Columbus maps public land with an eye on housing
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Columbus hopes it can use its new inventory of public space to spur development, like it did with the Scioto Mile. Photo: Jumping Rocks/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Columbus has created its first-ever inventory of every square mile of public and tax-exempt land, which local leaders hope to use to spur development and housing projects.
Why it matters: Columbus has $500 million in bond funds to help tackle a regional housing crisis. Better planning and knowledge of available space can help those funds go further.
Driving the news: The city spent $140,000 to participate in an initiative called Putting Assets to Work (PAW), which helps municipalities catalogue public assets and identify underutilized tax-exempt properties.
Between the lines: This property information has always been out there, thanks to county assessors, recorders and other city staff. Gathering it with strategic recommendations is the hard part.
- "The data is there, but nobody is looking at it from the perspective of what it could be," PAW's Ben McAdams told reporters Thursday.
Stunning stats: PAW's analysis identified 66 square miles of publicly owned and tax-exempt land, the equivalent of 22 Ohio State campuses.
- The city itself owns about 14% of that land (excluding parks and recreation space), and nonprofits and governments own another 24%.
- Much of the rest is owned by "partner organizations" like hospitals, universities and churches.
Case in point: The vacant West Broad Missionary Chapel site owned by the city is currently worth about $500,000.
- If redeveloped into housing and business space, it would be valued around $2.8 million, per PAW's assessment.
- The Arena District and Scioto Mile were two existing examples of public space used to spur development.
Between the lines: PAW advocates for cities keeping control of land and its uses when possible.
- Rather than selling and losing control, its leaders say, it's often smarter to build through long-term leases and other agreements.
What we're watching: PAW makes three main recommendations.
- Focus development on areas near planned LinkUS stations and along bus rapid transit corridors.
- Use a revolving loan fund to "multiply the housing bond" and incentivize development at key sites.
- Consider establishing a public asset corporation with the job of developing and keeping control of public land.
The big picture: Council President Shannon Hardin and Councilmember Nick Bankston want to push Columbus toward an era of proactive and collaborative thinking.
- Like a potential revolving loan fund, that means more strategic use of funding, space and resources.
- "The $500 million that we have set aside from bonds will not solve affordable housing, but it can be used as a leveraged, catalytic resource," Hardin says.