By Paul Minnis, The Republic
pminnis@therepublic.com
THE Commons is like an old heart: It still beats, only a little quieter and weaker than it did years ago.
As the building has become mechanically, functionally and aesthetically obsolete, so too has the downtown become less relevant.
The beating stops, and the building darkens after a shindig Dec. 31. The building will be demolished in 2008 and replaced the next two years with a Commons officials think will usher in a rebirth.
It's all part of Vision 20/20, a plan for downtown revitalization that includes building two hotels, a parking garage, two sports complexes and attracting new restaurants and other businesses.
People already have had to get used to downtown construction: Crews built Hotel Indigo in 2007, and the parking garage is being built across from the post office.
The Commons work site will look like today's garage site, with perimeter, plastic fencing and heavy machinery moving dirt.
Conceptual plans call for the public part of the old building to be replaced with one that would cost about $18 million.
Columbus City Council has been asked to help pay for the project, while the rest will come from private donors and foundations.
The city of Columbus has a $12.74 million bonding capacity. City council members have said they would bond considerably less than the maximum, because some bonding capacity should remain in case of emergencies.
The next city council meeting is Jan. 2.
Funding demolition
Irwin-Sweeney-Miller Foundation, which owns the mall part of the building west of the escalator, will pay for demolition of the entire one-block area, including the city-owned part that lies along Washington Street.
Candlewood Suites, a private hotel which will connect to the privately owned building section, should open in early 2009, while the cityowned building section is expected to open in Spring 2010.
All construction projects are being paced to run as simultaneously as possible, with Candlewood acting as the trigger for the entire building's construction.
Cesar Pelli's superstructure will remain standing because of its architectural significance. Sears and YES Cinema, which will remain open throughout construction, will be split off from the rest of the building to enable work crews to open Jackson Street.
The new Commons will look a lot different.
Fishers developer Tim Dora is committed to building Candlewood Suites on the building's northwest corner.
A manufacturer is considering The Commons Mall for an attached, four-story office complex that could employ up to 500 people.
Plans call for The Commons to have store entrances along Washington Street. Retail space would replace the performance area on the first floor, while the performance area would relocate to the second floor.
The indoor playground and mechanical structure "Chaos" would remain at or near their current sites, and the playground would be larger than today's.
Columbus Redevelopment Commission, which is leading the Vision 20/20 project, plans to hire an architect soon to begin drawing final design plans for the city-owned part of the building.