Columbus working to improve city's south side

Yahoo

04-04-2025

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus city leaders are making efforts to make the southside of the city a safer, cleaner, more vibrant neighborhood.
The Clean and Safe Corridor Initiative started on Parsons Avenue with plans to expand it to other neighborhoods.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said the goal is to promote safety, cleanliness and economic growth and turn the south side into a place where people want to live and start a business.
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The initiative has partnered with Columbus police, business owners, and residents.
'We felt like the first place we ought to start that work is right here on Parsons Avenue on the south side,' Ginther said. 'The community leaders, business owners came to us and said, 'We need to do more to make sure this corridor is safe, is clean, that we're able to make our businesses thrive so our employees who get to and from work, and then we can make sure it's safe for kids and families and seniors.''
City leaders started the work on March 24 on Parsons Avenue between East Livingston Avenue and Hosack Street. This part of the initiative will go until April 4.
According to the city, in that time:
Safety:
25 cars impounded, 69 citations issued and 56 72-hour warnings for parking violations
Two arrests for felony charges and one search warrant executed
One handgun and one gram of fentanyl recovered
Numerous citizen contacts, field interviews, and traffic and pedestrian stops
Canvassing by the office of violence prevention and the Columbus Public Health Hot Team to understand safety concerns for residents and businesses
Cleanliness and beautification:
78 man-hours of pothole patching and 55 man-hours of street sweeping
541 bags of litter and 16.76 tons of bulk refuse collected, along with ADA ramp cleaning
11 intersections enhanced with new crosswalks, stop bars and lane control arrows
117 new street signs mounted and hung
34 trees planted, 24 trees pruned, five dying and damaged trees removed, 17 stumps ground, as well as brush cutting
Property inspections:
311 building inspections
15 friendly code enforcement letters issued, informing building owners how they may bring their properties up to code compliance
22 code enforcement follow-ups
5 buildings referred for graffiti removal by the city
Ginther said that, citywide, the homicide rate so far for the year is the lowest it has been in about 20 years. He said the initiative will help to keep those numbers low and said this is just the beginning of the work.
'I think our Division of Police in the community is working closer together now than they ever had before, but we need that tips,' he said. 'We need that information. If you see, if you see something, say something. Share tips and information with police because we all are safer with folks who are committing crimes, putting our neighbors at risk for off the street.'
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He said Columbus City Council is expected to approve another $160,000 from the city's operating budget this Monday to go toward the Southside Thrive Collaborative to keep the momentum going.
'Our team will have a consistent presence in and along Parsons Avenue to build relationships rooted in trust and respect with businesses, social service providers, neighbors and individuals experiencing poverty and homelessness,' Southside Thrive Collaborative Director Sarah Lenkay said. 'By establishing a more genuine connection with people who are struggling, we will meet people where they are and pave the way for the linkages of resources. We will also be conducting regular cleanup, cleanups up and down Parsons Avenue to help beautify the area and to do this work.'
Ginther said the city plans to allocate more money from the city's capital budget and will reveal three additional key corridors that will be a part of the project during his State of the City address in the coming weeks.
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