The demolition of Eastland Mall continues as the City of Columbus has released its redevelopment plan for the area. It's called the Eastland for Everyone Community Plan.
WOSU’s Debbie Holmes spoke to Engagement Chair of the Mideast Area Commission, Quay Barnes, about what the plan could include.
Debbie Holmes: The plan was revealed about a week ago and it took a long time to get this plan together. Tell me about that.
Quay Barnes: It took over, well, if you take it from the beginning of when the mall started to actually decline, which was back in 2015, there were a motley crew of us here on the East side that were trying to save it, trying to get it renovated. And after several owners and approaching them and the city kind of had its sights more on Hilltop and on the Linden area, we came to the conclusion that maybe it'd be better just to tear the mall down, and so, we have approached the city with that.
And luckily at that time, which was about three years ago, the city took us up on it and let the Department of Neighborhoods hire consultants. They were wonderful in the respect that they came out and they asked us. And I really want to emphasize that. We were not told what would happen. We were not dictated to. They actually listened to us. We, you know, they listened to our dreams. They listened to us complain.
Debbie Holmes: There are eight big ideas in the plan, so how are they organized and what are they?
Quay Barnes: Part of the plan is dealing with trying to remedy the food desert problem. And so, we'll be bringing in the Mid-East Area Food Collaborative for free market there. And in that building is going to be called the Eastland Prosperity Center, which is amazing. It's going to have a commercial kitchen for ready-made food items. It's going to have a room for community services, city offices, area commission storage for nonprofits. So that's going to be our big service center location, because here on the east side, we had very little to none in terms of having social services. So that's one part of it.
Another part is Columbus State is expanding, and it'll include vocational training and certifications in all the trades. And right now, we know that the trades are literally asking for graduates as they graduate to have a job with them. And it's also going to be first responder training for our fire, EMS, police, and those types of trainings. So that's one area.
Then you have the mall itself. Now in the mall itself, the plan calls for what we asked for, which was mixed use. My personal model is that if anybody on the east side has to drive more than three to four miles to get anything that they need, then it should be where the Eastland Mall used to stand. I personally drive to New Albany for my doctor. I go to Reynoldsburg for my bank, and I shop in Whitehall. That's ridiculous. There are 150,000 plus people that live here on the east side, if you combine all three of our area commissions. And there should be those types of things in the Eastland Mall.
Debbie Holmes: We also have heard that affordable housing is a major request.
Quay Barnes: Yes, you know, the east side has always been, I think, I've lived here for 40 plus years. It's an affordable area of the city to live in, but we don't have enough of it. And so, part of the site, the new site will have affordable housing. We don't know apartments, condos. We don't really know how that's going to look. It'll have market reach too though. And the mixed use will include everything that you need when you live. I mean, places to eat, places to buy your food, places to buy clothes, recreational areas.
Debbie Holmes: Now this is going to take funding then from the private and public sectors.
Quay Barnes: It's going to be a combination.
Debbie Holmes: And how do you think this plan addresses the needs of the area's growing immigrant population?
Quay Barnes: Well, you know, that's the wonderful thing about, again, the east side. I wouldn't say we're a melting pot. I would say more that we're a tossed salad, because we recognize the individuality of each of the people and the cultures that have come into the area. And we're going to address those things. We're very proud to have the Saraga International Grocery, which moved in about five years ago on Hamilton Road. And that brought, of course, just a sense of diversity and inclusiveness to our area.
Debbie Holmes: How long do you think these plans will take then?
Quay Barnes: (The plans) could take one to five years (or) one to six years.
Debbie Holmes: What do you think the challenges are?
Quay Barnes: Funding, but, you know, that's the challenge with everything...you have to pitch, make a pitch to corporations and to organizations that this is a good place to lay down stakes and to grow.
