With this final essay, I wanted to give life to a few of my more niche-oriented, if not abstractly miscellaneous, ideas for City Center that didn’t really fit into any one of the previous installments, without traipsing ever so slightly into another. In this, they serve as the signature pieces of the project, as a whole, taking broad strokes to collectively summarize what potential City Center has inherently and in regards to we, the citizens of Columbus.
The Hub – In this technologically oriented society, it would be foolhardy for City Center to ignore the relevance of being technologically up-to-snuff. Throughout the facility, patrons should be able to access free Wi-Fi service, offering unique opportunities for workers to escape the claustrophobic confines of the office. Should the hustle and bustle of the mall prove a little too distracting, patrons can take up residence at The Hub, City Center’s special office-away-from-office, sanctuary. In half-hour increments, patrons gain access to sound-proof, frost glass cubical spaces (to offer privacy, but not too much), with the general amenities afforded at most workspaces (desk, chair, reading lamps and extra outlets to allow for personal hardware). I would like to enlist donations of office supplies from big chains or vendors and when patrons purchase said supplies, all proceeds are donated to a designated “charity of the month.”
City Center Championship Court – In the previous installment, I had planned to detail the sporting goods store, Champs, and while I like the store and the services they supply, it was all in an attempt to introduce this idea, which I think would work best as an annex of the store. Taking two of the larger, abreast spaces (I envisioned the former Express for Men and Victoria Secret spaces on City Center’s 2nd floor), one would be outfitted to function as a typical Champs retail chain, with its plethora of sports apparel and gear. The adjoining side, however, would be a fully functioning, hardwood floored, gymnasium, with specific emphasis on basketball. True to form, having the gym could offer a nice source of revenue with rentals or even be an arena to showcase high-profile exhibition events (LeBron James Slam Dunk-a-thon, anyone?), more than anything, I’d like to see a lunch-time intramural program started where workers from the Downtown area compete in friendly competition, much in the way of the Kick-ball league does on the State House lawn during the summer. Always looking to make a change, the registration fees for the teams would be donated to the charity of choice of the season champions.
Cinema on the Hill – After watching “The Wedding Planner,” I’ve been deeply enamored with the idea of an outside movie theatre. While Columbus does have one of the few drive-in theatres in the state, I just want something a little different (is that some of that fickleness I mentioned?) and overtly fun! There is a lot of landscape that seems to be wrought with unused potential on the corner of High and Rich St, where an outdated skyline of Columbus, adorns City Center’s southwestern wall. I find it hard to imagine that it’d be terribly difficult to mount a projector on either that lawn or nearby structure and play classic movies along the embankment. Just as the Red, White and Boom event is free, this too could be a nice way to inspire people to get outside and take part in Columbus. I’d invite CAPA to coordinate the screenings, possibly transferring some aspect of their Summer Movie series to the venue.
The Front Shore – There needs to be an area strictly dedicated to “fun” in the Downtown vicinity, and while there are quite a few ideas I’ve detailed along the way, I specifically mean to appeal to younger audiences. One of the things that I’ve strangely always loved about City Center was its lack of an arcade. There was something so significant about the gesture, though, even at this age, I’ve yet to discern it, I have, to a degree, decided to reconsider it. Along the Scioto River, where most of our summer time events take place, is a huge area of untapped space for year round usage. Somewhat emulating the carnival attractions of the New Jersey shore, I think that a number of recreational facilities should be built along the Scioto, specifically, but not limited to a large scale arcade. After a few years of testing the public response (both residential and visiting), the area could grow, including permanent fixtures like a Ferris Wheel or landmark tower.
And with that, I complete my Heart of the City (Center) project. It has been a long road to writing these passages and I appreciate anyone and everyone who has stumbled upon these words or sought them out intentionally, enduring long absences in between. I’d like to thank all those who have voiced their opinions both socially and on these postings, I hope I’ve illustrated a vision that you all can relate to in one way or another. More than anything, though, I’d like to thank City Center…she has given me a lot to love over the years and in many ways was one of my firsts. No matter what, she will always be Columbus’ heart as well as my own.
-V.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Heart of the City (Center) pt 8
**My troublesome penchant for procrastination (a nasty habit that I implore all who suffer its existence to heed this anecdote as a cautionary tale) has cost me dearly. Even starting this humble memoir, nearly two years ago, was not enough time to finish and enact the change I so desperately sought before the February 4th, 2009 Columbus Dispatch’s front page headline announced the imminent demolishing and redevelopment of the City Center property and space. It is a failure that will weigh heavily in years to come and will certainly project a critical eye on the tentative plans and production, but I refuse to allow this staggering defeat to defeat me in total. So, though with a heavy heart, I posit these, the final two installments of my Heart of the City (Center) articles, if for no other reason than to show what could’ve been in light of what was and what will be…
It’s been many months since I last promised unveiling what stores I would have making up the shopping experience of City Center’s rebirth. I’ll admit that at the time, I had few choices and certainly used the time in between to mull over most of them, substituting a few and selecting a few more. In total, I have only 5 suggestions to render, however, these will serve as the benchmark for what other stores should bring to the table when being considered for occupancy. There are themes at work with these selections, ones that differ heavily from what most shopping centers offer, or even from what City Center itself boasted in its earliest inception: Versatility and Unity. For too long, shopping experiences catered to one consumer faction or the next, but few have truly embraced the possibilities that all social, economic, racial or gender groups do offer. With these themes in mind, City Center will be the premiere shopping center for all people, bridging gaps that have been intentionally avoided for years.
Versatility:
Specifically in this climate of economic recession, consumers are looking for products with multi-functionality and the shopping establishments should do no less. The following stores pull ranges from day wear to night wear, urban to formal, plus sized to trendy, in an effort to appeal to shoppers that often have been at odds.
Express – After restructuring their men’s clothing line, from the signature brand, Structure, Express has made immense strides in outfitting the modern form, both for men and for women. Their implied style, invokes a spirit of trendy dynamics with smooth aesthetic that presents a unique wear-ablity in the workplace, as well as during a night on the town. While a truly talented fashionista could find jewels galore here, they make it easier for even the most slovenly schlub to clean up well.
Man Alive – Believe it or not, Man Alive was my very first job in fashion retail and I have to admit, even back then I wasn’t really a purchasing supporter of the urban design sense the Eastland Mall site was built around. But a few years later, on a trip to St. Louis, I found a Man Alive store that carried suits, business attire and to a great degree, a sense of dignity that I hadn’t fathomed the chain could muster. As a young African-American male, I’m imploring my fellow black men to take note! While there’s nothing “wrong” with urban-wear, it should not be the crux nor the pinnacle of your fashion sense. Having a store that caters to both sides of the fence, I hope it carries with it the fashionable sensibilities that will teach its patrons how to wear both with pride.
Torrid – I must admit that my taste in women is rather influenced by the Renaissance, favoring the curve a bit more than the line, and it’s with great pride and a sneaking flash of satisfaction that fashion has come to embrace those of more significant proportions, offering the same senses of drama and flare afforded their slimmer sisters. Torrid, a store that came completely under the radar initially, offers much for the fuller figure without the look suffering blandness or being down right ridiculous. The line is a bit more modern than ruling party Lane Bryant (who is more than welcome to come play as well), giving younger generations of plus-sized women something to look forward to in their shopping and stylistic experiences.
Unity:
There have been stores that have arrived to the shores of Columbus, boasting a prestige and value attached to their names, affecting people, if only for a time, simply because we now “have one.” But these stores, in general, offer little to the average consumer, nor do they have an influx of new product that would increase consumer traffic or even justify their product price points. These two stores below do both, offering in some cases an exclusive edge to appeal to both residents and out-of-towners, brand name recognition with celebrity attachments and high turnover in community oriented events and fundraisers.
Niketown – With the bevy of ways to describe the unifying aspects that Niketown, for the sake of brevity, I’ll try to only honorably mention a few standouts that really resonate with me. By having a Niketown, Columbus would stand as the only other locale for the shop other than our mid-western big-city, big sister, Chicago. And with exclusivity being the base of its product culture, it can function as an attraction for both out-of-towners as well as local patrons, while still allowing commercial health for competing sports shoe and apparel franchises. Nike even sponsors Ohio’s own sports figure champion, LeBron James, bringing an immensity of star power to the fold (while Cleveland could make an argument for placement there, we ARE the capital city…!) – imagine him headlining a project that beckons for people to donate gently used tennis shoes to suffering third world nations, and for their efforts get a moment with “King James” himself…and maybe a discount on their next pair.
RocaWear – There are few who don’t recognize the clothing label spinoff from hip-hop mogul, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter’s Roc-a-Fella Records imprint. Gracing the ad pages of Vibe Magazine to GQ, from holding quarter on the racks at AJ Wright to Macy’s, RocaWear has grown tremendously like its rapping headmaster, and would bring along a curiously subtle, though quite prolific presence, indicative of the man himself. Jay-Z has taken strides to improve the world that many have simply fallen victim to and his exemplary vision has trickled down, in one part, culminating into RocaWear’s “I Will Not Lose” campaign that celebrates others who have overcome adversity to make change for the better. Hosting the store in City Center, an honor vested currently in New York alone, would ring a sense of global awareness to the denizens of Columbus, boldly shouting that in spite of our past struggles with dealing with the world’s strife (see Heart of the City (Center), pt 6), we will not lose either.
It’s been many months since I last promised unveiling what stores I would have making up the shopping experience of City Center’s rebirth. I’ll admit that at the time, I had few choices and certainly used the time in between to mull over most of them, substituting a few and selecting a few more. In total, I have only 5 suggestions to render, however, these will serve as the benchmark for what other stores should bring to the table when being considered for occupancy. There are themes at work with these selections, ones that differ heavily from what most shopping centers offer, or even from what City Center itself boasted in its earliest inception: Versatility and Unity. For too long, shopping experiences catered to one consumer faction or the next, but few have truly embraced the possibilities that all social, economic, racial or gender groups do offer. With these themes in mind, City Center will be the premiere shopping center for all people, bridging gaps that have been intentionally avoided for years.
Versatility:
Specifically in this climate of economic recession, consumers are looking for products with multi-functionality and the shopping establishments should do no less. The following stores pull ranges from day wear to night wear, urban to formal, plus sized to trendy, in an effort to appeal to shoppers that often have been at odds.
Express – After restructuring their men’s clothing line, from the signature brand, Structure, Express has made immense strides in outfitting the modern form, both for men and for women. Their implied style, invokes a spirit of trendy dynamics with smooth aesthetic that presents a unique wear-ablity in the workplace, as well as during a night on the town. While a truly talented fashionista could find jewels galore here, they make it easier for even the most slovenly schlub to clean up well.
Man Alive – Believe it or not, Man Alive was my very first job in fashion retail and I have to admit, even back then I wasn’t really a purchasing supporter of the urban design sense the Eastland Mall site was built around. But a few years later, on a trip to St. Louis, I found a Man Alive store that carried suits, business attire and to a great degree, a sense of dignity that I hadn’t fathomed the chain could muster. As a young African-American male, I’m imploring my fellow black men to take note! While there’s nothing “wrong” with urban-wear, it should not be the crux nor the pinnacle of your fashion sense. Having a store that caters to both sides of the fence, I hope it carries with it the fashionable sensibilities that will teach its patrons how to wear both with pride.
Torrid – I must admit that my taste in women is rather influenced by the Renaissance, favoring the curve a bit more than the line, and it’s with great pride and a sneaking flash of satisfaction that fashion has come to embrace those of more significant proportions, offering the same senses of drama and flare afforded their slimmer sisters. Torrid, a store that came completely under the radar initially, offers much for the fuller figure without the look suffering blandness or being down right ridiculous. The line is a bit more modern than ruling party Lane Bryant (who is more than welcome to come play as well), giving younger generations of plus-sized women something to look forward to in their shopping and stylistic experiences.
Unity:
There have been stores that have arrived to the shores of Columbus, boasting a prestige and value attached to their names, affecting people, if only for a time, simply because we now “have one.” But these stores, in general, offer little to the average consumer, nor do they have an influx of new product that would increase consumer traffic or even justify their product price points. These two stores below do both, offering in some cases an exclusive edge to appeal to both residents and out-of-towners, brand name recognition with celebrity attachments and high turnover in community oriented events and fundraisers.
Niketown – With the bevy of ways to describe the unifying aspects that Niketown, for the sake of brevity, I’ll try to only honorably mention a few standouts that really resonate with me. By having a Niketown, Columbus would stand as the only other locale for the shop other than our mid-western big-city, big sister, Chicago. And with exclusivity being the base of its product culture, it can function as an attraction for both out-of-towners as well as local patrons, while still allowing commercial health for competing sports shoe and apparel franchises. Nike even sponsors Ohio’s own sports figure champion, LeBron James, bringing an immensity of star power to the fold (while Cleveland could make an argument for placement there, we ARE the capital city…!) – imagine him headlining a project that beckons for people to donate gently used tennis shoes to suffering third world nations, and for their efforts get a moment with “King James” himself…and maybe a discount on their next pair.
RocaWear – There are few who don’t recognize the clothing label spinoff from hip-hop mogul, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter’s Roc-a-Fella Records imprint. Gracing the ad pages of Vibe Magazine to GQ, from holding quarter on the racks at AJ Wright to Macy’s, RocaWear has grown tremendously like its rapping headmaster, and would bring along a curiously subtle, though quite prolific presence, indicative of the man himself. Jay-Z has taken strides to improve the world that many have simply fallen victim to and his exemplary vision has trickled down, in one part, culminating into RocaWear’s “I Will Not Lose” campaign that celebrates others who have overcome adversity to make change for the better. Hosting the store in City Center, an honor vested currently in New York alone, would ring a sense of global awareness to the denizens of Columbus, boldly shouting that in spite of our past struggles with dealing with the world’s strife (see Heart of the City (Center), pt 6), we will not lose either.
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