At the Capital Crossroads and Discovery Special Improvement District Annual Meeting in November, one Ambassador from each SID was recognized as Ambassador of the Year. Although all of our SID Ambassadors work incredibly hard and represent Downtown Columbus professionally, Philip Wilson (Capital Crossroads) and Ryan Jefferson (Discovery) especially stood out this year.
Wilson is a wonderful resource for Capital Crossroads. He handles any assignment by using his expertise with our cleaning equipment and his superior communication skills. He is quick to offer assistance and advice, and has managed a perfect attendance record during each of his four years with the SID. He takes personal ownership of Downtown Columbus, and the way with which he approaches his works inspires everyone on his team to do the same.
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Business Member Spotlight
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.
Kegler Brown Hill & Ritter has called downtown home for 51 years and has been in its current State Street location since 1985. Managing Partner Michael Zatezalo notes that the firm has seen downtown change much over the years, from the days of City Center to Columbus Commons and much more.
"Being downtown is a recruiting tool for us," he explained. "Young people are very enthusiastic about downtown, and the SID has done so much to bring life to the area and to keep it looking great."
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New Business Members
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:
Leader Level: Greyhound Lines
Advocate Level: Express Employment Professionals Downtown
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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:
Happy New Year! We appreciate how many of you attended our annual meeting and holiday open house. If you were not able to attend the annual meeting, be sure to read more here about the award winners recognized at the event.
With the weather finally feeling like winter, we look forward to the summer months and Pearl Market. In this edition, read about market research conducted this summer to help us improve the Market going forward. You can also learn more about the efforts of Bill Cobun, our outreach specialist, who works tirelessly to help men and women on the streets to find housing.
As we head into the new year, I thank you again for the support you offer Capital Crossroads and Discovery Special Improvement Districts.
Warmest regards,
Cleve Ricksecker
Executive Director
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Outreach Efforts Help the Homeless
One important part of Capital Crossroads and Discovery SIDs' efforts comes through the dedication of our Outreach Specialist, Bill Cobun. Cobun has worked in this capacity since early 2014, after first serving as a Clean Team Ambassador and Discovery Security Officer. Since making the move, Cobun has helped roughly 200 men and woman find permanent housing in the last two years.
"We have a housing-first model of approaching the problem of people living on the street," explained Cobun. "It's nearly impossible to help people with addiction, mental illness and unemployment when they do not have a place to live. The change really starts to happen once an individual has a place to live."
Cobun shared a few success stories from the past year, which help demonstrate the hard work that goes into making these life-altering changes happen.
One 55-year-old man who was helped had been evicted from the YMCA and was homeless. He was sleeping outside The Open Shelter on Mound Street. After a quick and severe decline in mental health, he found himself homeless after a long, successful career in international business. Because of the great anxiety he was experiencing, he could not successfully function in a shelter. Click here for more. |
On November 19, Capital Crossroads and Discovery Special Improvement Districts held their annual meeting at the Columbus Athenaeum. Both SIDs are required by law to hold an annual meeting in November to elect one third of the trustees to their respective boards. This quick business was handled by voice vote early in the meeting, before the schedule moved on to the presentation of awards and a presentation on retail by Midge McCauley.
Cleve Ricksecker, executive director, first thanked Mayor Coleman, the SIDs' staff and the boards of trustees from both SID's before recognizing the award winners, whose efforts are so integral to downtown's success.
Unsung Hero - Ray Browning
Ray, the Street Maintenance Manager for the City of Columbus, is an outstanding public servant. His management of street sweeping and snow removal is so important to a functioning downtown. He has also coordinated carefully with the SIDs so that the street sweeping and sidewalk sweeping are not at cross purposes.
Outstanding Service Capital Crossroads SID - Greater Columbus Arts Council
The arts are an anchor in our downtown, with beautiful theaters, the Columbus Museum of Art, CCAD and more. The Greater Columbus Arts Council supports downtown through its support of the arts. The Arts Council advocates for the arts, collaborating with other entities including Capital Crossroads on a variety of projects such as Finding Time Public Art, Bold Booths, Pearl Market, Moonlight Market and more. Arts Council President and CEO Tom Katzenmeyer accepted the award.
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While the bustling crowds and smiling faces indicate the popularity of downtown's Pearl Market, Capital Crossroads SID commissioned an assessment of the Pearl Market customer base to help with planning for the future. OrangeBoy, Inc. conducted the research into the customer base and offered recommendations for improvements to the Market.
The study incorporated a variety of techniques and was conducted through the early part of the summer. Interviewers spoke with Pearl Market shoppers and those in the area who were not shopping at the Market. In addition, an online survey was conducted, observations of customer activity and experience were made, and interviews were completed with vendors, employers and real estate developers.
A profile of the average Pearl Market shopper emerged: a female, aged 45 - 54, a downtown worker who eats out for lunch often, and who has a household income of $100,000 - $149,000. She usually visits the Market with a friend once a week, spending $10 - $20 per visit on produce and other food items. She enjoys the vendors, staff and the purchasing process.
The popularity of the Market is grounded in its food offerings. Respondents of all kinds highlighted their desire for produce and food products as opposed to the non-food vendor merchandise. This information will inform future decisions regarding vendor mix in the Market. Shoppers also appreciate the ease of purchase, price and product selection. Click here to learn more.
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Just as our Ambassadors help welcome people to downtown as they patrol the streets, Capital Crossroads helps to welcome new residents to the neighborhood through a Welcome Bag Program. Once per month, Welcome Bags are delivered to new businesses and residents.
The program began nearly 10 years ago when the SID delivered welcome bags to new businesses and condo owners. This year the SID received a $10,000 grant from the Create Columbus Commission to help expand the program to include apartment renters. The intent of the program is to provide a warm welcome that outlines available SID services and that markets area businesses and their products and services. The grant has funded the purchase of 3,000 downtown-branded reusable totes, which will hold the information and products, as well as 3,000 flashlights that will help promote the SID safety program. Find out more here.
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 Ready for a Snowy Battle
With the recent cold snap, it feels like snow is a ready possibility, and Capital Crossroads and Discovery SID Clean & Safe Teams are ready to do battle when the white stuff eventuality hits. This year, ambassadors will have a new tool in their arsenal: the Polaris Brutus HDpto and a new snow brush attachment. This 72-inch wide machine will allow for rapid and efficient snow removal from all crosswalks, corners and bus stops.
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