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U UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date: 15 May 2009 I, Corey DiRutigliano , hereby submit this original work as part of the requirements for the degree of: Master in Architecture It is entitled: City Centered: Debating the Future of a Failed Downtown Mall Corey DiRutigliano Student Signature: This work and its defense approved by: Rebecca Williamson Ph.D. Committee Chair: John Hancock Approval of the electronic document: I have reviewed the Thesis/Dissertation in its final electronic format and certify that it is an accurate copy of the document reviewed and approved by the committee. Committee Chair signature: Rebecca Williamson Ph.D. City Centered; Debating the Future of a Failed Downtown Mall A thesis submitted to the Graduate school of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfi lment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture in the college of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning by Corey DiRutigliano B.A. The Ohio State University June 2006 Committee chair Rebecca Williamson, Ph.D. De[mall]ition Debates How can Midwest urban grids, pock-marked with vacancy and dereliction, prepare for the integration of returning populaces, and provide services while minimizing the destruction of existing architectures? With the increasing reversal of white-fl ight, instigated by rising energy costs, and a renewed interest in urban living, our cities prepare for the return of the middle class. Midwest urban grids, pock-marked with desolate blocks and vacant buildings, have struggled for decades to maintain social interest. They now face the daunting task of providing urban-style entertainment, amenities, and support to a returning populace; all the while mediating the suburban context and needs this population brings with them. Trends in Midwest redevelopment, namely urban infi ll, today often prescribe a “clean slate” or “tabula rasa” approach when faced with existing buildings or context. The removal of buildings comes with the support of city planners and offi cials looking to make their mark on the cities. They strive to leave behind a legacy of development, and expanded tax bases; sometimes with less than honorable intentions. The resultant urban fabrics are often young, incoherent and untested; lacking both consistency and the variety of ingredients necessary to sustain an enduring urban environment. This thesis investigates urban return, and the methods by which our cities can prepare for shifts in economics, urban structure, culture and the built environment. It considers how we can poise ourselves in socio-economic and environmentally sound ways to make these changes positive and responsible. It seeks out answers through study of the groups involved, as well as development trends and comparable relevant attempts at re-urbanization; with a focus upon critical retail/commercial-centric development. The goal is to understand how existing architectures can facilitate the reintegration and reuse of our cities under these pressures. The following is a discussion. CityCentered Acknowlegements “Our street is us and we are it. Our street is where we like to be, and it looks like all our dreams.” the Big Orange Splot - Daniel Pinkwater I would like to thank all those who spent afternoons with me under the palm tree, sipping lemonade and discussing all of our passions and joys. CityC yCenteredd A special thanks to Ellie DiRutigliano and Liz Pisciotta; without whomDebating neither I, nor the this project,Future would of reach a its Failed fullest potential. Downtownw Mall CityCentered “We’ll it’s big, damn BIG... Takes me about seven to eight minutes to walk across, but I can do it in under three if a pipe bursts. One hundred and ninety shops at its peak, and another twenty or so if you include all the little temporary seasonal stalls. All of these, plus the old Lazarus across the street and the attached four-thousand car garage, and you’re lookin’ at three-point-two million square feet. Today, of course, this here building holds about a million- and-a-half - and well, you know how much of that is used [gestures in a sweeping motion]. Most recently after the Macy’s/ Kauff man’s anchor closed you could really start to see the panic on people’s faces; and you thought Lazarus closing-up shop got some deer-in-headlight expressions.... Hell, I almost had to call the medics when the Macy’s ball dropped for the last time. Well anyway, another week or two and they’ll have the old connector bridge to Lazarus down. Mayor Coleman’s Great Triumph over the mall! Then who knows what they’ll do with this place. All I know is that I’m here to keep this place heated and the lights on ‘til they tell me to lock up, hand over the keys, and go home.” Mike December 2008 City Center Mall Maintenance Supervisor CityCentered <Remove Reuse> This situation, like many others, begins with the American Dream. [In reaching and understanding our current predicament with an adequate sense of context, it is necessary to start with a simple beginning and gain momentum until we reach the present.] The American Dream circa 1950 was all about freedom and the correlating trimmings: The freedom to make our own choices and decisions when and how we want to. In this case the freedom of privately controlled space. Given the economic and geographic situation at the time it was cheap, accessible, even necessary, for a spreading out to occur1. What later became described as “white-fl ight” or ”suburban sprawl,” this spreading out has come to shape the face of the contemporary American metropolis. Countless journals, magazines, books, web sites and colloquia have investigated the causes and implications of sprawl. It continues to play an important role in discussions of city growth past, present and future. And so the city spread out. Populations that once fully contributed their presence, money, and time to urban neighborhoods relocated to outer ring developments to get away from the noise and dirt of the city and into a place where they could enjoy their own private [safe] plots - complete with house, yard and picket fence. 1 Wall, 61 Figure.00 [The Suburban Condition] CityCentered 7 <Remove Reuse> [ + Zoom in + ] <Financially Lucrative In cities through out the Midwest region suburban expansion occurred >Midwest Cities By the Numbers on par with national averages with a few notable diff erences. Many Looking for an invest- Midwest cities> were without heavy industry, ports, or shipping and Usual Suspects Columbus OH; ment requires a very additionally [or perhaps partially in response to] these cities2 did not Cincinnati OH; diff erent approach. have signifi cant incoming migrant populations. In this closed-circuit Indianapolis IN; Investments are done system, as the primary populations left the center, their departures Detroit MI; by numbers not purely left behind holes in occupancy, and perforated the tax base of the city. Milwaukee WI; love and feelings. With Some cities were able to compensate for this by annexing the regions Kansas City MO; investments a prior- populations were relocating to [recapturing the lost tax base]. Often, ity is to look long and however, even under the best circumstances the taxes gained from hard at the numbers. these properties were placed back into the infrastructure needed to Location is always very support these far-fl ung neighbourhoods. (Figure.01) important. With in- vestments one must be 2 Exceptions include: Chicago and St. Louis realistic. Making a 15% to 20% return is very good and the higher the return the more work and risk involved. One of the great things about real estate is that it generally is a very safe invest- ment. Being that it is very safe, you do not often get 40% or 50% annual return on your money. It is a longer-term solid investment with a minimum amount Figure.01 [Columbus, Ohio residential density map] of risk if done right. You want to do a risk reward assessment [ + Zoom in + ] of every investment you do, know what the risks are and Columbus, Ohio Downtown circa 1985; the last occupied high-density >Financially lucrative the potential rewards. http:// structure, the Ohio Penitentiary, fi nally closes. The vast majority of Planning ahead www.populararticles.com/ar- jobs located in the downtown area are fi nance-based (banking and ticle2763.html Typical for planning to insurance), and over 75% of their populations commute 2+ miles to project ahead only a 15- work. Following the population bottom-out in the 1970’s the city year period; assuming of Columbus had been systematically demolishing structures on its the automobile to be a downtown blocks; when buildings reached the fi x-up or bulldoze- permanent fi xture in point, most property owners opted to level in favor of the much more our landscape. <fi nancially lucrative> option. Indiscriminately, brownstones, row CityCentered 8 <Remove Reuse> Figure.02 [Columbus surface parking lots] housing, light industrial warehouses, and workshops were cleared to make way for surface parking lots. (Figure.02) During the early- to mid- 1990’s Mayor Greg Lashutka kept Columbus suburbs securely in a track of growth, and the city (and its tax-base) expanding via annexation. Enormous amounts of state and federal monies were invested in building the necessary infrastructure to support these newer distant residential pockets and commercial corridors3. Business continued along as usual until in 2000 Michael B. Coleman took the helm as Columbus’s fi rst African American mayor. Mayor Coleman saw opportunity in the fl edging downtown and made it his administration’s goal to bring vitality and life back into the 8-5 weekday downtown. One of his fi rst moves was to team up with the remaining downtown large employers, city planners, and builders to help see development opportunities through to fruition.

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