2012 Columbus Smart Leaders: Bill Schottenstein, President, Arshot Investment Corporation

Bill Schottenstein, President, Arshot Investment Corporation
Give us an example of a business challenge you and/or your organization faced, as well as how you overcame it.
Arshot Investment Corporation is a niche real estate developer that takes pride in taking on a variety of innovative and challenging projects. Many of these projects involve adaptive reuse of urban landmarks, e.g. The Beggs Building (Fifth Third Center), Worly Building (Shadowbox Live Theater) and the Woolworth Building (107 S. High Street). Such blending of timeless architecture with modern technology often presents unique challenges.
In what ways are you an innovative leader, and how does your organization employ innovation to be on the leading edge?
A recent example is our proposed redevelopment of the Cooper Stadium site on the near west side of Columbus. Our plan to reinvigorate the area by converting the site into an innovative multi-use complex, including an automotive research center coupled with a paved half-mile track, took more than four years to be approved. The process involved Franklin County, the City of Columbus and many neighborhood groups, but a consensus was finally formed and the project is moving forward.
How do you make a significant impact on the community and regional economy?
While maintaining valuable elements of the site’s heritage, this project will make re-use of the stadium in a way that both showcases and facilitates Central Ohio’s contributions to automotive innovation. It will also serve as a catalyst for economic development in a distressed community, creating hundreds of full- and part-time jobs and attracting tourism with regional and national events. Such a positive impact on the community could not be achieved without innovative vision and extraordinary determination on the part of Arshot’s development team.
Bill Schottenstein is the president of Arshot Investment Corporation