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Deloitte, Insight Global and Burgess & Niple set to move employees into Peninsula offices “Daimler's office building is 31% pre-leased, with consulting firm Deloitte, staffing company Insight Global and engineering firm Burgess & Niple as its first three tenants. Deloitte and Insight Global will be on the eighth floor. Burgess & Niple have the entire seventh floor and half of the sixth floor. Heather Hiller, vice president of legal and development for Daimler, said the developer is planning on leasing 5,000 to 12,000 square feet to a retail, restaurant or coffee shop on the ground floor. Hiller said Daimler is moving toward getting another office tenant to take up a full floor before the end of the year. Daimler and Flaherty & Collins also are working on the $211 million second phase of the mixed-use development, which likely will go before area commissions or start the planning process this year. The Peninsula's second phase will feature about 400 new residential units and 245,000 square feet of Class A office space. Daimler is interested in pursuing a grocery store in the second phase at the corner of Broad and Belle streets, but the idea is still in the exploratory phases.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/15/scioto-peninsula-office-building.html

An update: U.S. Senate to vote as soon as Tuesday on slimmed-down China chip bill -source “WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters) - Voting in the Senate on a bill to boost the U.S. semiconductor industry and improve competitiveness with China could begin as early as Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been telling lawmakers, a source familiar with the issue said on Thursday. The source said the bill would include, at a minimum, billions of dollars in subsidies for the semiconductor industry and an investment tax credit to boost U.S. manufacturing. Lawmakers hope to pass the legislation and send it to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign into law before they leave Washington for their annual August recess. "We want as robust of a bill as possible," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters following a closed briefing with some members of the House of Representatives. But when asked if a scaled-back measure would be acceptable, Raimondo replied: "If that's what the members of both the House and the Senate feel is possible, then let's get it done.’” https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-senate-eyes-vote-soon-tuesday-china-chip-competition-bill-source-2022-07-14/

Yup. I’ve seen security personnel there in off hours too. Encova’s not taking any chances this time 😂

In Ginther’s press conference, he announced that the residential portion of AP will start next month and the office and retail portion in the fall.

Ginther announcing right now the Ohio Expo Center still refusing to negotiate on land for the sports complex at Historic Crew Stadium, so instead Rec & Parks will invest money in the Kilbourne Run Sports Park to bring enhanced features to that soccer facility. He also said the city is still willing to build next to the stadium if Ohio Expo will negotiate.

AFAIK, they’ve always been planned as apartments. But now that you mentioned it, some walk-up condos fronting S Washington would look great on some of those surface lots east of the park.

Based on what Intel has announced, yes.

After 2020 fire, rebuilt Encova apartments to open next spring “In 2020, a residential building being developed by Encova Realty was just months away from opening. Overnight, it was set on fire and rendered unsalvageable. John Kessler, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, remembers waking up the morning after the fire and seeing the smoke on the news. He rushed down to the building, but it was too late. It took the fire department days to put the fire out. Wednesday marked a rebirth for the project, celebrated with a ceremonial beam signing. The new building is set to open next April. The Residences at Topiary Park, at 65 S. Washington Ave., will include 92 apartment units. In all, the rebuilding of the apartments will take 15 months. Kessler declined to disclose how much the development cost, but he said it cost more to build the second building.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/14/encova-rebuilding.html

I will say, as someone who became a homeowner within the past couple of years, my partner and I are very fortunate that we had a decent amount saved up to spend on all the miscellaneous expenses that come with being a first time home buyer (lawn equipment, small repairs, etc.). For us, renting was definitely cheaper than owning, once all of the costs and upkeep are added up. If someone buys and doesn’t have a decent amount in savings, either they are very quickly going to go into massive debt, or their home is very quickly going to go into disrepair.

CU has more renderings of this huge project. Mixed-Use Development Proposed for Hilliard Site “A new proposed development in Hilliard would bring 350 residential units, a 100-room hotel and over 300,000 square feet of office space to a 27-acre site currently occupied by a single office building. Located at 4457 Trueman Blvd, just off of 1-270, the building is home to the nonprofit organization Battelle for Kids and is surrounded by undeveloped land to the west and south. Just to the north is the headquarters of Equity, the Hilliard-based commercial real estate firm that is developing the project. Documents submitted to the city of Hilliard in advance of the July 14 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting include a full site plan and renderings of several of the new buildings, which range from one to five stories tall. The documents show that the existing Battelle for Kids building would remain as part of the development. The residential units would be divided among a five-story apartment building and four smaller, 36-unit walk-up buildings. A central parking garage with room for 480 cars would provide parking, along with one smaller garage and several surface lots.” https://columbusunderground.com/mixed-use-development-proposed-for-hilliard-site-bw1/

Owner of the two hotels at 1445 Olentangy River Road wants to demo the one fronting King. Pic of it from Google Images: And then replace it with a five story Home 2 Suites extended stay hotel. 5xNW recommended disapproval back in April (not sure why), but it goes before City Council later this month. Several big projects will get their first hearings at Council later this month, so that’ll be something to keep an eye on.

Per what Intel has said, the initial two fabs and 3000 jobs are still a go. If CHIPS doesn’t pass, the additional build out on top of that may be slowed down or not happen at all.

I’m still a bit confused by this play. I guess to show McConnell they aren’t taking his bait?

City Winery owner on what's attractive about Columbus “After success in both Chicago and Nashville in particular, Dorf went hunting for a spot in Ohio. “We’d been looking for some time,” he said. “Columbus is a wonderful town. It beat out both Cleveland and Cincinnati. This is the cosmopolitan place we look for.” Key factors his team looked at included the local music and culture and the culinary scene. “We see data from agents and managers and other sources,” Dorf said. “There seemed to be a void in the market for a 250- to 300-seat venue like ours.” City Winery is a draw that is expected to attract additional businesses and investment. With eight full venues open and more coming, plus Dorf’s decades of experience in the industry, the brand has the scale and network to bring in a diverse range of performers.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/13/city-winery-owner-on-whats-attractive-about-colum.html

^Some of their past projects could possibly be a clue as to where they might go for the Whittier Peninsula. Some of their projects give me a bit of a River & Rich vibe. https://www.zdc.com/multi-family-developments/ I’m going to guess we don’t see final design plans until closer to this winter. Although I could always be wrong.

Downtown Columbus record opens in new space this weekend “The record shop will move from its current space at 183 E. Rich St. into a former art gallery at 144 E. State St. The new State Street location will open Saturday at 10 a.m. It was important to the couple to stay downtown when looking for a new space. "We need a downtown record store," Kesting said. "There is no other record store downtown." There are a handful of concert venues less than a mile from the new store, including the Palace and Ohio theaters and the Columbus Athenaeum. There also are several restaurants nearby, including 4th and State restaurant next door.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/13/spoonful-records-moving.html

^the CU article notes that the developer will need to go back to the BD commission for final design approval. I think this is new though: ”Also planned is a shared-use path running north from the apartments that would extend under the freeway to Downtown. Zimmer said his company will work with the Ohio Department of Transportation to develop the connection after the agency’s work there on the I-70/71 split project is complete.” ….so about another 20 years?

Some smaller projects seeking approval on the East Side: A developer wants approval for restaurant space on the basement and first levels of a building at 1685 Oak, right down the road from the East Market. Currently, the first floor is boarded up and the second level is apartments. And a developer wants to build a total of 11 townhomes on two separate vacant lots both on E Rich. One building containing four units at 1129 and two buildings containing a total of seven at 1223.

New upscale restaurant and lounge coming to Brewery District “Marvin’s Restaurant & Lounge plans to open soon at 460 S. Front St., the former home of Basil Restaurants’ Brewery District eatery. The new concept will be operated by Our Hospitality Group., which also owns Our Bar & Lounge. Marvin’s is slated to open in early August, although an exact date has not yet been announced. According to Public Relations Manager Marlon Platt, one half of the roughly 2,300 square foot building will be dedicated to the Marvin’s restaurant space, with the other half serving as a lounge, complete with high tops, a full bar serving speciality cocktails and patio seating.” https://614now.com/2022/food-drink/new-upscale-restaurant-and-lounge-coming-to-brewery-district

I think we already knew about this project? Either way, I really like the idea. “The former Starling Middle School will be converted to affordable housing by Columbus developer Woda Cooper. Woda Cooper plans to renovate the old school at 120 S. Central Ave., which was originally built in 1908 as West High School, into 45 apartments. There will be 19 one-bedroom, 24 two-bedroom and two three-bedroom units. The developer plans to restore the tin ceilings in the building and use existing walls. Classrooms will be converted to apartments and the slate chalkboards will be preserved within units. A new construction portion of the development will have 52 apartments in two three-story walkup buildings, for a total of 97 apartments. The units in that new building will also be a mix of one, two and three-bedrooms, McKay said.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/12/starling-middle-school.html

^You beat me to it this time lol

Pretty interesting idea reported on by CU. More ADUs could definitely help with improving supply and affordability. Local Entrepreneur Wants to Build An Apartment in Your Backyard “Lease the Lawn will work with Columbus homeowners to build a two-car garage in their backyard with a two-bedroom apartment above it – at scale. From a technical standpoint, Lease the Lawn needs 50 feet of alley access and a 24-by-24 footprint to build a unit. If a space clears those two hurdles, then it’s on to city services – making sure sewer, water and electric can be run from the street to the back alley in an affordable way. The units will be two stories – two-car garage on the ground floor, 725 square-foot, two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath unit on the second. Designed by Architect Jeff Glavan, who has experience building structures at scale for brands like Chipotle, the units will feature bright, open spaces. They’ll be equipped with full kitchens with finishes like granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, and have a stackable washer-dryer. In some locations, the design will also include the option for a rooftop garden/patio. One garage space will be reserved for the homeowner, the other for the unit’s renter, with the apartment accessible through an internal staircase. Hunegnaw outlines four goals for Lease the Lawn: increase property values, create density, improve walkability and build safety and security.“ https://columbusunderground.com/local-entrepreneur-wants-to-build-an-apartment-in-your-backyard-sp1/

I really don’t mind the design of the buildings. They kinda remind me of Gravity 1.0. The Dispatch has a more extensive write up on the drama between Parks and Council. “The Columbus City Council unanimously passed a zoning change Monday evening, setting in motion the approval process for a 750-apartment complex on private land adjacent to Downtown's Scioto Audubon Metro Park. The vote, however, came after council members expressed dismay with Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks for not agreeing to cede a strip of park land that city officials say is needed for a new entrance to accommodate 1.5 million additional car trips a year to and from the project. The dispute puts the city and park system on a collision course that could ultimately force part of that new traffic flow — some 4,100 trips a day on average — through a road that winds through the center of the park. That's because a narrow strip of the parcel would only accommodate a one-way entrance, meaning all residents would at least exit through the two-way park road, Maier Place. Several council members pointed a finger back at Moloney for standing in the way of a traffic solution that would pave the way for providing new housing — including a voluntary 10% of the units designated as "affordable." despite no requirement to do so because the property isn't in a zone to qualify for what have become routine city property-tax abatements for similar buildings. For six months, they have pushed for the parks district to sell an easement allowing for the one-way entrance to accommodate two-way traffic.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/07/12/columbus-metro-parks-fight-over-apartments-near-scioto-aububon/10026987002/

I’m somewhat surprised about this getting a vote last night after Cbus Parks started a last minute push to drive public opposition to this development. I’m a bit split on the project. It’ll provide a lot more housing, but it’s sort of on an island, and I hope they’re able to do this in a way that doesn’t negatively impact the park. City approves North Carolina developer's plans for $250 million mixed-use project near Scioto Audubon Park “Columbus City Council has approved a $250 million development that would transform the Whittier Peninsula. North Carolina-based Zimmer Development Co. plans to build three, seven-story buildings at 142 W. Whittier St., near Scioto Audubon Metro Park. The land is owned by CSX Transportation Inc. The development will have green roofs with vegetation, a 1.5-mile trail and 10 acres of green space, which will be open to the public. Zimmer Development Co. also has plans to donate $1 million to the city to help build a pedestrian bridge near the site to connect the Brewery District to the park or make other improvements.” - Each building will have about 260 units of 1 and 2 bedroom and studio apartments, with 10% at 80% AMI. - The developer plans to fund a new road to access the apartments from Whittier. They also plan to help with improvements at the Whittier and Front intersection. - The developer expects to break ground around the time next year for the first of three phases. https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/12/whitter-peninsula.html

I thought it already was announced that the utility work is for the tower?