Paul Bonneville has an even more detailed map at Columbusretrometro.com. A transplant from Springfield, Mass., the 33-year-old Bonneville builds Web sites and has pictured himself in real-estate development, especially Downtown.
In July 2004, he started collecting his notes and links, creating a blog to manage the load and interspersing it with commentary about Columbus. The Internet generation noticed, responded and approved.
Drawing from and linking to local news sources and development and community groups, he continued to refine Columbusretrometro.com into a daily compendium of Downtown-area development, lifestyles and livability.
Columbusretrometro.com also led to a job for Bonneville. He works full time on the Web site with business partner and investor Zak Siddons.
Bonneville is planning to wrap ad revenue around a neighborhood theme, keeping the information relevant, personal and useful. “When you finally see it all together, in one place, you say, ?Wait a minute, this really is happening. There really is a viable movement.? “
That would be urbanism. He?s a shameless cheerleader for that and the city. He dares to reacquaint central Ohioans everywhere with their home base. He acknowledges selfish motives, as he should.
“I want to see Columbus be successful,” he said, “so I have something to sell.”
