Explanation
By Ordinance No. 0569-2009, passed April 20, 2009, the City approved the construction by Capitol South Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation ("Capitol South") of a park, to be known as Columbus Commons, on the site of the former City Center Mall. A portion of the funds needed for the construction of Columbus Commons will be grant funds from Franklin County and the Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District ("Metro Parks"). As a condition of these grants Capitol South is required to grant a perpetual conservation easement to Franklin County and Metro Parks which shall require the area above the underground parking garage to remain open to the public and to be used only for park purposes as defined in the easement. Because the City owns fee simple title to the area, subject to Capitol South's 99 year renewable lease, Franklin County and Metro Parks have requested, as a condition of the grants, that the City consent to the conservation easement and to be bound by the restrictions, but not the obligations to maintain the Commons, in the event Capitol South's lease terminates. The following legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Finance and Management to execute the Conservation Easement and any ancillary documents by and among Capitol South, Metro Parks, the County, as necessary to the grant of the Conservation Easement.
Fiscal Impact: N/A
Emergency Justification: Emergency justification is requested as not to delay the construction of the park and its subsequent benefit to the City of Columbus.
Title
To authorize the Director of Finance and Management to consent to Conservation Easement Agreement, by and among Capitol South Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation, the Board of Park Commissioners of the Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District and the Franklin County Board of Commissioners on the former City Center Mall site, as part of the Columbus Commons Project; and to declare an...
Click here for full text