MAIN IS ALL ABLOOM

Flowers on Orchard Lane is preparing to open its new digs at 139 E. Main St. on Nov. 9. Among the plans: a drive-up window on Lazelle for call-ahead orders.

We’re making it so easy for people,” says owner Janet Reese. “They don’t even have to get out of their car.”

After ten years in a small shop in Clintonville, Reese is moving her shop to a much larger space Downtown.

“Our whole family is urban-oriented,” she says. “We really like Downtown.”

With more space will come more offerings. Flowers on Orchard Lane will feature a full-blown flower boutique with a line of bridal accessories and chocolates from Pure Imagination, plus one-of-a-kind home accessories and gifts. And you can watch the flower people work their flower magic thanks to an open workspace.

The name, however, will stay the same. Reese says Knot magazine, the wedding industry bible, recently named Flowers on Orchard Lane one of the best in the Midwest, so a switch now would not be good.

“I’d love to be Flowers on Main,” she says. “But we’ll stick with the name people know.”

Flowers on Orchard Lane - on Main - will host an open house Nov. 9 and 10. Call 800-599-2994 for more info.

ATTACK OF THE BRUTUS CLONES

This has been done a million times elsewhere but I am still game.


OSU to place 6-foot-tall 'Brutus on Parade' statues around city

Monday, October 29, 2007 12:21 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Cincinnati had painted pigs around town several years ago, and Cleveland had giant, specially-decorated guitars.

Next year, Columbus will host one of these public art projects, which Ohio State University is calling “Brutus on Parade.”

The school is looking for sponsors to help put 6-foot-2 fiberglass statues of the Buckeyes mascot around the city, to benefit the renovation planned for the campus library. The Web site for the project shows examples of possible designs for the statues, including Brutus painted to look like Elvis or Buckeyes' legendary football coach Woody Hayes.

The designs will be chosen by the sponsors.

Four statues will be unveiled at a kickoff event this Wednesday.

KROGER ON THE MOVE

Looks like Kroger bulldozed the two houses that sat on Courtland Street adjacent to their current store. I haven't seen any proposed/approved design or a timeline associated with their new store but it appears that they are gearing up. I cannot wait for what the neighborhood calls "kro-ghetto" to close. The store is poorly constructed on the site i.e. parking lot along the street, large box facade, etc. and just plain dirty on the inside.

KUDOS FRANKLINTON

I am really proud of the Franklinton Neighborhood Assoc for standing their ground on the style and quality of housing they want for the area. Too often developers come into struggling neighborhoods and build inferior houses or those that do not fit in with the existing community but expect to be heralded as a hero because they built something while others have not. City leadership frequently allows this development to occur because they can say that they have spearheaded change in a needed part of town. Infill development is tricky and must interact positively with its surroundings. What Gazarra is proposing is just another development that will do nothing for Franklinton.

Porches are especially important for this community because they are natural gathering spaces for residents and the more people outside means there are more eyes on the street. An increased street presence typically results in reduced criminal activity because people know they are being watched.


Homes not right fit for neighborhood, leaders say

Sunday, October 28, 2007 4:07 AM

By Mark Ferenchik

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Vince Gazzara wants to build four houses in Franklinton, the poor Columbus neighborhood of century-old houses just west of Downtown that is struggling to reverse its fortunes.

But he doesn't want to build basements, garages or porches. So neighborhood leaders -- as much as they want new construction -- don't want his houses.

The houses Gazzara wants to build aren't fancy. They're two-story, vinyl-sided homes on slabs that would sell for $75,000.

Carol Stewart, who leads the Franklinton Area Commission, said she wants better.

"We would rather see a green space than to put up something that doesn't match the neighboring houses," she said.

Gazzara said neighborhood leaders' requirements that he build houses with garages, basements and porches would make his homes unaffordable.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/10/28/FRANKHOME.ART_ART_10-28-07_B1_538A74B.html?sid=101

BLUE BLOOD COMES TO N. HIGH

Not my favorite name ever but apparently the Emperor's Newest Clothes has a loyal following at its current location in Grandview. Not sure if they are expanding to two shops or limiting their operations to just Columbus. Location is 636 N. High Street next door to East Village.

IT DOES A BODY GOOD

New face at N. High and W. 5th.

I am intrigued.

JETBLUE GROUNDED

JetBlue to quit Columbus

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 8:54 AM

JetBlue announced today it will discontinue operations in Columbus and Nashville on Jan. 6.

"We are taking the difficult but necessary step to discontinue operations in these two markets," Dave Barger, JetBlue's chief executive, said in a statement. "After more than 12 months of service and a detailed review of traffic and revenue trends in these two cities, we have decided to redeploy our assets."

The annoucement came as the company reported third quarter earnings. Net income for the quarter was $23 million, or 12 cents per diluted share, compared with a third quarter 2006 net loss of $500,000.

The New York-based company began its service from Port Columbus with four daily nonstop flights to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Oct. 3, 2006.

LOOK KIDS. BIG BEN, PARLIAMENT

I am happy to see roundabouts finally coming into vogue in Central Ohio. The article is a nice introduction for many people to roundabouts but I thought I would add a couple of tidbits.

Roundabouts and traffic circles can be extremely beneficial to not only suburban communities and heavily trafficked roads but also to major urban centers. NYC and DC have been embracing roundabouts and traffic circles for years in their inner city. Many of these circles have become hugely popular parks and public spaces where city dwellers gather- some are even dog walking parks.

Roundabouts are also great opportunities for communities to place large public art pieces. Dublin has installed a faux ruin in one of their roundabouts and while I find it really cheesy I do applaud them for their attempt.

No getting around roundabout craze
Monday, October 22, 2007 3:42 AM
By Martin Rozenman
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Hilliard plans to build five more roundabouts like this one at Britton Parkway and Riggins Road. Statistics show the traffic circles reduce crashes and injuries when compared with traditional intersections. They save money and fuel, too."
Hilliard plans to build five more roundabouts like this one at Britton Parkway and Riggins Road. Statistics show the traffic circles reduce crashes and injuries when compared with traditional intersections. They save money and fuel, too.
Central Ohioans are turning to the right more often these days. That's because of the growing popularity of roundabouts, not conservative politics.
Long popular in Europe and Australia, the circular intersections where everyone turns right are becoming trendy here, too.
An unofficial count by the engineering and architectural design firm Burgess & Niple showed eight roundabouts moving traffic in central Ohio with four under construction and 19 more planned.

For more...
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/10/22/ROUNDABOUTS.ART_ART_10-22-07_B1_VT88EKR.html?sid=101

SKYBUS GOES COUNTRY

Skybus to make Greensboro, N.C., second hub
Monday, October 22, 2007 12:23 PM
By Marla Matzer Rose
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Skybus Airlines will name Greensboro, N.C., as its first “focus city” outside Columbus today at that city’s Piedmont Triad International Airport. Flights to cities other than Columbus will begin in January, and will include current Skybus destinations in Florida and elsewhere.
State and local officials in the Greensboro area joined the airport in courting Skybus with millions of dollars worth of incentives. Greensboro’s main competition was Richmond, Va., which still hopes to add more service from Skybus as early as mid-2008.

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP STRIKES OUT

City has eyes on Cooper Stadium

Columbus seeks to annex 47 acres from township

Saturday, October 20, 2007 3:29 AM

By Robert Vitale

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

As the Columbus Clippers prepare to move out of Cooper Stadium, their old home might move into Columbus.

The City Council will take up legislation Monday to annex the 47 acres of ballpark, work buildings and parking lots, which have been part of Franklin Township since before the stadium opened in 1932. Annexation also needs approval from Franklin County, which owns the land.

County commissioners put the stadium site up for sale last month, hoping it gets snatched up by private developers with big plans. A proposal backed by Franklinton business leaders, to turn the site into a Harley-Davidson dealership and tourist attraction, fell through this year.

The Clippers will play their last season in Cooper Stadium next year and then move to Huntington Park, which is being built in the Arena District.

In a statement yesterday, Mayor Michael B. Coleman said city government already is involved in projects around the old stadium on W. Mound Street, including the West Edge Business Park and improvements to housing in Franklinton.

"We want to see Cooper Stadium reborn as an asset to the entire community, whether as a site for recreation and tourism or jobs and business development," Coleman said.

Spokesman Mike Brown said annexation will give Columbus a say in the site's future. The city has more experience in urban redevelopment, he said, and will be able to offer tax breaks and other incentives to shape its future.

Cooper Stadium is valued between $3.25 million and $3.7 million. Its tax exemption under county ownership means no taxes for Franklin Township or South-Western City Schools.

Annexation to the city would shut out both -- and benefit Columbus and Columbus City Schools -- just as the property moves into private hands.

"We definitely oppose it," Franklin Township Trustee Tim Guyton said. "We have the same services we need to maintain as everyone else."

Guyton said there's nothing the township can do to stop annexation, though. He said county officials have promised him they will try to broker a tax-sharing agreement with Columbus.

South-Western schools officials weren't available for comment.

COURT DESIGN DISMISSED

I am really disappointed to read that the Franklin County Court House design may change from the bottom image to the top image. Pizutti has really made a sincere effort to come up with a unique design that embraces environmentally friendly practices and interacts well with the site and the surrounding buildings. Downtown which has lost its architectural history through demolition cannot afford to put up another bland appearing building. While I recognize that their are financial limitations to consider I strongly believe that we are once again missing a unique opportunity to create a new image for our downtown by not creating an architecturally significant civic building. Full story below.


Courthouse price tag soars by $11 million
Friday, October 19, 2007 3:53 AM
By Barbara Carmen
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Franklin County commissioners were reeling from sticker shock yesterday, after learning their dazzling, $105 million glass courthouse could run 10 percent over budget unless they make hard choices.
"It looks like $11 million in compromises," Commissioner Paula Brooks said after meeting with architects.
Designers described the proposed ways to stay on budget as "value engineering options."
Commissioners had an immediate reaction to the redesigned exteriors. They didn't like them.
"It looks kind of like an old post office," Brooks said. "Where have these issues been before? This is a pretty big design change."
Architects allowed that the projector they were using wasn't the best, but they didn't argue that they liked the original -- and pricier -- designs better.
Mike Bird of Pizzuti Solutions, which is overseeing the project for commissioners, said they're not over budget, and choices made in coming weeks by commissioners will keep it that way.
General conceptual designs were unveiled in June. Actual engineering recently provided a clearer price tag.
"This is how these projects go. You have to fine-tune. Rarely do they come in under budget," Bird said. "We're saying to commissioners: Here are some options. Here are some opportunities."
Some proposed cuts were better received than others. For example, commissioners indicated it makes sense to eliminate 4-foot-deep ledges on the north side of the building. That will save $2.2 million in construction materials. And the windows will be cheaper to clean because crews won't need to stretch.
"Four feet -- that's as big as me!" quipped Commissioner Marilyn Brown, who is not quite that petite.
The redesign might also please the Downtown Commission, whose members compared the deeply recessed facade to a parking garage.
That commission has the ability to kill a project it doesn't like, but Chairman Harrison Smith said he'll wait to pass judgment until he sees the choices commissioners make.
"It's a question of whether these trade-offs are made in sensible ways," Smith said. "I think we have to recognize budget constraints. The place I don't like to see them come, I guess, is at a time this late in the process."
One proposal already raising eyebrows is the use of pre-cast concrete on the west side of the building. The original design has walls of windows facing the river. This glass would be discarded in 2030 if the courthouse is expanded.
Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy appeared skeptical: "So it would look like that for 20 years? That's a significant change in the look and feel of the building.
"I've asked all along, 'Could we build this building with this budget?' The building seems not quite the same building we were getting before."
David A. Brehm of the DesignGroup, lead architect on the project, told commissioners they are keenly aware that they're producing an "important building … But, we're driven to meet budget."
The public likely won't notice many of the change options outlined yesterday: For example, designers suggested using cheaper floor coverings in support-staff areas and shaving a few inches off each courtroom.
Cumulative savings, however, would be huge.
Brehm told commissioners he wanted to "get a feel for your acceptance" before proceeding with more detailed design drawings and showing changes to those who will use the new Common Pleas courthouse.
Watching closely is Judge Richard A. Frye, who said commissioners must weigh short-term costs with a long-term investment.
"They've never really had any hard designs to put a budget against," Frye said. "This building will really be a landmark. We can't roll over and make this thing a mess."

EMPTY SLATE- N. HIGH AND E. FIFTH

Update from the below post...Here is a pic of the cleared site.


My camera died on me this morning so I couldn't take a picture but I wanted to let you all know that the fuel station has been torn down. The canopy remains but crews were still onsite so that may be the next to go.

STATE CAPITOL IN MINIATURE

I think this is another good step at bringing cultural centers alive downtown.

Interactive museum set for Statehouse

Thursday, October 18, 2007 4:00 AM

By Alan Johnson

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The new museum will be built on the ground level of the Statehouse. It will have touch-screen displays and images projected on the ceiling and walls.

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Hilferty Museum Planning and Exhibit Design

The new museum will be built on the ground level of the Statehouse. It will have touch-screen displays and images projected on the ceiling and walls.

State officials have approved building not one but two new Statehouses, both made entirely of glass.

One will light up internally to highlight architectural features. The second will project video and photographs on the walls showing major events in the 146-year history of the Statehouse.

Of course, the two new Statehouses will be pretty small: 4 feet wide and 18 inches tall, about one-64th the size of the real thing.

The models will be part of a $3.5 million interactive Statehouse Museum that by March 2009 will bring eye-popping interactive electronic exhibits and innovative hands-on displays to the rather drab ground-level floor or "crypt" level of the state capitol. The project will be funded with private donations from the nonprofit Capitol Square Foundation, along with $741,000 previously approved by the state legislature.

The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Committee, the panel that oversees the Statehouse and grounds, unanimously approved plans for the 15,000-square-foot museum yesterday.

"Our greatest hope," said Richard H. Finan, former Ohio Senate president and chairman of the board, "is that the Statehouse itself, complemented by the new museum, will inspire the next generation of public servants."

About 61,000 people toured the Statehouse last year; another 24,000 came for special events.

While it won't compete with Disney World, the new museum will feature state-of-the-art interactive technology: touch-screen displays, mini-projectors and images projected on ceilings and walls.

There also will be backdrops where visitors will be able stand at a podium and deliver their own State of the State speech or sit at the governor's desk and sign a bill into law as the governor -- and have it all captured on video.

Another electronic feature will allow visitors to try their hand at the daunting task of balancing the state budget, using a tabletop pie chart and colored balls to allocate spending for various categories. Computerized budget "experts" will be available to help.

Elections also will be highlighted, with a look at voting technology from the ballot box to touch-screens, as well as video displays for campaign TV commercials.

One highlight of the new museum will need no bells and whistles: the Ohio Constitution, displayed in a sealed case. Officials were uncertain whether the fragile original 1802 document or its 1851 successor will be exhibited.

Gerry Hilferty, president of Hilferty Museum Planning and Exhibit Design, a top national firm located in Athens that planned the museum, said no other working Statehouse in the country will match Ohio's high-tech presentation. Hilferty's clients include the Lewis and Clark Visitors Center in St. Louis, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, Ky., and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

Charles R. Moses, chairman of the Capitol Square Foundation, said private donations still are being raised to pay for the museum project. More than a dozen local companies and foundations have contributed, including $100,000 from the Wolfe Foundation. John F. Wolfe is chairman, publisher and CEO of The Dispatch.

SPECTATORS WANTED

The Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon run starts at the intersection of Broad and High Streets in downtown Columbus this Sunday, October 21, at 8:00 a.m. for runners (7 a.m. for walkers).

Marathons are great special events because they showcase city neighborhoods to the hundreds and sometime thousands of participants and spectators.

If you are not running think about cheering on the racers. It is a fun and encouraging way to spend a Sunday afternoon and as a past marathoner can attest to how helpful it is to see people on the sidelines. If you do decide to go this Sunday think about doing one or all of the following:

• Write well wishes in chalk on the street
• Cheer, clap and whistle- call out bib numbers or names
• Bring a poster or sign
• Bring candy, granola bars or cut oranges to hand out

A full course map is available at http://www.columbusmarathon.com/ which can help you locate the runners or find alternative driving routes.

THE SKY IS NOT FALLING

I've long admired the Addressing Machine and Supply building on E. Fourth Avenue across from the post office and was pleased to see it being cleaned out last Thursday. I did have to dodge objects being thrown into a pickup truck from the third floor but it still warmed my hear to see some progress on it.

Cue the rumor mill....what is going on in there? I hope they keep or fix the Adressing sign.

30 ALUMINUM CANS GET YOU A LATTE

Every few days I load up my car with my recycling to take to Kroger on N. High. This never goes well for me. Either I forget to drop them off and my car ends up smelling like a mix of stale Diet Pepsi and red wine for a few days or I take a corner too fast and I end up with juice bottles wedged under my seat. I could simply pay for curbside recycling and end my self-inflicted suffering but I refuse to solely on principle. So the question is why should people be allowed to throw as much as they want in the trash can when it costs to recycle?

And now a vent followed by a suggestion.

To give Columbus credit, recycling collection sites and curbside recycling do exist and the City did experiment with the blue bag recycling for a short while. While these available options are better than not having any recycling programs, what we do have is insufficient and certainly not advancing environmentally friendly practices by the City. Mayor Coleman continually boasts his Get Green initiative but the plan is not all encompassing and only highlights his successes (i.e. Lazarus) and not what he is failing to do. Coleman has an awesome opportunity to make a bold decision and institute free curbside recycling but he fails to do so citing a promise made in the 1950's not to charge for waste collection. His lack of initiative reflects an overall complacency with maintaining the status quo.

Sorry, I got worked up. So if Mayor Coleman believes that people will not pay for trash collection how about starting an incentive-based recycling program similar to Philadelphia's Recycle Bank. This recommendation may sound familiar since it played on NPR this morning.

Recycle-Bank distributes green containers with identifying bar codes free of charge to any city resident. Collection trucks scan and weigh the containers to see how much is being recycled. Each participating household can earn up to 35 USD per month in the form of coupons to be used toward purchases at a major chain such as Starbucks. Participants can track and redeem their points online. Recycle-Bank makes a profit by charging the municipality about 24-30 USD per participating household which the City makes up in money saved in landfill fees.

I think this is a brilliant option that needs to be further explored by the City of Columbus. For more information on Recycle Bank, visit http://www.recyclebank.com/. Their pig/trashcan logo alone is worth the visit alone.

BIG BOX EVALUATOR TOOL

The Orton Family Foundation enthusiastically announced its release of the Big Box Evaluator tool, designed to help communities and individuals learn about the impacts of big box retail stores. The unbiased tool is designed not to take a stand on big box development, but to help citizens make informed decisions based on each community's specific characteristics and values.

Available free to the public at www.bigboxevaluator.org, the web-based interface allows users to learn about commercial and retail development in general, but also to input specific information from their communities and receive customized reports on economics, values, planning and municpal services, and ways to improve the development process.

Citizens in communities facing proposals for big box development can select the type of town that most closely resembles their own, and the type of development proposed (neighborhood store to large "supercenter"). Users can then enter specific information and personal values in four categories (Economy, Environment, Society, and Visual), ranging from expected tax revenues to amount of signalized intersection work required, runoff mitigation requirements to the importance of community character.

The Big Box Evaluator creates a customized report for each user based on the specific inputs, with information like projected municipal costs and revenues, change in average wages, and annual price savings for family. Users are also given a list of action items based on the input values, which store developers can consider in order to help meet the community's concerns.

The Orton Family Foundation is a Colorado- and Vermont-based operating foundation supported by profits from the Vermont Country Store

RING MY BELL

Last night I listened to a presentation on bike-sharing and started wondering if a customized program could work in Columbus. Bike-sharing has existed since the 1960’s in Scandinavia but has jumped the pond and is now taking root in Washington, DC and San Francisco with New York City, Chicago, Portland, and Seattle all eyeing it’s potential. I understand that Columbus is not a bicycle active or friendly community and that the City lacks basic bicycle infrastructure such as a connected network of bicycle lanes but still I wonder.

I was thinking that a bike-sharing program would have the best chance at succeeding in Columbus if it was introduced on local college campuses, parks and trail sites, and the couple of existing dense neighborhoods. Bike-sharing spares people the expense of purchasing a bike they may not ride often and provides them with access to an affordable recreational activity and another option for running errands.

If an advertising company is not willing to fund the program like in DC or SF, creative sponsorships could be explored. An obvious one to me is to have college’s recreation center or student housing departments sponsor the bikes located on their campuses as part of their physical fitness and student life programming. As for trail locations, AEP could sponsor bike-sharing sites along the Scioto Mile since they are the lead developer of the project.

I think it might work.

If you want to know more about the concept of bike-sharing and how existing programs curb against theft, vandalism, etc. check out this appropriately named blog http://bike-sharing.blogspot.com/

BEST PLACE TO RETIRE #22- SHORT NORTH

CNN Money Magazine just named Columbus' Short North the 22nd Best Neighborhood to Retire in the U.S. Where do I mail my congratulations card?

Columbus, OH
Best place to retire: Short North
Pros: Super-affordable, close to the university
Cons: Not much in the way of nature around Columbus, and the downtown is still pretty sleepy
Real estate: One-bedroom condos can be found for $175,000 or so. Two-bedroom rentals can be found for $1,500.If you want to get back to city life in Columbus, skip downtown and go straight to Short North, an up and coming arts district. High Street, the main stretch, is lined with trees, galleries, funky restaurants and 17 beautiful lighted arches.It's a hip neighborhood, but there's room for all ages. "There's more empty nesters than young hipsters moving back," says local agent Joe Peffer. One gallery even exhibits work from retired artists. Short North is a stone's throw from the courses, lectures, and legendary football games of Ohio State, the largest university in the country.For a quieter neighborhood, Grandview Heights is just a couple miles west of downtown. It's on a river, close to OSU and has its own strip of restaurants on Grandview Avenue.

All 35 listed cities can be found at...http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0710/gallery.bpretire.moneymag/22.html

FINGERPAINTING DEBUTS DOWNTOWN

Goddard School, an early child development school, opened up today downtown at 3rd and Town. This is a great option for parents who work and/or live downtown and are looking for a center to place their children during the daytime. I think this is a great sign of business and residential life dramatically improving in the downtown corridor because educational and daycare facilities typically do not lead the lead the transformation of neighborhoods, rather they respond to a growing need.

Since Goddard is a nationally respected franchise this should be a clean, well-run, and safe place choice for parents to consider. Check them out....

http://www.goddardschool.com//Schools/Columbus-OH/Schools.gspx

WHO ARE YOU 636?

The retail space next to East Village on N. High is currently being remodeled but so far no signage has been posted by the mysterious new tenants. The property owner, New Victorians, won't reveal anything either other than the tenants were planning on posting an announcement during the Gallery Hop but did not.

GAY FRIENDLY

Gay St. building sold at auction
$1.5 million deal could help drive street's revival
Tuesday, October 9, 2007 3:35 AM
By Mike Pramik
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

An abandoned office building could become a cornerstone of a renovated Gay Street if its buyer follows through with planned improvements.
Out-of-state investors offered the winning bid of nearly $1.5 million for the four-story building at 1 E. Gay St., the former headquarters of Modern Finance and also a Dollar Federal Savings Bank office. The circa-1900 building was empty for two years after being abandoned by two bankrupt companies, Modern Finance and WorldCom.
Bob White, principal broker with Prudential Cres Commercial Real Estate, said the bidders are "a father and two sons out of Atlanta." He declined to identify them pending the closing of the deal.
"They're going to put a lot of money in it, without question," White said. "There are many possibilities for this building, one being office and retail for the first floor, office on the second, and the third and fourth could be converted to residential.

Want More? http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2007/10/09/Building_sale.ART_ART_10-09-07_C12_8B84OUD.html?sid=101

BEEF CAP

Expansion of Short North steakhouse in the works
Monday, Oct. 8, 2007
By GARY SEMAN JR.ThisWeek Staff Writer
Hyde Park, the steakhouse that has become wildly popular during its short run in the Short North, soon will occupy the entire west side of the Cap at Union Station.
Rick Hauck, president of the Cleveland-based chain, announced Monday that the company will take over the remaining 7,000 square feet of the strip, which will be used for banquet dining.
"Our private dining space just is not large enough," he said.
In turn, confectioner Shokolad will move out of the Cap. Two other storefronts, once housing Quizno's and Cold Stone Creamery, are vacant.
Hyde Park currently occupies 5,000 square feet at 569 N. High St. Hauck said the additional space will have its own kitchen and bar, and also will seat 200. It will be ready early next year.
"It will all feel like the same restaurant," he said. "We'll try to make it feel as much of a restaurant as possible, not a dining hall."
Hyde Park has been a smash hit since it opened in the Cap two years ago, grossing more than $5-million a year, Hauck said.
"It's been pretty much a home run for us," he said.
It's known for its celebrity steaks, including those named after Archie Griffin, Jim Tressel, Kirk Herbstreit and Jack Nicklaus. The restaurant chain, which has four Columbus locations, was founded in 1988 by Hauck and Joe Saccone in Cleveland Heights.

I LOVE A MEATBALL

Everyone's Italian this weekend at the Italian Village Festival. The neighborhood festival runs Oct. 5-7 and offers great food, entertainment, and an open market.

Buona degustazione!

http://www.columbusitalianfestival.com/

JUST ADD GRASS

ReBar is a San Fran based, environmental/urbanism group that coordinates Park(ing) Da,y an annual event where inner city parking spots are converted into public green space. Park(ing) Day Columbus 2008 anyone? Witness the mayhem on their short video trailer.

http://www.rebargroup.org/projects/parkingday/images.html

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

Your first thought might be the inappropriate use of spandex on the woman on the right. You would be correct but I am referring to the trash can sitting by itself at the Oktoberfest.

Despite the large number of trash containers throughout the festival grounds, not one was accompanied by a recycling container. In fact, I did not see one recycling bin at all and it was not because I had too much Warsteiner. Festivals are huge generators of waste and large consumers of energy so it should seem obvious to communities that they need to "green" up these special events. Here are some relatively easy to impliment suggestions:

Charge a cup deposit. Patrons pay a dollar deposit for each beverage in order to encourage them to reuse their cups. Subsequent refills cost the original amount. Before departing the festival, guests return their cup to any beverage vendor for a full refund of the cup. The deposit encourages recycling and also limits discarded cups on the ground.

Provide separate bins for recycling directly next to trash cans. If recycling and waste containers are separated people will not make the effort to find recycle. Recycling stations can also be monitored by volunteers (i.e. OSU recycling clubs) to ensure that trash and recyclables are not commingled.

Prohibit the distribution of paper flyers. Flyers tend to be a dominant source of trash thrown on the ground.

Require food vendors to use corn-resin based or polylactic, compostable plates, cups, and utensils.

Provide vendors with composting bags to recycle food waste.

Set up bicycle valets. Patrons are issued claim checks in exchange for their bikes. Staff monitor the bikes in a secure corral.

Weinland Park Goes to the Dogs

Uptown Pups just moved to Courtland Avenue (behind Suds and Java) and the pictures on their website makes my puppy clock go crazy. If you mention you found their business on the web then they will give you $5.00 credit toward their Boarding or Daycare services.

I am not a fan of the building but it appears to be well maintained and is only on a hidden local street instead of a visible, major artery.

Check them out...http://www.uptownpups.com/index.html and if you don't have a pet yet, check out http://www.franklincountyohio.gov/commissioners/ancl/.