The Columbus skyline has changed in the past few years because of the booming Arena District.

For years, the area west of High Street between Nationwide Boulevard and the Short North was nothing but train tracks and the site of the old Ohio Penitentiary. Today, this 95-acre neighborhood is home to new offices, restaurants, entertainment venues and the 20,000-seat Nationwide Arena.

“The Arena District has nurtured a renewed excitement of Downtown,” said Bob McLaughlin, director of the Downtown Development office. “It has been a catalyst for the ‘return to Downtown.’ “

Almost $500 million went into building the district, with $150 million of that going to build the arena itself. It is home to the Blue Jackets, Columbus’ professional hockey team, and has also served as an entertainment venue for more than 500 private and public events.

According to a comprehensive survey conducted by ESPN Magazine, the Columbus Blue Jackets ranked second overall among 121 major league sports franchises in the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB in the “Stadium Experience” category. They also ranked ninth overall in the category of “Fan Relations,” which was determined by ease of access to players, coaches and management.

“Ensuring that our fans enjoy their experience attending Blue Jackets games at Nationwide Arena has always been the highest priority for our organization, so it is nice to be recognized for that,” said Michael Humes, senior vice-president of business operations for the Blue Jackets.

Another part of the district that has had growing success is the Arena Grand Theatre. The $40 million theater with its $20 million parking garage started slow but has greatly increased in popularity.

Last year, attendance at the theater grew 12 percent, and this year it has grown an additional 22 percent. This is partly because it is attracting more families who used to go to the suburbs to see movies, said Kathy Frank, manager of the Arena Grand.

The Arena Grand Theatre draws people for a number of reasons. Parking is convenient and costs $1, and there are no big crowds like those seen at Lennox or Easton. The 65-foot screens, VIP seating and other amenities also set it apart from other theaters.

“We want the Arena Grand to be profitable, but more importantly we want it to be another draw into the Arena District, especially on nights when there are no scheduled events in Nationwide Arena,” said Michelle Chippas, spokeswoman for Nationwide Realty Investors.

One restaurant that has been a part of the Arena District since Day One is Buca di Beppo. This comfortable southern Italian-style restaurant continues to thrive because of its original menu and fun atmosphere. The arena location has repeatedly been the No. 1 store in the entire chain of Buca restaurants.

“When Nationwide Realty approached a number of restaurants about coming to the Arena District, they were excited but also concerned,” Chippas said. “They figured they would have a lot of business during the day, but they wanted something that would draw people at night.”

The offices of the Arena District have also proved to be a success. Nearly 100,000 people work in Downtown Columbus, and many have moved their offices to the Arena District. Office occupancy is at about 85 percent, Chippas said.

PromoWest Pavilion, an entertainment venue located just west of the arena, also aids to the district’s success. It cost $5.5 million to build and has hosted many sold-out concerts. PromoWest has about eight to 10 events each month.

The Arena District has been recognized with a number of awards. It received an Engineering Excellence award in 2001 and a Design award in 2002, along with others. It also received the 2002 Brick Paving Design award from Architecture Magazine.

“The Arena District has been a wonderful addition to Downtown,” said Brent LaLonde, spokesman for Experience Columbus. “It sits across from the convention center and helps attract conventions from all over the country.”

Accommodating 1.5 million visitors a year, the Columbus Convention Center is ranked among the 25 most active convention centers in North America. With the Arena District in walking distance, it helps to attract even more visitors to Columbus.

“The Arena District is great for the city and just continues to get better,” LaLonde said.

Many new things are in store for the district. Nationwide Arena will be the new home for an Arena Football League team, the Destroyers, when its new season begins in February.

Nationwide Realty Investors is also planning to add more residential buildings to the district. Its first apartment complex, Arena Crossing, is scheduled to open in July.

The Eye Center, a comprehensive eye-care facility, will provide physician offices, a laser center, educational and conference areas and more. The 120,000-square feet, five-story building will take 12 to 18 months to construct, and the goal is to make it a national center of excellence, according to Nationwide Realty Investors.

With the Arena District and continued innovation, Columbus will become a 24-hour city by its bicentennial in 2012, McLaughlin said.