History in the making:
Nationwide is proud to call downtown Columbus home. To see more hometown milestone moments, visit the Arena District.
www.arenadistrict.com/milestones
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1 On Your Side: The Next Chapter is a book written by Jonathan Shazar, Copyrighted to NW in 2019.
ISBN 978-1-882771-56-1
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Story from
How the Arena District changed
the Columbus cityscape for the better
By: Cemile Kavountzis, for Nationwide
The building of a major league city:
All great neighborhoods have a rich history.
What started 50 years ago, has driven $2.2 billion in investment in the heart of downtown Columbus. Today, three world-class stadiums line Nationwide Boulevard, and the Arena District is being touted as one of the best sports and entertainment districts in the country. The vibrant skyline you see today is the result of bold foresight, significant investment, and pioneering decisions starting in the 1970s when Dean Jeffers, then CEO of Nationwide Insurance, bucked the suburban trend and decided to keep the company’s headquarters in downtown Columbus.
That visionary decision was the starting point of a remarkable investment in Columbus’ urban core. The Arena District today has transcended from what was started decades ago bringing so much development activity and momentum to downtown along with some great moments in sports history like hosting the world’s greatest players in the NHL All-Star Game.
As the Columbus Blue Jackets take to the ice for their 2021-2022 season, we look back at the milestone moments that made Columbus a major-league city.
How it all started:
From the 1970s to the present day, what we all know as the Arena District has transformed Columbus. Today, the pulsating heart of downtown is a sports mecca and attracts world-class companies and top talent. It’s is a place where people want to work, live, play and visit.
These are the moments where it all began
Urban Land, January 2007
“The Arena District will continue to expand and mature - its success is a testament to the role that public/private partnerships can play revitalizing cities… to work together toward the common goal of building vibrant urban neighborhoods where people want to live, work, and play.”
1974
Nationwide breaks ground on the company’s headquarters, One Nationwide Plaza, in an area surrounded by parking lots and the Ohio Penitentiary.
1977
Nationwide, Battelle, Huntington, Galbreath, the Wolfe family and others , partnered with the city to begin developing what we now know as the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
1981
Nationwide continued to develop and completed the 280 Plaza building, then Three Nationwide Plaza and the Crowne Plaza.
1984
The Ohio Penitentiary closes after the worst jail fire in U.S. history claimed the lives of 322 inmates.
MAY 1997
Until the mid-1990s, Columbus was still the largest city in the nation without a downtown arena and major league sports franchise. Community leaders recognized the importance to put Columbus on the map. Nationwide and the Wolfe family agree to privately finance development of the arena, while John H. McConnell, Founder of Worthington Industries, agreed to be majority owner of the NHL franchise
JUNE 1997
Nationwide Realty Investors presented plans to the city and received full support, including a $35 million public infrastructure investment (which is now leveraging +$2B in additional investment).
Kick off: A tale of three stadiums
From the opening of Nationwide Arena in 2000, Huntington Park in 2009 and Lower.com Stadium in 2020 – Columbus now boasts three of the most exciting stadiums for hockey, baseball and soccer. Here’s how it all came into play.
JUNE 1997
The NHL announces Columbus is among the cities awarded expansion franchises starting in fall 2000.
MAY 1998
Construction of Nationwide Arena officially begins.
OCTOBER 2000
The first NHL regular-season game played at Nationwide Arena is Columbus Blue Jackets versus Chicago Blackhawks.
AUGUST 2007
Construction of Huntington Park baseball stadium begins.
APRIL 2009
Columbus Clippers play first home game in their newly opened Huntington Park against Toledo Mud Hens.
OCTOBER 2017
News breaks that the Columbus Crew may be leaving town, Efforts to keep the team in Columbus kick into high gear.
DECEMBER 2018
Just 14 months later, Haslam Sports Group partnered with the family of longtime team physician, Dr. Pete Edwards, to begin as the Crew’s new investor-operators.
OCTOBER 2019
Lower.com Field, a state-of-the-art soccer-specific stadium, breaks ground in the Arena District and is completed within an impressive 650 days.
JULY 2021
Columbus Crew SC play first home game against New England Revolution at Lower.com Field.
OCTOBER 2021
Blue Jackets start their 21st season at Nationwide Arena. Welcome back Columbus!
Linda Shetina Logan, Executive Director
Greater Columbus Sports Commission, (Dispatch June 2021)
“We’re so fortunate to have these world-class facilities all on one boulevard. I can’t think of any community that can boast that. For our residents…, for the vibrancy of our town…, for the travel and tourism industry…, it is amazing.”
Building
the Trifecta
*
Every seat is covered by a 220,000 SF canopy
Michael Arace, reporter, Columbus Dispatch
“What Columbus does have, as of today, is a parcel of three pro-sports facilities of architectural beauty, tightly compacted in a downtown setting. Nowhere else in the country will you find anything quite like it — not in driver-wedge distance, in a thriving, urban area.”
In 1999, the 660-ton Union Station arch designed by American architect Daniel H. Burnham was moved to McFerson Common, preserving this Beaux-Arts landmark.
Moving a landmark
Monumental feat:
Hitting goals:
A snapshot of a dynamic neighborhood for culture, sports and everyday life
Today, the Arena District generates some $68 million annually in tax revenue and represents $2.2 billion in investment since 1998. The boundaries have expanded from the original 75-acre master plan to 200 acres, from Front Street to High Street, Vine to I-670, and Neil Avenue to the river.
Arena District by the numbers:
Changing the game for a city
“Every element of the Arena District, from the 70’s to now, has been additive - thoughtfully, intentionally and synergistically contributing to the whole. From Nationwide Plaza to the Convention Center and Hyatt Regency, Nationwide Arena, Huntington Park, the Cap and now the Crew. These were game changers.”
Brian J. Ellis, president of Nationwide Realty Investors
Mr. Mac
Nationwide Arena:
• 685,000 total SF in main area
• 66 minority and women-owned businesses participated in the construction
• 9400 tons of steel
• 1.3M bricks
• 44 miles of pipe
• 2000 gallons of paint
Huntington Park:
• Seats 10,100
• Right field wall is 318 feet from home plate
• 5 windows along Nationwide Blvd for fans without tickets to peek into a game
Lower.com:
• 20,000 seating capacity
• Built 22 ft below grade
• 225’ x 360’ natural grass field
1.6 MiLlion
square feet of commercial space
75
Businesses
17,000
full-time and
part-time employees
1,100
multi-family and
condo residences
2,300
hotel rooms
in a 2-block radius
18,000
parking
spaces
3
world-class
stadiums
3-Acre
McFerson Commons park with city’s historic Union Station Arch
12-acre
North Bank Park dedicated in 2005
2.5 Million
Home to the Greater Columbus Convention Center hosting 2.5M visitors per year
1st ever
Home to Express Live (which opened as PromoWest Pavilion) and boasts the country’s first-ever reversible indoor and outdoor stage
1
• Every seat is covered by a 220,000 SF canopy
• 225’ x 360’ natural grass field