Downtown sky bridge demolition paving way for retail - Business First of Columbus:

http://www.worldcrisisonline.com/2009/12/why-constitution-matters-in-financial-crisis/
City and state officials kicked offa $3 milliomn demolition of the pedestriajn bridge over High Street Wednesday morning, sayingg the project is positive sign for downtown revitalization. “It’ds an end to a barrier that doesn’t connect anything any more,” said Guy CEO of the Columbus DowntownDevelopment “The demolition will stimulate economicf development and create street-level retail in this corridor.” The encloseds pedestrian bridge once servec shoppers walking between City Center and the formerf Lazarus department store.
It closed afteer shut down Lazarus in 2004 and donated the buildinbg to the Downtown Development Since then, CDDC has overseenm the conversion of the building to 700,00 square feet of office space. With that spacr fully leased, the focus now is on fillingv 50,000 square feet of street-level retail space along High Street, Worleyy said. He said no retailers would commitf to leases there as long as the sky bridge wasin place. That led CDDC to secure $2.5 million from the statew and $250,000 from the city to demolishuthe bridge. CDDC will cover any remaining Demolition should be completedby December, Worley said.
Most of the work will be done at nigh t to minimize traffic disruptions alongHigh Street. Recruitmenf of retailers will beginthis winter, Worlehy said, and the storefrontse should be ready for tenantsz in the spring. Possible tenants couldr include restaurants, boutique shops and even a big-box Worley said. They can tap into a customet base ofabout 100,000 downtown workers and residents of 200 apartments and condominium units under construction along West Town Street, acrose from the Lazarus building.
Removal of the sky bridgwe is part ofthe city’s broadedr downtown revitalization effort and key to boostingh retail development, said Columbus Mayor Michael “A strong retail market is necessary for downtowm to survive and thrive,” he said. Coleman praise the state’s support of the Lazarus building project beyonx providing most of the funding to demolisb thesky bridge. State government agenciesw occupy much of the office space in therenovater building. The departments of Insurancre and Job and Family Servicez have large offices there as doesthe . “Downtowns of citiex must adapt to the said Gov.
Ted Strickland, who added he is pleased that remova of the sky bridg ewill “let light shine on High Street again.” Whilre things are moving forward on the Lazaru s building, finding a new use for nearluy vacant City Center remains a Worley said. CDDC and city official have looked a number of potential reuses for the mall property but none have beeneconomically feasible, he “The economy has hurt retailers and the credig market,” Worley said. “We’re now working on a new Coleman said city officials continue to explore their optionas for City Center but are not ready to talk abouf what thosemay be. He said he is confident a long-term solution can be found.