amped91

Yeah, supposed to be 102 apartments, so probably not huge. Still good density there though, and plenty of amenities coming online. Was supposed to start this past spring, but like everything, I’m sure there were plenty of material delays. Like I posted in the Near East Side thread, some equipment has started showing up, so maybe we’ll still see a groundbreaking this year.

Yeah, relatively close (~6 miles per Google Maps), but still kinda odd. Looks to be pretty much across the street from the new data center, although that shouldn’t be a big employment center, unless the site continues to be built out.

Mayor Ginther lays out Columbus plan for $200 million affordable housing bond package “If Columbus voters approve the city's proposed $1.5 billion bond package in November, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther laid out how $200 million of that would go toward creating affordable housing. The breakdown: ⋅ $80 million to build affordable rental units. ⋅ $50 million for affordable homeownership through the Central Ohio Community Land Trust. ⋅ $40 million to preserve housing affordability in targeted neighborhoods that have seen home prices skyrocket, such as the Near East Side, Linden and Franklinton. ⋅ $30 million for programs and housing for people dealing with homelessness.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2022/09/19/mayor-andrew-ginther-lists-ways-housing-bond-money-would-be-spent/69503290007/

A couple sites to keep an eye on for potential upcoming groundbreakings: Construction trailer has recently shown up on site where “The Ethan” will rise in South of Main (former Save-A-Lot site). And some digging equipment has shown up where the Trolley District apartments will rise on Oak St in OTE. Also in OTE, Triumph continues to progress, and screening has recently gone up.

Ohio State wins bid to host Starlab space station's earthbound twin “A NASA-backed coalition building a replacement for the International Space Station has chosen Ohio State University Airport for the stellar science lab's earthbound twin – making the state a major launchpad in the commercial space race and creating gravitational pull for science and aerospace companies and talent. A bid by OSU, the state government, JobsOhio and One Columbus beat out three other locations for the multimillion-dollar terrestrial analog of George Washington Carver Science Park – which will be a core element of the Starlab station, Voyager Space Holdings and its operating company Nanoracks LLC announced Monday. Research will start at Ohio State's agricultural school until the Nanoracks-owned facility opens. The lab is sure to attract suppliers and customers for the science park, boost OSU enrollment and create jobs that will keep more of the school's aerospace graduates in the state instead of leaving for Florida, Texas and Alabama, Horack said in a phone interview from the International Astronautical Congress in Paris, where the announcement was made. "I have companies already that are calling me," he said. "I already have have students calling me as well, if the first hour is any indication (of a coming flood of interest)." The company said the project is contingent on incentive approvals by the state Department of Development. Construction could start by the end of 2023, Horack said, with a goal to open by late 2025. Cost and job estimates were not released, and company officials were not immediately available for comment.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/09/19/ohio-state-airport-starlab.html

A couple outside-the-outerbelt projects, one residential and the other industrial. Metro Development plans $30M, 162-unit apartment complex near Rickenbacker “Metro Development, one of Central Ohio's busiest multifamily developers, plans to build a 162-unit apartment complex near Rickenbacker International Airport. The project, dubbed the Orchards, will cost between $25 million and $30 million, Metro CEO Tre' Giller said. The developer closed its construction loan for the project Friday. The project will start construction next week, with the first units being delivered in May 2023. The Orchards will have 162-units, mostly two- and three-bedrooms, across seven buildings. Rents will range from $1,300 to $1,650. The development will sit on about 13 acres on Rathmell Road.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/09/19/rickenbacker-apartments-metro-development.html Xtreme Express plots $20 million expansion to establish large Blacklick campus “A growing logistics firm is embarking on an approximately $20 million project to expand and consolidate its Columbus operations in one large campus. Xtreme Express recently began the first of a multi-phase effort to grow its footprint while bringing all its local facilities together in the same place. The company partnered with Elter Building Systems and Alterra Real Estate Advisors — two other Central Ohio businesses — on the project. The first two phases will be additions to the company's existing home at 6611 Broughton Ave. in Blacklick, while the third phase will involve ground-up construction of a separate building on land Xtreme Express is acquiring next to its current facility. Phase one is an 80,000-square-foot warehouse and office extension to the east, and phase two is a 46,000-square-foot warehouse addition to the south. The third phase will be a new, 70,000-square-foot building that will house more warehousing. Xtreme Express Owner Fernando Crosa said he may also move one of his other businesses, Xtreme Limo, to the new building. Xtreme Limo is currently located near Dublin, and is in the same facility as another one of his companies, US Tank Alliance.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/09/19/xtreme-express-20-million-dollar-expansion-project.html

I hadn’t realized the first floor was going to have the coffee/beer shop. Progress is looking good! Developer creating 'middle-income' apartments downtown at Broad and Grant “Residents are starting to move into the Vera on Broad downtown, a middle-income apartment building developed by an affordable housing developer. Stauf's Cup of Joe concept, which serves coffee, beer and wine, will open this fall in the ground floor of the building. Its space is about 3,000 square feet. Finance Fund also moved its offices into the ground floor of the building. Upstairs are 14 apartments, eight of which already are leased and occupied, said Jeff Mohrman, executive vice president of real estate at Finance Fund. Behind the 1929 building, a new five-story building is rising. That building will have 100 apartments and a 130-space parking garage. Mohrman said they intentionally wanted to build more parking spaces than apartments so that students from the nearby universities or businesses could park there, too. The new building will have an amenity deck on the fourth floor with fire pits, grills and seating. Residents could move into the newly constructed building in 2023, Mohrman said.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/09/19/vera-on-broad.html

More dirt moving at Mount Carmel. Iirc, this is where the SFH portion of the project is supposed to be.

Dang, that’s too bad. The tower was pretty much just built for the purpose of attracting these big conferences and being able to offer 1,000 rooms in one hotel. Hopefully another chance comes along soon.

Columbus developer Kaufman updates timing on Franklinton projects “Frank Sasso, president of Kaufman, said the second phase of Gravity will be ready for commercial tenants to build out their space this November. OhioHealth is the only tenant announced so far, but Sasso said the developer will have more to share in the coming months. Gravity's $120 million second phase started construction in February 2020. Sasso said construction is nearing its end, and tenants will be able to move into apartments in January. Also in January, work is scheduled to start on the Franklinton Green|House, Kaufman's new health and wellness-centered concept, which will rise on a 2-acre site next to Gravity 2.0. The site is currently home to the Harley Davidson building at 491 W. Broad St. "Our focus really is on Franklinton," he said. "We would love to continue to build out the Gravity neighborhood."‘ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/09/16/columbus-developer-franklinton.html Please do!

It gives me anxiety just looking at it, thinking of someone barreling through there 😅

DoubleTree by Hilton hotel opens at Dublin's Metro Center office and commercial park “A new hotel with dining, event and meeting space is now open at Dublin's Metro Center. DoubleTree by Hilton Columbus Dublin, owned by Witness Investment and managed by Hotel Equities, opened Thursday at 600 Metro Place N. The new hotel is off Interstate 270 and U.S. 33, near downtown Dublin. The 174-room hotel includes just over 4,000 square feet of event space and five meeting rooms, as well as a restaurant called Fáilte and a bar dubbed Sláinte, which also will serve entrees. Additional amenities include an indoor and outdoor pool, a fitness center and a business center.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/09/15/doubletree-by-hilton-columbus-dublin.html

It’s taken way longer than I would’ve expected to see more development next to the outlet mall. Kinda surprised it’s residential rather than retail, however. Champion Cos. to build 300 apartments in Delaware County “Champion Cos., a multifamily investment, development and management firm based in Westerville, is developing The District at Berkshire — a 300-unit complex — next to Tanger Outlets mall in Sunbury. The company plans to begin construction in the fourth quarter of 2022, and will be working with a builder partner that has yet to be announced. Amenities at The District will include a community pool, fitness center, dog park and walkways to the outlet mall. The project also will include construction of a new public road off South Wilson Road, which currently services Tanger Outlets. Champion says the apartments and road will serve as a catalyst for future development in the area by opening access to other land zoned development. "This new development will be a first-class community that will add immense value to the area by literally paving the way for future progress,” Champion Chief Investment Officer Brian Hoar said in a news release. “Sunbury, Ohio, is a growing market and we’re excited to build a bellwether community there.”’ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/09/15/champion-companies-sunbury-apartment-community.html

Definitely still work being done. They had said before they expected to be able to welcome guests Sept 11, but I haven’t heard if that happened. This weekend is supposed to be the big ICMA conference where the whole hotel was booked up.

I guess this could go here or in the affordable housing thread. No big surprise in the findings, but hopefully one more push to get developers to go bigger and leaders to push back on neighborhood groups’ attempts to block projects. Columbus area needs to double housing construction to meet demand, report finds “Greater Columbus needs to double home construction over the next decade to meet demand, according to a new report that reinforces previous concerns about a severe shortage of homes ahead in the region. Funded by the Building Industry Association of Central Ohio, the report concluded that 14,000 to 19,000 homes should be built each year instead of the 8,000 to 9,000 the region has added annually over the past decade. If construction doesn't rise to meet demand, home prices and rents will continue to dramatically outpace income growth, the report warns. Vogt Strategic Insights based its new forecast largely on job growth, which drives demand for housing. The researchers estimated that the 10-county Greater Columbus region will add 145,000 to 202,000 jobs over the next decade (through 2032). Since each new job roughly requires one new home, at least 14,000 new homes (including apartments and condominiums) would be needed each year. Instead, the region has been adding an average of 8,327 homes a year over the past decade. "Based on our estimates, permitting activity needs to increase by approximately two-fold from recent trends over the past decade to meet the projected housing need over the next decade," concluded the report.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/real-estate/2022/09/15/columbus-housing-shortage-intel-population-growth/69487124007/

No new development projects announced yet, but New Albany’s annexation of the 3,190 acres from Jersey Township announced in January continues. I’m sure it won’t be long before we hear about new job centers being built on this land. Developer looks to rezone, annex 500-plus acres near Intel into New Albany “A developer is seeking a rezoning of 509.17 acres in Licking County bound for the the New Albany International Business Park, adding even more growth to the commercial hub. MBJ Holdings LLC, an affiliate of the New Albany Co., is seeking to rezone 19 properties from agricultural to limited general employment district. The 509.17 acres was part of the original 3,190-acre annexation agreement, but not all that land has been annexed yet. Scott McAfee, spokesperson for New Albany, said the property owners would determine their course of action on annexation on their own timeline.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/new-albany/2022/09/14/intel-ohio-site-new-albany-developer-rezone-annex-nearby-land/69494138007/

I dunno how I feel about ramen and whiskey together, but they both sound great individually. Joe Bidinger from Echo Spirits is also a good guy 👍🏼 Yemeni-style coffee and pastry chain opening multiple Columbus locations “A unique coffee chain is bringing multiple cafes to the Columbus area. Najmeddine Gabbar, the chef and owner of the north side eatery Yemeni Restaurant, is bringing five Qamari Yemeni Coffee Co. franchises to the city. Gabbar told 614Now his first location will open at 3221 Hilliard-Rome Rd. in Hilliard’s Tinapple Plaza. The storefront is the former home of Fearless Nutrition.” https://614now.com/2022/food-drink/yemeni-style-coffee-and-pastry-chain-opening-multiple-columbus-locations New bar and karaoke lounge opening downtown “FOMO, a brand new bar, karaoke lounge and live music hub is slated to open late next month in Downtown Columbus. The new concept, according to records filed with the City, will be located at 165 N. High St. According to Brandon Adams, who co-owns the new concept alongside business partner Austin Lucas, the roughly 5,000 square foot space (in addition to a large, outdoor patio) will feature an upbeat atmosphere and regular live entertainment. FOMO also has an entire room that will serve as both the bar’s karaoke space and a dance floor later in the night.” https://614now.com/2022/food-drink/new-bar-and-karaoke-lounge-opening-downtown A new Shake Shack is coming to the Dublin area “According to records filed with the Columbus Department of Health, the hugely-popular spot for steakburgers and milkshakes is coming to the Dublin area. The eatery’s fourth Central Ohio restaurant will be located at 3734 W. Dublin Granville Rd. This location, a former UPS store, is located in Sawmill Plaza, less than three miles from Downtown Dublin.” https://614now.com/2022/food-drink/a-new-shake-shack-is-coming-to-the-dublin-area

Not sure about the land purchase, but the article does mention an easement and that the intersection improvement is currently in the plan phase. The intersection definitely needs work, I think. “Davis said plans include a 30-foot easement, as Columbus is exploring improvements at the intersection of South High Street and Thurman Avenue to make that intersection safer. Those plans are still at the traffic study phase.”

Meh, I wasn’t expecting anything great here, but I did have my fingers crossed for a Bojangles (are they still planning on opening units here?) Former Long John Silver's near German Village could be redeveloped ”According to documents filed with the city (which also at times list the address as 1108 S. High St.), the nearly 2,400-square-foot building could be demolished to make way for a new Take 5 Oil Change operation. The demolition permit has not yet been approved and the zoning variances that would allow the project to move forward are still in the city’s approval process. Curtis Davis, chair of the South Side Area Commission Zoning Committee, said the committee held a site visit over the weekend and the project is on the commission’s agenda later this month. If approved there it would proceed to the city. He said that there are some people who don’t want to see an oil change use on that site. On the other hand, the building has been vacant for many years and others would welcome new development.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/09/14/vacant-german-village-area-restaurant-could-see-ne.html

That looks accurate. It’s been so difficult to find any concrete plans for this whole development. I’m going to guess an apartment building for this lot, but have we seen anything for certain?

Yup, unfortunately. Every time a friend moves out of Ohio for California or Colorado bc Ohio is “too red,” it always makes me think that Ohio just got one vote more red. Can’t really say I blame them either though.

Did you read the public comments? The ones about affordability really strike me as disingenuous. Like, none of the proposals would have been affordable for most, but it’s because of the opposition that the price point got pushed up even more. Being opposed to density is never going to bring prices down.

After multiple revisions, this project finally got approval. And you can get a unit for a steal! Scioto Villas: $1M condos coming to corner of Fishinger, Fairlington despite pushback “Despite opposition from neighbors, a developer can move forward with plans to build condominiums with sales prices approaching $1 million at the corner of Fairlington Drive and Fishinger Road. By fall 2023, Moment Development founder Ohm Patel expects to break ground on 15, two-story condos ranging in size from 2,150 square feet to 2,835 square feet on 1.92 acres at the northeast corner of Fairlington and Fishinger. The development, formerly known as Fairlington Heights and now being called Scioto Villas, will feature 33-foot-tall condo units. They will be outfitted with two-vehicle attached garages, will have private landscaping services and carry a proposed average sales price of $975,000 per unit that Patel said will fill a need for empty-nesters in the community. Three single-family homes at 2750, 2770 and 2790 Fishinger Road will be demolished to make way for the project.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/upper-arlington/2022/09/13/ohm-patel-scioto-villas-1m-condos-coming-to-corner-of-fishinger-fairlington-in-upper-arlington/

Do you know which warehouse project this is? It’s relatively close to the data center, correct?

Yeah, hopefully as that part of the AD grows, it’ll become more of a prime retail spot. At the very least, I think a good lunch spot could do well there in a couple more years. I recall reading the long term plan is to develop the parking lots immediately south of the stadium too, so that should help as well.