Arena District
| Arena District | |
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| Neighborhood of Columbus | |
Looking toward N. High Street on W. Nationwide Boulevard in The Arena District
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 Arena District
Arena District
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| Coordinates: 39°58′09″N 83°00′22″W / 39.969270°N 83.006039°WCoordinates: 39°58′09″N 83°00′22″W / 39.969270°N 83.006039°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Franklin |
| City | Columbus |
| ZIP Code | 43215 |
| Area code(s) | 614 |
Arena District is a mixed-use planned development and neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. The site was developed through a partnership between Nationwide Realty Investors, Ltd. (a subsidiary of Nationwide), the City of Columbus and private investors. Interpretation of the boundaries of the district are evolving as the neighboring blocks around the original 75-acre (300,000 m2) site has seen additional commercial and residential development. Arena District is named for Nationwide Arena.
The Arena District is located on the former sites of the southern portion Olentangy Industrial cluster and the Ohio Penitentiary. The Olentangy Industrial Cluster, which developed just after 1900, contained at various points in time the Columbus Buggy Company, Union Fork and Hoe Company, Jaeger Machine Company, Allen Motor Car Company, Belmont Casket, City of Columbus lighting plant and waterworks, and other factories, warehouses, coal and lumber yards, along with as many as 17 residences in 1925.
The Olentangy Industrial Cluster experienced a slow but steady decline. This decline was also experienced by the adjacent residential neighborhood of Flytown, where many of the workers in the complex resided. Most of Flytown was later redeveloped into the Thurber neighborhood. Because of its proximity to the Ohio Penitentiary and industry in the area, the Olentangy Industrial Cluster was referred to as “… a no man’s land of factories, warehouses, parking lots and railroads. The area sees a good deal of vehicular traffic but few pedestrians.”
The Arena District was also the site of the Ohio Penitentiary which operated from 1834 to 1984. The prison is famous for several occupants including General John Hunt Morgan, Bugs Moran, Chester Himes, Sam Sheppard, James H. Snook. It was demolished March 26, 1997. An Ohio Historical Society Marker for General John Hunt Morgan, CSA is located at the north end of McFerson Commons Park, which is one of several sites created from the former Ohio Penitentiary grounds.
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Wikipedia