amped91

^I think that will be what COTA, the city, LinkUS, etc. need to be laser focused on from now until November. Getting their messaging right that this project can benefit everyone. Or, at least, the majority of voters.

I bet if something like this were presented to an area commission the three drive-thrus would elicit much less pearl clutching over “the traffic!” than a 100 unit apartment complex, though!

Yeah. I saw crews clearing stuff out into dumpsters today. It got me thinking about how tearing this down could lead to the first phase of a nice, dense MUD. Then this news 🙄

Miller's Ale House locations to be demolished for new development “A developer is trading in its old Miller’s Ale House for a trio of popular coffee and restaurant brands. Northstar Realty will begin demolition soon on the former Miller’s Ale House location at 1201 Olentangy River Road. In its place the company plans to build new spaces housing Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Chipotle and Starbucks. According to documents filed with the city of Columbus, the Raising Canes will be 3,600 square feet, the Starbucks 2,100 square feet and the Chipotle 2,400 square feet.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/14/millers-ale-house-locations-to-be-demolished-for.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=BN&utm_content=co&ana=e_co_BN&j=27371919&senddate=2022-04-14

Found the city staff report, via the South Side Area Commission. Sounds like staff is supportive of rezoning to allow two of the duplexes to be built. However, they also are opposed to demolition and recommend converting the existing structure. Sounds good to me. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K_ab-jZ9Jt_5eGJ2zoosHKsAtEou3Wcn/view

I couldn’t agree more. I’m sure it helps that with the property coming from the land bank, it’s cheaper and makes this site an attractive option. But still, it should be cheaper to convert the existing structure into micro-apartments than building all new. There are so many vacant lots and dilapidated structures that actually do need torn down in this city; this shouldn’t be one of them.

Dos Hermanos Opening First Full-Service Restaurant “Over the last decade, Dos Hermanos has seen tremendous growth, going from singular taco truck, to a lineup that includes the truck, stalls at both North Markets, a spot at the new Crew Stadium (and other major sporting arenas), and a commissary kitchen, incubation space and taco-slinging setup at the Food Fort 2.0. It’s a comprehensive list that includes practically every type of space but one: the standalone, full-service restaurant. Come fall, Dos Hermanos will check off that box too. The taco joint will open its doors at 3946 Morse Crossing at Easton.” https://columbusunderground.com/dos-hermanos-opening-first-full-service-restaurant-sp1/ & https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/16/local-taco-shop-expanding-to-easton-with-new-resta.html

Berkshire Hathaway-owned company to bring homes to Columbus “Indianapolis-based homebuilder Arbor Homes is entering the Columbus market. The company is building about 200 homes in Madison County, with future plans for more than 200 in Lancaster, Michael Mariangelli, the company's Columbus division president, told Columbus Business First. Forty-seven of the initial batch of homes will be in Mount Sterling and 150 of them will be in London. The Indianapolis-based firm is owned by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway and has developments across Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, according to its website. It offers 17 different floor plans — with customization options — ranging from around $210,000- $320,000. Mariangelli said the firm wanted to come to Columbus because it sees an opportunity to satisfy unmet demand, especially from those looking for their first home.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/14/berkshire-hathaway-owned-company-homes-coming.html

Okay, this is one that I hope they do get pushback on. If it were being torn down for something much more dense, I could be more supportive. But to tear down a historic structure for only eight units, when there’s the potential to convert the existing structure, sounds asinine. Former South Side Learning Center to be demolished for affordable housing “An affordable housing developer plans to transform the site of the former South Side Learning and Development Center on Reeb Avenue. Gretchen West, executive director of Healthy Homes, Nationwide Children's affordable housing offshoot, said the organization wants to build four duplexes in place of the building at 255 Reeb Ave. The housing would be aimed at families that use the services at the Reeb Avenue Center across the street, which offers childcare, workforce development and more. The building as it stands would be best suited to be retooled as one-bedroom and studio apartments. Healthy Homes wants to build two- and three-bedroom units to accommodate families. West said the average family they serve is a single mother with two children, so building new made the most sense.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/14/south-side-learning-center.html

What do you all think the chances of this passing at the ballot are? I think, normally, it wouldn’t be too difficult. But it prices and inflation are still dominating the headlines in the fall, it may make for a more difficult sell. COTA officials ready to pitch 0.5% sales tax hike to build bus rapid transit system ‘"LinkUS is a comprehensive approach," he said, with bus rapid transit and protected bike lanes and sidewalks that connect to other initiatives such as the city's goal to build more affordable housing. "Any kind of additional taxation is always something that needs (to be) explained to voters in order to get them to sign on to it," Lapp said. That includes environmental benefits and the reduction of traffic congestion. "We really can’t be a world-class city without world-class transit," he said.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/04/14/officials-ready-pitch-0-5-sales-tax-hike-bus-rapid-transit/7302405001/

Yes! I’m glad to see I’m not the only one being impatient 🤣

^I think the “we took the community’s feedback” is in reference to the addition of retail space. I know there was a big push to include retail here, which I’m glad they did. Also glad Building A screens the parking lot from Livingston. I wouldn’t be opposed to the current facade being worked into this, but I don’t really have any affinity for the current building either. I do think the project’s color scheme needs to go, though.

Both, although I suppose the latter is due to the former lol Plenty of projects ongoing, due to start, or working their ways through the approval process. Just not a lot of new announcements to get excited about at the moment.

Is it just me, or have the past few weeks seemed unusually quiet for development news here? Anyway, another new warehouse has been announced for New Albany: VanTrust to put up the largest speculative building in New Albany International Business Park “One of the region's most active developers is bringing two new speculative industrial buildings to New Albany, including the largest speculative project in the city's International Business Park. VanTrust Real Estate recently broke ground on a 302,400-square-foot speculative industrial building called Innovation III, and a 524,524-square-foot speculative industrial building called New Albany 525, at 8255 Innovation Campus Way West and 9850 Innovation Campus Way, respectively. Phil Rasey, vice president of development at VanTrust, said both buildings are expected to be completed by the end of the year.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/12/vantrust-constructing-new-albany-speculative-site.html In a separate article, the Columbus Metro appears to be in the top 10 for industrial space to be delivered in the US this year: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/13/warehouses-large-amazon-distribution-center.html

Oh lord.

I was in shock seeing how much they wanted for the for sale units in the Quarry Trail development. I’m not even going to look these ones up. 😂

I had never realized how big the Founders Park development is, until I drove around it today. Most of the SFH appear to be wrapping up construction and the second row of townhomes is now coming up. A little further east on 5th, work on more townhomes as part of the Makley Place development has started.

Interesting article on local opposition to the construction of two new industrial spaces and how it may possibly lead to Columbus annexing a significant amount of land, gaining the new jobs and investments in the process. I don’t believe the article is behind a paywall either. Schachts seek to de-annex land intended for warehouses from Canal Winchester “The owners of 70 acres at Bixby and Rager roads where a Kansas City developer plans to build two large industrial buildings no longer want their property located in Canal Winchester. Teresa and Dale Schacht, whose family has farmed in the community for more than 150 years, intend to pursue an annexation agreement with Columbus after a citizens group collected enough signatures to get a referendum on the November ballot regarding warehouse development. Council Vice President Bob Clark said detachment would be “a real catastrophe for Canal Winchester when we now know that these are going to be built in Columbus. … It’s a no-brainer for them.” Clark said annexing the Schachts’ property into Columbus would “open up 500 to 700 more acres on the other side of (U.S. Route) 33 that they will be able to … continue to annex and put more buildings that you don’t like, more apartments … and they will continue to do that.”’ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/canal-winchester/2022/04/08/schachts-seek-de-annex-land-intended-warehouses-canal-winchester/9494853002/?itm_medium=recirc&itm_source=taboola&itm_campaign=internal&itm_content=MobileSectionFrontFeed-FeedRedesign

“The former Happy Dragon location at East Main Street and Lancaster Avenue will be home to a new two-story commercial development as the city looks to rejuvenate Olde Reynoldsburg. The Reynoldsburg Planning Commission unanimously approved a major site plan April 8 for a mixed-use development whose tenants are expected to include a coffee shop, ice cream shop, restaurant, dentist’s office and more. The development on 0.68 of an acre has parking at the rear of the building. There are two access points, one from East Main Street and the other from Lancaster Avenue.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/reynoldsburg/2022/04/08/slightly-altered-development-plan-approved-for-happy-dragon-site-on-east-main-street-in-reynoldsburg/9514698002/?itm_medium=recirc&itm_source=taboola&itm_campaign=internal&itm_content=MobileSectionFrontFeed-FeedRedesign

Posting this here since it complements @ColDayMan’s BRT post. The results from the study sound pretty inconclusive, at least based on the Dispatch’s summary. However, with such huge population growth here and such limited public transportation, I would imagine we’d say the positives the researchers describe in a place like Cleveland. Ohio State study finds bus rapid transit can boost value of apartments, condos “An Ohio State University study shows that bus rapid-transit lines — such as those the Central Ohio Transit Authority and others are planning for parts of Franklin County — have helped improve the value of multi-family properties in some cities, including Cleveland. In Cleveland's case, overall residential property values rose the most of any city studied — 14.8% — near the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's seven-mile HealthLine along Euclid Avenue from downtown Cleveland through University Circle to East Cleveland. The increase includes a 41.5% jump in the value of multi-family residences. More than $7 billion in development also has occurred since the $200 million HealthLine began running in 2008 to serve Downtown, the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and other employment and residential areas. Miller said Cleveland's HealthLine could be a model for Columbus as officials here plan for high-capacity bus rapid-transit lines through the LinkUS initiative.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/transportation/2022/04/08/ohio-state-study-bus-rapid-transit-boost-value-apartments-condos/7272838001/

Two more tenants claiming more space downtown. I hope to see more news like this throughout the year, since I don’t think we’ll get the downtown density we want without the jobs headquartered there. Arena District lands local offices for two out-of-state firms “Epstein Becker & Green PC will open a 13,351-square-foot office on a half-floor at 250 West St. for its first local location in Columbus. It expects to relocate in September. Global architecture and engineering firm DLR Group will open a 4,635-square-foot office at 250 West St. as well. The Omaha, Nebraska-based firm is moving from a coworking space at 629 N. High St. because it's business is expanding in Central Ohio. It is expected to move in July. "The building that both tenants will reside in offers an extensive amenity package and the ability to retain and recruit top talent by being in the Arena District," Savills Senior Vice President Darin Manning said in an email. Manning said there is a continued flight to quality in the market as major office occupiers and their employees still want to be downtown.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/08/two-new-companies-coming-to-the-arena-district.html

VanTrust plans new industrial building in Dublin “According to the city's Planning and Zoning Commission agenda, the developer wants to build 140,000-square-foot flex/industrial building in its West Innovation District at 6777 Crosby Court. The building could accommodate up to four tenants, and the city and developer hope to use it to attract businesses to Dublin. The building would sit on about 9.3 acres, which are currently owned by the city, according to city documents. The West Innovation District contains more than 1,110 acres that the city hopes to develop into a walkable space for mixed-use and research and innovation projects. This project would be a part of the Advanced Manufacturing subdistrict, according to city documents. The city hopes to see the area used for prototype development, manufacturing, data centers, mission critical operations and "clean tech" manufacturing.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/07/vantrust-plans-new-industrial-building-in-dublin.html

Interesting choice 🤔 Preservation group buys 90-year-old South Side shoe-repair shop “Columbus Landmarks has bought a former shoe repair shop on Parsons Avenue, its first purchase through a new fund designed to save endangered buildings from destruction. The historic preservation group paid $35,000 for the 650-square-foot, single-story building at 1725 S. Parsons Ave. The group is seeking proposals to redevelop the property while preserving the building. The Nagy property is being bundled with an adjacent lot owned by the Columbus Land Bank to offer more development opportunities. "We expect the winning proposal will include additional development," West said. Developers must submit proposals for the site by April 29, with the goal of selecting a proposal in May. "We hope to do that in a pretty swift timetable;" West said. "The site has been vacant long enough; we don't want it to sit longer."’ https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2022/04/08/columbus-landmarks-buys-nagy-brothers-shoe-repair-shop-parsons/9496224002/

I’m sure there not as worried about “transitory individuals” being attracted to it 🙄