There's no getting around the fact the Arena District – and by proxy, the fact the Columbus Blue Jackets play in said arena – has helped rejuvenate Columbus and fueled the capital city on its rise into one of the top places to live or visit in the country.
And it appears even more is coming to the downtown crown jewel of Columbus.
According to Columbus' Business First magazine, a 23-acre resort-style community is being planned just west of the arena, expanding the entertainment district's footprint yet again.
EXCLUSIVE: 23-acre Arena District resort-style community planned with towers, hotels, restaurants, condos and more https://t.co/p0aRfflDiN pic.twitter.com/dojLJZ3qVZ
— Columbus Biz First (@columbusbiz1st) August 8, 2017
If you've attended many Blue Jackets, Columbus Clippers games or any other major events in downtown Columbus, you'll likely recognize that plot of land in the photo as ... well, nothing at the moment. Huntington Park and Express Live (nee Promowest Pavilion, Lifestyles Communities Pavilion, or whatever else you may know it as) live just west of Nationwide, but there's not much else on a plot of line heavily criss-crossed by railroad lines.
According to Business First, the area will be dubbed "Grand Central" and include mixed-use property and "have a high-end, resort-style feel" with hotels, a grocery store, restaurants and retail to go with condos and apartments.
Sounds nice, and it likely will be. According to Business First, Schottenstein Real Estate Group is in negotiations with national developers to make the project come to fruition. Brian Schottenstein, president of the SRE Group, told the publication Grand Central will be the "nicest and highest-end" project of its kind in the area.
What does this mean for the Blue Jackets? Well, the neighborhood just keeps getting better, it seems. What that will mean in the long run for the average fan remains to be seen, but this is the kind of base – affluent and likely community minded – that it doesn't hurt to have within walking distance of your home. And it continues to cement Columbus as a city on the rise and a destination, not just in Ohio but on the national scene.
