{"id":912,"date":"2023-03-17T11:11:55","date_gmt":"2023-03-17T15:11:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconheartland.com\/?p=912"},"modified":"2023-03-22T14:05:55","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T18:05:55","slug":"preparing-to-prosper-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconheartland.com\/preparing-to-prosper-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing to Prosper (part two)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Event speakers on the coming change in northwest Licking County:\u00a0SiliconHeartland.com staff
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

A recent event featured nine speakers offering different perspectives on the impact of Intel and other high-tech developments in New Albany. Prepare to Prosper, sponsored by SiliconHeartland.com and staged by R.S. Rock Media, was held March 2 at the Estate at New Albany. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here is a summary of the remarks by the president of the Johnstown Chamber of Commerce, the president of the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation, an attorney and former Granville Township Trustee, the president of the Central Ohio African American Chamber of Commerce and the director of data center engineering for Cloudflare. (See previous Preparing to Prosper post for other speaker comments.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesse Coppel<\/b>: President of the Johnstown Chamber of Commerce<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Coppel said Johnstown is facing similar challenges to Galena. His municipality directly abuts the Intel project and the New Albany International Business Park. The Licking County community, which recently became a city after reaching 5,000 residents, has embarked on a new strategic plan.<\/span><\/p>\n

He noted there is no hotter housing market with values up more than 50 percent over the last year. It\u2019s an opportunity that hasn\u2019t been missed because \u201cdemand for housing has only been increasing,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently, several entities are vying for water rights: Licking County, City of Columbus, Del-Co Water Company and Johnstown Water & Sewer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coppel said the addition of large companies like Intel and Amgen also will bring suppliers, which offers one of the biggest opportunities for communities like Johnstown due to proximity to the sites. The influx of all these businesses provides opportunities for retail as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re more geared toward focusing on small businesses,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rapid growth also creates turmoil for local government, which is why Johnstown\u2014impacted by several departures of public officials and city department heads in the past year\u2014is working with more than a dozen communities in Licking County on a strategic framework for the area.<\/span><\/p>\n

Amy Taylor<\/b>: President of Columbus Downtown Development Corporation<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn order for us all to prosper, downtown has to be a part of that,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cWe need to lean into key things that downtown has been leaning into for the past 10 to 15 years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

To do that, she said downtown has to be a place for everyone. \u201cWe need to care about local more than we care about national,\u201d according to Taylor. \u201cDowntown is everybody\u2019s neighborhood.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Taylor said the goal is to create connectivity. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a lot of great success stories,\u201d she said. \u201cWe need to connect it all together and make one great experience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Connecting people to neighborhoods and downtown districts is the focus of the CDDC\u2019s 2022 strategic plan. \u201cPlacemaking is about creating memories,\u201d Taylor said. She related a story about special memories she has of visiting Columbus City Center as a college student. She contrasted that with her daughter\u2019s memories of meeting Peabo Bryson at Columbus Commons on the same site.<\/span><\/p>\n

She noted that what differentiates downtown from surrounding communities in the metro area is density, which she said, \u201ccan be a key source for solving the region\u2019s problems.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She listed the following as goals for the future of downtown Columbus:<\/span><\/p>\n