amped91

How optimistic of them.

South Columbus cafe and apartments to come online this summer “Community Development for All People and the Kelley Cos. are teaming up to redevelop the former South End Hotel into a cafe and two dozen apartments. The cafe is scheduled to open in late June and the apartments will be completed later this summer. The development is anticipated to spur additional redevelopment of both affordable housing and retail space in the area, Premo said. Community Development for All People has ideas for future development in the area. Premo said because the organization is a nonprofit, it is not subject to some of the regular market forces and can afford to take risks or be the first development in a blighted part of the neighborhood. This also allows the cafe to keep costs low so that they can pay employees well and keep food costs low so that it is affordable to people living in the area. The South End Hotel redevelopment will preserve a building that provides 24 affordable apartments. The apartment units will be capped at 60% of the area median income, but Kelley Cos.' Michael Kelley said rents will start at about $600 per month. All but a few of the units will be studios.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/28/south-end-cafe-and-apartments.html

I’ve been looking too. I was wanting to watch the livestream, but kept having video issues :\

That looks great! That E Long corridor is really transforming with all the new development. I hope this passes through the commissions quickly.

Dublin: Construction expected later this year for new Mount Carmel hospital “The Dublin Planning and Zoning Commission March 3 unanimously approved a recommendation to City Council to approve the preliminary development plan and the rezoning of the 35-acre parcel. The last step is for Mount Carmel to submit a final development plan to the planning and zoning commission. "There is no deadline for Mount Carmel to do so," said Andrew Kohn, a public-affairs officer for Dublin. “Based on the tentative schedule, they are targeting end of summer for the final development plan at the planning and zoning commission (meeting), (but) they haven’t (yet) submitted an application,” Kohn said.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/dublin/2022/04/27/mount-carmel-health-system-begin-construction-later-year/9553609002/?itm_medium=recirc&itm_source=taboola&itm_campaign=internal&itm_content=MobileBelowHomepageFeed-FeedRedesign

Nosh on High closes Downtown; popular coffee pop-up plans to take over space “Nosh on High has been temporarily closed for several months. And while the eatery hasn’t offered any updates on its social media pages, it will be moving on from its former home at 149 S. High St. It’s unclear if Nosh on High plans to relocate to a new space or close altogether. In its place, The Parable Coffee is looking to take over the downtown space that formerly housed Nosh. The coffee concept has not officially signed a lease at the new location yet, but hopes to soon, as it is eyeing a June opening. According to Willis, Parable may sign on to do a three-month test run at the location, and he’s confident the coffee shop will prove it can regularly fill the space.“ https://614now.com/2022/food-drink/nosh-on-high-closes-downtown-popular-coffee-pop-up-plans-to-take-over-space

I’m just posting this in here since I’m curious about everyone’s take on the impact this could have on the development of future housing if this were to get to the ballot and then pass. Group pursuing Columbus ballot issue to create rent controls, landlord registration “A group has begun circulating petitions to put an initiative before Columbus voters that would create residential rent control in the city and require landlords to be licensed. If approved by voters, the proposed initiative would create a new city Department of Fair Housing that would be tasked with licensing landlords and running the residential rent control program. "I've watched how rents have gone up the past two to three years," said Jonathan Beard, a community activist and a co-leader of the effort, which involves about 14 active members and is called the Columbus Coalition for Rent Control. According to the proposed code language submitted to the city, the new Department of Fair Housing's primary purpose would be to stabilize residential rents and neighborhoods "so that Columbus reverses the long-term trend of increasing deficits of affordable housing and increasing unaffordable housing and the displacement of neighborhood residents to more distant neighborhoods and suburbs due to rising rents and becomes a city that can better support all its residents, and not primarily its wealthy."‘ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/27/rent-control-columbus-could-make-ballot-affordable-housing/9537505002/

No new solid development plans for the Innovation District, but former economic development leader for Dublin was brought on for her experience with Bridge Park. Which may give an idea for where OSU is going with the residential/retail portion of the district. President Johnson also recently hinted at future uses for the build out. Colleen Gilger leading business attraction for Ohio State's Innovation District “After nearly 20 years leading economic development for the city of Dublin, Colleen Gilgerhas joined Ohio State University to attract businesses to its Innovation District. Land-use planning is still under way for the 270 acres – the size of nine Bridge Parks – on west campus southwest of Kenny Road and Lane Avenue. The $3 billion to $4 billion in development will take up to 30 years. OSU President Kristina Johnson last week announced the creation of research centers for gene therapy – which will be located in the district – and quantum computing. They'll join eight other dedicated centers, including one for using the human immune system to fight cancer. Ohio State also could build offices, laboratories and cleanrooms that could be rented by university spinoffs or other growing startups that graduate from incubators but aren't yet ready for a full headquarters.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/27/ohio-state-colleen-gilger-innovation-district.html

Could it be one of these two projects from Metro? From a December CBF article: ”Metro Development is gearing up to add two new developments near Easton and John Glenn Columbus International Airport. Columbus City Council on Monday approved a rezoning for Walden Lakes, which will break ground in mid-January, said Metro Development CEO Tre' Giller. The multifamily development will have 15 buildings with one-, two- and three bedroom units. There will be 360 units total at 2600 Stelzer Road. Metro Development is also working on another multifamily community in that area, to be called the Residences at Eden Park, located near Cassady Avenue and Agler Road. That development will likely break ground this summer, Giller said, as it is in engineering now.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/12/08/walden-lakes.html Time table would fit the Eden Park dev, but idk if it’s the right location you’re describing.

Looks like the Downtown Commission is following recent precedent and pushing back against demolition without a more firm replacement plan in place. I believe this is the right decision. Pizzuti says they will be back with more detailed plans in the future. Latest phase of Library Park hits snag at Downtown Commission “The Downtown Commission reviewed the new building on a conceptual basis Tuesday, with commissioners raising concerns about approving demolition of the existing building with only a conceptual plan available for the replacement building. Pizzuti plans to replace the old apartment building with a temporary parking lot for up to two years before pursuing the project. "I would have to see the plan developed more before approving the demolition," Commissioner Jana Maniace said. Jon Riewald, vice president of development for Pizzuti, said the developer recently acquired the property and that the vacant apartment building is functionally obsolete. Columbus Landmarks' Becky West who spoke at the commission meeting, said the apartment building be a good candidate for adaptive reuse and could qualify for state Historic Tax Credits.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/26/library-park-iv.html However, the Downtown Commission did approve the 24-unit apartment building on E Town. New apartments to rise in the Discovery District “The Downtown Commission Tuesday approved plans for a 24-unit, three-story apartment building at 602. E. Town St., with one non-binding recommendation: the site's owner needs to talk to its neighbors. The plans were presented by Shremshock Architects, who is working with applicant and property owner Joe Collins Street LLC. The Historic Resources Commission approved the project earlier this month. The project still needs to be approved by Columbus City Council. The new multifamily building would be built on the site of an old carriage house. That now-demolished building is thought to have been part of the home and residence of James Kilbourne and the Kilbourne & Jones Hardware Co., according to the Columbus Metropolitan Library. The carriage house was torn down a few years ago, according to the commission. https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/26/602-town.html

California-based company investing $35M in new Licking County facility “Irvine, California-based Prudential Cleaning Services is making a $35 million investment in Licking County. The company bought a 66,715-square-foot speculative industrial facility at 650 International Dr. in Heath from developer Southgate Corp. for $5.2 million, Robert O'Neill, Southgate's president, told Columbus Business First. It plans to create around 80 jobs at the facility, where workers will clean the garments worn by people involved in the direct production of pharmaceutical products and semiconductor chips, said Jerry Martin, Prudential's vice president of sales and marketing. Those are two industries where Central Ohio has notched a couple of big recent wins. Most notably, Intel Corp. plans to invest $20 billion in a pair of semiconductor factories about 20 miles west of Prudential's facility, while biotech giant Amgen is building a $365 million pharmaceutical plant nearby in New Albany.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/26/prudential-cleaning-services-announces-ohio-site.html

So this is sponsored content from JLL on CBF and doesn’t offer a ton of new information; however, I still find it interesting they’re now choosing to promote the Warehouse District. Plus, some of the history is interesting too. Fingers crossed we start to see some proposals to fill in the acres of parking lots this year. Why the Warehouse District is Columbus’ next hot spot “Two decades after the city set its redevelopment sights on turning the Warehouse District into a mixed-use community, that vision is taking shape. One of the most recent projects is developed by Hackman Capital Partners, which has renovated 11 historic buildings, creating 412,191 square feet of office space across nearly four acres. The area also has added new restaurants, apartment buildings and entertainment venues. The project has adjusted since the pandemic, said Davis, who serves as the leasing broker for Hackman Capital properties. The pause in business interest in new office space prompted the team to focus on an entertainment venue called The Kee. There, New York-based Center Square is planning a blend of community center activities, such as concerts, fitness classes and art exhibits, along with a bar and restaurant scheduled to open this September. The transformation of the Warehouse District is still a work in progress. Davis said more amenities are in the works, as are plans for new construction and streetscape improvements. “Fifty to 100 years from now, I hope people say we didn’t just put new paint on an old building,” he said. “We took that history and extracted it out into the environment, not just to the existing assets but to the new projects that we come up with as well. We didn’t lose sight of what that district was and why it was created to begin with.”’ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/25/the-warehouse-district-is-columbus-next-hot-spot.html

The second round of construction photos is up at CU: https://columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-april-2022-part-2-we1/ I thought it was interesting they included Easton in the update, since I haven’t seen any progress in ~two years, but, then again, it’s been probably a couple months since the last time I was there. Anyone notice any recent activity?

15-acre rechargeable battery storage system proposed for Licking County “One of the biggest rechargeable battery energy storage projects in the eastern half of the country could be coming to Licking County in an area surrounded by data centers, the upcoming Intelproject and other projects where there is big demand for electricity. Energy investor Eolian, which operates 20,000 megawatts of energy storage, solar and wind generating capacity across the country, has proposed a 200-megawatt battery storage project to be built on a 15-acre site on Jug Street in Jersey Township, 200 feet from an American Electric Powersubstation. The company plans to use 11.49 acres of the site for construction and operation. The storage system will consist of about 360 battery containers, each holding about 24 lithium iron phosphate batteries, according to the company's application. The battery containers are 32 feet long, 5.5 feet wide and 8.5 feet high. The project will create 42 construction jobs and 3.5 permanent jobs.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2022/04/25/licking-county-battery-project-would-one-largest-eastern-u-s/7400858001/

Today is apparently review area commission proposals day lol The Near East Side Area Commission heard a proposal this week for a 48 unit apartment building at 514 Taylor Ave (across the street from CarePoint East) from Kreais Dev. They are asking the commission for setback and parking reduction variances. https://cbusareacommissions.org/wp-content/uploads/NEAC-Zoning-Meeting-Minutes-April-19-2022-1.pdf

Another increased density project, similar to the one @jonoh81 posted (and also very close in proximity to it) was also proposed to the commission. Sounds like this one would add 24 more units to 602 E Town and renovate the 13 that are already there: “The applicant is proposing to construct a 3-story, 24 unit residential building. This new construction will be situated behind an existing 2-story, 13 unit, residential building constructed in 1932. The two buildings will not be connected, and there will be 43 parking spaces provided. Materials will largely consist of fiber cement lap siding, brick, and metal paneling. Windows will be the Universal 700 system approved by the HRC. A variance is also being requested to section 3312.25, to reduce the required maneuvering to enter the new spaces, from the required 20’ to 17’. This proposal lies within the East Town Street Historic District.” https://m.box.com/shared_item/https%3A%2F%2Fcolumbusohdev.box.com%2Fs%2Fzgmlk42mn980mb0jqxm2sd6t1jv0zzz8/view/944306208492

In all the dev proposals this week, I think this one was missed. It sounds like the 15-story tower on Broad is officially dead. Not surprising, considering it’s been so long since we’ve heard any updates. I’m still disappointed though. Proposals Pile Up in Franklinton as Development Activity Continues “567 W. Broad St. – A California-based charter school operator bought this property late last year and is seeking approval to renovate the one-story building and make improvements to the rear parking lot. A previous proposal called for a 15-story building on the site that would’ve taken up the entire block.” https://columbusunderground.com/proposals-pile-up-in-franklinton-as-development-activity-continues-bw1/

Yup. Of note, that argument was neither made here nor with the vacant office building on the NW corner of Broad and Grant. The city denied the request to demo the office building, citing the need for a replacement plan. So it will be interesting to see what they do with this new request. What sets Pizzuti apart is they have presented a replacement plan, although my personal hope is that the city wait to approve demo until Pizzuti is further along in the dev process for the site.

A new restaurant coming to the South Side: Columbus “anime chef” taking over former Village Taco storefront “Here comes Chef Hiro. Also known as the Columbus anime chef—as large anime characters decorate the food truck he currently operates—Chef Hiro will soon be serving up his unique blend of Jerk-based soul food from the concept’s first standalone restaurant space. Chef Hiro is currently a Columbus food truck. The new eatery, which according to owner Jean-Claude Ba is aiming for a Juneteenth opening this year, is located at 1297 Parsons Ave. Chef Hiro is taking over the former site of Village Taco, the popular plant-based taco restaurant that closed last fall.” https://614now.com/2022/food-drink/columbus-anime-chef-taking-over-former-village-taco-storefront And the Dispatch has a feature on the grand opening of the East Market, including several pictures and interviews. Interestingly, they also make mention a CrossFit box will be joining Local Cantina and CBC later this year. Moroccan, creole, Yellow Brick Pizza and plants: East Market food hall is about to open “While the East Market opening is a big undertaking, it's only the first of several stages in the $25 million Trolley District development. Next to come is the Columbus Brewing Co. brewpub and beer garden, next door to the East Market. That 13,000-square-foot space is well underway and is expected to open in mid-summer, said Connect Realty owner Brad DeHays. That will be followed by a small building housing a seafood boil restaurant; a small office building; and a larger building housing four more tenants including Local Cantina Mexican restaurant and a CrossFit gym. Ultimately, the development also will include the Trolley District Apartments, a five-story, 102-unit apartment building on the southeast corner of Oak Street and Kelton Avenue, across the street from the East Market building.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2022/04/22/columbus-east-market-moroccan-greek-speakeasy-plants-creole/9485870002/ & https://www.dispatch.com/picture-gallery/business/2022/04/22/east-market-food-hall-open/7404130001/

Only thing I have seen so far is they’re hoping to start this year and wrap up by 2025. https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/11/29/second-phase-of-the-peninsula.html

Pic of the Edwards Tower progress posted to Instagram by urbanistcolumbus:

North Market has found its new donut vendor! Dodo Donuts Joining North Market Downtown “Donuts are (almost) back at the North Market Downtown, 59 Spruce St. Dodo Donuts will join the merchant lineup this spring, taking over the spot formerly occupied by Destination Donuts. The Dodo Donuts trailer made its debut in May 2021, making its way to various events around town. The North Market will bring a permanent spot to score the purveyor’s signature hot, fresh, made-to-order mini donuts – a dream for Owner Ciara Auddino Barnum.” https://columbusunderground.com/dodo-donuts-joining-north-market-downtown-sp1/

That part had always been there. I’m sure they’ll reapply for the next round of funding later this year. That’s what the North Market is doing. If the last round showed anything, it’s that you have a better chance if your project has already started 🤷🏼‍♂️

I’m just going to continue to call it the GVY Extension

I tend to agree. I mean, the data center isn’t my favorite land use by any means. But with all the data centers coming here from Meta, Google, Amazon, that ends up being several hundred employees (not to mention the thousands of construction jobs) which helps create a decent tech ecosystem that helps draw in other tech investment (like Intel, which you mentioned).