What can be done to improve Hilltop? (Columbus, Franklin: 2015, violent crime)

[Buckeye614]

If you've been following the news at all murders are up in Columbus and it seems like Hilltop is competing with South Linden for the most violent/crime ridden neighborhood in the city.

Obviously the Hollywood Casino is not doing much for the neighborhood nor the now completely abandoned Westland Mall.

What are some ideas/strategies to revitalize the neighborhood?

[jbcmh81]

A tangent comment on crime- What's interesting is that murder seems to be the only real crime that's up. It was up in 2016 vs. 2015 also, but overall total violent crimes and the rate were at #1 or #2 lowest in the last 35 years. The same was true for property crime also.


I lived in Hilltop for several years through 2011. One of the big problems is low home ownership rather than renters, and the lack of enforcement to maintain properties by landlords. Another is that the Broad Street and other commercial corridors in the area are largely vacant or in rough shape. I'd like to see the city do more to encourage improvements on these corridors, as well as a public/private partnership to renovate and build new housing throughout rather than demolitions. There's been a little of that, but not nearly enough.

[Rosebush1]

Some areas cannnot be revitalized. You could have had this same discussion thirty years ago.

[Buckeye614]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

A tangent comment on crime- What's interesting is that murder seems to be the only real crime that's up. It was up in 2016 vs. 2015 also, but overall total violent crimes and the rate were at #1 or #2 lowest in the last 35 years. The same was true for property crime also.


I lived in Hilltop for several years through 2011. One of the big problems is low home ownership rather than renters, and the lack of enforcement to maintain properties by landlords. Another is that the Broad Street and other commercial corridors in the area are largely vacant or in rough shape. I'd like to see the city do more to encourage improvements on these corridors, as well as a public/private partnership to renovate and build new housing throughout rather than demolitions. There's been a little of that, but not nearly enough.

Westland Mall seems like a great starting point.

Originally Posted by Rosebush1

Some areas cannnot be revitalized. You could have had this same discussion thirty years ago.

Eh I'm not expecting or wanting Hilltop to become the Short North. But I think that it could become a decent place for working class people to live and raise families without shootings occurring all the time.

[Fletchman]

It's always been a working class area. The "charm factor" just isn't there.

[Mplsite]

The city should be offering to fix up commercial buildings and offer tax abatements to entrepreneurs to open up restaurants, bars, etc, in "Downtown Hilltop" on W Broad where all of the walkable storefronts are instead of needlessly throwing that money away where it's not needed (Short North and Downtown). They won't of course, because they don't know what they're doing and don't care.

[Buckeye614]

Originally Posted by Fletchman

It's always been a working class area. The "charm factor" just isn't there.

Again I'm not saying make it into the Short North 2.0 or try to make it a trendy area. I think that there's a difference being "working class" and regularly having shootings and prostitutes everywhere.

Originally Posted by Mplsite

The city should be offering to fix up commercial buildings and offer tax abatements to entrepreneurs to open up restaurants, bars, etc, in "Downtown Hilltop" on W Broad where all of the walkable storefronts are instead of needlessly throwing that money away where it's not needed (Short North and Downtown). They won't of course, because they don't know what they're doing and don't care.

It probably will decline further but I guess it will be interesting to see what the long term projects in Franklinton mean for the hillitop if anything.

[Fletchman]

There used to be job centers on the west side notably Delphi and White Westinghouse.

There was a sense of pride that does not exist anymore.

[Saturnus_Droom]

Originally Posted by Saturnus_Droom

The city should be offering to fix up commercial buildings and offer tax abatements to entrepreneurs to open up restaurants, bars, etc, in "Downtown Hilltop" on W Broad where all of the walkable storefronts are instead of needlessly throwing that money away where it's not needed (Short North and Downtown). They won't of course, because they don't know what they're doing and don't care.[/url]

The city has a grant program for the Broad Street Corridor as well as plans to beautify Broad St in the Hilltop. Here is the link: http://www.theneighborhooddesigncent...r-program.html

[Eaglealum]

My fear is the Hilltop continues getting worse before ever getting better. With the money being pumped into Franklinton, it's just going to push that population elsewhere. I think that just pushes the problems more into the Hilltop.

I grew up in the Hilltop area and every time I drive through, it seems to look worse and worse. I have a friend who works in the area and he frequently has lunch at the Subway at the corner of Hague and Sullivant. Every week he has new stories of the people and altercations he sees at that corner.