amped91

The 459 E Livingston mixed-use project from Schiff will go before the South Side Area Commission next month, and, in preparation, they have submitted a slightly revised proposal, based on City and SPAC feedback. Massing will be reduced on the southern end as the project moves closer to the neighborhood, total units has increased slightly from 163 to 170, parking spaces have increased from 179 to 208, and now the garage will be partially below-grade. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BNa6jxPni_ilvpYw08acTvcEQhb6e2LV/view

I remember seeing the listing for the old AEP facility last year. Looks like a decent way to save/reuse those structures.

More materials being dropped off today. Maybe we’ll finally see a groundbreaking soon?

I know a lot of people took issue with it, but I really liked the design of Millennial Tower. This site would be an even better location for a tower with a similar design, given its visibility from both the park/river and the freeway.

Columbus Dispatch building Downtown will be listed for sale “The Columbus Dispatch building at 62 E. Broad St. was listed for sale this week. The building, owned by Gannett, houses the editorial staffs of The Dispatch, ThisWeek Newspapers and Dispatch Magazines. They will remain in the Downtown building for the time being, and eventually move into a new home that better suits the needs of a changing workforce. The building was listed by BellCornerstone in conjunction with local partner NAI Ohio Equities. Like many companies, Dispatch employees were away from the office for much of the last two years because of COVID-19, and workforce needs have changed. The plan is to share the same space with other Dispatch Media Group employees, including marketing and events staff, so there can be greater collaboration. They currently work at 605 S. Front Street in the Brewery District.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/real-estate/2022/03/28/dispatch-building-broad-street/7188190001/

And the plot thickens! Potential buyer of former Longaberger basket building sues owner for breach of contract “Bryan Stanley, a Florida developer, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, seeking a jury trial, compensatory damages exceeding $75,000 and compliance with all promises made in the contract. The broken promises, according to the lawsuit, were to remove mold from inside the building, power wash the exterior and remove dead vegetation and debris from the parking lot, according to the lawsuit. Stanley's attorney, Barton Keyes, of Cooper Elliott law firm in Columbus, said Historic Newark Basket can't get out of a contract because of its own non-compliance with the terms of the contract. "That doesn't mean they can walk away from the deal," Keyes said. "The (court) filing was in response to not removing mold and complying with the promises. The promises were made before Intel."’ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/03/28/longaberger-building-owner-sued-breach-contract/7195881001/

The rest of the job creation tax credits in Central Ohio approved by the state today: BareMinerals owner, Behr paint approved for Ohio incentives “New York-based Orveon Global U.S. LLC was approved for a 2.057%, 10-year tax credit valued at up to $3.9 million for up to 150 new jobs. California-based Behr Process Corporation was approved for a 1.38%, seven-year tax credit valued at up to $400,000 for up to 90 new jobs. California-based Ortal USA Inc. was approved for a 1.259%, six-year tax credit valued at up to $105,000 for up to 24 new jobs. Behr makes house paints and wood care products. According to information from the state, it is planning to build a new state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution operation in Heath. It could employ 90 full-time equivalents with annual payroll of $4.39 million. It would need to keep operations at that location for at least 10 years. Ortal USA plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to Columbus, which it sees as a more central location for North American distribution, according to information from the state. The company, which designs and sells modern fireplaces, would retain one local employee (and $400,000 of payroll) and create 24 new jobs with annual payroll of $1.5 million. It would be required to stay at the project location for nine years minimum.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/03/28/bareminerals-owner-behr-paint-approved-for-ohio-i.html

If you have a subscription, Dispatch also recently ran a series of articles on the history and current events of the neighborhood. Pretty interesting read if you have the time.

Pretty good for the city if this happens. Hope to here several more relocation announcements over the year. BareMinerals owner could open Columbus corporate office “The owner of the BareMinerals beauty brand may open a corporate office in Columbus. New York-based Orveon Global US LLC is up for an incentive that could be valued at nearly $1 million from the city; Columbus City Council will hold a first reading on that incentive Monday. According to information from the city, Orveon may renovate 22,000 square feet of office at 343 N. Front St., suites 100 and 200, in the Arena District. The company expects to create 150 jobs with local payroll of around $15 million. Work could begin as soon as May and wrap up by August.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/03/28/bareminerals-owner-could-open-columbus-corporate-o.html

I have a particular interest in this since I travel Livingston every day and see the improvements that need to be made. Columbus spending $150,000 on study to make East Livingston Avenue safer in Driving Park “Columbus City Council has approved $150,000 for a traffic study along East Livingston Avenue between South 18th Street and Nelson Road to develop a plan to slow down traffic and reduce crashes there. Mayor Andrew J. Ginther mentioned work coming on East Livingston Avenue during his annual State of the City speech on March 1, saying during the pre-recorded, online speech that the city would install "improved, resilient infrastructure" along the street that would include sidewalks, lighting and turn lanes, similar to the work along East Livingston to the west near Nationwide Children's Hospital. In the meantime, the city is installing state-funded crosswalks with signs and flashing beacons at East Livingston and the following intersections: South 22nd Street, Wilson Avenue and Lilley Avenue.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/03/28/columbus-traffic-safety-livingston-avenue-driving-park-crashes/7078992001/?utm_source=dispatch-Daily Briefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_briefing&utm_term=list_article_thumb&utm_content=OHIO-COLUMBUS-NLETTER65

True, but Peninsula should be growing a lot more, hopefully…

I go out of town for the week and Children’s construction ramps up! Tower crane now up and running at the future surgery center. And the site for the RMH expansion has been cleared and equipment is arriving.

It’s looking like it’ll be a pretty long process for Spaghetti Warehouse to move back into its W Broad location, if it’s able to at all. I’m hoping they open their “pop up” in the large, empty retail spot at Gravity 1.0, to keep them basically in the same location. Also kinda hoping they end up not moving back and the site gets redeveloped to fill in the large parking lots (I’m also Team Find a way to preserve the original building).

That would actually be a really great addition to the AD. Even better if he could find a way to work the SFH into a design too. Although I realize it’s now such an awkward location for that home.

Noticed that SFH and large gravel lot behind the AC hotel recently was listed for sale. Would love to see that immediate area get filled in more. https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/527-Armstrong-St_Columbus_OH_43215_M35373-60559?ex=2941510102

Cool recent drone photo from the Vivid Columbus social media account showing progress on Gravity 2 and the Peninsula.

Just to bolster that point a little more, I found a bit more data in the Dispatch. Apparently, our international migration was pretty decent and our births far outnumbered our deaths during that time. The point about college students is also raised. “That wasn't the case in Franklin County, where births (17,346) outnumbered deaths (12,442). Columbus continues to be a magnet for international in-migration despite the problems COVID caused, Mikos said. Franklin County added 2,166 international residents in the past year while Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Montgomery, Summit, Lucas, Stark and Mahoning combined added 2,804 combined. Edward "Ned" Hill, an economics professor at Ohio State University, said he wasn't surprised that Franklin County slipped a little in population because some college students who were counted as residents before COVID didn't come back to live at or around universities, but instead used remote learning during that census estimate period.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/03/25/ohio-counties-census-estimates-franklin-county-population-drops/7153506001/ Basically, I wouldn’t try to draw any conclusions one way or the other from these estimates.

LC has now filed a lawsuit in federal court against the city of Worthington. Developer sues Worthington over Methodist Children's property “Lifestyle argues that the city showed no willingness to seriously consider the plan the developer eventually proposed for the site in 2020. Instead, the suit argues, members of the city's Municipal Planning Commission and Architectural Review Board told Lifestyle to rework the plan to incorporate vague features such as "unspecified 'childish' elements so that the development conveys Worthington’s story through 'poetry.' " Lifestyle's most recent proposal for the site, submitted in September, called for about 600 apartments, townhomes and single-family homes, along with commercial uses on High Street. That plan was rejected by the council in December. Lifestyle claims objections to its plan were not anchored in objective criteria that Lifestyle could realistically address. The suit claims "the city has arbitrarily and capriciously singled Lifestyle out, deprived it of any legitimate process, and subjugated Lifestyle’s private property rights to the unfettered discretion of city officials’ arbitrary whims and fancies."’ https://eu.dispatch.com/story/business/2022/03/25/worthington-sued-over-methodist-childrens-property/7164880001/

Normally I would agree. I’m willing to give DeHays a bit more of the benefit of the doubt, though, given his past work on difficult projects, especially the Trolley District. If it must come down though, I hope he doesn’t just sit on the property for several more years now before doing something with it.

I think that’s where Metro Dev is putting in new apartments, isn’t it?

Only other thing that I think could make it possible is many college students not living on campus during that time d/t covid. I’m still very skeptical of this data though.

“The high ceilings, exposed brick and the door to an old bank vault are echoes of the Hilltop Bank Block's namesake. But these days, what a visitor to the site is most likely to notice is a rich smell of coffee. A large roaster and other pieces of equipment from Roosevelt Coffee Roasters — which moved in earlier this month — take up half the room of the development's main building at 2374 W. Broad Street, a sign that it and nearby spaces are finding new purpose. Brothers Preston and Parker Steele are working to change the block — which includes the former bank building built in 1928 and a few other buildings next to each other between North Wayne and North Oakley avenues — into a destination. All told, the project accounts for 29,000 square feet of retail space and six residential spaces. "It's got story behind it. It's architecturally significant," said Preston Steele, a part-owner of the block of buildings that is being called the Hilltop Bank Block. "It's beat up a little, but we're used to old buildings."’ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2022/03/24/hilltop-bank-block-roosevelt-coffee-roasters-community-destination/7047931001/

Too bad. This building could have been quite handsome again. Historic Building in Franklinton to be Demolished “A local developer with a track record of restoring historic structures is making plans to demolish a 138-year-old building in Franklinton. The building, at 555 W. Town St., has been vacant for over 30 years and is beyond saving, said Brad DeHays of Connect Realty. “We have worked with Columbus Landmarks on the demolition discussion because we do not typically desire to demolish any contributing historic structure,” he said. “However, the wood support columns without footers, dirt basement floor, and crumbling structural brick walls do make this building a hazard to the public…the entire building is structurally unstable.” The building will likely come down within the next 90 days, according to DeHays. As for what might replace it on the site, he said that it will likely be housing, but it is too early to share specific plans.“ https://columbusunderground.com/historic-building-in-franklinton-to-be-demolished-bw1/

CCS continues to hash out their master plan for future facilities use, including the construction of some new school buildings and the demolition of other. Here’s the latest: COLUMBUS CITY SCHOOLS RECOMMENDS NEXT SEGMENT OF FACILITIES MASTER PLAN “Presented by the master planning firm of Legat Architects, the recommendation calls for the construction of five new school buildings by 2027: A new high school with the capacity to serve 1,600 students at the current site of Marion-Franklin High School and the former Beery Middle School. A new high school with the capacity to serve 2,000 students at the current site of Beechcroft High School. A new middle school with the capacity to serve 1,000 students at the current site of Mifflin Middle School. A new elementary school with the capacity to serve 600 students at the current site of Winterset Elementary School. A new elementary school with the capacity to serve 600 students at the current site of Eakin Elementary School. The plans do not yet outline school attendance boundary adjustments or the consolidation of current schools into the proposed newly-constructed buildings.” https://www.ccsoh.us/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=125&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=36610&PageID=1&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_columbus&stream=top

The only good thing with it is that it should be relatively cheap, thus easier to build on top of down the road. I agree with what’s already been said, though. This is a huge chunk of land with great visibility from 70 (where currently a decaying stadium welcomes people to the city…..) and easy access to highways and amenities. I like the idea of doing something similar to Jeffrey Park, just phasing the development out and adjust as needed as they go.