There’s something I’ve always liked about Parsons Avenue. When the street is damp and the lights reflect off of the pavement and one squints just a little, it can look just like a street scape out of the 1930’s.
There’s a few more things are not so pleasant. Decay. Abandonment. Blight. Litter. The Greater Parsons Avenue Vision Plan addresses the challenges as well as the benefits of the Avenue. Most surprising was that crime in the area is not nearly as high as most folks might think. (Interesting is the fact that blighted areas give the impression of crime, and is often a reason for it).
Another statement in the Vision Plan notes that high-school kids do not feel connected to the area because there is little, if anything for them to do along Parsons Avenue. Employment options are limited for them, as well, in their own neighborhood.
The Plan calls for the Whittier intersection to become a primary focal point, as well as the creation of an additional focal point further south, near the site of the former Schottenstein’s. While the Plan has been in place for over a year, there’s been little progress, save for some demolition at Jenkins and the new Pizza Hut on Stewart.
Parsons Avenue is a vital part of the neighborhood and its future success is in direct correlation to the stability of it’s adjacent neighborhoods. The question is, how do we help it along? Making sure we choose Parsons Avenue merchants, of course, is a must, but how do we add enough value to the Avenue so that those used-car lots get purchased for more productive use?
Franklinton and King-Lincoln are getting a lot of attention these days. This attention seems to be coming from the arts community. I’ve wondered if those areas might be attracting this attention because of their sky-line views. Each of those areas have direct line-of-sight-views into downtown. Factor in growth over the next 10 years, and a sky-line view from West Broad Street becomes quite an investment. The same holds true for East Long Street.
Since we know that success is a “people” issue and not just a “policy” issue, how do we assist in the stability of Parsons Avenue?
