BY Columbus Metropolitan Club, Columbus Urban Growth Corporation, Greater Columbus Arts Council and the Ohio Arts Council No. Where Needed Promote Historic Preservation Address Small Issues Promote Historic Preservation and Reuse of Older and Historic Structures Evaluate Private Investment Decisions Historic preservation is recognized as an economic development and community building tool, as well as a primary tool of downtown and inner city development. In the past 30 years politicians, bankers, developers, planners, architects and others have joined the preservation community in recognizing that historic buildings, districts and neighborhoods can lend a sense of character and quality to a community that is impossible to achieve any other way. When we raze buildings that provide that sense we have tacitly decided that those values are not worth saving.
Quality of life is fragile.
Things that make up any community's quality of life need to be identified, enhanced and protected. Resurrecting the older character and history of places requires vision, blending old with new and an appreciation that place character is a valuable asset in retaining firms and people, and in attracting new investment and businesses. Columbus has done much to help the preservation movement, particularly in creation of residential historic districts and administration of design review in those districts. At the same time, too many historic properties are being lost in downtown Columbus, in the neighborhoods and in neighborhood commercial districts. The City of Columbus has yet to develop a formal policy on preservation and has not evaluated the disincentives that prevent preservation projects from going forward.