Dr. Gabbe talks about the Near East Side revitalization efforts.
Hi! Our mission at the Medical Center is to improve people’s lives, but we’re also committed to improving the communities we serve. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to tour the Near East Side, where we are partners in the city’s revitalization efforts.
I was joined on the tour by Chris Culley and Geoff Chatas from the University and Elizabeth Seely, Executive Director of University Hospital East. Many thanks to Dawn Tyler-Lee, executive director of our Near East Side Redevelopment Partnership, and Autumn Williams for hosting the tour and sharing some of the history of this great neighborhood.
Two of the locations that intrigued me the most were the Urban Spirit Coffee Shop and the Lincoln Theater.
The building that houses Urban Spirit was once Alpha Hospital, a full-service hospital for African-Americans, which opened in 1920 on the corner of East Long and 17th Avenue. This hospital served an important mission on the Near East Side generations ago, and it’s a mission we carry forward with University Hospital East today. Access to convenient, quality health care is a necessity for any community, and we’re proud to offer our services to the Near East Side and to the entire city through University Hospital East.
From the 1930s to the early 60s, the King-Lincoln District was a major jazz center, and the Lincoln Theatre, then called the Ogden Club and the Lincoln Ballroom, became one of the most popular venues in the country for live jazz. Count Basie, James Brown, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Etta James, and Columbus native Nancy Wilson all performed at the Lincoln. In 2002, Mayor Coleman declared that a fully renovated Lincoln Theatre would be the cornerstone of his plans to revive the neighborhood. The Lincoln was reopened in May 2009 as the only urban performing arts and education center in Columbus.
The residents of these communities and the City of Columbus are making great progress together, and I’m proud that President Gee and Ohio State are partnering with Mayor Coleman and Charles Hillman of the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, in the redevelopment of these fantastic neighborhoods. I’m confident that many more exciting times are ahead for the Near East Side.
You can learn more about our Near East Side partnership on OneSource this week. I encourage you to take a few minutes to check it out. Well, have a great week.