NEWS

Once a scar on the city, old Pen site is point of pride

The Arena District provides, for many visitors, their first impression of Columbus; it attracts people from the nearby Greater Columbus Convention Center, as well from Nation-wide Arena and Huntington Park.

That it makes such a good impression is apparent in

the fact that other cities are turning to this urban development as a blueprint for their own projects, hoping to replicate its success.

Arena District developer Nationwide Realty Investors says that officials from many cities, including Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Sacramento, Calif., have come to meet with them and see firsthand what it is that makes the mixed-use area work. One key feature is that it’s not only restaurants and bars that do well in the district; office space, hotel rooms and apartments in the area also command a premium, adding vitality and revenue streams.

This type of bustling urban neighborhood is what Milwaukee hopes to create as it builds a new downtown area.

“We’re not just trying to build a home for the Milwaukee Bucks but create a 365-day attraction for Wisconsin residents that will help revitalize downtown Milwaukee,” Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin told The Dispatch.