Columbus Pulse: Cooler Temps, Legal Aid for Tenants, and Community Connections

Good morning, this is Columbus Local Pulse for Friday, May 30, 2025.

We wake up to cooler temperatures after early morning showers, with a high today near seventy and mostly dry skies expected this afternoon. If you have outdoor plans around Goodale Park or near the Scioto Mile, the weather should cooperate for most of the day.

At City Hall, several issues that touch our daily lives are advancing. Columbus City Council is working on a $1.5 million plan to provide free legal help for tenants who face eviction. With more than fifty eviction cases coming through court each week and over four hundred files in May alone, this funding aims to keep more families housed and provide legal resources to those navigating the eviction process. The council is also considering a $75,000 grant to Star House, a local nonprofit that runs a 24/7 drop-in center for homeless youth, supporting teens and young adults as they work toward safety and stability. Plus, efforts continue to find a new restaurant tenant for the space at 229 Civic Center Drive, which Milestone 229 called home for fourteen years. Food trucks are also planned for Bicentennial Park as a new draw for downtown lunchgoers and visitors.

On the infrastructure front, our city’s 2025 Pavement Management Plan is rolling ahead. That means new paving and stormwater work on 19th and 25th Streets, Cottonwood Drive, and portions of 6th Street. If you travel those corridors, expect better roads and improved pedestrian crossings by year’s end, thanks to voter-backed sales tax dollars.

In the real estate and job market, the buzz remains steady in Columbus. While rents continue to climb, new projects around the Arena District and East Franklinton are adding both jobs and apartment options. Unemployment remains low, and new job postings this month are up about five percent citywide compared to this time last year.

Looking at community events, the Columbus Arts Festival kicks off tonight along the riverfront, featuring live music, food trucks, and local artists. Be sure to check out the Linden Farmers Market Sunday morning on Cleveland Avenue for fresh produce and handmade crafts.

Sports fans, you might have noticed some fireworks last night from the ballpark in Chillicothe as the Paints grabbed a big home opener win. Locally, our high school track teams brought home several medals at the state meet, with Eastmoor Academy’s girls relay team earning top honors.

For public safety, Columbus Police report a quiet Thursday night, with only two major incidents under investigation—one burglary on E. Livingston Avenue and a vehicle break-in downtown. Officers remind everyone to keep valuables out of sight and lock up as summer activities ramp up.

Let’s end on a high note. This week, a group of third graders from Avondale Elementary wrote thank-you letters to city sanitation workers, who surprised the kids with a morning visit and a tour of their new trucks. It’s a reminder that kindness and connection carry plenty of power in our neighborhoods.

This has been Columbus Local Pulse. We’ll see you tomorrow with more local updates.