Testimonials

AEP

American Electric Power (AEP), which is steeped in a rich history that spans more than a century, has been a prominent part of the Columbus skyline for a quarter of that time. AEP is a proud company with a proud heritage in power generation, transmission and distribution. Ohio is very important to our company and Columbus is the largest city in our 11-state service territory. We are equally proud to be part of the downtown community and our employees enjoy many of the amenities and activities that downtown provides.

Our company, which had been headquartered in New York City, announced its decision to move to Columbus October 19, 1979. In April 1980, the company held its first annual meeting at the recently restored Ohio Theater and W. S. “Pete” White, who was AEP’s chairman at the time, told the shareholders how pleased he was with the community support.

The property, to be christened 1 Riverside Plaza, was bounded on the north and south by Long and Spring streets and on the east by Marconi Blvd. and angling railroad tracks on the westerly side. AEP broke ground in 1981 and topped out April 16, 1982. 1 Riverside Plaza officially opened October 7, 1983. The building currently houses approximately 2,000 employees.      

Michael Morris, Chairman, President and CEO

OSU Urban Arts Space

At Ohio State, we are thrilled to have a permanent “home” in Downtown Columbus. The OSU Urban Arts Space, in the historic Lazarus Building, allows our students to build an entrepreneurial, artistic and creative endeavor in the heart of the city, and to make important connections with people in our community. Being downtown lets them reach out and engage with new audiences, and collaborate with new partners, in ways they could not on campus. And, as Columbus continues to grow as a cultural community, our students and our OSU Urban Arts Space will be a key part of that evolution.

Karen Bell, Associate Vice President for Arts Outreach, OSU College of the Arts

SBC Advertising

SBC Advertising started its legacy in Downtown Columbus in 1969 and in 2008 elected to re-establish its roots in Downtown Columbus in the vibrant new Arena District. 

There was a long list of reasons that we elected to move our office downtown – the central issue in the decision was our people. In order to truly impact the national brands with whom we work, we must continue to attract and retain the very best people in the industry – both in Columbus and from other markets.  With Columbus being one of the few metropolitan areas in the Midwest with a growing population, we realized that being an integral part of the city’s downtown expansion and revitalization was a unique opportunity.

In the end, the energy of the city strengthened and permeated every other rationale. The energy in the Arena District is virtually palpable – in a business that thrives upon creativity, innovation and self expression, there is no environment more suitable in the region. Our new office is flanked by Nationwide Arena, Huntington Park and countless new entertainment venues. How could there be a more dynamic location in the entire city?

David Dennis, President, SBC Advertising

 Plante & Moran

There were a variety of reasons that Plante & Moran elected to move to the Downtown Columbus Capitol Square building in 2004. First and foremost, the downtown location was important to the expansion and business opportunities for Plante & Moran in central Ohio. It's been very helpful to have an office centrally located in Downtown Columbus; it allows us to be accessible to our clients and staff, with the ability to conveniently reach any part of central Ohio or the rest of the state.

However, the most significant benefit has been greater exposure to the Columbus and Ohio business scene and proximity to our referral sources. Whether law firms, banks, or state and city government, the ability to build relationships with these organizations through formal and informal meetings has been a great benefit to our business. Downtown Columbus is truly the place to be for Plante & Moran!

Robert Shenton,  Columbus Office Managing Partner, Plante & Moran PLLC.