At an open house intended for students to voice their opinions and ask questions about the proposed Gateway project, representatives of prosepective developers discussed ideas for the redevelopment.The project would redevelop 7.5 acres of land surrounding High Street in the south campus area to include a mix of retail and housing space.Although no specific plans were revealed, all representatives from the LaSalle Partners Development, Inc. of Chicago, the Don M. Casto Organization of Columbus and the Arshot Investment Corp., also of Columbus, agreed that proposals for the area would need to include a diverse combination of restaurants, housing, drinking establishments, retailers and entertainment businesses.LaSalle is currently working on Sansom Common at the University of Pennsylvania. Sansom includes retailers such as Urban Outfitter, Barnes and Noble College Bookstore, and the Inn at Penn – a 250-room, full-service hotel.LaSalle’s Dean Lopez said that the focus groups for student input about Sansom Common were conducted by the University of Pennsylvania.Lopez also said that critical mass–the ability for an area to appeal to as many people as possible–is necessary when working on a project like Gateway.”Retailers love critical mass,” he said.Small, independently-owned retailers would also benefit from large number of shoppers national retailers would bring to High Street, Lopez said. “Mom-and-pops feed off this as well,” he said.LaSalle is currently involved in designing about 15 other projects near college campuses, said Herman Bulls, a managing director at LaSalle.”This is kind of a phenomenon,” Bulls said.Don M. Casto, a principal at the Don M. Casto Organization, said that 50 to 60 percent of the businesses in the redeveloped area would be for student entertainment.The Casto Organization has worked on such Columbus projects as the Lennox Center and the Buckeye Hall of Fame Cafe.Casto said ideal entertainment businesses would fulfill both student and corporate needs. He said the problem with a live music venue like the Newport is the limited time frame–from about 10 p.m. to about 2 a.m.–during which it is useful. A business that served food or coffee and had live entertainment would be a better business move, he said.Casto said he would like to see local businesses stay in the area to be redeveloped, but that credit issues make this difficult. He said lenders prefer to lend money to nationally-known businesses, which are more likely to succeed financially.Architect Richard Heapes of Cooper Carry, Inc., who will be collaborating with the team, said the key to keeping High Street for students will be to attract retailers and entertainers who specifically cater to student needs.Joe Sullivan, an architect with Sullivan Gray Bruck Architects, said that students should view redevelopment as beneficial, not harmful.”I’m sure that there are fears about change,” he said. “But change is an opportunity to meet student needs.” Sullivan said that housing for faculty, staff and students would lower crime. He said High Street residents would serve as crime watchdogs.Bill Riat of Casto Communities said that the housing in the area would be a mixture of housing for students and market-rate housing.Jeff Greenberger, a managing director of LaSalle Properties, said the Gateway project development would have to be unique to the High Street market.”It will not be another development dropped here,” Greenberger said.