Friday, March 24 2017

Breaking: Hamilton is coming to Columbus

March 24, 2017

Hello Friday. It's James.

If your circle of friends is anything like mine, a hot topic of conversation over the last couple of years has been 1) when is Hamilton going to tour and 2) when it does tour, when will it come to Columbus? CAPA answered that at its 2017-2018 season announcement last night, letting us all know that Hamilton will be coming to Columbus for the 2018-2019 season.People who buy season tickets for 2017-2018 will have priority for purchasing, mimicking how other cities have handled the run up. The '17-'18 season is pretty strong, thankfully. Check out that show lineup, along with the Hamilton details that we have in the story below.

The Rundown:Weather: 70. Mostly cloudy, but 0% chance of precipitation.To do: Check out Junk Bash: Spring Market at the Ohio Expo Center Cardinal Hall. Loads of awesome vintage and vintage inspired / handmade goods. Tickets at the door are $8 (14 and under free) and parking is $5. 10 am - 6 pm, both Friday and Saturday.

Navigator Originals:Easton Town Center Will See Many Changes In 2017: New Stores, New Locations, And MoreEaston has announced a nice slate of new stores coming to the mall (particularly psyched for Filson myself, even if I'm not sure I can pull the trigger on those prices), and they are also going to "refresh" Easton's Station Building. The most noticeable cosmetic changes look like they'll include new wall covers and flooring.Huntington Bank Will Allocate $150 Million To Affordable Housing For OhioansI expect affordable housing to be a hot issue in Columbus over the next several years with the gentrification of Franklinton going into high gear (and it looks like I'm not alone, as we've seen this week with the Dispatch looking closely at the economic divide in Columbus.) The upside is that there are many examples of cities that have undergone similar changes of late, along with our own experience in the Short North, leading me to hope that everyone can come out a winner. A positive announcement came yesterday, with Huntington Bank announcing $150 million in investment in low income housing throughout the state of Ohio.This Weekend In Columbus : March 24-26, 2017Lots going on this weekend, including temps in the low 70s. Bring that on. Franklin Beats Out Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County For Largest PopulationFrankling county is now the most populous county in the state of Ohio, narrowly edging Cuyahoga county.Celebrate The Grand Reopening Of Eddie Bauer By Freezing Your Butt OffEddie Bauer has a new "ice box" for cold weather gear testing. Put on some EB clothes and step in to 10 degree weather, along with fans to simulate wind chill. I can see this being a hit year round, with people hopping in during summer months for the novelty, and in the winter because they actually want to test clothes. I'm sure Eddie Bauer will enjoy the increase in foot traffic in their new Easton location.Community and Businesses React To Short North Parking ProposalParking in the Short North is example number one brought up when people talk about mass transit in Colunbus, and plans are being made to make it more bearable. Certain aspects seem like they need more workshopping (two adults per residence being allowed permit purchases seems short sighted - plenty of houses contain more than two adults.) We'll continue watching this and seeing how it shakes out.

The Friday Conversation:

Wifi on COTA buses was supposed to be in action on January 31st, but has not happened yet. It sounds like they are angling to get it done as cheaply as possible (free is mentioned in the article, possibly linked to the Smart City grant or just ... because? The head of COTA seems to think the PR from being the first bus system with free wifi should cause someone to ante up.) which is understandable, but hopefully they get it done soon. COTA would become the first bus system in America to offer free wifi. [Dispatch/Perry]

Longread for your lunch break:The South is trying to become the next Detroit, and has had a manufacturing renaissance. But it's come with a heavy price.Bloomberg Business Week: Inside Alabama’s Auto Jobs Boom: Cheap Wages, Little Training, Crushed Limbs

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