An entirely new neighborhood built on the Scioto Peninsula. A $100 million "urban pathway." And the potential return of passenger rail service.

Why it matters: There's so much change on the horizon for downtown Columbus and so many development goals set by local leaders, making it worth taking a regular view from 1,000 feet to track our progress.

Driving the news: The Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District recently released its 2023 report on the "State of Downtown Columbus."

• Here's what we learned from the 48-page report:

🏗 Construction is everywhere. Nearly two-dozen projects totaling over $1 billion are currently being built, from the massive Merchant Building to the first phase of the Grant Medical Center expansion.

• Dozens more projects are in development, totaling $1.7 billion, like the renovation of a historic church to become a performance venue.
• There's also the ongoing Interstate 70/71 project, which started in 2010 and feels like it will continue until we have flying cars.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Population goals vs. reality. Columbus wants 40,000 people to live downtown by 2040, but it has a long way to go.

• 12,000 residents lived there at the end of 2023, a modest 3% increase over 2022.
• The report tallies 9,413 residential units, with an additional 1,609 under construction.

The intrigue: Officials bemoan the local housing shortage, but downtown apartment occupancy actually dropped slightly last year.

• Around 89.5% of apartments were occupied last year, compared to 94% across the rest of Central Ohio.

By the numbers: Steep prices could be to blame — the average rent was $1,520 for a 1-bedroom apartment and $2,158 for 2+ bedrooms.

• That's significantly more expensive than average rents ($988 and $1,340) elsewhere in the region.

🤔 Be like Cleveland? The report credits The Land for aggressively converting vacant office space into apartments and encourages Columbus to do the same.

Reality check: We're working on it, but there's potential for more.

• Despite the cheapest lease rates seen in decades, Columbus' downtown office vacancy rate has jumped since 2019 to 21%, thanks largely to people working from home.

More report tidbits

Aerospace and defense workers had the highest average salaries in Central Ohio last year, but they still lagged behind national wages, according to an Axios analysis of Glassdoor data.

Threat level: No average salary in any industry came close to the over $90,000 needed as of last August to afford the median-price local home of $331,000.

The intrigue: Insurance is the only top-paid Columbus career ranking noticeably higher than the national average.

• With the headquarters of Nationwide, Grange, State Auto and Encova all based here, perhaps that isn't too surprising.

Spread the word

👋 Tyler here. I drove past the Eclectic Diner & Sweeterie on Route 23 for over a decade before finally making a pit stop.

• Shame on me for taking so long. This place is the real deal.

✅ Classic diner boxcar shape? Check.

• Saturday Evening Post covers and a framed guide to the 1946 Ohio State Fair on the wall? You bet.
• Condiments, syrup and napkins conveniently placed on every table? God bless America.

The intrigue: Befitting the name, you'll find unusual stuff on the Eclectic menu, including ahi tuna avocado toast, brunch roast beef, asparagus fries and wild mushroom rotini.

• I don't mind when diners branch out like this, so long as they get the classic stuff right.
• To borrow a phrase, get yourself a diner that can do both. This place does.

What we ordered: My wife went with a traditional breakfast platter ($10.99) — my goodness, those potatoes — while I tried and loved the zucchini quinoa burger ($9.99) topped with garlic aioli.

• Our side of blueberry zucchini bread ($3.29) was a surprise hit. I'd wait in congested Route 23 traffic for another slice.

If you go: 755 Route 23, Delaware. 7am-3pm, Monday-Saturday.

📸 A new photo exhibit at Secret Studio, Rick Ellis' "Shadows of Union Station: Snapshots of Columbus' Past," features local scenes from the 1960s and '70s. (Matter News)

🍗 Roscoe's Late Night Wings is now open on East Main Street and, per the name, opens at 10pm Thursday-Saturday. (614 Magazine)

🐒 The Columbus Zoo & Aquarium has regained membership of a global alliance of zoos after losing accreditation in 2021. (Dispatch)

🏫 Several public universities are reconsidering race-based scholarships in light of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in the admissions process. (Ohio Capital Journal)

Meet Elliott Andrew Neese, the newest member of our Axios Columbus family.

The latest: Elliott was born Tuesday morning at 9 pounds and 22.5 inches long.

• We're told he and mom are both doing great.

❤ We'll be sure to send readers' well wishes to Alissa, who is on maternity leave for the next few months.