It’s nice to see when something works as intended.
During its Tuesday meeting, the Columbus city council approved $236,000 in improvements to the Trotter Center. As decisions go, this was an easy one, which was reflected in the unanimous vote for the improvements.
The work, which will include adding an ramp to the administrative area of the center to accommodate those with disabilities, improving sidewalks, reorienting parking to improve safety and removing courtyard trees that caused the concrete to buckle.
Funds for the improvements come from the city’s 2-percent hotel tax, which was created by the state legislature in 1983 for the express purpose of promoting tourism and building and maintaining convention facilities.
The city currently has $1 million in hotel tax revenue, far more than needed for the planned improvements.
Those familiar with the history of Trotter Center remember when this wasn’t the case.
In 2013, the council approved a much-needed $2 million renovation project. To the public’s dismay, the funds that should have been set aside for this were nowhere to be found, having disappeared into the city’s general funds budget. To fund that project, which ultimately grew to a $2.3 million project by the time it was completed in 2015, the city borrowed the money through a fee-in-lieu agreement with Columbus Light and Water.
That episode prompted discussions on how the 2-percent money was handled, as well as how the Trotter Center was operated, especially related to reduced or waived rental fees for the publicly-owned facility.
The property where the Trotter Center is located has been important since 1941, first as a textile mill, then a National Guard Armory and finally city auditorium. The renovated city auditorium was named after Columbus mayor James Trotter.
Since 1986, Trotter has been host to a wide variety of uses, both public and private, for entertainment and town halls and meetings. Hardly a weekend passes that it isn’t being used for some events.
When Trotter was renovated in 2015, it had been almost 30 years since it had received any major renovations or improvements. Now, less than 10 years after that renovation, additional improvements are being made.
Regular renovations, upgrades and improvements, addressed when needed as opposed to when they constitute a crisis, will keep the Trotter Center viable. Knowing that the money to do these things will be available when needed is a great comfort.
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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