This Friday, a new initiative to bring fashion and retail business back to Downtown Columbus kicks off with the launch of “Common Thread”, a new destination shopping experience featuring seven new shops on South Third Street.
The program is a collaboration between the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC) and Columbus Fashion Council (CFC), located in the ground-floor retail space of the Columbus Commons Parking Garage. A new art installation was recently installed by muralist Mandi “Miss Birdy” Caskey at the intersection of Third and Rich Streets.
The retail program is just one aspect of the recently adopted 2022 Downtown Strategic Plan, designed to steer new development Downtown in the coming decades and return the city center population to 40,000 by the year 2040.
The seven shops opening include a mix of apparel, accessories, home goods and gift stores that include:
- Alex Vinash New York
- Encinas Designs
- Joan Madison Couture
- Xantha Ward
- White Canvas Designs & Holistic Wellness
- The Frank Project Brands
- Daniel Russo Home
A similar Downtown retail incubation program called KickStart was launched in 2013, providing entrepreneurs free rent and business consulting support. While the program saw limited amounts of success, this stretch of Downtown was a very different environment nine years ago, prior to the development of thousands of nearby residential units surrounding Columbus Commons. Additional upcoming projects in the area include a new 12-story residential building one block south and a planned redevelopment of the nearby former Greyhound Station.
The seven new retailers join several existing businesses in the area, including Moss Hair Co., La Jeune Mariee Bridal Collection, T. Bears Florist & Chocolatier and Copper & Ash Hair.
A media kickoff event for Common Thread is slated for Friday, October 14th at 11am.
All photos by Walker Evans.