September 18, 2019 – Eleven outstanding developments were selected as winners of the 2019 ULI Global Awards for Excellence including the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation’s development of the Scioto Peninsula Cultural District. The winners, each of which demonstrates a comprehensive level of quality and a forward-looking approach to development and design.  The Scioto Peninsula Cultural District in Columbus is recognized among national and international projects, including developments in China, Russia, and Singapore.  Click here for a full list of 2019 winners.

The Scioto Peninsula Cultural District, Columbus, Ohio was selected with developers: The Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC), Capitol South Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation; Designers: MKSK, Jerome Scott Architects, Allied Works Architecture, The Olin Studio, Ralph Appelbaum Associates.

The Scioto Peninsula Cultural District consists of four distinct amenities, led by CDDC and made possible through public-private partnerships, working in concert to activate downtown.  They include: 1) The Scioto Greenways, 2) A new satellite location of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in Columbus’ Center of Science and Industry (COSI), 3) National Veterans Memorial and Museum (NVMM), and 4) Dorrian Green.

The winners were selected by an international jury made up of leading ULI members representing multidisciplinary real estate expertise, including finance, planning, development, design, and other professional services.

“Given the diversity and quality of the finalist entries this year, the jury was faced with a significant challenge to narrow the field to the ultimate winners,” said jury chairman Jacinta McCann, global design advisor to AECOM. “In the end, the qualities that determined the winners included not only comprehensive design excellence, but also financing, programmatic innovation, sustainability, social equity, access and mobility enhancements, and local and regional economic stimulus. We were also pleased to see that a number of winning entries took advantage of optimizing transit-related infrastructure.”

“Our Global Awards for Excellence program is widely considered the centerpiece of ULI’s efforts to identify and promote best practices in all types of real estate development,” said ULI Global Chief Executive Officer W. Edward Walter. “Each of these winners demonstrates the key contribution that thoughtful, innovative development makes in the creation of a great urban experience.”

The Awards for Excellence program, established in 1979 and subsequently expanded to a global program, recognizes the full development process of a project beyond the core components of architecture and design. Projects must be financially viable, substantially complete, and in stabilized operation to be eligible for the awards. The criteria for the awards include leadership, market acceptance, relevance and positive contribution to the community, environmental stewardship and resiliency, replicability, and financial success. The program has recognized many types of projects throughout its history, including office, residential, recreational, mixed use, industrial/office park, retail, new community, rehabilitation, and public realm.