Wednesday, November 29 2017

MLS seems to want Columbus to pay $155 million+ for what we already have ⚽️

November 29, 2017

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Welcome to Crew playoff game day. (Our last one ever?) It's James.

Leg 2 of the conference championships will be tonight in Toronto (FS1 has the coverage), but of course much of the Crew focus isn't on the field. Crew relocation news seems to be speeding up, and we talk here about MLS commissioner Don Garber and Crew owner Anthony Precourt telling Columbus city officials that Columbus would be welcome to

apply

for an MLS expansion team down the road.

No guarantees, but there'd be a $5 million application fee, and the current price for an expansion team is $150 million, giving you the total referenced in the title above. 

On the other side of the fence, there's news from Austin that if city parkland is allocated to Precourt, there may have to be a vote, which wouldn't take place until November 2018, which would put a major crimp in Precourt's plans.

Wednesday Weather 🌡52 - Partly sunny early, fully sunny as the day moves on. ☀️

Navigator Originals ✏️The Flashy Grand Central Project From Schottenstein Has Been CancelledSome more Crew news here, although outweighed by the overarching story. The Schottenstein Grand Central Project has been cancelled, which is a shame because it was a bold plan for one of the last empty spots in the Arena District, even if early renderings did look a little ... Vegas-y. It also turns out that after recognizing the difficulties of the location, the Schottenstein real estate group offered the land to the Crew. What happened next seems to be in some dispute, with the Schottenstein group saying the Crew didn't want it, and the Crew front office saying they were told it was too small.Woodlands Backyard Is Building A Seasonal Dome For Year Round VolleyballOne problem with Columbus is the lack of recreational opportunity during our winters, so it's nice to see Woodlands tackling that with a dome for year round volleyball.Dwayne Haskins Jr. Is Making His Childhood Dreams Come TrueHaskins as a 10 year old exploring Ohio State's locker room, while telling his dad he wants to play at OSU, is the most heartwarming thing you're going to see this week.Matzo Balls, Latkes, And Sandwiches, Oh My! A New York Style Deli Is Headed To The Short NorthWe're going to see what a Cameron Mitchell New York style deli would look like, starting in spring 2018. It'll be going in the Rigsby’s space.

Around Town 🏘Southwest is having a huge sale on winter flights. $70 to Chicago, $124 to Vegas, and $92 to Atlanta stand out, plus more. You have through tomorrow to check it out and book. [Southwest]614 discusses the effects aggressive gentrification has possibly had on crime, something our own Zoey Miller talked about in July. Columbus doesn't have to reinvent the wheel here - there are models of how to soften the effects of gentrification that have been proven to work, such as requiring new developments to include small portions of affordable housing. And tax incentives in the city are currently not headed in the right direction, which I expect to become a bigger and bigger story during the Ginther administration. [614]How many people remember that Buffalo Wild Wings started in Columbus? It was headquartered here until 1997 when it moved to Minnesota. As of yesterday, it's no longer a solo company, having been scooped up by Arby's for $2.4 billion plus debt. [USA Today]

Picture of the DayFile this permanently under "Columbus what might have been" - one last look at the proposed Grand Central development.

Longread 🚴‍♀️Women today make up fewer than 25% of the trips taken by bicycle in the United States. The solution starts with more and better bike lanes–but it’s just as much about social stigma as it is about infrastructure.Fast Company: What Will It Take To Close The Gender Gap In Urban Cycling?

Something to say? Hit reply - we read it all.- James