Chuck Williams: Investing in the heart of the city

The investment in downtown Columbus is obvious. You can see it with the Columbus State University construction at the corner of Broadway and 12th Street. You can see it in the new restaurants and activity on the streets.

You can see it and feel it in many places throughout downtown.

What you don't see as easily is the investment in the Columbus Historic District, a 20-something block section of town that is bounded by Ninth Street to the north, Victory Drive to the south, Veterans Parkway to the east and the Chattahoochee River to the west.

In the spirit of full disclosure, my wife and I own a home on Broadway and a vacant lot in the district. So, I am not a disinterested party. Like many, we are invested in the success of the Historic District.

By living downtown for more than five years, I can attest to the changes that are taking place.

But it's not just me. People who might not have looked at buying a home in the Historic District five years ago are now investing there.

One of those is local attorney Ken Henson. Last year, he bought a law office and vacant lot in the 700 block of Broadway. He now has an active renovation on the law office and will turn it back into a single-family residence. He was attracted, in part, by the availability of historic tax credits, which give income tax breaks to those who invest in historic properties.

Henson is clear as to one of the reasons people like him are looking downtown.

"A lot of people are looking at living downtown because of what is happening in Uptown," he said. "I know others who are looking." Location. Location. Location.

But what is also happening is new construction. There is a new house being built on Broadway -- again, in the spirit of full disclosure, it is next door to my home. Henson also is looking at building on the vacant lot next to the law office he purchased.

Some people see a home being built and wonder about the historical integrity of the neighborhood. Not me.

I see investment that protects the historic value of what surrounds it. And I see investment where the investors are making a personal and financial decision. I see investment in lifestyle with an eye on return.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

Henson puts it in a way that makes a lot of sense to me.

"When I lived in midtown, all of my trips were to north Columbus," Henson said. "Now, I live in north Columbus and all of my trips are to midtown and downtown."

There is a lot happening downtown. No doubt about that. And decisions to live downtown or in the Historic District are being driven by lifestyle.

This renewal has a historic feel to it. And if it leads to more investment in the heart of the city, that is a positive thing.

Chuck Williams, senior reporter, chwilliams@ledger-enquirer.com.

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 10:21 PM with the headline "Chuck Williams: Investing in the heart of the city ."