{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Re-Attaching Historic Neighborhoods to Downtown Columbus","description":"Developing a Dynamic Downtown Series; Harrison Smith Legacy in Civic Engagement - Recognizing Excellence in Downtown Development; The Downtown Commission's Annual "Smithy" Awards   What freeways divided in Columbus, Ohio, freeway caps are attempting to heal \u2014 and leaders hope the next few caps will continue positive momentum in revitalizing Downtown. I-71 and I-70 severed Columbus\u2019 Brewery District and German Village from the heart of downtown in the early 1960s. Now, just as Downtown Columbus\u2019 South Side experiences a reawakening, a massive project is underway to reconnect two of the area\u2019s most historic neighborhoods \u2014 German Village and the Brewery District \u2014 to the heart of the city. Columbus has done it successfully before. Years ago, I-670 bulldozed a 200-foot-wide corridor through the city\u2019s historic core, separating the Short North and Downtown. In 2004, the \u201cCap at Union Station\u201d effectively reconnected the Short North back to Downtown with wide sidewalks and restaurants built over the highway below, setting the stage for the neighborhood\u2019s spectacular revitalization. Next up: German Village and the Brewery District will be rejoined to downtown by three new freeway caps, one each on Third, Fourth, and High Streets. The High Street cap will feature park space on either side of the roadway, with the Third Street cap wide enough to accommodate retail spaces and restaurants like its Short North cousin.  It could be the cherry on top of massive investments in recent years to bring the Brewery District back to its former glory \u2014 and even more recent efforts to bring Downtown\u2019s south edge back to life with everything from a new county office to renovated commercial and residential spaces to popular restaurants and cafes. Join us as we explore Columbus\u2019s massive \u2013 not to mention risky and expensive \u2013 efforts to rejoin and reconnect its historic neighborhoods together again. Featuring panelists: Bhakti Bania, CEO, BBCO Design Chris Hermann, Principal, MKSK Thomas Slack, Administrator, Capital Programs, Ohio Department of Transportation Benjamin Perryman, Endangered Properties Fund Director, Columbus Landmarks Foundation Chris Hune, Immediate Past President, German Village Society The host is Mark Ferenchik, Columbus Neighborhoods\/Urban Issues Reporter, The Columbus Dispatch. CMC\u2019s \u201cDeveloping a Dynamic Downtown\u201d series is presented by The Columbus Downtown Development Corporation and Capitol South and sponsored by Thompson Hine.  This forum was sponsored by The Harrison Smith\u202fLegacy\u202fin Civic Engagement Fund - Recognizing Excellence in Downtown Development, Smith and Hale, The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, and MKSK.   The forum was supported by The Ellis and by The Columbus Dispatch. The livestream was presented by The Center for Human Kindness at The Columbus Foundation and The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus, Ohio's historic Italian Village on December 13, 2023. ","author_name":"The Columbus Metropolitan Club","author_url":"http:\/\/columbusmetroclub.org","html":"