2020 Wish List (building, Sears, common)

[Columbus1984]

What are some realistic announcements for 2020?

[lethalhipster9]

Originally Posted by columbusboy8

GREAT forum and comments! Clearly, folks commenting are in tune with what's going on here, and are providing excellent input! I'm glad everyone is enthusiastically providing comments, and very thankful to Columbus1984 for jumpstarting this!

As a 2020 desire, I would add:

Restoration of the Rialto and Bradley theaters, for first-run movies, comedy acts, amateur theater, concert venue for bands. It seems like a no-brainer to me that these would be very successful, with all the students and folks living, visiting, and working downtown, and with 400 more hotel rooms to come online! ALL WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE of the Rialto & Bradley! Dinner and a movie anyone?

Adding at least one more (competitor) airline to serve CSG. Yes, Delta will be adding bigger planes and more flights in 2020, but we need directs to other cities! DC, BWI, Charlotte, Dallas-Ft. Worth, and Chicago come to mind! A direct to Charlotte seems to be in the works, but keeps being put on the back burner for some reason. The CSG management and Board need to think outside the box and approach some of the smaller carriers...like Alligiant, Spirit, Frontier, JetBlue, etc.

Go after tier-2 auto parts manufacturers to locate here. I think our days of getting a car manufacturer here are over.

Advertise Columbus REGULARLY in Atlanta, Birmingham and other large cities in Georgia and Alabama as a great, fun, and relaxing getaway place! Especially Atlanta, where people want a nearby place for short, relaxing, mini-vacations away from big city hassles! Tourism, while not car manufacturing, brings in a lot of money, visibility, and interest to our city...which could result in companies, businesses, and more people relocating to our area. More tax revenues and increased real estate sales come to mind. Our hospitality industry needs to get with our Convention and Visitors' Bureau (CVB) in this regard.

Form an alliance with Great Wolf Lodge, Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain to include daily shuttle service between there and downtown Columbus to enhance business for all locations.

Aggressively promote our Columbus Aquatic Center regionally and state-wide for high school and college swim teams and meets.

Aggressively promote the Columbus Ice Rink for fun skating, and amateur hockey teams.

Aggressively promote Columbus in retirement magazines and military publications as a great place to retire. I'm thinking about keeping people here, AND helping our local real estate industry! (I'm not a realtor)

Approach Valdosta State University, West Georgia University, Kennesaw State, and other Georgia colleges to encourage them to consider playing some of their games here.

Bring back the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl and play it here!

For too long, Columbus has relied on others to discover us. It's time for America to discover Columbus! For a city our size, we have a LOT to offer!

1. Most tourism jobs barely pay above minimum wage, so only wealthy business owners would economically benefit from increased tourism but i do concede that more tourist oriented activities would make the city more livable for young people.

2. Why are you even putting Kennesaw State in the same category as CSU? This isn't the 1990s/early 2000s anymore. They are now a well respected R2 doctoral research university of nearly 38,000 that's been growing like a weed thanks to the suburban Atlanta boom and lax admissions standards.

3. I can guarantee you that no one wants to live here besides retirees, young families headed by high school educated parent(s) that really need the low cost of housing, and evangelical Christian "conservative family values types"

[JayHey]

Originally Posted by Columbus1984

What are some realistic announcements for 2020?

There were several things already mentioned which are entirely realistic or just plain happening at some point this year. Of course there were some things mentioned which won't happen this year or any of the following, but that's part of the fun with a wish list.

Originally Posted by lethalhipster9

1. Most tourism jobs barely pay above minimum wage, so only wealthy business owners would economically benefit from increased tourism but i do concede that more tourist oriented activities would make the city more livable for young people.

Conceding that entry level jobs, tourism related or not, typically pay just above minimum wage, I'll point out that business owners are not all "wealthy" and increased tourism helps small-business owners across the city. And many of those young people would, and do, benefit directly from tourism, because they are working those entry level jobs created by the tourism. For example, the whitewater guys live here most of the year and that's a large group of young people who otherwise wouldn't be here.

Originally Posted by lethalhipster9

2. Why are you even putting Kennesaw State in the same category as CSU? This isn't the 1990s/early 2000s anymore. They are now a well respected R2 doctoral research university of nearly 38,000 that's been growing like a weed thanks to the suburban Atlanta boom and lax admissions standards.

This one is confusing, no one compared CSU to any other school, or even brought it up. I don't quite understand why you did, other than to breathlessly defend Kennesaw State against some non-existent slight. Allow me to quell any further of your insecurities by permanently banning KSU from any future neutral-site game at Memorial Stadium (a stadium, which I will snarkily add, holds 5,000 more than KSU's tiny little Fifth-Third stadium).

Originally Posted by lethalhipster9

3. I can guarantee you that no one wants to live here besides retirees, young families headed by high school educated parent(s) that really need the low cost of housing, and evangelical Christian "conservative family values types"

That's a false, pointless, and stupid guarantee. Nothing else needs to be said.

[Jamesjb131]

A survey for the top priorities in Columbus!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3951...7926520287801/

[nedergras]

Redeveloping the theater off Whitesville and Whittlesey into a Costco.

[Columbus1984]

Originally Posted by nedergras

Redeveloping the theater off Whitesville and Whittlesey into a Costco.

Tear down a fully functioning AMC and the massive entertainment center? Lol.

[Fountain-of-youth]

Originally Posted by nedergras

Redeveloping the theater off Whitesville and Whittlesey into a Costco.

One of the worst takes I have read on here.

[JayHey]

And in the other thread he's suggesting off-brand uses for the old Sears. I don't think a Costco in the Sears building will ever happen, but at least it's not an out of left field take.

[luv2belds97]

Originally Posted by nedergras

Redeveloping the theater off Whitesville and Whittlesey into a Costco.

Yeah, uhm.... Costco has said they do not want to come here :/

[columbusboy8]

Originally Posted by luv2belds97

Yeah, uhm.... Costco has said they do not want to come here :/

What's the status of BJ's?