The Capital Crossroads and Discovery Special Improvement Districts held their Annual Meeting on Wednesday, November 17 at the Sonesta Columbus Downtown. Executive director Marc Conte welcomed guests and supporters of downtown and presided over the election of trustees for each SID board.
Up next, Conte presented the 2021 Downtown Awards to businesses and individuals who have demonstrated dedication to downtown improvement. These included:
Winners for Aesthetic Contribution were Connect Real Estate in CCSID and Washington Gladden Social Justice Park in DDSID (pictured above).
Todd Bemis, vice president of operations for CAPA and a 20-year CCSID board of trustee, and Columbus Coalition for the Homeless were named winners of Outstanding Service in CCSID and DSID respectively.
Freedom a la Cart, a nonprofit that supports survivors of human trafficking, and Industry Columbus Apartments were recognized for Outstanding Achievement in CCSID and DSID respectively.
Heidy Carr, assistant city attorney, Columbus City Attorney’s Office, was recognized as the 2021 Unsung Hero for her work with the Zone Initiative Team, which works with the SIDs to address neighborhood safety and public nuisance issues.
State Auto was recognized for Outstanding Neighborhood Commitment for its Christmas Corner, which features building decorations, a rooftop Santa Town, and a beautiful life-sized nativity scene, all of which have graced the Discovery District building each Christmas season for 90 years.
Finally, Johnny Boykings (pictured above) was named CCSID Ambassador of the Year, and Kevin Van Manen was named DSID Ambassador of the Year.
The event concluded with keynote speaker, Commander Smith Weir of the Columbus Division of Police, who discussed “The Transformation of Policing in Columbus: Where are we now and where are we headed?” His speech noted existing and new programs the Columbus Division of Police, under a new Chief of Police, is employing to improve community impact and engagement.
If you missed the meeting, click here to view the recording.