 Redevelopment and gentrification, spreading from Victorian Village closer to downtown, has transformed the area in the last two decades, accelerating with the demolition of industrial sites along the Olentangy River.In response to the decline of neighborhood in the 1970s, unscrupulous landlords, and mass demolition of housing, the residents of Harrison West organized the Harrison West Society “to preserve and improve the neighborhood” and to “broaden the appreciation of ethnic and social heritage with friendly contact.” When a shopping mall was proposed to be developed in the neighborhood, the Society worked to turn the proposal back.This started a new era in Harrison West that promoted public and private investment and sense of community, which gave the neighborhood a chance to recover and thrive.