An Arena Done Right?

When it comes to stadiums and arenas, the argument we hear again and again in favor of them is that they'll spur economic development in the surrounding neighborhood. As Alan Ehrenhalt wrote in Governing a year ago, evidence on that front is mixed. Development doesn't just happen. Usually, it requires good planning and some civic cheerleading, without the pom poms.

Some people seem to believe that Columbus, Ohio got it right with its downtown arena district, where a new arena anchors a district of bars, restaurants, condos, apartments and offices. That's why a delegation from Pittsburgh visited Columbus yesterday.

Nationwide Realty Investors, the Columbus firm that built the Ohio arena, is apparently looking at replicating the project in Pittsburgh.

According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette :

"While the Arena District has done little to reverse the fortunes of City Center, it has put downtown on the map again, and has led the way in urban residential development. Like Pittsburgh, Columbus is in the midst of a major push to build housing in its core, with 1,034 units opened and more than 2,000 more under construction or in development.

The district's 252 apartment units, rented at $625 to $1,835 a month, are 99 percent occupied, with a waiting list for studios and one-bedrooms, a leasing agent said. About two-thirds of the district's 98 condominiums, selling for $230,000 to $650,000, are under contract. Up to 300 more housing units are planned."