Established in 1797, Franklinton is one of the first villages in the Northwest Territory and the oldest community in Central Ohio. Lucas Sullivant, a land surveyor desperate to attract new settlers to the village, gave away land along Gift street, on of the original nine streets that still exist today.
During the war of 1812, the central location of Franklinton at the junction of the Olentangy and Scioto rivers made it a critical meeting point for the army. As many as 3,000 troops occupied the village using it as a staging ground for missions further afield.
Franklinton's growth in the 1800's was due to the expansion of the railroads, the construction of the National Road and its adjecncy to Columbus, which was founded in 1812 to be the new state capital. Beginning in 1859 Columbus began to annex Franklinton, A vast majority of the village was anexed by 1890 with the final portions annexed over a century later in 1962.
While its location along the Scioto contributed to its growth, residents found that its land was low and increasingly prone to flooding. In 1913 the Scioto overran its banks and submurged Franklinton in water up to 22 feet deep. Over 4,000 homes were flooded and many busineses were damaged.
During the second half of the 20th century, expansion of State Route-315, a limited access freeway eliminated Sandusky Street (a major throughfare for Franklinton), and destroyed many historically significant buildings. The construction of the route also isolated the eastern portion of the community.
THE BOTTOMS:
Franklinton has been know as "The bottoms" both for its low lying area along the Scioto, as well as for its depressed economic status. These two have gone hand in-hand for nearly thirty years.
In 1983 FEMA decalred Franklinton a floodplain due to the repeated and severe floods which had occured in the area. Later that same year the city of Columbus classified the area as a floodplain as defined by the city code. As a result very strict building requirements were imposed which required that any new construction or rehabilitation which incurs over 50% of the structures market value had to meet the standards to minimize the flood hazard. These restrictions either flood proofing or raising the lowest floor structure to a height that is above or at the 100-year flood level. In addition, the cost to insure the property rose, and as a result property owners, deferred improvements, or moved out of the area, rather than improving and insuring the property.
This constituted a significant decline in the neighborhood, as it became prohibitive to own and invest in the area.
In 1993 the City of Columbus began the Franklinton floodwall project which was completed in 2000. This project protects the area from the waters of a 100-year flood and removes one of the major obstacles to development.
AT PRESENT:
According to the 2000 US Census, the area contains 5,444 housing units. Approximately 1,000 are vacant. Only 29.9% of the housing units are owner-occupied.
The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority has five communities with a total of 713 housing units in the area
A reality of working with the refugee community is that they are not working with much (if any money). In conversations with Jane McGrew of the Community Refugee and Immigraiton Services orginazation (CRIS), she reported that most of the refugees when arriving in the city rely on public housing at least initally while they establish themselves econmomically.
While the intent of the project is to provide a resource where the refugees can come and have immediate houseing, this is a short term strategy, and the proximity to other (rentable or subsidized) housing, will help to retain a unique sub-culture of refugees in this area, and create a neighborhood which is diverse and vibrant.
THE LAY OF THE LAND:
Downtown as viewed from the west bank of the Scioto Peninsula (On the steps of COSI)
Looking East (back towards downtown) at the entry to Franklinton
COSI: Center of Science and Industry, this is a spectacular building by the noted japanese architect Arata Isozaki, however its siting on the Scioto Peninsula effectively turns its back on Franklinton and creates a visual barrier, with a sea of parking in front of it.
As seen here there is an excessively large "green space" in front of the building which leads to an even bigger sea of parking in front of the strucuture, so while this is a grand piece of architecture, it is a poor piece of urban design.
The building is an excerscise in restraint, as only two shapes of precast concrete make up the entire shell of the strucuture, each separated by a stainless steel bullnose rib expansion joint. It is a stunning use of simple materials in a elegant and refined manner (It's just bad urbanism)
Looking Westward along Broad Street the train viaduct spans the street defining a tunnel-like threshold which defines the boundary between the Scioto Peninsula and East Franklinton proper. Seen at the left, the former "Toledo & Ohio Central Station" has recently been restored and is now in use by the International Association of Fire Fire Fighters (IAFF) Columbus Chapter.
Seen here behind the IAFF building looking south, the railroad viaduct is elevated 20' from the surrounding area entirely cutting off the peninsula.
Occasional porous junctures occur as Town (shown here), State, Rich and Broad Streets all burrow underneath the double tressle.
Upon entering the other side of the viaduct, the area is populated with warehouse and industrial structures from the first half of the 20th century. Shown below is the intersection of Town and Lucas as seen from upon the viaduct (Don't ask me how I got there to take the photo , the legality is dubious).
Looking south along Lucas street the building is abandoned. At the left the luxury high-rise building "Miranova" by the architectural firm Architectonica looms large in the distance and across the new "main street bridge"
The Main street bridge will act as a connector to Rich Street (US-62) and Main street on the opposite side of the Scioto. Miranova 1 and 2 are visible in the photo.
The bridge when completed will be a skyline defining structure, and will have separate decks for pedestrian and vehicular travel.
Town Street Bridge:
The current "Town street bridge" has been closed since early in 2008, and has been off limits to pedestrians for longer than that. The existing bridge is in very poor structural shape, and is scheduled to be replaced with a new link which will connect downtown with the Scioto peninsula.
"Noli" map of Franklinton:
As a tool for spatial analysis, a "Noli" map helps to reduce the information to only that which is germane to the argument. What is revealed in this image, which while visible is not as apparent in the satellite photo is the degree to which the railroad defines the density of the space and segregates the scioto peninsula from East Franklinton. At the opposite end of East Franklinton, we see again how the freeway causes a change in the density from a tightly packed single family neighborhood to the West, to a larger-scale more spatially disjunct area to the East. Along the Scioto Peninsula, COSI and Vetrans Memorial arena stand as objects in space and create an overwhelming distance between the Downtown area, and Franklinton Proper. It is interesting that the manmade barriers seem to do much more to segregate the space that the natural barrier of the river, which is a much larger obstacle in terms of scale.
Seen here in a colored aerial photo, Franklinton and the west Scioto peninsula is largely owned by the city and the county to the east of the viaduct, and is privately held to the west of the viaduct. Columbus has systematically purchased distressed property in this area, with the intent of releasing large blocks for re-development at some point in the near future. The completion of the Main and Town street bridges, along with the completion of the Flood wall, help to solve some of the obstacles which have hindered development throughout the last 30 years.
The selection of Franklinton was a deliberate one in that this is an economically depressed area which has historically been cut off from the remainder of the downtown. Many of the historic reasons for isolation have been remedied in the last 5 years or are in the process of being remedied. A flood wall has removed the threat of inundation (only since 2000), Two bridges are being constructed / re-constructed at the present which will link downtown to this area and provide an economic link as well as a geographic one. Because this area has not been gentrified, there is an opportunity for low rent areas and housing. This area is not densely populated and there will be less of an anticipated NIMBY effect from placing a "foreign" aspect into this area. This area is centrally located and within a 8 minute walk to the main transit hub downtown.
As for the railroad viaduct, my proposal is to organize the building / complex in such a manner that it takes advantage of this barrier and uses it as an organizational strategy to link the Scioto Peninsula to the neighborhood beyond.
I have decided that the original tripirtite program which I outlined in the original summary was a correct assumption as far as the programmatic layout and the necessities for the center. It is important to provide a space for the refugees at three levels:
1) to provide immediate shelter and assistance upon arrival to the U.S.
2) as a form of engaging the community by inviting people into the complex in a limited matter so that meaningful education and cultural exchange can occur. One of these ways is to be with a shared communal oven, and eating courtyard where people from the community and the refugees can meet and casually interact. (this comes directly from my meetings with the refugee aid organization which I have been meeting with.
3) As a form of economic opportunity for the refugees. I propose that a "Bazaar" type market be incorporated into the project so that the Refugees can have some immediate "Start Up Space" where they can sell traditional crafts, foods or establish a small business in a rent free environment.
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