amped91

Yeah! This is another big project on the south side I’m excited to see start. “The project was before the Brewery District Commission last week for a conceptual review, meaning no action was taken. But after years of back and forth, the developer now feels confident about its design. It plans to go back to the Brewery District Commission in the next few months for a certificate of appropriateness and hopes to start work on the project this summer or fall. Adam Trautner, vice president of Stonehenge, said the developer has made significant progress on the project design and the locations of its access and egress points. "We want this building to fit in with the neighborhood," he said. The project, as currently proposed, would renovate the existing seven-story building into a roughly 100-unit apartment building. There would be one- and two-bedroom units, ranging from about 600 square feet to 1,300 square feet. The existing tower and the exterior walls of the warehouse would be preserved. The roof of the warehouse would likely be removed to make way for a new building, which is planned to step down as it gets closer to the more residential areas of the neighborhood. The project is expected to be built in phases, starting first with the tower portion and then moving onto the single-story warehouse portion that fronts South Front Street.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/01/13/jones-heel-redevelopment.html (Also, has anyone noticed if any work has started on the Whittier Peninsula residential project yet?)

Just saw on IG Roby posted some renderings for this development. When will 5xNW get the recognition it deserves?! 🤨 More at the link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CnVjC-ttKyo/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

It’s always entertaining to me to see New Albanians whine on social media when national media refer to New Albany as Columbus or a Columbus suburb.

Yeah I remember there was some confusion in the initial reporting, probably bc of the underground parking. But the plan set approved by the city has nine floors of residential above eight floors of parking, two of those parking levels underground. I like this pic posted to the Urbanist story as well. The fog in the background makes it look really ominous.

Not a ton of new info, but based on CU’s reporting, it may be a wait for this to get started—it will need to go through the approval process again. Larger Development Now Planned for Parsons Site “The project, from the Parsons Avenue Redevelopment Corporation (PARC), originally called for replacing two single family homes at 921 and 923 Parsons Ave. Those homes have since been demolished, but the footprint of the development has grown – it now encompasses the All People’s Fresh Market site, with the market now slated to take up residence in the first floor of the new building. Also planning to make a move to a first-floor storefront in the proposed building is Bikes for All People, a bike shop currently located across the street. Bikes for All People and the All People’s Fresh Market are both run by Church and Community Development for All People. All together, the new proposal calls for 5,000 square feet of commercial space in the four-story building, with a covered parking lot big enough to fit 62 cars. PARC Executive Director Brian Higgins said that the goal is for the majority of the units in the building to be affordable, but it may take some time to work out exactly how many, and at what level of affordability – factors like construction costs, financing, and whether or not the organization is able to bring other partners into the project will all figure into the final rents. Although the initial, smaller proposal already went through the zoning process – it was approved by City Council in 2021, after positive reviews from the Schumacher Place Civic Association and the South Side Area Commission – the redesign will need to go through that process again, something Higgins hopes to get started before spring.” https://columbusunderground.com/larger-development-now-planned-for-parsons-site-bw1/

Great news! I’m excited to see this go up.

10.5 acre outdoor “Adventure Park” with canopy walks and more proposed for Columbus area “Yesterday, the City of Westerville announced it will hold a public meeting to consult the Westerville community about the proposed addition of a 10.5-acre outdoor recreation space called Edge Adventure Park. The meeting will be held on Jan. 12 at 6:30 p.m., in the Westerville Community Center multi-purpose room. According to information from the city of Westerville, Edge Adventure Park would be located in a 10.5-acre wooded ravine between Vesper Way and Cleveland Avenue. While information is still being gathered from community members to determine what they would like to see developed within the park (this is one of the purposes of the Jan. 12 meeting), the park may include canopy walks, trails, and adventure play courses, in addition to a connection with the Alum Creek Trail and Westar area.” https://614now.com/2023/explore-columbus/adventures/10-5-acre-outdoor-adventure-park-with-canopy-walks-and-more-proposed-for-columbus-area Also looks like Preferred Living is considering developing two large multi family communities in Columbus, near Westerville. One with 144 units at 5009 Warner Rd and the other with 300 units at 6885 Harlem Rd.

I don’t think this has been posted in here yet. Three three-story buildings containing 11 units total from O’Brien Company proposed at the SW corner of Franklin and S Ohio Aves.

On the evening news tonight, WSYX ran a feature on the Junto hotel, which included some interior shots of the progress. Junto Hotel coming to Franklinton this year “The hotel hopes to elevate the area for travelers visiting Columbus and locals on a staycation alike. It's also a way to bring the community together.” https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/junto-hotel-coming-to-franklinton-this-year-downtown-columbus-community-improvement-society-restaurants-garage-coffee-shop?mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Spectrum to add 200 jobs in Columbus “Separately, Spectrum says it is opening a customer service billing center in Columbus, creating 200 jobs by the end of the year. The office will serve Spectrum customers across the company's 41-state service area. The workers will resolve billing inquiries and account issues, and adjust services as requested for Spectrum internet, television, mobile and voice customers. The positions will be based on Spectrum's facility at 1600 Dublin Rd. Starting pay for the jobs is $20 an hour along with health benefits, educational assistance and retirement benefits. In addition to Columbus, Spectrum also is hiring customer service billing representatives at its Zanesville call center.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/employment/2023/01/10/western-alliance-bank-to-create-tech-hub-in-westerville/69790204007/

Holy parking lot, Batman. Western Alliance Bank picks Westerville for $2.2M tech hub, 150 jobs “The subsidiary of Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE: WAL) will open its first Ohio location at 570 Polaris Parkway. The roughly 30,000-square-foot tech hub will be located on the third floor of the Westar I office building in Westerville. Western Alliance will move in during the third quarter of 2023. The project supports the expansion of Western Alliance's products and business segments, the company said in a news release. The firm's IT division is establishing a workforce in new geographies, like Westerville, to enable acquisition and retention of data analytics, cyber security, software development, finance and IT talent. Western Alliance is hiring data analysts, engineers, developers, network operators, managers and finance specialists to grow its technology business, and thanks in part to incentives offered locally and statewide, the firm has selected the Westerville site for this initiative. “We are building a high-performing technology enterprise for our high-performing bank, and we were drawn to this outstanding part of Ohio," Western Alliance Bank COO Tim Boothe said in the news release. "The robust talent pipeline, concentration of finance and technology companies, and competitive business environment in the Columbus region is the type of ecosystem we were looking for when scouting locations across the country.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/01/09/western-alliance-bank-westerville-technology-hub.html

Mitchell Brown Appointed (Again) to Columbus City Council “For the second time in seven years, Mitchell J. Brown has been appointed into a position on Columbus City Council. The former Director of Public Safety previously served in the legislative role from 2016 to 2021, and chose not to run again when announcing his retirement. With a vacant City Council seat following the departure of Elizabeth Brown, who was hired to lead YWCA Columbus, the remaining City Council members were looking for someone who could fill the role this year without any further ambitions for reelection. “With the upcoming change to Council’s structure, my top priority was finding a candidate that will serve as an experienced caretaker and not as a candidate seeking to run in 2023,” stated City Council President Shannon Hardin, who separately announced his official campaign kickoff taking place this month.” https://columbusunderground.com/mitchell-brown-appointed-again-to-columbus-city-council-we1/

The ban that would have banned the ban was banned….

Gross. Chick-fil-A could be coming to Worthington “According to an application filed with the city of Worthington, the Atlanta-based fast food chain plans to acquire the 2.3-acre lot at 60 E. Wilson Bridge Road, which has home to a Buca di Beppo restaurant since 2001. The chain plans to demolish the existing restaurant and build a new location of its own, according to the application. The property has been owned by Tsai & Chan LLC since 2011. Chick-fil-A expects to purchase the property in May. A conditional use permit for the project will be heard by the Worthington Architectural Review Board Thursday. It's a several-year plan, according to a letter to the city by Akron-based civil engineering and architecture firm GBC Design Inc. Construction isn’t scheduled to start until August 2026 with a February 2027 opening targeted.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/01/09/chick-fil-a-could-be-coming-to-worthington.html

^Some more on that, including more conceptual art, from CBF: Christian and Missionary Alliance unveils final plans for massive mixed-use development in Reynoldsburg “Nearly two years after the Christian and Missionary Alliance announced it would relocate its headquarters to a proposed development on the city's west side, the religious group is offering insight into how its commitment has sparked momentum for the broader project. Called Alliance Place, the initial phase of the development will include a four-story, 130,000-square-foot mixed-use building that will house a 500-seat event center, a dozen breakout/meeting rooms, a coffee shop, inline retail spaces, office space for Alliance staff, additional office space for other tenants, an active public plaza with green space and a multi-story parking garage. Approximately 45 Alliance staff relocated to a temporary office in Central Ohio after the decision was made to move the organization's national office from Colorado Springs, Colorado, in late 2020. Since then, 40 additional employees were hired. At full buildout, the Alliance will employ approximately 110 full- and part-time staff in Reynoldsburg. Construction for the initial phase of Alliance Place is expected to begin this spring or summer, and continue through late 2024.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/01/09/christian-and-missionary-alliance-reynoldsburg.html

Signage going up on RB4. It doesn’t look like ground has broken for RB5, but it doesn’t sound like there’s a specific timeline for that one yet, either.

Metro Parks to work on developing new Great Southern, Hoover YMCA parks in 2023 “Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks plans to spend $1 million each this year toward development of the new Great Southern and Hoover YMCA parks, two of the larger projects the district will embark on this year. The funds are included in the $41.3 million budget for 2023 that the Metro Parks board of commissioners approved in December. The Great Southern Metro Park is being developed off South High Street on Columbus' South Side behind and to the south of Great Southern Shopping Center, bordered by a quarry to the west and Interstate 270 to the south. The park will be located on the east side of the Scioto River and will connect Scioto Grove with the Metro Parks Greenways. Much of the money will be used to develop a trail connecting the Great Southern Metro Park to Scioto Audubon Metro Park to the north, said Tim Moloney, Metro Parks executive director. Money will also be used to remove invasive plants and clean up the site, which has a giant chasm on the land and rock formations with some interesting history. The $1 million at the Hoover YMCA Park site, about 60 acres located off Rohr Road in Hamilton Township near Lockbourne in southeastern Franklin County, will be used for site improvements. Moloney said Metro Parks officials want to use that park primarily for special events, such as 5K runs or company outings.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2023/01/09/metro-parks-to-work-on-developing-new-great-southern-hoover-y-parks/69772832007/

Screw Gannett. ThisWeek newspaper chain to be shuttered by Gannett “ThisWeek Community News, the collection of newspapers serving more than a dozen Columbus suburbs, is being shuttered later this month. Driving the news: Gannett, which also owns the Columbus Dispatch, announced their final print date will be Jan. 26. Why it matters: Many of the shuttered newspapers have long histories in their respective communities and their demise will lead to a gap in suburban news coverage. State of play: The award-winning newspapers are not just the modest stalwarts of convenience store news racks, but also some of the few remaining outlets keeping the powerful institutions in their areas, like city halls and police departments, accountable.” https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2023/01/09/thisweek-newspaper-chain-shuttered-gannett https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/worthington/2023/01/05/thisweek-to-cease-publication-jan-26/69763946007/

I was gonna go around here and get some progress pics too. Good thing I decided not too 😂

Triumph is still rising in OTE. And the apartments on Parkwood appear to be nearing completion. I think this building has turned out pretty handsomely.

Not the greatest shot, but glass and railing has gone up around the sunken plaza at the PNC tower redev, and some plants are in the ground too. This and the elevated park are gonna make great additions to downtown once they’re completed.

This lil fella at McKinley Manor shot up pretty quick. The NCR senior living center should be opening soon. Framing for the first two of an eventual 14 SFHs (plus a four unit building) is now up at Mount Carmel. And this portion of the MC site should be going vertical any day now too. I can’t remember if Brian Higgins’s apartment building proposal for W Town has received final approval yet, but the convenience store that was on the property has been Loewendicked, so maybe we’ll see this project get started this year too. And a few shots of the progress at McDowell Place.

A few shots of the work going on at AP. Ground work has begun for the office building. The exterior meshing is going up on the parking garage. Future sites of 100s of apartment units. Access drive to the garage has been poured. I believe a kayak locker (?) has been installed by the boat launch.

Plenty of apartment buildings at GVX And prepping to start the second office building soon

Low-income housing projects on Columbus' Southeast Side, Bexley get $640,000 in grants “Two residential development projects in the Columbus area will get a total $640,000 in grants to help address what local officials are calling an affordable housing crisis. The Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati recently granted nearly $12.1 million under its Affordable Housing Program to help create 1,537 residential units in five states, including two projects in central Ohio. A $400,000 grant will go toward construction of Fieldstone Cottages, 2580 Alum Creek Drive, on Columbus' Southeast Side. The 10 buildings with four units each would be for individuals 55 years and older who make $19,700 to $39,400 a year or a family of three that makes $25,300 to $50,600 annually. A 240,000 grant will go toward the proposed construction of a total 45 rental units in Bexley for individuals making $19,700 to $52,500 or a family of three that makes $25,300 to $67,500, according to the Federal Home Loan Bank. That's if one of the two apartment building sites can gain court approval.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2023/01/07/columbus-bexley-affordable-housing-projects-get-total-640k-in-grants/69769144007/