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CBF’s article on the Livingston Ave redevelopment, with an update on the Copious redev in the Brewery District: $45 million mixed-use project proposed across from Children's Hospital “Tom Brigdon, with Northstar Realty, said the area needs new development. "There's not a lot of restaurants over here, there's not a lot of workforce housing," Brigdon told Business First. "We're hoping to give people who work at Children's who aren't doctors an option to live close to work. We think this will be good for the area and good for the hospital." Brigdon said there will be three or four restaurants in about 19,000 square feet of commercial space. Nearby on South High and Blenkner streets, Schiff is working on redeveloping the former Copious restaurant. The proposed building there, called The Pierre, would include 67 units, with about 1,800 square feet of leasable retail or restaurant space on the ground floor and a second-floor amenity or clubhouse. The seven-story building would cost about $25 million to construct. Schiff Capital is in the process of working out a design for that project with the Brewery District Commission. He said he hopes to start building the two projects within 60 days of each other and work on them simultaneously. ArchAll Architects is the architect for both projects.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/01/10/schiff-northstar-project.html

Boutique apartments on Rich Street nearing completion “Construction of 35 boutique apartments near Topiary Park downtown is nearing completion. The multifamily project at 530 Rich St. will be ready for tenants in late March, said Michael Schiff, principal of Schiff Capital Group. The apartments cost about $13.5 million. In addition to the apartments, there is a parking garage and 10, two-story townhomes with views of downtown. Two historic on the property are being preserved and turned into apartments – two in each, one up and one down. The back portions of the two homes, which date to 1899 and 1901, were demolished to accommodate the new building. "They're going to be really neat units," Schiff said. "The Discovery District as a whole has become a great place in Columbus. There's a lot of cool developments there and this will be a niche thing and a great opportunity for people who want to live in the Discovery District."’ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/01/10/rich-street.html

Glad to see an update on this story. Wish its opening wasn’t still a year+ away… EXCLUSIVE: Schiff Capitol Group and Corso pick a Short North location for nonprofit art gallery “A Short North art gallery being developed by Schiff Capital Group and Corso Ventures will open in 2023. The project is in the final planning stages and will land in the Jackson building at 1137 N. High St., said Michael Schiff, principal of Schiff Capital Group. The nonprofit Local Art-Short North will include space for new artists, who will be able to display their art rent-free. The space, which currently is vacant, has floor-to-ceiling windows, which Schiff said will allow passersby on High Street to see the art. Schiff also is redeveloping the space next door at 1135 N. High Street., which used to house a fitness facility.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/01/07/short-north-arts.html

Some info on the design of the restaurants in the Hilton tower, courtesy of 614 Now: From a two-story restaurant to a 28th-floor rooftop bar, here are the food and drink concepts coming to the new Downtown Hilton tower “By the time it’s completed–likely by early fall this year–the new Hilton Columbus Downtown tower will offer a handful of exciting new bars, restaurants and markets to both out of towners and Columbus foodies alike. One of the centerpieces of the new build is FYR, a two-story restaurant that will feature a wood-burning grill in the center of the eatery. And if two stories plus a live grill aren’t enough excitement for you, how about a 28th-floor rooftop bar with panoramic views of Columbus? Stories on High will offer drinks and small plates from a separate kitchen, in addition to lookout decks offering premium views of the city. “It’s the highest sky bar in the area, and you can see everything: OSU, downtown and more,” Coffin said. “Looking down Nationwide [Boulevard], you can see the three stadiums all in a row. You know they’re there, but seeing them from that point of view is so unique.” The new Hilton tower will also feature Spark, a lobby bar with an innovative new mixology program, and The Market, a grab-and-go spot offering sundries, sandwiches, salads and more, with direct access to the Greater Columbus Convention Center.” https://614now.com/2022/food-drink/from-a-two-story-restaurant-to-a-28th-floor-rooftop-bar-here-are-the-food-and-drink-concepts-coming-to-the-new-downtown-hilton-tower

Wake up! 🤣 I really hope that hotel ends up going through. The design looks neat. I just don’t understand the mindset of preferring vacant lots and dilapidated buildings over things that the community can actually use and benefit from.

I knew it wouldn’t be long before the Villains started gnashing their teeth over this. If they wanted to criticize the proposal for lacking creativity…go for it. But that rant is moronic NIMBYism at its finest, or worst, whichever one. Makes me want to show up at the meeting just to lend a voice of support for the project.

A quick update from Schiff about the state of Harmony, from the Livingston Ave dev article: ”Schiff said that work is on schedule to wrap up on the Rich Street project – now called Discovery Park Place – in March. He added that the 30-story Harmony Tower proposal “is still on our drawing board, something we hope to get to,” but acknowledged that, “with today’s uncertainty, it’s a little tougher…but it’s our goal to have [Harmony Tower] or something else amazing built on that lot.’” https://www.columbusunderground.com/five-story-building-proposed-for-livingston-avenue-bw1/?fbclid=IwAR1baIsQh0rXfpvzEZiK7r8ipU5DYTEAFDyJIcPEqfuB73bjlsDVo2WK1gU I thought it was completely dead. So I’m glad to see at least some version of it may still happen. That’s a pretty decent sized empty lot on High, so I’d love to see it filled soon.

We’re finally getting more details on the project from Schiff that’s been proposed for the former Shane’s site. Overall, I like it; I’m glad to see more retail and density being added to this area. Makes sense with such a big jobs center across the street. Five-Story Building Proposed for Livingston Avenue “A five-story mixed-use building has been proposed for a key block of East Livingston Avenue, across from the expanding Nationwide Children’s Hospital campus. The project would require the demolition of several buildings between Ninth Street and Washington Avenue, including the former home of Shane’s Gourmet Catering, an Enterprise Rent-a-Car location, and the building that once held the Art Outside the Lines studio. The proposal calls for a 163-unit building with ground floor retail and a 179-space, internal parking garage. A council variance has been submitted to the city since the building is taller and offers fewer parking spaces than allowed by the current commercial zoning. Also included in the variance are provisions to allow for the building to be closer to the street, and to allow residential uses on the ground floor (townhomes on the first floor are proposed for the Washington Avenue side of the building). The new building would extend over what is now Dutch Alley, allowing cars and pedestrians to pass through underneath. Schiff Capital Group and Northstar Realty LLC are the developers behind the project, which is a revision of an earlier proposal that Northstar first brought to the neighborhood in 2018.” https://www.columbusunderground.com/five-story-building-proposed-for-livingston-avenue-bw1/?fbclid=IwAR1baIsQh0rXfpvzEZiK7r8ipU5DYTEAFDyJIcPEqfuB73bjlsDVo2WK1gU

Seems like that’s been coming up so quickly!

Never heard of them before, but I’d be willing to try them out. National chain for hot dogs and barbecue planning Columbus location “On Dec. 29, Crave announced it had signed franchisee Raymond DeWeese alongside his sons Taylor and Elijah for a Columbus store. While the address and opening date haven’t been announced yet, the restaurant will be the first Crave location in Ohio. Crave is located in 15 other states, including Indiana and Michigan. Diners will be able to grab brisket, pulled pork, indulgent hot dogs, loaded tater tots and more. They’ll also be able to compliment their food with a craft beer from Crave’s unique self-pouring beer wall.” https://614now.com/2022/food-drink/national-chain-spot-for-hot-dogs-and-barbecue-planning-columbus-location

A little more sleuthing. It isn’t much information, but I think it does help confirm that we actually will start seeing movement on this site soon, and that it’s not mere signage (Pizzuti…😒). From a Cycle Works FB post in September:

I imagine they were conservative with the windows on that side considering the proximity of the neighboring house. It is odd, however, they didn’t put ANY in the portion of that side that would likely receive the most sunlight lol New City has had quite a few homes pop up recently, especially in Milo-Grogan it seems, and they’re…interesting…designs to say the least.

Thanks! I feel like they’ve been put to use quite a bit since I’ve started visiting this site 😂 And you’re right. Their projects don’t really look special, but I’ll bland over a dilapidated, vacant building! Lol

I decided to post a little photo tour of some of the development that’s been occurring in the neighborhood I moved into last year, Southern Orchards. This area has seen tremendous investment over the past few years from the city, private developers, and non-profits, such as NCH’s Healthy Homes program. Fencing and property markets have just recently gone up on the site of the former Kossuth Street Garden. So groundbreaking should start before too long. Another new build is going up on a formerly vacant lot on Oakwood Ave. This one is from New City Homes, which is based in Franklinton. Quite a bit of infill like this has been occurring, which is definitely a plus. One of the neater projects I’ve noticed is the renovation of a dilapidated warehouse that has sat empty for years. Before: It is currently being transformed into five condo units. Lastly, Kreais Co, a local real estate developer, now calls 752 Forest St home, with the renovation of a small retail site (ignore my console reflection 😅).

So signage for Marker Construction is going up on the fencing today. We might be seeing some development soon here too, although I’ve not really been able to find anything. Based on information from the Franklin Co Auditor’s property search feature, it looks like an LLC called KCG Franklinton has been buying up this and surrounding properties throughout 2021. The only thing I could find on Google was KCG Companies, which is a multi family developer out of Indiana. But I couldn’t find anything regarding Columbus on their site…

There are a few trucks as well as ladders on the site today. Also, CU stated in one of their year-end construction round ups that work would begin anew in 2022, although I’m not sure what their source was. Fingers crossed we’ll see this going up again really soon.

They’ve also formed a partnership with Root Insurance here as well.

Looks like this plan was approved by City Council. And apparently Magic Mountain was still open until the plan was approved? Magic Mountain's Polaris site to close to make way for Carvana “Used cars are running the go-karts off Magic Mountain. Magic Mountain's Polaris location will close at 5 p.m. Thursday to make way for the used-car company Carvana's first Columbus dealership. The move ends the amusement center's 23-year run at the location, although Magic Mountain's other location, on Scarborough Road, will remain open, said a worker at the Polaris site who confirmed the closing. The Columbus City Council approved Carvana's request to rezone Magic Mountain's 8-acre site at 8350 Lyra Drive, on the west side of Interstate 71 south of Polaris Parkway. This would be Carvana's first Columbus facility and second in Ohio, following one in Warrensville Heights outside Cleveland. The used-car company is known for its car "vending machines," glass towers where customers can pick up their cars after buying them online. In its rezoning request to the city, Carvana proposed a 7,960-square-foot, seven-story vending machine-style building on the site, flanked by a parking lot to the south and a site to be further developed on the north.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2021/12/22/magic-mountain-polaris-could-become-carvanas-first-columbus-site/8980597002/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_columbus&stream=top

Also, it looks like this property is off the market now. Fingers crossed a new owner will be able to break ground soon.

Work has started on this project. Equipment is on site, and it appears most of the work on the foundation is done. Also in the King-Lincoln neighborhood, I noticed work on another project has started. This one is right next to the old building at 1020 E Long that was just renovated this year, but I can’t remember reading anything about another building going up here. Does anyone else know what it is?

A quick rundown from CBF on the state of projects that we should see in the city next year: Agenda 2022: Developers bullish on downtown Columbus comeback ‘"It's one thing for me to say I'm bullish on downtown, but it's another for people like Daimler and Flaherty & Collins to invest in downtown in the middle of a pandemic," Taylor said. "That's what makes me bullish." Taylor said she is seeing all of downtown regaining momentum, with more people walking around downtown now than she saw in June. Crowds enjoyed the Scioto Mile and the Christmas lights at Columbus Commons, for example, and this month the NCAA sold out its national women's volleyball championship tournament at Nationwide Arena. "I think downtown will always have a unique role in engaging people," Taylor said. "It's always been more than a cubicle; it's always been a special place to work."” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/12/30/downtown-year-end.html I think the project I’m most looking forward to seeing is the North Market Tower. Not only will it add to our skyline, but, more importantly, it will expand on a great community space, and make it an even greater attraction to those both inside and outside the city.

Crashes, speeding on East Livingston Avenue in Driving Park get Columbus officials' notice “After reviewing reports and hearing complaints from Driving Park and Old Oaks residents about speeding and crashes along East Livingston Avenue, Columbus officials plan to do a traffic study to determine how to make the busy corridor safer. According to city police records, there have been 65 crashes this year through Dec. 13 at just five intersections along East Livingston Avenue: South Ohio Avenue, South Champion Avenue, Miller Avenue, Kelton Avenue and Fairwood Avenue. "The residents' concerns are what are leading us to perform this particular study," said Reynaldo Stargell, administrator of the city's traffic management division. Stargell said the traffic study, which will take in East Livingston Avenue between South 18th Street and Nelson Road, will determine possible lane reconfigurations. "Reducing the number of lanes can reduce speeds," Stargell said. He pointed to work the city did on Parsons Avenue on the South Side, with traffic now traveling on one lane northbound and one southbound with a middle turn lane. East Livingston Avenue now is two lanes in each direction, with some left-turn lanes.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2021/12/21/livingston-avenue-columbus-speeding-crashes-plague-driving-park-old-oaks/6494435001/ I would love to see Parsons-esque changes come to E Livingston. Making this corridor more pedestrian friendly and cleaned up will help attract more amenities and local retail back to this area.

Downtown's Citizens building apartments to be converted into condos “The apartments at the historic Citizens building are being converted into condos. Jeff Edwards of Edwards Cos., who developed the building, said there is more appeal in that location for a for-sale product. He also said he always planned to turn the building's apartments into condos, but he needed to own the property for five years first to comply with tax credit rules related the building's historic status. There are 63 units at 51 N. High St., which will be called The Citizens Condominium. The building has access to the bar on the ground floor and a rooftop amenity. Residents can also make use of the pool at the neighboring Edwards apartment complex, The Nicholas. The Nicholas and the Citizens building are connected by an underground tunnel. The Nicholas will remain apartments, Edwards said. Edwards said with many new jobs coming to the region attracting out-of-state employees, people coming from an urban environment might enjoy living in a place like the Citizens Condominium.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/12/28/citizens-bank.html

CBF ran a story today on the forthcoming Harriet’s Hope project, and included was a rendering I’d not seen before: The full article is here: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/12/27/harriets-hope-apartments.html

Looks like ground prep is beginning for the next phase of the Grandview Yard extension?