THE
ARENA DISTRICT: CONNECTIVITY IS KEY TO
COLUMBUS’ DOWNTOWN
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
To
assemble land needed for the arena, NRI worked with the Convention Facilities
Authority, which used its power of eminent domain to acquire several small
parcels.
NRI
leased the 10-acre arena site from the authority.
It should be noted
that the perennial losing Blue Jackets NHL club failed to fill Nationwide
Arena.
The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, bailed out Nationwide
by purchasing Nationwide Arena for about $42.5million in bond money backed by
the promise of future tax receipts from a casino under construction far from
the central city.
In a deal intended to
keep the underperforming Blue Jackets hockey team in town, the Convention
Authority brokered the deal in March and subsequently leased the arena to the
county and the city of Columbus.
While
downtown Columbus already is home to major science and art museums, a restored
capitol building, a pair of historic theaters and other cultural amenities, the
Arena District has certainly boosted the city’s urban entertainment options.
The Arena
Grand Theatre -- an eight-screen, 1,700-seat movie house offering stadium
seating, love seats, wall-to-wall screens and digital sound – features a club
level, balconies and reserved seating.
Case Study continues tomorrow -- June 27
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