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Downtown Living Trend Continues

A new report shows Columbus' downtown residential population continues to grow. 

Jim Letizia has details.

The report by the Captial Crossroads Special Improvement District says 7 thousand people live downtown, double the population of the year 2000. The group estimates the population will hit 10 thousand in the next four years, a goal Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman set several years ago. And downtown has an office vacancy rate of 13.2 percent, lower than the rates in Cleveland and Cincinnati. The group says South High Street is a hotspot for residential growth, as is the area between Gay and Long streets, where two major redevelopment projects have just been announced. New apartments will be constructed in existing vacant buildings and parking lots. Developers say they are motivated by the success of restaurants and shops in the once-neglected area. The group says that success is carrying over to North High Street. Capital Crossroads is a past underwriter of some WCBE programming.

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.
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