The city council on Tuesday cleared the way for a event venue to open on Northside. But the approval came over a neighbor’s objection and with some advice for the business owner from a council member.
Edwin Bridges wants to open The Gathering Place at 320 19th St. N. The building there once housed Roy’s Kitchen but had fallen into disrepair and become vacant in the years since. A Columbus native, Bridges said he retired from the U.S. Air Force last year and purchased the property after he returned home.
He told The Dispatch patrons could rent the facility for “life celebration events,” such as birthday parties, and the venue would host outdoor events like flea markets and farmers markets.
Bridges also wants to partner with city programs to use the venue to mentor youth.
“I was looking for a place I could come back to and provide mentorship, based on my own experiences, and lead conversations with our youth,” he told The Dispatch.
Following recommendations from the city’s planning commission, the council approved rezoning the property from single-family residential (R-1) to neighborhood commercial (C-1), as well as a separate use permit for The Gathering Place to host outdoor events.
Building Official Kenny Wiegel, speaking to The Dispatch after the meeting, said the planning commission thought there was a mistake in the original zoning, since the property had once been a restaurant.
While Bridges told The Dispatch he did not plan to serve alcohol at the venue, Wiegel said his business plan mentions alcohol and live music.
Camilla Richardson, who owns an adjacent property, noted Bridges “did a beautiful job with the building” but she is worried about how parties, especially late at night, would impact the neighborhood.
“They were talking about alcohol and music,” she told the council during her objection to rezoning. “That’s one of those deals … it’s automatically going to bring drugs into the neighborhood.”
Bridges took umbrage with those remarks and told the council he felt he had been “treated like a criminal” throughout the city’s planning and zoning process.
“From the planning commission up until now, and even from the neighbors, there could have been an opportunity to learn more about me,” he said. “With the portrayal of crime, drug, that’s never been part of my history. … Why is it I’m being treated like this when I come home?”
Wiegel said after the meeting he believes Bridges was treated like any other applicant.
“Matter of fact, I think he was treated well,” Wiegel told The Dispatch.
Vice Mayor Joseph Mickens, who represents Ward 2, said he and Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones toured the event space Saturday.
Mickens praised the property’s transformation.
“What he has done to this property, it’s almost like second-to-none,” Mickens told Bridges during the meeting. “He has upgraded it and brought it to the standard that I hope every new business that comes to the city of Columbus would show that same dedication. … We hope we can get many more like you.”
Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard, whose ward includes the event venue, also voiced his support but cautioned Bridges to communicate and cooperate with his neighbors.
“I did stress with Mr. Bridges that community is an older community, and those ladies that stay there, they kind of run that community,” Beard said. “So if he wants to stay there and have a successful business in that community, I really, really, really, really want (Bridges) to get with those ladies.”
Beard also mentioned the council had approved permitted uses in the past for businesses that did not do what they said they would, though he did not mention a specific business.
“We don’t want an issue where we have to start drawing Columbus Police Department to an area that really does not need that kind of supervision at this moment,” he said.
AT&T’s proposed 5G cellular tower at Moore Creek did not come before the council Tuesday. Wiegel told The Dispatch the company had asked for the council to delay taking up the issue until its Jan. 21 meeting.
The planning commission on Dec. 9 recommended denying the tower’s construction.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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