amped91

Note that this is separate from the Livingston Ave study that @ColDayMan posted above. That study focuses on Livingston from 18th to Nelson and is entirely in the city of Columbus. The below project begins at Nelson and runs to James. This could be a huge improvement though if both of these projects meet their potential. Bexley, Columbus moving forward with Joint Livingston Avenue Plan “A plan designed to improve safety on the East Livingston Avenue corridor that borders both Bexley and Columbus, from Nelson Road on the west to James Road on the east, is one step closer to becoming a reality, having received approval from Bexley City Council. The Joint Livingston Avenue Plan includes streetscape beautification, as well as improving traffic, pedestrian and bicycle safety. The plan’s near-term aspects include narrowing the street by painting stripes to reduce the number of traffic lanes from four to three, with one 11-foot-wide moving lane in each direction and one 11-foot-wide turn lane in between. The first phase of the plan is to begin this summer, with a $1 million resurfacing of the residential area of East Livingston Avenue, between College Avenue and James Road on the east, Scocco said. “We will be taking it down to a three-lane section,” she said. The Joint Livingston Avenue Plan also includes several long-term aspects – moving curbs closer to the street and making wider tree lawns to further narrow the road and slow down traffic, creating multi-use paths on both sides of the street in the residential section of the avenue and making wider sidewalks in the commercial section of Livingston.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/bexley/2022/07/06/bexley-columbus-moving-forward-joint-livingston-avenue-plan/7822983001/?itm_medium=recirc&itm_source=taboola&itm_campaign=internal&itm_content=MobileBelowHomepageFeed-FeedRedesign

It looks like you ended up hitting your space limit for uploads. I ended up getting a subscription when that happened.

That’s what the developer decided to present this time! Here’s the next paragraph: ”Dave Paul, co-chairperson of the development committee, said he’d like to see something in the low 20 units per acre.” 🙄

NCC seeks less density for proposed apartments “Acknowledging the need for more housing, the Northland Community Council’s development committee has expressed tentative support of a proposed apartment complex in a vacant site. On the other hand, the committee has asked the developer to scale back the density of the proposal. Robinwood Corporate Center, LLC has proposed building a 132-unit apartment building at 6455 Presidential Gateway in a long-vacant office building, which would require a rezoning from limited commercial district, or L-C-2, to apartment residential district, or AR-1, and the approval of at least one variance. The NCC’s development committee gave the project preliminary review June 29 and had asked the developer to return with a scaled-back proposal, which now calls for 33 units per acre.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/northland/2022/07/07/northland-community-council-seeks-less-density-proposed-apartments/7823772001/?itm_medium=recirc&itm_source=taboola&itm_campaign=internal&itm_content=MobileSectionFrontFeed-FeedRedesign

Yike. OhioHealth to eliminate 637 jobs in its biggest layoff ever “OhioHealth is eliminating 637 jobs, its biggest layoff ever, as part of a plan that the Columbus-based healthcare operator says is necessary to drive improvements in patient care. Of the 637 jobs, 567 are in information technology and the rest are in a unit called revenue cycle that handles such things as billing, coding and accounts receivable. Most of the jobs are based in Greater Columbus. OhioHealth says the IT work will be handled by the professional services company Accenture. AGS Health will handle the revenue cycle business. OhioHealth says the moves aren't meant to save money. Instead, the layoffs are intended to drive improvement in patient care and services, and position the health care system for a future where patients rely more on telemedicine and cell phones to organize their health care.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2022/07/07/ohiohealth-announces-biggest-layoff-company-history/7829847001/

Figured they would end up deciding not to put it on this year’s ballot. What isn’t clear is if they will try again at a later time. COTA drops plans for sales tax issue in November, seeks $300 million for bus rapid transit “The Central Ohio Transit Authority has decided not to proceed with placing a 0.5% sales tax increase on the November ballot to help fund bus rapid transit lines, though the agency is continuing to pursue millions in federal dollars to pay for the initiative. "Now is not the right time," Patrick Harris, COTA's vice president of external relations, said Thursday of placing a sales tax ballot issue this year. "There are too many economic challenges in our region." Harris didn't rule out going for a sales tax hike after 2022. But for now, COTA is looking at other funding sources for the LinkUS rapid transit initiative along the West Broad Street and East Main Street corridors through Downtown. Meanwhile, COTA has begun applying for $300 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation for those proposed corridors, or $150 million for each, said Kim Sharp, COTA's senior director of development. COTA must provide local matching dollars to secure federal funding. Sharp said COTA would like to start construction in two to three years.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/07/07/cota-wont-pursue-sales-tax-issue-november-ballot/7822390001/

I figured a project this big would start to clog up the Random news thread a bit. My apologies if a new thread wasn’t needed. Thrive Cos. reveals plans for west Columbus development “Thrive Cos. has unveiled conceptual plans for a project on the west side of Columbus that could include hundreds of apartments, a park and a reworked riverfront. The project, dubbed WestBend, could have 900 apartments, a 12-acre park, a 40,000-square-foot, three story office building and amenities including a gym that would be open to the public. It's also slated to include Thrive's new coffee shop and bar concept. The apartments at WestBend would be a mix of one- and two-bedroom units. Of the 40,000 square feet of office, about 10,000 would be incubator space for growing small businesses or startups, said Michael Amicon, vice president of development for Thrive Cos. The office would be next door to the amenity building, so that office tenants would have easy access to coffee or food. Amicon presented the project plans to the West Scioto Area Commission Zoning Committee Wednesday evening at the Hilltop branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. The committee was in favor of the project, but Thrive will have to return for an official vote in the future.” Also from the article: - The dev would add a road between the dev and the Scioto River - A multi-use trail around the lagoon and riverfront recreational area are planned - The plan is to connect this with Quarry Trails via bike path - They are working on a bodega concept to sell food, toiletries, etc. - Clean up will likely start in February and will include the demo of the four existing structure on site https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/07/thrive-cos-west-columbus-westbend.html

The first phase seemed to pass pretty easily, and the Far South Columbus Area Commission recommended approval, so I imagine pushback should be minimal. It is, however, contingent on OHFA funding, so hopefully that materializes. Unrelated, but I saw the South Side Area Commission recommended approval for the E Livingston dev from Schiff, so I would imagine we should see approval from Council, once it goes up for a vote.

Looks like NRP Group will be back before Council this month to get approval for a second affordable housing dev right down the road from the above, previously approved dev. This new proposal is for 30 Fornof Rd, and it calls for a 4-story, 80 max unit building with 6,000 sf for retail. It is also targeted at those making 30-80% AMI. Currently, an Asian restaurant is on the site. The Dispatch previously reported the owners had no intention of selling; however, the application package now notes the land is in contract, contingent on full approval.

^This is the land for the first two fabs. My understanding of the following paragraph is that it should be enough land for the full build it: ”From the beginning, Intel has said its site will be nearly 1,000 acres, big enough to accommodate all eight factories. For now, the focus is on building the first two factories, the company said.”

The Licking County land now officially belongs to Intel: Intel spends $111 million on 750 acres of land for its New Albany factories “The semiconductor company has bought 750 acres of land recently annexed into New Albany for $111 million, according to Licking County Auditor documents. That works out to about $148,000 per acre. An entity called Growth Site LLC acquired the property from MCVGCM Holdings, an arm of the New Albany Co. development firm, documents show. The address for Growth Site is the same as Intel's corporate offices in Santa Clara, California. The purchase is split between two parcels — one for 513 acres and one for 237.6 acres. Intel closed on the site Friday, the same day that itbegan excavation work on the site.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2022/07/06/intel-buys-land-new-albany-factories-sellers-make-millions/7819548001/

If you need more coffee, One Line in the SN offers a nice aesthetic. Lemon grass is a good option for food.

All of that, plus I think it will end up furthering class divide too: I do this kind of work, therefore a commute/physical workspace/etc. are beneath me type of attitude.

Just outside of the Discovery District, but close enough, I guess: Volunteers of America opening residential treatment facility near Topiary Park “Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana will redevelop a downtown Columbus building to house a new, certified residential substance use disorder treatment facility for women with children. The facility at 81 S. 5th St. is scheduled to open late 2023 and will be equipped to provide residential treatment for up to 26 women who can continue to live with their children while receiving services. Jennifer Martinez, senior director of behavioral health for VOA in Ohio, said renovations on the building will start in the next three months and cost about $1.6 million. The Family Focused Recovery substance abuse program will provide addiction treatment and recovery support services for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorders. Martinez said the organization plans to serve 100 to 120 women a year.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/07/05/volunteers-of-america-new-building.html

I would argue that it’s passage is actually very relevant to many of the headlines we’ve been seeing dominate the past couple of years—supply chain, inflation, national security. But I would say you’re right, that we may not see it pass until after the election. I was reading in a separate article that Republicans on the committee aimed to stall it, because they didn’t want to hand Biden another legislative win right before the midterm elections. Whether or not Intel, et al. actually need this handout to make the business work, I don’t know enough about the semiconductor industry to say. But my guess is, even without CHIPS, we’ll eventually see additional fabs beyond the initial two built in New Albany. Maybe just not as quickly as we would have otherwise.

Dispatch has an article on the groundbreaking too, plus an update on the Chips act: https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2022/07/01/intel-construction-starts-what-expect-economic-development-project/7782748001/ 🙄

Popular craft coffee shop opening first standalone storefront in former Nosh on High space next “While Nosh on High closed its High Street location, Columbus diners can look forward to the grand opening of a new craft coffee shop in the space. Parable Coffee opened in 2020 as a pop-up inside Comune, where it operated until moving into the former home of Nosh on High–located at 149 S. High St.–earlier this year. And now, we’ll get our first glimpse of Parable in its new, and much larger, space. It will hold a soft opening July 6-7, from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Parable will then hold its grand opening on July 8.” https://614now.com/2022/food-drink/popular-craft-coffee-shop-opening-first-standalone-storefront-in-former-nosh-on-high-space-next-week After closing in 2019, this beloved restaurant is returning to its original Columbus location “When Kona Grill closed its Easton restaurant—the concept’s only Central Ohio location—in 2019, many Columbus diners publicly lamented the loss. Three years later, the eatery is planning a Columbus, and at its original location. Kona Grill was formerly located at 4087 New Bond St. #502, at the corner of New Bond Street and Fenlon Street in Easton Town Center. The building has been vacant for some time, until recently, when multiple “coming soon” signs advertising Kona Grill’s return appeared on its windows and front door.” https://614now.com/2022/food-drink/after-closing-in-2019-this-beloved-restaurant-is-returning-to-its-original-columbus-location

Not only are we home to THE Ohio State University, but we will also henceforth be referred to as THE Columbus.

That’s what I’ve been saying for a few years now. With five different colleges/universities with some degree of presence in the nearby area, there’s an excellent opportunity there to provide housing, entertainment, incubation spaces and cultural spaces.

There’s been a lot of discussion about doing a better job of activating the riverfront during the downtown strategic planning meetings. Hopefully this investment is the start of that.

Okay, I found it in the Near East thread: “The new facility is replacing the Douglas Alternative Elementary School, which the city acquired for about $1.6 million. It will be torn down and replaced with a new 42,000-square-foot building. The city hopes to plant more tree on the 4-acre site and create additional green space near downtown, said Columbus Parks and Recreation Interim Director Paul Rakosky. "This is something we feel we owe to our seniors," Rakosky said. "We want to find new, modern and healthy space for our senior programming." Construction will begin at the end of 2022. Rakosky said he hopes to see the center open in 2024. The Golden Hobby Shop, located in German Village, and the Martin Janis Center, housed at the fairgrounds, each offer an array of programs.”

I’m glad to see this kicking off soon. I think it’ll be a pretty big catalyst for change on the northern end of the Discovery District once it’s done. Kroger Bakery developers eye fall start with new state funding in hand “Sobczak said the developers are still seeking other funds, which they hope to secure in the next 60 days. They then hope to start work this September, beginning with exterior demolition and interior repairs. Construction of the new buildings could start around the end of the year, he said. From start to finish, Sobczak anticipates a 30-month buildout. When finished, the project is set to include 427 apartments, 8,850 square feet of retail space and 49,000 square feet of offices. Sobczak said there has been a lot of interest from potential tenants for the office and retail space and Casto is getting close on finalizing agreements with both kinds of tenants. He declined to share specifics about any potential tenants. The developers are also close to finalizing an official name for the project.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/06/30/kroger-bakery-brownfield-remediation.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=EC&utm_content=co&ana=e_co_EC&j=28227770&senddate=2022-06-30

Not to get us too off topic, but quick question since this was posted: $20 million for the building of a Broad St Arts and Senior Campus was listed. Anyone know if this has been announced before, or if this is new? Regarding the fountain, $7.5 million is a LOT just for repairs. My guess is will see a much bigger redesign come forward.

Delaware County: McCammon Park to feature canopy walk, fitness adventure area “A combination of unique natural elements and manufactured features will make McCammon Park in Orange Township a distinctive destination, said Tom Curtin, Preservation Parks of Delaware County executive director. Preservation Parks recently unveiled its master plan for the park, which includes preserving waterways, restoring native habitat on farmland and installing a canopy walk among the trees and an adventure area for climbing, yoga and parkour. The plan is to be phased in over the next several years, Curtin said, as funding becomes available and as adjacent roadwork allows. Part of what is expected to make McCammon Park distinctive is the fact that the parkland is divided into what Curtin and Matthew Simpson, senior park planner, called subareas. The land that was acquired through both donation and purchase is on both sides of both Bale Kenyon and Orange roads.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/olentangy-valley/2022/06/29/mccammon-park-orange-township-delaware-county-ohio-canopy-walk-fitness-adventure-area/7765707001/?itm_medium=recirc&itm_source=taboola&itm_campaign=internal&itm_content=MobileBelowHomepageFeed-FeedRedesign

Equity plans $100M mixed-use Hilliard development “Hilliard-based developer Equity is bringing a mixed-use development that will cost more than $100 million to 23.5 acres on Truman Boulevard. The intent of the TruePointe development — which will include more than 350 residential units, more than 300,000 square feet of office space, a hotel and about 45,000 square feet of retail space — is to create an exclusive destination in Hilliard, Equity's CEO Steve Wathen told Columbus Business First. The retail space, to be divided across five buildings, will ideally attract restaurants that are not already in the region, Wathen said. Wathen said the developer hopes to attract primarily corporate office and healthcare-related tenants as well. He could not disclose what companies the firm has been negotiating with, but the already existing Batelle for Kids will remain as part of the development.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/06/29/equity-hilliard-truepointe-mixed-use.html