amped91

I keep hoping we’ll hear about a new downtown tower soon lol

The Rogue mixed used project The Cleveland is also going back to city council in a couple weeks for new variance approvals, so this project is apparently still alive too!

It’s back before City Council in a couple weeks to amend a variance. Sounding more likely this is going to resume soon.

Me neither. I want it to keep its height, and I’m glad more surface lots are getting eaten up, but it looks really awkward as is.

Seems like one set back after another for this tower. We sure this isn’t the one built on old burial grounds? 🧐 Hilton Columbus Downtown cancels ribbon cutting, but still plans to open on time after water damage “The new Hilton Columbus Downtown tower has canceled its planned Sept. 8 ribbon cutting event, but the team is still expecting to be ready to welcome guests on Sept. 11. Forty rooms on floors seven through 20 were damaged by water about 10 days ago, said Don Brown, executive director of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, the hotel's owner. The damage cost the authority about $200,000, he said. But he said the tower should still be able to accommodate guests on Sept. 11, assuming all inspections and certifications are completed on time. Chris Coffin, the hotel's general manager, said the plan had always been to use the new tower only after the existing building was fully booked, which is how things will proceed starting the 11th. Coffin said they've canceled the ribbon cutting to remove any unnecessary distractions for the crews repairing the water damage and preparing the tower to open.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/08/31/downtown-columbus-hilton-still-plans-to-open-on-ti.html

New Albany lands $1 billion data center project from out-of-state company making first investment in Ohio “A Washington, D.C.-based real estate investment firm that develops data centers plans to construct a multi-building complex for a confidential end user at New Albany International Business Park. When complete, the $1 billion project from DBT-Data could span up to 1 million square feet, CEO David Tolson told me. It will be the company's first project in the state of Ohio. Tolson said the exact number of buildings in the DBT complex hasn't been finalized, but it will most likely be three. DBT is under exclusive negotiations with a user who could be taking the entire site, Tolson said. He wouldn't reveal who that company is, citing a confidentiality clause in their current agreement.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/08/31/dbt-data-new-albany-project.html

Hottinger also said the five fans would make us the largest chip manufacturer, which I don’t believe that is correct either. I’m pretty sure Arizona will have six once construction is done there. Pretty irresponsible journalism from that reporter for offering zero caveats if the five number is made up.

I thought this part was crazy: ”Congressman Troy Balderson, R- Zanesville, said two suppliers recently told him they will come to central Ohio and employ about 1,000 each.” ~2000 jobs from two suppliers, with a potential for 40 suppliers. Plus all of the support roles (healthcare, police, restaurants, etc) to serve the influx of people. This really is going to be transformational for the whole state, I think.

I saw the Gravity crane came down over the weekend. The pictures of everything over there are incredible though. That’s going to be a great place to walk around and hang out with all that’s going on in East Franklinton and the Peninsula. Same with the North Fourth corridor.

I posted a little about this in the Columbus Business thread. A bit more info from CBF: Cologix moving ahead on $152M 'hyperscale' data center in Columbus – largest neutral facility in Central Ohio “Cologix Inc. is closer to building a $152 million "hyperscale" data center for its fourth Columbus facility. The Ohio Tax Credit Authority on Monday approved an incentive worth an estimated $8.55 million to the Denver company if it meets all terms of the decade-long deal. Sales and use taxes on some $91 million worth of equipment for the data center would be cut by 75% for 10 years under the state's Data Center Tax Abatement. Cologix pledged to add 15 jobs with a total payroll of $1.5 million, adding to 24 employees at its first three data centers on the far north side of Columbus. Construction of the building is expected to cost $61 million. Cologix plans to build the 287,000-square-foot center on 9 acres along Alta View and Worthington Woods boulevards, next to its original campus on Scherers Court. The 160,000-square foot third data center is currently the largest independent, carrier-neutral data center in Central Ohio, according to the company website.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/08/29/cologix-columbus-data-center-4.html

Ohio Tax Credit Authority revealed awards to companies planning expansions in Central Ohio: Five companies to add more than 400 new jobs in Columbus area “Five companies will expand in the Columbus area, adding about 435 new jobs, after being approved for Ohio Tax Credit Authority tax breaks on Monday.” - Advanced Drainage Systems in Hilliard adding 200 jobs and a 107,000 sqft facility. - Cologix adding 15 jobs and building a $152 million “hyper scale” data center, its fourth, in the Far North side of Columbus. - Western Alliance Bank adding ~150 jobs in a technology hub they plan to open in Columbus. - Ultimate Solutions adding 30 jobs and investing $300,000 in warehouse and office space in Gahanna. - Urban Land Co adding ~40 jobs in Columbus. https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2022/08/29/five-companies-to-add-more-than-400-central-ohio-jobs/65461917007/

Memorial Health to build new medical office at US Routes 42 and 33 in Jerome Township “A $25.5-million, 40,000-square-foot, 2-story medical office building to be named the Memorial Jerome Medical Center is to be built on 6 acres near U.S. routes 42 and 33, in Jerome Township. The new medical center is to be built off U.S. Route 42, adjacent to U.S. Route 33 and is to be one of the first parcels built on a road soon to be developed by Homewood Construction. Once construction commences, the medical center is expected to be completed in 10 to 12 months, said Robin Coffey, senior communications and marketing specialist for Memorial Health. The new medical center is to include access to primary care, specialty care, occupational medicine, ancillary services and urgent care.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/dublin/2022/08/26/memorial-health-to-build-new-medical-office-at-us-routes-42-and-33-in-jerome-township/

They moving dirt now.

According to a timeline released by Columbus Business First today, it should start November 2022. Idk if they got that date directly from Jeff Edwards, or elsewhere.

Little past Labor Day, but still very soon. Biden coming to Ohio to break ground on Intel project on Sept. 9 “President Biden is coming to Licking County on Sept. 9 to break ground on Intel's $20 billion project in Licking County, the White House said Thursday. "The President will deliver remarks on rebuilding American manufacturing through the CHIPS and Science Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law at the groundbreaking of the new Intel semiconductor manufacturing facility," a White House advisory said.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2022/08/25/biden-to-travel-to-ohio-to-break-ground-on-intel-project-sept-9/65420502007/

Really interesting interview with Jeff Edwards from CBF. I think this is the first time we’ve heard the new name of the PNC redev, and the article gives some timelines for several upcoming downtown projects: CALL HIM MR. DOWNTOWN Developer Jeff Edwards has a passion for creating new, interesting spaces in the city’s urban core. ”Edwards entered the downtown market in a big way with his Neighborhood Launch project in 2008, when he transformed a sea of surface parking lots into five blocks of condos. He said urbanization was just starting to take off and more people – especially young professionals – were interested in moving downtown. “We’ve got good timing,” Edwards joked about the success of his projects. Another project – the redevelopment of the PNC Plaza at 155 E. Broad St. – is expected to wrap up in the first quarter of 2023. He is adding a glass-enclosed restaurant space along Lazelle Street and converting half of the 360,000-square foot office tower to residential with some ground-floor retail space. The site will be renamed Preston Centre. The name pays homage to Harry Preston Wolfe, who founded BancOhio Corp., which through mergers and acquisitions is now PNC. The revitilazation the Madison White-Haines buildings also will wrap up sometime next year, Edwards said. The buildings will have apartments on the upper floors and ground-floor retail, including three art galleries and a French bistro Edwards calls his “pet project.”’ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/08/25/jeff-edwards-downtown-columbus-investment-q-a.html

A few more details on that redev, courtesy of CBF: Stonemont Financial Group lays out next steps for Columbus Castings site “Stonemont Financial Group will start demolishing the old foundations on the site next month and hold an official ground breaking ceremony on Oct. 4. The speculative development, dubbed Castings Commerce Park, will wrap up next fall. Stonemont plans to invest nearly $90 million in the construction at 2211 Parsons Ave., according to city documents. Stonemont will create 99 net new full-time jobs with an estimated payroll of about $3.4 million at the site. Alston Construction Co. is the general contractor for the project. Ware Malcomb is the architect and Kimley-Horn and Associates is the civil engineer.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/08/25/columbus-castings-stonemont-financial-group.html

This was mentioned in the YMCA article from this morning, now a full article: Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority building apartments to house residents of the soon-to-be-sold YMCA “The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority will develop a new apartment building to house low-income seniors being relocated from the downtown YMCA building. CMHA will start development of McKinley Manor, a $13.7 million, 44-unit apartment building, in September. The complex will be located at 1040 W. Broad St. in Franklinton. The construction arm of Columbus-based Woda Cooper Cos. will be general contractor for the project. Bitzenhofer said Woda Cooper will also manage the property. The four-story project is expected to be completed by fall 2023.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/08/25/cmha-woda-cooper-ymca.html The rendering reminds me of the extended stay on Main downtown.

More Utility work in, I’m assuming, continued prep for the tower.

Lots more steel up.

I like that idea. I’ve never seen the inside, but from the outside it looks like a handsome building. Since part of the next Downtown strategic plan is for the CDDC to sublease space at a discounted rate in order to grow new businesses, it might not be a bad idea to use part of the building to incubate new businesses. Especially going with the hotel idea, you’d get a lot of out of town eyes on the brand(s). Downside is you don’t have a lot of visibility from the outside, without the big retail windows. But I think it could still make a good production space, and they could use some of the residential space to start a residency program for artists and fashion designers.

I believe this is the only phase. Are you taking about the property in red? That site is still in use. According to the county auditor’s website, it has been owned since 2007 by PSC Metals, a scrap metal company that operates SA Recycling.

Interesting. My guess is it’ll contain rental units, in addition to whatever else CDDC decides to use it for. Here’s who’s planning to buy the Downtown YMCA building “The YMCA of Central Ohio is working with the Columbus Downtown Development Corp. on a deal to buy its aging Downtown YMCA building at 40 W. Long St. The two currently are negotiating a deal for the CDDC to take ownership of the building by January, YMCA CEO Tony Collins told us. CDDC President Amy Taylor confirmed that the entity is "in discussions" about buying the property but couldn't comment further. It was not immediately clear what the plans for the building were.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/08/25/here-s-who-s-buying-the-downtown-ymca-building

Schumacher Place. In general, the boundaries are Livingston, Parsons, Whittier, and Jaeger. It neighbors German Village.

Interesting. Yeah, it’s all from this year. If it’s following the same plans for the original build, I guess it wouldn’t be going back to the commission for any zoning approvals, so it was easier for this news to stay under wraps. I’d be happy to finally see this get completed.