It’s been an awfully long time since anyone accused Columbus of being over-confident, so the genuine enthusiasm that has accompanied the Parkview project at Burns Bottom is refreshing.

That aura of optimism was almost palpable Tuesday evening as developers Nic Parish and Saunders Ramsey shared some details of their plans to a group of 80 to 100 people at the Rosenzweig Arts Center.

Phase one of the project includes plans for 28 single-family homes. It is the culmination of a of a decade-long effort by the Columbus Redevelopment Authority, which purchased 70 lots between Third and Fourth Street and Second and Seventh Avenue North – to prepare the site for development as the focal point of the city’s efforts to rehabilitate blighted areas in the city.

Parish and Ramsey formed Friendly City developers in a successful bid to take on that task, agreeing to an $800,000 deal with the CRA in August.

For years, the lack of progress in developing Burns Bottom reflected a general sense of malaise regarding the city’s future and an unspoken fear that the city’s best days were in its past.

Parkview strikes a defiant contrast to that narrative, even though the first houses won’t be built until sometime in 2026.

Parish and Ramsey are known commodities in the Golden Triangle with solid reputations. But it is their optimism about the city’s future as evidenced in this project that is turning some skeptics into true believers.

It was obvious by the tone of the questions Tuesday that Parish and Ramsey are succeeding in selling their vision of what Parkview can represent. Attendees were engaged, inquisitive and optimistic.

The first large-scale development inside the city limits in decades was bound to arouse curiosity. The developers are to be commended for their willingness to share details on their vision of the project and answer questions from the audience.

There is a saying that everything old becomes new again eventually and that’s what the developers have in mind at Parkview through building specifications designed to bring neighbors together. One need only look at the grand old neighborhoods near downtown to understand that concept – plenty of front porches and shaded sidewalks and common areas of green spaces that entice neighbors to come together.

It is a rejection of the suburban model of neighborhoods where people pull into their garages after the work day’s end, not to be seen again until that process reverses itself the next morning. Those are the neighborhoods where people don’t recognize their neighbors, let alone know their names.

Parish and Ramsey are convinced there are people who are hungry to live in the cozy neighborhood they envision and the price of the lots, which range from $48,000 to $80,000, reflects that belief. Four lots had been sold as of Tuesday night.

Tuesday’s presentation revealed that the developers have worked out their plan for Parkview in great detail, something that hasn’t always been the case in the city.

There is, of course, much work to be done before the Parkview that exists conceptually becomes a tangible reality. Even so, the enthusiasm that is building for the project is clearly present.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.

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