Long Street Bridge Work Begins April 2

Written by: Joe Peffer

demolition will occur 24 hours a day starting Monday, April 2 through Friday, April 6. The bridge will be sawed in half lengthwise, then removed in segments

If you and your favorite Columbus Realtor (me, of course) are thinking of looking at homes for sale in Downtown Columbus or homes for sale in Olde Towne East in coming weeks, you need to be aware that work on the Long Street Bridge, the signature bridge of the entire 70-71 split project, is about to begin. Here’s the press release…

Long Street Bridge Demolition Update

Work begins the week of April 2 on what will be the signature bridge of the Columbus Crossroads project — the Long Street Bridge.

Long Street will remain open during construction. It was originally anticipated the road would be closed for up to six months, but being mindful of the potential impacts on businesses and residents, the design-build team came up with a way to build the bridge, public space and cultural wall while keeping Long Street open. If something unplanned occurs, Long Street is only permitted to close for one week, and prior notification will be provided.

Please note that demolition will occur 24 hours a day starting Monday, April 2 through Friday, April 6. The bridge will be sawed in half lengthwise, then removed in segments by truck. While crews will do their best to keep noise to a minimum, expect the sounds of heavy machinery and trucks coming and going.

Here are the details:

* The traffic switch on Long Street is currently scheduled for Monday, April 2, start time is still to be determined.
* From Monday night, April 2 through Friday night, April 6, there will be various lane closures on I-71 South and I-71 North to remove the fence and saw the bridge. Details of those lane closures are still being finalized and will be announced on Facebook and Twitter.
* Demolition of the Long Street Bridge over I-71 South is currently scheduled for the week of April 9.
* Demolition over I-71 North is currently scheduled for the week of April 16.

The Long Street Bridge is a signature bridge because it will feature a one-of-a-kind cultural wall on one side and a public space on the other.

If you’ve got questions about how we’re managing traffic in and around the I-71/670 Columbus Crossroads, it’s easy to get in touch with us by phone or e-mail:

Hotline: 1-877-381-7071
info@odot71670.org<mailto:info@odot71670.org>

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Clintonville’s E North Broadway Residents breathe long sigh of relief re Proposed Turn Lane

Written by: Joe Peffer

My experience at what I like to call the ‘longest light in Columbus’ is usually turning right (North) off E North Broadway on my way to show homes in Clintonville or take the kids to Whetstone Park for soccer practice or gymnastics or whatever the kid-thing-du-jour is.  While it takes a while to get through the light, especially at rush hour, it is just as quick as taking a residential street off Indianola.

Coming South from Clintonville on my way home, I can turn left from High or simply wait out the light–no problems. I love the housing stock on E North Broadway. Even my 11-year-old likes it, adding the street to her list of ’streets I’d like to live on’ that she keeps in the car just a few days ago.  While I would have hated to see those big old trees torn down and would have felt bad for the homeowners and their adjusted home values had the street been widened due to a turn lane or traffic circle, I didn’t think it’d ever happen and I’m glad to see that the Mayor let a neighborhood commission make that kind of decision.

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From today’s Dispatch…”Columbus transportation planners say placing a left-turn lane from E. North Broadway to N. High Street in Clintonville would reduce congestion.

Mayor Michael B. Coleman says the turn lane would improve the quality of life in the surrounding neighborhoods by curbing the number of motorists who cut through narrow side streets to head south on High. Read the rest of this entry »

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Columbus is Considering Razing 900 Vacant Homes (!)

Written by: Joe Peffer

You might think it’s relatively inexpensive to tear down a building, but the city spends on average about $5,500 per building torn down using the numbers from today’s Dispatch article.  Not bad, but it adds up and if they had $3MM from the federal neighborhood stabilization money and have only gotten around to 139 homes through January, how long is it going to take to knock down these 900 vacant and unsafe homes throughout Columbus?

I’m sure some of these are worth saving. The pie-in-the-sky mantra puts a ‘community garden’ on every vacant lot in Columbus but the truth is that nothing happens with the vacant lots and they interrupt the block.  Would I rather see a vacant lot or a crumbling home on my block? Probably the lot if the home is not salvageable.

The City tore down a home at the end of my alley recently. It was dangerous and an eyesore. They pretended to throw down some grass seed and hay when they left but it’s not pretty. I prefer it to the house that was there though and this case was different because the lot is on a commercial avenue. Now, if they’d only tear down the house next to it…..and that cinder block building with no roof on the same block…maybe an intrepid developer could better see a way to build something that would help the neighborhood.

From Today’s Dispatch
City to raze 900 vacant houses

Columbus plans to spend $11.5 million over the next three to four years to demolish 900 houses that city inspectors have deemed dangerous and uninhabitable.

The city has never spent so much to tear down vacant and abandoned houses, but the problem has become such a threat to the viability of neighborhoods that the city has to act, Mayor Michael B. Coleman told The Dispatch yesterday.

“These 900 homes have got to go, got to be demolished, in order to protect the safety of our neighborhoods,” Coleman said.

The demolition plan is part of a comprehensive effort the city is creating to deal with vacant houses, including rehabilitating some, preserving land and aggressively pursuing emergency demolition orders. Coleman and other city officials will detail plans today at an abandoned South Side house.

Columbus has more than 6,200 abandoned houses, most of them concentrated in the Linden, Franklinton and Hilltop areas and on the Near East Side and the South Side.

Last fall, Coleman told city development officials Read the rest of this entry »

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January Housing Sales Best in Years in Columbus Area

Written by: Joe Peffer

January Housing Sales Best in Years

This 4 bed, 3 bath Clintonville home at 33 Aldrich sold in January for $292,000 after 18 days on the market.

(Feb 22, 2012) Not only were central Ohio housing sales up in January, but they showed the highest

activity for that month since 2008. The 1,125 sales showed a 6.0 percent increase over January of

2011 according to the Columbus Board of REALTORS®.

In addition, 1,845 residential homes and condos were placed in contract – up over 40 percent from the

same time one year ago.

“Sales last month were at the same level as we experienced just prior to the housing boom,” said Jim

Coridan, 2012 President of the Columbus Board of REALTORS®. “It’s a direct result of the increased

activity during the last few weeks of 2011 – and a great way to begin 2012.”

Click here to read the full report.

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