Columbus is not as much of a manufacturing city as in the past (most places in the US aren't). We have a big financial services sector, both in banking and insurance. There's also state government and OSU. But don't hold your breath for the 3 guys in hardhats to be replaced by an actuary, professor, and bureaucrat.
They want the space and religion isn't a bar to eminent domain. There was a similar issue in Atlanta over their new NFL stadium. A couple of churches were demanding millions more in compensation than they were appraised at.
Also, as many people have noted, there is a big difference between manufacturing/industry and construction. So while a generalized symbol of industrial activity works, the 3 dudes are not the most representative.
I thought your question was serious. Nowdays the politically connected can frequently get a governmental body to use eminent domain to seize land for resale to a developer. It used to be that eminent domain was only available for government facilities or structures. Roads, bridges, schools, etc. So you would sometimes see a commercial office building built around a small parcel of land whose owner held out from selling. When the holdout died off the heirs would usually sell the property and it might become a patio or courtyard.
I can dig it. I thought what I said was ridiculous, but similar to the scenario you described with the office park surrounding a house, or whatever. A fun thought, but ridiculous. Personally, it's hard for me to remove myself from where I live on this topic. In San Francisco, there's limited real estate available for anything and dwindling church attendance so the following has happened to much of the church real estate in the city: A. non denominational church has been sold to developers and turned into condos B. a denomination leadership has kicked out it's SF members and sold the property for $$$ C. my church was looking to buy a property and was outbid by a porn company So the idea of eminent domain taken church property is crazy to me, but i'm sure it's not that big of a deal in other parts of the country.
Yeah. I went on a field trip to Buffalo last year. It's hard to imagine property that isn't worth anything, nor to conceive of the idea that progress, growth and development is not automatic. Very jarring. Not to say Orlando is on that scale, but it ain't Brooklyn.
Actually, three guys in hard hats was a big part of what Columbus was about, even if not the only thing. Being a College town is also a big part of what Columbus was about, even if not the only thing. The new order wishes to replace and eliminate the old order, nothing shocking. But, "Progress", yeah, sure.