A vacant storefront just off the center aisle of FairOaks Mall has a new tenant.
MKSK, the design firm selected to help Columbus define the future of the FairOaks Mall, Donner Center and surrounding areas, is using the empty space to inform the public about the mall project and elicit input from passersby.
The windows outside what Eric Lucas, a principal from MKSK, calls “Project Storefront” are covered by posters with information detailing the overall scope of the project and the approach the firm is taking. Sticky notes are also available for the public to post feedback on the posters.
The store front is a new development in the joint effort between the City of Columbus and Columbus Regional Health to transform the nearly vacant FairOaks Mall into a hub for recreation, wellness and fun.
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MKSK and its subconsultants are tasked with working with members of the design committee, community and several other stakeholders to come up with a master plan for what kinds of facilities should be considered for development on the mall site and Donner Center and how those facilities will connect with the surrounding areas. This process is expected to be finished by the end of the year.
“That’s where we’re going to rotate content,” Lucas said. “We’re going to get people’s opinions and reactions to things we’re working on. You can do that if you’re walking the mall or you’re here for another reason. You can actually continue to give us feedback daily through this project storefront.”
Second of four sessions
About 200 people visited the storefront Tuesday where representatives from MKSK led the second of four public input sessions on the mall project.
The session featured several interactive stations where the audience could place a green sticker next to recreation programs, health facilities and retail sites they’d like to see included in the new development or a red sticker for things the new development should not include.
Other posters highlighted opportunities, assets and issues with the current mall site, Donner Park and the surrounding areas as indicated by attendees of the first public session. Among the opportunities for the mall, people listed indoor pickleball courts, an outdoor walking path, a hotel to support sports tourism, an indoor swimming pool and educational environments including a robotics arena and a STEAM — science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics — innovation hub.
Issues within the space included the a lack of green space in a “sea of asphalt,” too much parking, easier access to Lincoln Park across 25th Street and the need for a multimodal transportation connection.
“We’re really beginning to think through how this facility can be a community center for health, wellness and recreation, and be repurposed in a way that attracts new development on its edges and maybe fills in some of the vacant parcels that exist,” Lucas said.
Eric Riddle, of Columbus, said he’s interested in how the Envision Columbus plan, which addresses the commercial area of downtown Columbus, as well as nearby neighborhoods and parks, and the FairOaks Mall development will have synergy and build on one another.
“We’ve paid a lot of attention to downtown, and rightfully so. I love downtown,” Riddle said. “But this is actually more of the center of the city. If you get that connectivity, it’s like a second downtown. We’re at a place right now where this is a blank slate of sorts, and we’ve got the right people in the room who have the same sense of this being a good civic core.”
Riddle said he’s interested in seeing better connectivity between the site and the rest of the area. He said he’s also interested in the addition of an indoor swimming pool and more green space — common suggestions made by others, as well.
“The Columbus way can go a long way when people are on the same page,” Riddle said. “I think all the right people are in the room. You’ve got the hospital right across the street. They want this to be a destination, a place that’s going to make this a healthier community.”
‘Malls are going away’
Dick Hendrickson, 83, of Columbus, frequently walks laps FairOaks Mall and stumbled upon Tuesday’s meeting where he added his own input.
“This is something that otherwise wouldn’t be anything,” Hendrickson said. “It’s a nice facility, but malls are going away. We need something new here.”
On May 28, the FairOaks Community Development Corp. Board, an eight-member board that includes Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop and Columbus Regional Health CEO Jim Bickel, unanimously approved a $212,200 contract with MKSK to lead the process of re-purposing the FairOaks Mall into a community wellness, recreation and sports center, as well as exploring new potential uses for the Donner Center and connectivity with the surrounding areas.
According to the terms of the contract, the city will pay 75 percent of the fees associated with the FairOaks Mall site, or $137,498, while CRH will put up the remaining 25 percent, or $45,833.
The city also will pay $28,869 for project fees associated with the Donner Center. CRH will not be contributing funds for fees related to Donner Center.
Tuesday’s public-input session was the second of four scheduled this year. The next session will be Oct. 8 at FairOaks Mall. More than two-thirds of Tuesday’s audience said they attended the first public session.
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MKSK will host two more public-input sessions for community residents to provide feedback on the project. Visit reimaginefairoaksmall.com to comment on the project.
Posters and sticky notes are located on the windows of MKSK’s Project Storefront inside FairOaks Mall for passersby to also write input.
The next session is scheduled for Oct. 8 at FairOaks Mall. More information will be available at reimaginefairoaksmall.com.
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