70 percent of consumers in the Midwest markets will spend as much or more on holiday purchases this year compared to 2011. The Huntington Midwest Economic Index in its first survey found that the average budget is about $950.

Close to 50 percent of consumers think the economy will be better next year according to the Huntington Bank survey.

Those who responded live in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Western Pennsylvania or West Virginia and also plan to spend more in 2013 on vacations and home improvement. The majority plan to pay in cash with an average budget of $5,200.

The survey also showed that more than 60% of Midwest consumers continue to defer major purchases like purchasing or leasing a car.

Huntington Bank employs about 3,600 people in Columbus making it one of the city’s larger employers. But President Steve Steinour said Tuesday that Huntington plans to add an additional 500 people locally during the next five years. Steinour also said that the bank’s lease of the Huntington Center at 41 South High Street has been extended until 2030. Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman celebrated the news.

“You know this is a big deal in the city of Columbus – a really big deal. 500 new jobs, a commitment for the next two decades at least to the city of Columbus; I can’t tell you how important that is to the city and the residents and the tax base of the city,” Coleman said.

The Huntington Bank on the corner of Broad and High which is adjacent to the Huntington Center tower has been operating at that location for 144 years.

Clippers fans had lined the sides of Nationwide Boulevard three hours before the first pitch at Huntington Park. They were there to take in the opening day parade. While various dignitaries rode by, the crowd heard music from a military band and from the Columbus Police and Fire Pipes and Drums

Local baseball legend Harold Cooper served as grand marshal of the parade that ended at Huntington Park’s centerfield gates. That’s where County Commissioner Paula Brooks waited with other officials to start the formal dedication.

“It is a breathtaking day,” Brooks said. “It is unbelievable. We did it and I’m glad we did it. And the whole community seems to be behind us in celebrating today; it’s fantastic!”

The new $55 million facility is more than a stadium Brooks says. She emphasized the name is Huntington Park. And she said it’s another element in the city’s economic development.

“This will really help our tourism industry which is in the billions – it’s grown to $7 billion in the last several years,” Brooks says. “The legacy will just be more and more – to bring visitors here, to bring our families here in an affordable, friendly way; appropriate entertainment for families.”

In his official remarks, Mayor Michael Coleman reminded the crowd of what the Arena District used to be.

“What a great day in Columbus,” Coleman said. “We are proud of this stadium. But this is more than just a stadium. It’s a statement; a statement of the greatness of the city of Columbus.”

With the speeches concluded, Clippers president and general manager Ken Schnacke gave the final ribbon cutting countdown.

Inside the park fans were quick to appreciate the difference between Huntington and the old Cooper Stadium. Clippers fan Karen Gibson:

“I think this is absolutely fabulous,” Gibson said. “This is what real baseball is about. Love it! And I thought I liked the Coop. This is way better.”

Tickets may be slightly more expensive at Huntington Park. But Gibson was unfazed.

“I mean it’s worth it,” she said. “There’s more food choices. It’s more of a baseball feel to it.”

The restructuring allows Huntington to take control of the mortgage loans that previously served as the collateral for it’s commercial loans to Franklin.

Huntington spokesperson Jeri Grier said the restructuring lets Huntington have more control over what happens with its portfolio.

“It maximizes the value on the return that comes back to Huntington’s balance sheet, benefiting our shareholders. Also it benefits the borrows because they can get into more attractive terms than they would have been able to under the former structure. Then Franklin is freed up to continue with their business,” Grier said.

Franklin Credit management was a long-time partner of Sky Financial Group. Huntington inherited $1.5 billion in problem Franklin loans when it purchases Sky in 2007.

Spokeswoman Jeri Grier says the cuts come after the bank accepted $1,400,000,000 dollars in Troubled Asset Relief Program money from the Federal government.

“The bottom line is that Huntington was not profitable in 2008. Because of that we thought it was important to align our managment and associate compensation with shareholder interests.” Says Grier

Grier says the job cuts will be done by March 1st. She says business conditions will determine how many corporate jobs will be lost.

“Its too soon to tell. Our managers are now going back and looking at what’s happening with business demand in their areas and what their needs are and we’ll make assessments based on that.” Says Grier.

Huntington says the new cost-cutting measures will strengthen its balance sheet and position the bank for better performance.

Tom Borgerding WOSU News

A few fans were already in the parking at 1 p.m. for the 6 o’clock game between the Columbus Clippers and the Toledo Mud Hens. Rod Charlton and a few others were waiting to get autographs from some of the players. Each said he was a little sad that it was the end of the Cooper era.

“I feel like it’s kind of sad really,” Charlton says. “I hate to see it move uptown because I’m from Dayton and it’s pretty easy to get to here. Rush hour might not be too easy up there but it’s going to be a lot nicer stadium, but a lot of tradition here.”

Charles Shannon says he first visited The Coop in the 1980s.

“I think it’s a shame but I’m all ready for the new ballpark,” Shannon says. “I’d like to see this one stay around, maybe play some high school games here.”

“The last game at Cooper drew Jim Aalderink from the Grand Rapids, Michigan area.

“I think it’s a very sad thing it’s like ah I’m not from Columbus but it’s like saying goodbye to an old friend,” Aalderink says. “It’s like going to a wake. It’s like saying goodbye to an old friend for the last time.”

Branch Rickey built the stadium on farmland in 1931 for his team the Columbus Red Birds. It got the name Cooper in 1984, renamed for county commissioner Harold Cooper and it’s been The Coop ever since.

Sprits lifted once the game was underway. Theodore Good says he’s looking forward to the new Huntington stadium but still glad to be at the final night at Cooper.

“I feel very good about it,” Good says. “Knowing that I’m here on the last game. It kind of makes me feel pretty good about that.”

Chas Adams had mixed feelings.

“Actually it’s upsetting, I really look forward to the new stadium but this is a really nice thing for the west side of Columbus, it’s readily available to the people of the west side and it’s cheap and anybody can come over here,” Adams says. “And as much as I look forward to the new stadium I think they’re going to lose a lot of the family atmosphere that they have done here. It’s going to be higher priced, they say it’s going to be the same but It’s going to be harder to park and be more expensive for things and I just don’t think you’re going to be able to bring everybody up for dime-a-dog night and spend $50 for your whole family for the whole night. but at the same token the new stadium’s going to be great it’s going to be packed every night. There’s a lot of ups and downs to both sides, I guess.”

Toni Gilchrist says she was caught up in the excitement.

“I think it’s wonderful, I haven’t been here for a while and it’s very exciting,” Gilchrist says. “I’m sorry we’re losing but that’s okay, somebody has to win, somebody has to lose.”

“It may have been a losing night for the clippers but the team got a standing ovation from the crowd on this last game of the season.

16,770 fans packed the stadium built for 15,000. According to the Clippers’ Ken Schnacke it was the largest crowd in the Clippers’ 32 year history.

On the field at Cooper Stadium Wednesday afternoon the clippers practice for the season opener.

The Clippers take on the Charlotte Knights Thursday evening at 7. The field they’re playing on is 75 years old. The stadium had its last major renovation in 1977.

Next year the Triple A team moves into new quarters at Huntington Park in Columbus’s arena district. Though no opening date has been set, Clippers president Ken Schnacke says construction of the new park is on schedule.

“We think things are going fine. Turner Construction is in charge of it; they’re doing a wonderful job,” Schnake says. “They were prepared for this bad winter, they had everything in place. We have really lost no work time at all.”

Groundbreaking for the $56 million project took place last August. Original plans called for the ballpark’s opening in 2008. But environmental clean-up at the site where a gas station once stood delayed the project. The awarding of several construction contracts by the Franklin County Commission, which owns the team, has also been contentious. But commissioner Paula Brooks says the legal challenges are not slowing the timetable.

“The vast majority of contracts have been entered into and have proceeded,” Brooks says. “We’ve had a few blips on the radar screen but everything’s on schedule, on budget. There’s still a lot of work to do but I have confidence that we’re going to get it done on time.”

Ken Schnacke says fans and players will appreciate the finer amenities at Huntington Park. He calls it the Camden Yards of Triple A baseball.

Nick Soulas is representing the county in the lawsuit. Soulas says the commissioners were just following rules which prevent the county from hiring a company that exceeded a certain number of safety violations. Soulas says TP Mechanical fell into that group.

“They simply don’t meet our quality contractor standards that have been in place since 2002,” he said.

The commissioners cited concerns over safety violations and prevailing wage law violations as reasons why they chose to award the bid to Pennsylvania-based W.G. Tomko but lawyers for tp mechanical said today most of the violations were minor and promptly resolved. The county’s director of public facilities Richard Meyers testified he had no “prerogative to decide between minor and major violations.”

TP lawyers tried to show at least one commissioner wanted to know if the violations were deliberate. They presented records from January 8th’s board meeting where Mary Jo Kilroy said the commission should look to see if the violations were “willful”.

Both parties are still in court and a ruling is not likely until monday of next week.

At the 5 p.m. special meeting, commissioners awarded the nearly $6 million contract to Lithko Contracting. Earlier, the commission had indicated it favored Baker Construction, whose bid was about $17,000 higher.

Commissioner Paula Brooks said afterward that the county was required to “…follow the law…and that’s where we ended up today,” presumably a reference to the choice of Lithko as the low bidder.

Lithko would have continued to fight the county in court had it lost the Huntington Park contract. David Timms, an attorney representing Lithko, read from a prepared statement after the commission’s vote: “We appreciate the commissioners’ hard work and due diligence in reviewing additional information and awarding the concrete contract to Lithko.”

Brooks noted the commission’s action helps keep the Huntington Park project on a ‘critical timeline.’

President and CEO of Nationwide Brian Ellis asked the audience to imagine the greatest minor league baseball stadium in the country. He said the Clippers’ new home will have features comparable to Wrigley Field and Fenway Park.

The new venue, situated across from Nationwide Arena, will hold ten thousand people.

City officials say the stadium will trigger additional development in the downtown area.

The city is paying for close to a fifth of the 55 million dollar project. Mayor Michael Coleman says Huntington Park will attract private dollars

“I can tell you that the 30 or so million dollars that we invested in the arena district has now resulted in a half a billion dollars of private investment. The 9 million dollars that we have invested right here is going to result in another 70 million dollars in private investment right here. That’s just the building,” he said. Franklin County Board of Commissioners President Mary Jo Kilroy says the new stadium will bring families and young professionals to the downtown area.

“It’s going to be accessible by all modes of transportation. You can walk here. You can hop on a bus. You can park a car with low cost parking. A great opportunity for families to come out and enjoy a great game of baseball,” she said.

The field will take form next fall and the park is slated to open April of 2009.