casey

^ More people and equity in the neighborhood is always good. But yeah otherwise, as far as design, I'd file this in the "better than an empty lot" category.

Work starts on Olde Towne condos Work began this week on The Morgan, a 19-unit condominium development in the heart of Olde Towne East. The project, by the team of Gallas Zadeh Development and Mulberry, will be built on the northeast and northwest corners of Ohio Avenue and Oak Street. Both sites are now vacant. The Morgan will consist of 18 three-story townhomes and one detached condominium, all between 1,300 and 1,800 square feet. Prices will start at $375,000. http://www.dispatch.com/entertainmentlife/20180110/work-starts-on-olde-towne-condos

^ Is there anything special or more difficult about implementing this on a streetcar versus a bus? Here in Columbus in the last year COTA upgraded their radios to 4G (from T-mobile IIRC), which has dramatically improved the real-time tracking (from ~60 second updates to ~15 seconds) and allowed fleet-wide free wifi to be made available on board all vehicles.

This isn't exactly apples-to-apples, and we still haven't heard that Saks is indeed closing, but when they shuttered their location in downtown Pittsburgh a few years ago they didn't relocate but unfortunately left the region altogether.

The 12 Most Anticipated Buildings of 2018 National Veterans Memorial and Museum, by Allied Works Architecture (Columbus, Ohio) While the design of some museums scream for attention, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum is beautifully understated, honoring the country's veterans in an appropriately somber manner. Indeed, much like the people it's honoring, the structure has a dignified form that appears to be organically grown from the ground. Designed by the U.S.-based firm Allied Works Architecture, the building will house artifacts, multimedia exhibits, and installations to remind visitors of all that the nation's veterans have sacrificed. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/most-anticipated-buildings-of-2018

Tight space complicates Downtown Canopy hotel project The Canopy by Hilton hotel being built across from the Greater Columbus Convention Center is a good illustration of the extra mile that developers are willing to go to build in a cramped space such as the area of Downtown adjacent to the Arena District and Short North neighborhoods. David Kozar, principal of Indus Hotels — which is joining with Schottenstein Property Group on the project — estimates that building the 12-story, 167-room hotel will take about 25 percent longer than it otherwise would because of the demands of building between two buildings Downtown. Canopy is a new, upscale, boutique brand from Hilton. The Columbus property will be the first of its kind in Ohio and one of the first dozen slated to open in the United States. http://www.dispatch.com/business/20171231/tight-space-complicates-downtown-canopy-hotel-project

Moving slowly Rick Harrison Wolfe, executive director of the North Market, said he is asked about the status of the [Market Tower] project “every day of my life.” Wolfe said lots of communication has gone on behind the scenes, and progress is being made. Both he and Cynthia Rickman, assistant director of development for the city, say they expect to have more details to share in early 2018. Well-known national architecture firm NBBJ was added to the team in June, joining Columbus-based Schooley Caldwell. Wolfe said changes are likely based on NBBJ’s input, but he doesn’t expect dramatic revisions. One thing he insists won’t happen: The envisioned 35-story office and residential tower won’t be reduced to a midrise, as the originally proposed towers in the Scioto Peninsula project were. http://www.dispatch.com/business/20171231/tight-space-complicates-downtown-canopy-hotel-project

Lots of turnover at SCG recently. Aveda (which took up a huge spot in the west building has moved out), as have Pizza Rev, Fusian, NutritionX and Yoga Six. Hopefully the completion of nearby projects and streetscape work next year will bring some stability and beef up the roster of tenants.

Campus Partners has released an RFP for the design of WOSU's new HQ in the 15+High development (relocating radio and television studios from the aging Fawcett Center). Included is a proposed timeline of the development, with design ongoing through 2018, construction starting in March 2019, and completion in December 2020. The proposed site is at the corner of Pearl Alley and 14th St, one block south of the new University Square. A conceptual rendering shows how the new building could look from that intersection, approximately from the viewpoint of the entrance to Starbucks.

Anyone have any guesses for the "exciting tenant" taking up the first and second floors in the old Dispatch building? I'd love for it to be retail (Walgreens?), but my gut says it'll be a restaurant (Ruth's Chris maybe?) - whoever it is hopefully will add some much-needed life back to this side of the square though Old Dispatch building, pared down to studs, being readied for new uses The sounds of drills and hammers have replaced those of ringing phones and police scanners at the former home of The Columbus Dispatch as the building gets a $29 million top-to-bottom renovation aimed at making it a modern, comfortable destination for new tenants. ... Capitol Square will occupy floor 6 and the partial top floor on 7, Ellis said, adding that an undisclosed tenant has been found for the first and second floors. “We’re anticipating an exciting announcement” in the next couple of months about the tenant, Ellis said, declining to disclose the type of business that is expected to move in. The owner had earlier expressed hopes of bringing in a restaurant on the ground floor. http://www.dispatch.com/news/20171216/old-dispatch-building-pared-down-to-studs-being-readied-for-new-uses

Like what? I can't really think of any stores that are comparable to IKEA, let alone "all kinds" that also have locations in Cleveland but not Columbus Edit: Unless this post was sarcasm?

My biggest problem with Buckingham getting the nod for this isn't actually the height (which is nevertheless disappointing), but rather I just don't trust them to deliver the high quality architecture and design this site deserves. Nothing in their portfolio as far as I can see is up to par, and their two biggest projects should have been huge red flags IMO. City Way in Indy is cheaply built, bland 5-story stick builds with materials and detailing worse than any of our recent mixed-use boxes along High St - even HighPoint, and their Aertson Midtown in Nashville is a jumbled-up hodge podge EIFS nightmare. Beyond that, I just don't see anything aspirational in this plan, which is compounding my concerns about the quality of what we seem set to be getting. This is the best site in the city, and deserves a lot better than inferior imitations of things we already have in spades. Sure, anything is better than what's there now - but that shouldn't be where the bar is set. The Banks in Cincy went through a similar let-down from envisioned concept to as-built reality. I hope we won't see that replicated here...

I wasn't able to get a picture of it unfortunately, but this project is extremely visible and prominent as you move north all along Grant, from as far back as Town St by the hospital and library even. Because of a shift in the grid, it's pretty much perfectly framed to terminate the view corridor down the street. The addition looks really good and definitely stands out. I was surprised at it being so far away and still having such a positive impact on the experience of the neighborhood.

The retail space in the Stonehenge project is extremely shallow (to make room for the ground floor garage behind). I'm really interested in how/if it will be subdivided, and what businesses they will get to go in there

I'd love to see it, but I'm not too optimistic NRI will include any retail in the final Park's Edge building. Really, the two best spots for that they already passed on, Spring at Neil and Spring at McConnell. Declining to include it on those prominent corners makes me nearly certain we won't see any on the less visible mid-block site for phase 3.

Storefront in this context likely doesn't mean a retail space, that's just the terminology you use in detailing and construction documents for the street facing door/glazing system, in this case for the main entrance and building lobby. That said, this project still looks bad but is much improved from the developer's previous completed work. It's also in an out of the way spot and will add decent density, so not the worst addition all in all.

Ugh. IMO the worst proposal of the three. Not going to hide my disappointment on this one, what a damn shame

Video update on NextGen calling out plans for BRT, LRT, and streetcars, Update from the Dispatch on the three finalists for COTA's CEO position, - Emille Williams, COTA’s interim CEO and former manager with Philadelphia's SEPTA - Richard Krisak, COO for Atlanta's MARTA - Michael Ford, former CEO for Detroit's RTA Three transit leaders to interview this week for COTA’s top job http://www.dispatch.com/news/20171203/three-transit-leaders-to-interview-this-week-for-cotas-top-job

Let's compromise and go all-in on self-driving light rail

Ah I didn't realize that's the spot the new garage will be going in. Pretty creative use of space actually. Hope we can see something significant proposed for the Goodale lot soon!

^ Consultants examining development, transit along five Columbus corridors http://www.dispatch.com/news/20171130/consultants-examining-development-transit-along-five-columbus-corridors

I hadn't heard of this before now, but received an email about it tonight. Sounds promising? Council and Community Leaders Kickoff Regional Corridor Analysis WHO: Councilmember Shannon Hardin, MORPC Executive Director William Murdock, COTA Interim President and CEO Emille Williams, Columbus Partnership President and CEO Alex Fischer, Steiner + Associates CEO Yaromir Steiner WHEN: Thursday, November 30, 10am WHERE: Westgate Community Center, 455 S. Westgate Ave. WHAT: The City of Columbus, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), the Columbus District Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI Columbus) and other central Ohio leaders announce the kickoff of the Regional Corridor Analysis. MORPC projects that Central Ohio is expected to grow up to 1 million people by the year 2050. The insight2050 initiative shows that compact development patterns, characterized by infill and redevelopment, are more responsive to the changing demographics associated with this growth. The Regional Corridor Analysis will study a variety of metrics to assess the impact(s) of compact development along five regional corridors, and study the relationship between these corridors and the various types of high-capacity transit technologies.

^ Pretty sure there's no way it would fit on these parcels. Not to get too far off track, but IMO the Abbott site or Mt Carmel West are the only places that really make sense. The former casino/NRI parcel next door could fit it, but logistics might be an issue and I think that's much better suited for dense residential development.

Well, this proposal didn't last long... Hopefully someone else steps up and does something with the land. Plans for Grand Central project near the Arena District abandoned The Schottenstein Real Estate Group has killed plans for its huge Grand Central mixed-use project west of the Arena District. "After months of meetings with city and state officials, prospective users, and neighboring owners, Schottenstein Real Estate Group has decided not to move forward in the purchase of the proposed development in downtown Columbus known as Grand Central," SRE President Brian Schottenstein said in a statement. https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/11/28/plans-for-grand-central-project-near-the-arena.html

It's about time!