I'm back Mrs. Tomlinson, I was reading some of the other information about Midtown and how to uplift the look at the various shopping areas. The shopping areas off Airport Expressway are so eye-catching and relaxing when you shop, the stautes of the children playing, reading, fishing,etc. are so fun to the eye. Maybe some of these things could be a part of the shopping settings in Midtown. I ride through The Landings sometimes just to relax. Also having artwork of the students whose schools are in the Midtown area placed in businesses would be rewarding for the children and it will bring in new clients(their parents and friends), example: Put up some of Rigdon Road's student's artiwork in Butler's Pantry. I'll be glad to give you one of my son's beautiful artwork. I have a lot of ideas for so many things. Please call on me to assist . Thank you !!!!! We love our community!!!! Beverly H. Hugle, Kenneth Hugle, Destin H.Hugle

Hello Mrs. Tomlinson: I enjoy reading information about Midtown. It is very uplifting. We live in Lindsay Creek subdivision located behind the new Rigdon Road school. Most of the houses are paid for, and most of the residents have been longtime people. I would like to see some prettier street signs, naming the streets in this area. It would add to the beauty of the the location and make the residents feel more cared for. This area is more vivisible because of the new school, Columbus Public Library and indeed more so when the new Central office is built. We want people to go through our neighborhood and say WOW!!!!! The street signs could be the beginning. Please let me know how this can be done. Thank you for you time. Beverly H. Hugle

My parents bought this house in 1972, after my parents passed away I purchased this home in 1996 and now my husband owns it. We have put alot of love and money to fix it up and maintain it, but I am appalled to live across the street from People that moved in in 1996, not from Georgia and definetily should not be living in the historic district. We have been witness to 3 month yard sales, cars with no tags, at one time 5 vehicles not running, concession stands in the yard, and weeds beyond anyone's control, tires in the yard and trash cans always at the curb. I really thought that we in the historic district had to abide by some kind of rules as to the curb appeal of your home. I am so disappointed I don't know what to do. My heart and love and years of child raising belong to this house, but I want to cry every time I walk outside and look accross the street. Is there anything anyone can do? We already called the city many times. I'm sending pic's of my house.

I think all of Columbus should be proud and grateful for all you are doing in the Midtown area. Its exciting to see all that is happening there. We are all working to make Columbus a better place to live. Thanks for all you are doing and as they say, “May your tribe ever increase”.

An excellent website. Easy to navigate, good information. The maps are especially useful. Keep up the great work!

Dear Neighbor: This is such an exciting time to live in MidTown! I am so happy to learn what exciting plans are being made for "my neighborhood"! Thank you for keeping us informed with your very informative web page. I live in Wynnton Village on 12th Street and and am curious if their are any plans to continue the improvements along Wynnton Rd in front of AFLAC and WTVM and even furthur down? Has anyone approached AFLAC in regards to purchasing trees for the street improvements or infact any of the merchants on this end? I have lived in this neighborhood for nearly seventy years and have never felt better about my neighborhood. I have seen many changes over the years, but just in the past few have I felt like Wynnton is comming alive. I thank you so much for all that you do to work on our behalf.

I work right here in Midtown; love the area, love the people, love the atmosphere. My office window faces out to Cross Country Dr. and I am constantly staring at the old Plaza Theater. My husband and I are interested in starting a youth outreach program based on music and recreation and we think that this old theater would be a perfect starting place. Any idea who currently owns the building? Who I should contact about leasing/ buying it?

What a wonderful newsletter and I am glad so much is being done here. As a recent home buyer in this area and a person who grew up in this area and whose mother still owns a home in this area, I am very interested in what you are doing. Do you sell advertisement on your site? I would like to promote 2 businesses. First, I work at The Hawkins Firm, a corporate and civil investigative agency. We do investigations into just about anything you or your business could need including civil and criminal matters. You can find us at www.thehawkinsfirm.com. And I know crime is up in our area! Also, midtown has many people, like us, who work and live in the area that can help to "spruce" it up like landscaping, painting, etc. In our case, it's painting. We own a residential paint business and would love to have a place to notify our area that we are available to help our neigh bors and our neighborhood. It really benefits us all. Thank you, Beth Kissel

I was unaware that MidTown Inc. even existed on the web, but found the site very interesting and informative. I have to ask, though, the projects listed are tentative or are they imminent? This area needs to be revitalized and I hope to see it in motion very soon! I know a lot has to happen before groundbreaking begins in the area, especially amid the Library land usage baffle which I hope is resolved soon, but this area truly deserves to return to its glory days. RESPONSE: Some of the projects such as the Wynnton Road Corridor Revitalization Plan is imminent. The Peacock/Brown Avenues intersection at Wynnton Road is presently in pre-construction. Other projects you will see beginning in the next year, (see the Update section of our website for news of the Froelich redevelopment on Wynnton Road); while others are longer range over the next several years. We are working very hard to return this area to its glory days, and very much appreciate your interest.

The Wynnton Road Corridor plan is fantastic. If you need my support, you have it. Many retailers would try to fight this thinking that the trees block views of their signs. In the end the trees make people actually see the signs that were otherwise part of the urban visual static. What has been done here is probably what will be done and it massively improves the quality of the community.

A question on the redevelopment bonds. Does the Columbus moratorium on real estate taxes interfere with the increased property tax assumption underlying redevelopment bond issuance? Thanks for the info Teresa & crew. Response: No, the residential property tax moratorium does not negatively effect the redevelopment bond issue. The value of the bond is based on the difference between under-utilized property and that same property after redevelopment takes place. Exiting residential properties are not typically drawn into redevelopment districts as they do not provide for a significant enough opportunity for redevelopment.

Resident Inquiry: We keep wondering if anyone is ever going to mention the addition of a police station near the library. We live in the area and feel that it is really needed, especially if there is a park created... MidTown Reponse: Thanks, Sally for this comment. There will be a CSU Criminal Justice Center across the street where police officers will be trained daily. We do not yet know what services the city are going to put in their services center, but will announce it as soon as we know. We also are pushing for a well planned park, which planning creates safer parks. We don't want dark corners of little to no activity built into the park. We want it to be designed with what is called "eyes on the park", which means around the clock activity such as good balance of civic, recreational and residential activity to sustain the park and keep it active. I hope that helps. Resident Reply: Yes, that helps. We just didn't recall seeing much on that topic since EARLY in the planning stage.

Website looks great! I'm thrilled with the progress Midtown, Inc is making but I'm disappointed that Mohina Woods isn't included in the district. Why?

Great e- news letter. The reason Midtown is so important to me is that I have great memories of this area. My Family moved here in 1972 and Macon Rd, Cols. Square, and the other shopping centers were a huge part of my youth. I remember the Plaza Theater were my father and I stood in line for an hour just to see“ Jaws”. My first date was at that theater too. Country’s BBQ, and Shakies Pizza were landmark and regularly visited by my family. The McDonalds that was on Macon Rd was of the original design and where my mother would take us for a special dinner. Anyway, I just wanted to share this with you because this area of town does mean a lot to me and my family and I am so happy you are committed to the restoration of the area

I am so glad to read of the Bussey development to Martin Building. I grew up in the 1400 block of 22nd street, 5 "short blocks" north. I remember when Ralph King, a grand old gentleman who served on county commission and had some great daughters, built the building (or renovated an older one????? not sure from your article) and moved a modern grocery store into the East Highland area when I was a child. This will be a great addition to the neighborhood.

I have lived in Midtown for the past 15+ years having owned two homes in the area. Before I purchased my first home I'd sworn off living "in town", but once moving to the Wynnton area I found myself hooked. I still am, and want to see Midtown thrive and be the most vibrant and appealing area of Columbus. My friends will tell you that I detest having to leave MY area for shopping. Where can we find more engaging sites for merchandise than the 13th Street Village, Williamsburg, the St Elmo Shopping area at the Park or the many other hidden treasures in Midtown? I forsee great things for our area. I've personally done my own and have witnessed many home renovations in my block alone. My neighbors and I love the area and are playing our own small parts in the revitalization efforts of Midtown. Midtown is a community of wonderfully diverse individuals, and with its studios and galleries, Arts at the Park, etc. can become a true cultural hub for the city. Midtown has so much to offer, and I'm extremely proud to call it home.

I moved from Charlotte, North Carolina from to Mid-town 11 years ago. I am glad to see excitement grow with regards to our area's potential. The location is great with guick access to uptown and the River Center. And the Museum is truly a special place with so many upsides! Trusting each other and listening to each other is key to our growth.

I think this group is great and I would love to get involved! I live in Hidden Lake and find it very disappointing that I have to travel to North Columbus for anything "new". I am an avid supporter of anything keeping the center of Columbus going strong and think that more people need to get involved! Teresa Tomlinson should receive an award for her efforts and unlimited thanks. As a young adult I hate to see the area that I grew up in left in such a state of neglect. Not everyone wants to move north. MidTown Columbus to me is what Columbus really is, locally owned resturants and shops where the staff and owners know one another. Let's take care of our home and quit moving everything to mass congestion. Thank you and I look forward to seeing progress.

Wife Barbara Ingram Hunter and Z. Don Hunter grew ip and owned several pieces of property in Wynnton. Had a childrens store at 2230 Wynnton Rd for 22 years named WEE MODERNS sold homeplace in Oct 1998 at 2042 Wynnton Road, now a clinic.

We are opposed to using all of the space around the library for a park or tennis courts. There were tennis courts in this area not used by anyone, and eventually they became unusable. As we discussed at our last monthly meeting, in the presence of Councilor Barnes, results from a survey conducted by the Lindsey Creek Association in June 2006 overwhelmingly supported a combination of houses, condos, specialty shops and some form of greenspace (nature trail, walking trail along Lindsey Creek). The Association includes residents in Carriage Estates, Boxwood, Lindsey Creek, Emerald Forest, Midtown Apartments and Midtown Square. We do not have a problem with people having opposition to something. We live in a democratic society and disagreement is good to reach a common goal. In this case, we see a full park as a harbor ground for gatherings of outsiders, for drugs, loitering, loud noise, trash, etc. Residents in that space would have some form of ownership and people watching out for one another. It is the Lindsey Creek Area Civic Association proposal that the Midtown Inc. recommendations from previous community meetings on this project be reviewed by the Library Board, and that those elected officials who speak on our behalf do not overlook our recommendations.

I love this area close to the park. It is conducive to walking and biking. The park is high use; I always took my kids there as they were growing up. When they were small, there was a 'park lady' who checked out sports materials and was there so that the parents could walk and the kids could play. It was wonderful, but the hut was demolished and the 'park lady' budget also. There were also picnic tables by the playground, and my friends and I would meet there and share a picnic while our kids played on the equipment. I miss the tables--they were taken out--but I still see families and friends picnicing by the playground and I love it. The walking trail around the park is wonderful--the only problem is folks not cleaning up after their dogs, but maybe more bags available and a concerted campaign would solve that problem. I love to walk my dogs there, and hope that the problem can be solved. We have had our share of incidents over the years, but so have other areas, and we are not out of balance in my opinion. I have an early warning system called 'dogs' and have found them the best deterrent. The time that I had an old deaf dog was the time that my house was broken into! Of course, dogs come at a cost. Vet bills can be astounding, and then they sometimes choose to bark at things that are not a threat. Still, the benefits outweigh the deficits in my opinion. Thank you for having this website, and thanks to Leigh Stewart for connecting us.

I have a personal stake in this, since as a MidTown resident I want to see the neighborhood become a more attractive place to live. But more than that, I want to see MidTown become the symbolic center of Columbus for all the city’s residents. And I would love to see it become a memorable gateway to Columbus for newcomers and visitors, a place that would leave a positive impression both as they come into and depart our city, an impression that they would take back and share with others. ...read more

Great website, and an excellent board.

Great website and very informative. You and your team are doing some great work for the midtown area. Being a lifelong resident of Columbus, I appreciate the work that is being done in the midtown area not only on behalf of the residents and businesses in that area but for Columbus as a whole. A lot of people in Columbus have the opinion that the midtown area is a hopeless case and will eventually go by the wayside like other areas of the city. Of course, those same people never have the interest to roll up their sleeves and expend the energy necessary to keep that from happening. Any improvements in any part of our city is beneficial to all but a lot of people just don't see or understand the vision and possibilities of making all of Columbus a showcase of progress, historical preservation, and economically vibrant.

Thanks for sending the link to the MidTown Project website. It looks GREAT! I just spent about an hour reading and browsing on it...it's got lots of great information...I especially liked the histories and descriptions of the different neighborhoods. All these upcoming changes are super-exciting, and I look forward to watching your all of your plans for "our part of town" come to fruition!