Capital Crossroads SID has secured two grants to fund continuing construction of the Bold Booths public art project. Originally part of Finding Time: ColumbusPublicArt2012, Bold Booths combines art and function in one-of-a-kind booths that provide shelter for parking lot attendants and a touchpoint for community dialogue about the role design plays in expanding the social capital within the city. The grants include $16,306 from the Ohio Arts Council and $26,250 from the Greater Columbus Arts Council. These funds will allow for construction of several more booths downtown.
The first Bold Booth project, Coney Island, is open and operational in the parking lot of the Westin Columbus Hotel; a dedication and party was held in celebration in early June. That project also was recently awarded an American Institute of Architects Ohio Design Award. The next booth is scheduled for construction at State and Fourth streets. The booth, entitled Parklot, was designed by Design Group and is shown above.
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Capital Crossroads SID Seeks Service Plan Input
In September and early October, Capital Crossroads SID is seeking your thoughts regarding reauthorization of the special improvement district. Should it continue to operate after 2016? If so, what services should it provide? This input is a vital part of the reauthorization process, which is described in detail below. To schedule a meeting with SID staff, please contact Tina Smith at 614.645.5005 or send your thoughts via email to her at tmsmith@sidservices.com.
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Save the Date: Capital Crossroads and Discovery SID Annual Meeting
The Capital Crossroads and Discovery SIDs will host a joint annual meeting on November 19 at the Athenaeum. Midge McCauley, principal of Downtown Works, will headline the event. McCauley's consulting firm has created a national model for reintroducing retail into downtowns similar to Columbus'.
The annual meeting draws more than 250 attendees, including public officials, community and business leaders, downtown residents, commercial real estate brokers, and those interested in urban issues. We hope you will join us.
In addition, Capital Crossroads and Discovery SIDs have a limited number of exhibit opportunities at $150 for area businesses that would like to showcase their services and/or products. The exhibitor deadline is September 30. Contact Michelle Chippas, director of engagement, at mlchippas@sidservices.com or 614.645.6008.
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Thank you to these businesses who have demonstrated their commitment to downtown by becoming Capital Crossroads SID Business Members. The following business members have joined recently:
Patron Level ($500) - Ulmer & Berne LLP
Advocate Level ($250) - Tri-Village Self Storage.
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Installing Public Restroom Facilities
Public toilets are not something people like to talk about, but resulting problems from the absence of proper facilities cause real problems in urban centers. Columbus is no exception, and a pilot program is being planned to bring public restrooms downtown. Due to space constraints, full-scale buildings to house public toilets are not an option. Enter a solution that was made popular in Portland in the early 2000s: simple, flush-toilet kiosks that fit in the urban landscape.
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Capital Crossroads and Discovery SID Publications
In addition to this quarterly publication, Capital Crossroads and Discovery SIDs have other communications pieces you may want to receive. Each Tuesday, more than 6,000 downtown workers, residents and visitors enjoy Right Now Downtown, which is chocked full of fun events, special offers and ticket giveaways to downtown events. On Wednesday, more than 1,000 subscribers receive Downtown News Network, a more thorough look at the events happening downtown, as well as news on retail, dining and more.
To subscribe to either of these, click here. And for those foodies who want to receive an extra recipe or two, click here and let us know that you want to receive the Pearl Market newsletter on Mondays during the Pearl Market season.
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Dear Capital Crossroads SID Member:
Again this summer, Capital Crossroads and Discovery Special Improvement Districts sponsored a number of outdoor special events, including Pearl Market, the Topiary Park From Book to Film Movie Series, Discovery Beach Sand Volleyball and more. Thankfully, the wet days of June and July ended, and you can still enjoy these events. Read more about them below.
Capital Crossroads SID is currently seeking your input for services it should provide from 2017 through 2021. I hope you will talk with us after reading more about the process in this edition of Downtown Matters.
Thank you to our Business Members for their continued support of Capital Crossroads SID. This quarter you can learn more about Business Member AT&T and its support of Downtown Columbus, including contributing to Capital Crossroads SID's Improve the Security of Your Workplace event, one of two events held this quarter to educate our membership on topics of interest.
We look forward to seeing you at our Annual Meeting in November; please mark your calendars for November 19. We will recognize individuals and organizations in a variety of categories, including Outstanding Service, Outstanding Achievement, and Aesthetic Contribution to Downtown. Please consider nominating those you think make downtown a better place by emailing Kacey Brankamp at kcbrankamp@sidservices.com.
We will also recognize our Ambassador of the Year at the Annual Meeting. We are proud of their contribution toward making downtown safe and clean every day; enjoy the heartwarming story of how our Ambassadors conducted a duck rescue below.
Thank you for your continued support as we make Downtown Columbus the cleanest, safest and best place to live, work and play.
Warmest regards,
Cleve Ricksecker
Executive Director
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Helping to Keep Workplaces Secure
On June 17, Capital Crossroads SID hosted Improve the Security of Your Workplace, an event offered to SID members to learn about cyber security and physical safety issues. The free seminar featured a team of experts gathered to share information on protecting individuals and businesses from danger in both the physical and virtual world.
The event kicked off with a presentation by Lisa Defendiefer, deputy director of operations & advocacy for CCSID. Defendiefer highlighted the wide-ranging safety resources offered by both Capital Crossroads and Discovery SIDs, including clean and safe ambassadors, homeless outreach, graffiti removal, safety escorts and management of the Security Managers Information Network of Ohio (SMINO). Between both SIDs, more than 30 ambassadors patrol the streets, serving as extra sets of eyes and ears for the Columbus Division of Police. Additionally, the SID maintains a security website and radio system that links public and private security entities throughout downtown in real time and coordinates meetings and trainings for the SMINO partnership.
While the SIDs help with security on the streets of downtown, danger also lurks in the cyber world. Nicholas Hinsch of eVal, a downtown business that specializes in cyber security, networking and business communications solutions, then addressed such issues. He noted that frequent testing and auditing is the only way to determine whether a business is being hacked, suggesting that businesses that rely on firewall or threat data leave themselves exposed.
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Summer in the City: SIDs Sponsor Events That Make Summer Sizzle
Both Capital Crossroads and Discovery Special Improvement Districts sponsor downtown events that help make an urban summer full of fun. Here is a quick rundown.
Pearl Market
A long-time downtown summer staple, Pearl Market returned to the alleys between Broad, High, Gay and Third streets each Tuesday and Friday this summer and fall. While farmers' markets can be found in the suburbs, Pearl Market is a unique urban market mixing a wide array of locally grown produce with an eclectic mix of merchant products from hand-crafted merchandise to delicious food and more. It draws more than 4,000 people each market day.
Capital Crossroads staff manages the market, secures vendors, runs the daily operations, secures sponsorships and grants, and plans special events like cooking demonstrations. Again this year, a grant from the Puffin Foundation West allowed Pearl Market to double the spending power of shoppers using the Ohio Direction Card through a 1:1 matching program (as of the end of August, the program has matched nearly $3,300 in EBT transactions). This program was a model for the Veggie SNAPS program, which was implemented community-wide. New this year, Pearl Market hosted the Mid-Ohio Foodbank Donation Station, where shoppers could donate produce or money to benefit Faith Mission.
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Business Member Spotlight: AT&T Ohio
Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District is grateful to its Business Members, whose support is vital to the SID's efforts. The additional revenue raised through the Business Membership program allows Capital Crossroads to undertake additional initiatives central to the mission of making Downtown Columbus the cleanest, safest and best place to live, work and play in Central Ohio. Each quarter, we recognize a Business Member, whose commitment to downtown is solidified through its voluntary support of Capital Crossroads.
AT&T has called Downtown Columbus home for more than 135 years. Their offices at 150 E. Gay St. house sales managers and call center representatives, as well as AT&T Ohio President, Adam Grzybicki. Ohio Director of External Affairs for Central Ohio Nicole Staples Walker explained the decision to become a Business Member in 2014 reflected AT&T's commitment to the communities they serve.
"We collaborate with various local organizations like Capital Crossroads across Ohio and the United States," said Walker. "Becoming a Business Member has allowed us to demonstrate AT&T's commitment to the Columbus community and to ensure that our employees are aware of the services that the SID provides."
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 Taking a Look at Downtown Economic Development
Each quarter, Capital Crossroads and Discovery SIDs prepare a comprehensive report on economic development activity downtown. In late July, the SIDs held an Economic Development Update event to highlight the mid-year report. Highlights of the report include historic tax credits being awarded to two notable projects downtown (White-Haines, Madison's and Modern Finance buildings); The Atlas and Hawthorn Grove opening their doors to new residents; and five residential projects now under construction. Find the online report here.
First Look: 2015 Mid-Year Downtown Economic Development Update was held July 29 at Chase Tower. Participants enjoyed networking and breakfast, followed by a presentation. Marc Conte, deputy director of research, planning & facilities at Capital Crossroads and Discovery SIDs presented highlights of the report and discussed upcoming activity for the remainder of the year. Brett Kaufman, Founder and CEO, Kaufman Developments then shared an update regarding his residential development activities downtown, including 250 High, the LeVeque Tower and a new 17-story building at Columbus Commons.
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 Wild Kingdom: Ambassadors Rescue Duck Family in Need
The Capital Crossroads and Discovery SID ambassadors work tirelessly every day to keep Downtown Columbus clean and safe. Usually their efforts benefit the people who work, live and visit downtown, but once in awhile, ambassadors offer assistance to our friends from the animal kingdom.
Back in May, one of the SID ambassadors stepped out into Lynn Alley and saw a family of ducks, one momma and her 10-duckling brood. The waddling crew was in danger of being hit by a car so our nearby ambassadors sprang into action to corral the wayward ducks. Ambassadors herded the momma and her babies into the gated area behind the SID offices on Fourth Street, lowering the gate to prevent escape.
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