Activities

  • National Night Out Community Celebration
  • Annual scholarships to High School graduates
  • Veterans Celebration
  • Annual Thanksgiving food baskets give-a-way to neighborhood families
  • Annual Christmas fruit basket give-a-way
  • Contributes to community events such as Southfield Reunion, HopeFest and Watkins Elementary Fall Festival
  • Annual Father’s Day luncheon
  • Annual community Christmas Party
  • Donating candy to the Marion-Franklin High School Homecoming Parade
  • Donating candy and eggs to the Marion-Franklin Community Center Easter Egg Hunt
  • Annual Flower give-away for community beautification

History

The Southfield Civic Association was organized April 24, 1959 by the homeowners of the Southfield Subdivision, convened by Pearly Stephens Jr., Frank W. Humphrey and Mrs. Stuart Hawkins. Concerned homeowners identified a number of issues ranging from controlling stray dogs to street lighting to public transportation. Six(6) major issues that would improve the standard of living in the community were given priority: street lighting, sidewalks for Fairwood Avenue and Watkins Road, traffic controls i.e. stop signs and speed controls, public transportation, recreation facilities and property beautification. The name was changed to the Marion-Franklin Area Civic Association in 1965 to more accurately describe the area.

Members of the Civic Association focused on the following:

  1. Making a one stop into two way stop (giving the traffic on New World Drive the right of way)
  2. Widening New World Drive to accommodate the semi-truck traffic.
  3. Installing a traffic light at New World and Alum Creek Drives to allow trucks to turn onto or off of Alum Creek Drive. and
  4. Signage prohibiting truck traffic from 7:00 am until 4:00 pm on Watkins Road. In September 1961, The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) established bus service to the area. In 1975, neighborhood routes and time of bus service were expanded. Another service added to the area was the fifteen minute bus service during weekday rush or peak hours.

Initially the recreational facilities were the area schools playgrounds. The City of Columbus operated an after school recreation program at Watkins Road Elementary School from 1965 until the Marion-Franklin Recreation Center on Lockbourne Road was built in 1973. The center provided area youth with expanded programming. In 2000, the City of Columbus expanded the Marion-Franklin Recreation Center by adding a senior/adult wing and renamed it to the Marion-Franklin lntergenerational Center. It now provides recreation facilities for youth and senior citizens.

In 2003, the Marion -Franklin Area Civic Association, Cambria Addition, Greenhill Acres and the City came together to develop the Tri-South Neighborhood Plan. This seventeen year plan will allow the communities to identify and prioritize concerns. The plan contains what the Tri-South Plan members would like the City to consider when planning or developing the area. City Council accepted the Tri-South Plan on September 22, 2003. ln conclusion the Marion-Franklin Area Civic Association for almost fifty years has been an effective and responsive voice for the community.

The most recent additions to the community include Clarfield Farm, established in 2012 (behind the old Clarfield Elementary school), the Marion-Franklin Branch library established in 2014, and the Marion-Franklin Community Opportunity Center, established in 2014 (both located inside of the old Berry Middle School).