THE MOVE, IT MADE THE ECONOMICS WORK, WE ARE TRYING TO WORK WITH THE OWNERS , AND OTHERS BUT TIME RAN OUT.
THEY WERE ABLE TO TEAR DOWN THE BUILDING AND THEY DID.
WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT PARKING LOTS ?
THEY ARE BUSINESSES, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE ANY URBAN DESIGN CONTRIBUTION TO THE CITY.
THERE IS NO REASON WHY THIS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BEAUTIFULLY LANDSCAPED DOOR --OR DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT IS UNJUST THIS IT WAS TORE DOWN 30 YEARS AGO, WE HAD THIS FOR 30 YEARS.
>> THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF IF THERE MOVEMENT IN TERMS OF IS A PARKING LOT REQUESTED IN COMMISSION, LANDSCAPING WILL BE THE HISTORIC DISTRICT BY ANY A IMPORTANT COMPONENT.
>> A GOOD THING THAT CAME OUT OF THIS IS THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
PART OF IT WAS TO NOT HAVE PARKING.
BUILDINGS TORN DOWN FOR THERE WOULD BE A REVIEW PROCESS, IF THE BUILDING WAS TURNED DOWN, THEY DID NOT ALLOW THEM TO TEAR THAT BUILDING TOWN --DOWN COMMITMENT.
UNTIL HE HAVE A WE WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE LOTS.
BUILDINGS AND NOT JUST PARKING CAN YOU THINK OF OTHERS THAT POLICY?
MAY BE LED TO SOME CHANGE IN >> IN THE NORTH ON THE VICTORIAN VILLA SIDE, HOTEL WAS LOST THERE.
IT TOOK A LOT OF TIME TO REBUILD THAT LOT , THERE WAS A THAT SHOULD HAPPEN.
LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER ALSO, THERE WAS ANOTHER REALLY AND IMPORTANT ONE, THE SENECA SEVERAL ENVIRONMENTAL COURT HEARINGS ON THE ALLEY BY THE SENECA.
THEY WERE VERY CLOSE TO BEING LOST AND THE REASON IT DID NOT WAS BECAUSE OF THE DOWNTOWN INDIVIDUALLY -- COMMISSION AND THEN IT WAS APARTMENT.
>> AND THEN IT HAPPENED AT THE >> IT IS AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESS, GONE FOREVER.
ONCE A BUILDING IS GONE IT IS YOU CANNOT ADAPTIVELY REUSE A VACANT LOT UNTIL HE REBUILD.
>> THERE ARE GOOD ECONOMIC INCENTIVES THAT ALLOW PEOPLE TO BUILD.
WITH A LOT OF IMAGINATION AND AROUND COLUMBUS DOING AMAZING CREATIVITY, WE SEE DEVELOPERS WORK ESPECIALLY RECENTLY.
I KNOW YOU WERE INVOLVED WITH THE POWER PLANT, THE EAST MARKET THAT WAS READY FOR DEMOLITION COULD HAVE BEEN A PARKING LOT IN THAT AREA.
ONE OF THE ONES THAT COMES TO MIND TO ME IS THE BREWERY DISTRICT.
IT IS STILL THERE, THE BREWERY IS NOT EXACTLY A PARKING LOT.
IT IS A GREEN SPACE, BUT I DOWN.
REMEMBER THAT BUILDING WAS TORN >> THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF CITIES THAT HAVE APPROACHED THE VACANT PROPERTIES IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
I THINK PITTSBURGH, I ALSO THINK OF CINCINNATI .
MANY BUILDINGS WERE KEPT.
TRIP WAS PRETTY THE 20 YEAR AGO ROUGH.
IT HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY NOW ALL, IT IS A PLACE TO BE AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT ONE OF THE ATTRACTIONS IS IN THAT CITY.
ATTRACTIONS TO FOLKS ONE OF THE IS THAT THE BUILDING IS THERE.
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THERE IS FOR INFIELD, LOSS OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS IS LOSS OF CHARACTER.
>> WE ARE NOT CREATING THESE BUILDINGS ANYMORE.
>> IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL TO TALK ABOUT THIS IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, BUT I'VE GOT A SITE NOT FAR FROM HERE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU AND SEE WHAT YOUR THOUGHT IS.
>> LET'S SEE IT.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY, NANCY THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A PARKING LOT WHERE BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN TAKEN DOWN AND THERE IS NO LANDSCAPING.
THERE IS ALSO THE LOCATION ON THE ARMOR FRANKLIN GIRLS SAVINGS-AND-LOAN BUILDING WHICH WAS ON THE CORNER NEAR MAINE.
ALSO THE MOST RECENT DONATION STREET BAR.
--DEMOLITION WAS THE MAIN THAT BAR BUILDING WAS TORN DOWN RECENTLY.
JUST DOWN THE BLOCK, ABOUT A HALF A BLOCK AWAY THERE IS A BUILDING VERY SIMILAR TO THAT , IT WAS SAVED WITH TWO NEW BUILDINGS.
>> THAT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF COMBINING OLD AND NEW.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH, WE HAVE LOTS OF CONFIDENCE OF PARKING LOTS.
IT'S A WONDERFUL, EXCITING, AND CREATIVE INCORPORATE THOSE INTO CHALLENGE, HOW DO YOU DEVELOPMENT?
TO ME, THE MOST EXCITING THING THAT CAN HAPPEN IS A BIT OF THE PAST AND A BIT OF THE PRESENT AND FUTURE.
IT TAKES A LITTLE MORE CREATIVITY.
>> THESE TWO RECENT SITES, AND THE TOWN.
ALL THE VACANT LOTS ALL OVER I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THE FUTURE, THE FUTURE OF YOUR CARS, THE FUTURE NEED OF YOUR PARKING.
WHAT CHANGES THAT YOU SEE MAYBE HAPPENING.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT.
IT'S GOING TO BE DRIVING CARS, >> IS IS THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE, AND THE BEST WAY TO PROVIDE PARKING.
WE NEED A STRUCTURED PARKING GARAGE.
A COUPLE OF PARKING GARAGES, NOT ON THE MAIN STREET BUT BUILT INTO THE SYSTEM SO THAT PEOPLE CAN PARK LIKE THE ONE THAT WENT IN THE CITY CENTER RIGHT THERE, A BIG PARKING GARAGE, IMAGINE HOW MUCH SERVICE PARKING WOULD BE NEEDED?
>> I THINK THAT THERE ARE TWO POINTS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT TO COMMISSIONS AND THE DESIGN OF STRUCTURED CLIENTS.
PARKING DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A CEMENT BUILDING WITH WHAT LOOKS LIKE A PARKING GARAGE.
THERE ALL KINDS OF DESIGN SOLUTIONS FOR THAT THAT FIT IN WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT IS THE FIRST PIECE, SECOND PIECES THAT I TALK TO DEVELOPERS ABOUT IT.
SOMETIMES THEY PUSH BACK ON THIS, I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A LOT OF CONSIDERATION ABOUT WHEN PARKING LEVELS ARE BEING ADDED TO THE BUILDING, A STANDALONE.
NEW BUILD OR A PARKING GARAGE BEING ABLE TO CONVERT THAT TO ANOTHER USE OUTSIDE OF PARKING SUCCESSFUL IS SOMETHING THAT CITIES ARE LOOKING AT NOW.
>> SPEAKING OF AN EXAMPLE RIGHT NOW BEHIND US, THE JULIAN THE FORMER INDUSTRIAL BUILDING.
IS THEY DESIGNED THE PARKING INSIDE THE INDUSTRIAL BUILDING.
THE WAY THEY DESIGNED THE PARKING, THE PARKING IS NEEDED AND THEY GET CONVERTED TWO MORE APARTMENTS.
>> THANKS A LOT, NANCY.
THIS HAS BEEN WONDERFUL, BOTH SITES WERE GREAT TO VISIT.
REALLY GOOD ANALYSIS.
REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION, >> I HAVE ENJOYED IT.
>> THANKS.
[ music ]
Before They Were Parking Lots Preview
Video has Closed Captions
Preview: S7 Ep17 | 30s | Explore a few Columbus structures that existed before parking lots. (30s)
Ohio State Greenhouse Atop A Parking Garage
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S7 Ep17 | 7m 12s | A green house sits high atop a parking garage at Ohio State University. (7m 12s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipSupport for PBS provided by:
Columbus Neighborhoods is a local public television program presented by WOSU