16 MAR 07: DEAL OR NO DEAL?
The big deal of the day in Columbus Thursday involved the city and the school district, land in Midtown and the Liberty District, two buildings which will fall, at least three more which will rise -- and if we read all the fine print, the trade could include a school board member to be named later.
After years of yakking without much action, a combined panel of Columbus Council and Muscogee County School Board members worked out a proposed land swap. It focuses on the property around the Columbus Public Library - and the first big winner appears to be the Goodyear car repair center on Macon Road. That Firestone business nearby is coming down.
The Firestone business along Macon Road will be given to the Muscogee County School District, under this swap. It appears the district will tear it down, to build a new main office. Jordan High School vocational magnet students simply can't get a break....
The Muscogee County School District also will receive two lots next door to the Mildred Terry Library, in the 600 block of Veterans Parkway. There are plans for an expanded library there -- and based on what I've seen there, this will mean even more computers for people to listen to cutting-edge rap tunes.
In exchange for all this, the city of Columbus will receive the old Sears building -- and apparently it will be demolished as well. At last, we could have a big-time implosion in Columbus....
City Manager Isaiah Hugley told WRBL the area of the old Sears building will have several uses. One of them is a natatorium, which swimming supporters have been demanding for months. It appears city officials will NOT get that invitation to spend a day cliff-diving at Lake Martin.
One of the "Concerned Citizens for a Natatorium" almost cried when she talked about it with WXTX "News at Ten." She declared the enclosed swimming pool would be the "only venue on Macon Road that will bring in out-of-town visitors." This is why the main library still could use a nice statue in front of it....
The six acres where the old Sears building stands also would have parkland, and a "city service center." People could take care of city business such as license applications, without having to go all the way downtown - but hold on here. Where are the Macon Road coffee houses, to make the trip really worthwhile?
This land swap only is proposed at the moment. The School Board and Columbus Council both have to approve it at upcoming meetings -- so there are still a few days for Paul Olson to read it through, and find some reason to challenge it in court.
Richard Hyatt of the Ledger-Enquirer recently dared to compare the Muscogee County School District to a "slumlord," because of the empty properties it holds. Selling Sears and demolishing Firestore won't solve that completely. It will still have the old Baker Middle School, a potentially deserted Bradley Library - but at least the current main office could be turned into scenic condominiums.
E-MAIL UPDATE: Let's hear from you about Thursday's entry -- starting with the main event:
You are right about Milgen Rd and the new CSU apts.looking like a peanut farm..Those beautiful huge trees can never be replaced...Now it is one big hilly mud hole..I noticed yesterday they were stretching that orange plastic fencing to stop the mud from washing down on to the road..What happened to the Columbus Tree Ordinance or are contractors immune?
Based on the new Wal-Mart SuperCenter, I think the tree ordinance applies to planting new trees during the construction process. So it's a bit like that Friday night game show - "1 vs. 100."
And a familiar face is still checking in here....
I hope things are going well for you. I saw my mention in your blog today and figured I'd drop you a line. Life as a reporter in Virginia is much different than being back in Columbus. I think I've done more live shots in the two months I've been here than I did in my 5 ½ years at WRBL. Things are great here... and I hope they are for you too back in GA. Take care... and keep blogging! It's how I stay plugged into things back home.
Best,
Blaine Stewart
Stewart is with a Norfolk-area TV station nowadays. But when I checked its web site the other day, I couldn't find a section with Stewart's biography at all. If web searchers aren't careful, they're going to think he's that other Blaine Stewart - the fictional private detective.
WRBL did have a live event Thursday -- at the new home of the Opelika-Auburn News, which held an open house. The building on Society Hill Road has a state-of-the-art printing press, which can print an entire day's run of newspapers in one hour. And if current national readershp trends continue, before long it could be 30 minutes.
Now for other events and notes from Thursday:
+ Rain prompted me to head to the gym for an indoor run - but I forgot Habitat for Humanity's "Collegiate Challenge" was in town. The St. Luke United Methodist Church gym is being used as a makeshift motel by students from Penn State University. You'd think the students would build extra duplexes first - to live in for a week, then rent out as timeshares for 11 months.
+ Columbus NAACP President Bill Madison spoke out against officially declaring April "Confederate Heritage Month" in Georgia. He said the state has had a Confederate month "for more than 400 years." This shows why the month is necessary - because Madison doesn't realize the Confederacy was formed about 146 years ago.
(Bill Madison suggested a Confederate Heritage Month isn't necessary, because Columbus already has a Confederate museum, cemetery and organization -- which makes you wonder if he tried to talk Antonio Carter out of forming the National Joshua Generation last year.)
+ Phenix City Mayor Jeff Hardin was scheduled to be on WLTZ's "Rise N Shine." But for some mysterious reason, he canceled the appearance. After appearing on this show a few times, I don't think he was concerned about the television lights being hot....
+ "Keep Phenix City Beautiful" planted two maple trees along the city's Riverwalk, near the 13th Street Bridge. So which one is named "Jeff" and which one is named "Bubba?"
+ Instant Message to GPB: Aw, c'mon! I turn on the TV Thursday night to watch "Celtic Woman" as scheduled, and instead there's some woman giving a lecture on menopause. And what's worse: she didn't even sing about it....
(BLOGGER'S NOTE: Daily blogging may diminish over the next couple of weeks, as we work on our annual Serious Spring Cleaning.)
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