Luvcbus

Denison’s faculty housing plan gets final OK Granville Village Council has given the final approval for a Denison University project that will bring 70 units of faculty and staff housing to Granville’s New Burg Street. "Council members unanimously approved the project’s final development plan at Wednesday’s meeting. The project, which was first proposed a year ago, will bring 70 one- and two-bedroom apartments to 12 acres of the 31-acre parcel that was annexed into the village from Granville Township. The housing is clustered to preserve the forested area. The units will be built in two phases, with about 30 units included in the first phase, which is expected to take 14 months. Granville Village Manager Herb Koehler said in a Thursday interview that Denison has already cleared some trees on the property and is clear to start construction now that the final development plan is approved. The development, which is across from the Granville Middle and High School campus, will be accessed from New Burg Street." The village’s first roundabout, at New Burg and North Pearl streets will be built this summer as well. https://www.dispatch.com/

New $40 million industrial project planned in Johnstown "A local development partnership is planning a $40 million industrial project in Johnstown. Jim Havens of Havens Limited and Rudolph Investment has partnered with JLL's Brian Marsh on a new development called the U.S. 62 Logistics Center. The 20-acre property is located at 11850 Duncan Plains Road NW on the city's southwest side. The project will include office and industrial space designed for light manufacturing, research and development, distribution and other industrial uses. Plans for the site include a 210,000-square-foot facility, with a possible second building. Parking for at least 170 vehicles also is included, with truck access available to the facility. The site will be developed as either a build-to-suit or on a speculative basis. A construction start date has not been set. Previously owned by the Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority, the land is just north of the proposed Johnstown Gateway development — a 417-acre, mixed-use project adjacent to the future Intel Corp. campus." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/04/08/us62-logistics-center-johnstown-industrial-project.html

Krazy Glue manufacturer Toagosei America Inc. plans new facility in West Jefferson "A manufacturer best known for its Krazy Glue brand is planning a new location in West Jefferson. Toagosei America Inc. wants to establish an acrylic polymer manufacturing facility for battery markets, according to a scope of work document from the state of Ohio. The Ohio Tax Credit Authority recently approved a seven-year, 1.3% Job Creation Tax Credit for the project. The credit has an estimated value of $245,000. The company expects to create 50 full-time jobs, generating $3 million in new annual payroll by the end of 2028. Toagosei would also retain 47 employees who work at the manufacturer's existing facility at 1450 W. Main St. in West Jefferson. Those positions generate $2.5 million in payroll." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/04/04/toagosei-america-inc-west-jefferson-manufacturing.html

South Side's new Castings Commerce Park lands its first tenant "Castings Commerce Park has signed its first tenant: Maryland-based National Delivery Systems. The full-service logistics company is leasing 52,000 square feet in the 2211 Parsons Avenue development. Atlanta-based Stonemont Financial spent $100 million transforming the site once home to Columbus Castings, demolishing the foundations of the old buildings and constructing new ones. The industrial park includes three warehouses, one spanning about 115,000 square feet; another 150,000; and the third nearly 600,000 square feet. There is a cross-dock facility and two rear-load facilities. Estes said the firm is also currently in talks with two more tenants of a similar size." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/04/05/columbus-castings-south-side-industrial-tenant.html

A little more from the Dispatch... Taller buildings, no parking requirements - see what's in Columbus' zoning proposal New zoning code says no parking spaces required on major transportation corridors, even for commercial buildings "The new plan for roughly 12,300 city parcels along major transportation corridors eliminates the requirement to provide parking spaces, even for commercial projects, and replaces a general 35-foot height limit with buildings up to 16 stories in core urban areas. Saying he was done with reports and studies, Ginther proclaimed "this is a decade of action," adding that "NIMBYs," or those who demand "not in my backyard," need to challenge themselves to "become that region of YIMBYs," or those who say "yes in my backyard." For Columbus residents now learning many details of the massive new plan — a report detailing them released Thursday was 280 pages — the real decisions start Monday. That's when the actual ordinance officially arrives on the council's agenda, kicking off a 60-day public comment period expected to be followed by a vote of the nine-member body by mid-summer. The changes are expected to dramatically reduce the need for developers to go before "area commissions" to negotiate projects in return for variances and zoning changes, and hopefully speed the development of in-demand housing. The affected parcels are now governed by some 40 various zoning distinctions, each with different requirements. Under the proposal, there will be just six zoning categories, allowing a much broader range of uses in each. The need for more housing is at the center for the city's look at changing its decades-old zoning rules. The region needs to add 200,000 housing units by 2030, according to the Columbus Housing Strategy." https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2024/04/04/columbus-zoning-plan-allows-taller-buildings-with-no-parking/73194940007/

New Columbus zoning code would allow more housing, remove parking requirements "A new zoning code that could be adopted by Columbus City Council would allow for the addition of 88,000 new units to key city corridors – more than 14 times what current zoning would allow. The proposed zoning overhaul impacts about 12,300 parcels, about 950 of which are single-family homes. The legislation and maps will be introduced at Columbus City Council on Monday, kicking off a 60-day public review period. Monday night the council will consider legislation that gets the public review period rolling, but a vote on the code itself won't come until the summer. Columbus unveiled maps of the key corridors that this zoning code rewrite would address in 2023. The city has been working on this project since 2021, when it engaged consultants to assess the current zoning code. Since then, the city has held public hearings, presented to area commissions, sent mail to property owners of affected parcels and released an online survey. If Columbus City Council approves the legislation to start the public comment and review process on Monday, there will be a "war room" at 141 N. Front St., staffed by a city planner six days a week, that people can visit to get information on the changes. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said the updated code reflects public policy priorities, such as increased density to create affordability and creating mixed-income neighborhoods. The updated code would reduce the need for property owners to request many variances from council." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/04/04/columbus-new-zoning-code-height-density.html

Amazon buys 234 acres of Pickaway County land for potential data center expansion "Amazon Web Services is turning to Pickaway County to play a potential role in its $7.8 billion data center expansion in central Ohio. The company bought 234 acres of land for $49.1 million on state Route 104 just outside of Southern Point and between Commercial Point and Lockbourne, according to Pickaway County property records. The latest purchase comes following Amazon's announcement last summer that it was expanding its data center operations in central Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2024/04/03/amazon-buys-234-acres-of-land-in-pickaway-county-for-49-1-million/73180226007/

Cardinal Health plans 350,000-square-foot distribution center near Rickenbacker "Cardinal Health is starting construction on a 350,000-square-foot Columbus distribution center to supply retail pharmacies – its third new Central Ohio facility in two years. The center will create more than 100 jobs and move $250 million in consumer products monthly, according to a job listing for facility director, who will have a hand in the design. The new Consumer Health Logistics Center, which will incorporate the automation and more efficient workflows built into Cardinal's newest facilities, is expected to open in 2025. The facility will be located at 9560 Heartland Ct. in the Rickenbacker Global Logistics Park; the company did not disclose a price tag." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/04/02/cardinal-health-groveport-warehouse.html

Last I heard, the Fieldhouse at Bridge Park is not happening. However, the state of Ohio is building a new fieldhouse at the fairgrounds, but I've yet to see how many that will seat.

Small update on Bank Run: Bank Run Metro Park construction in the works "Construction is ongoing for the new Bank Run Metro Park at the former Hoover YMCA property off Rohr Road on Columbus’ Southeast Side. Named after the type of rock that’s found on the quarry on the property, it’s a type of gravel used as the foundation for many construction projects. The park will have a dedicated 5K track, something that Snyder said a lot of people have been asking for the park system to provide. Snyder said that Metro Parks hopes to open the park by later this year or early next year. According to Snyder, the cost to build up the park will be approximately $1.3 million, and that doesn’t include the money that was already spent on purchasing the property and the surrounding area from the YMCA in 2020. Metro Parks also purchased a rock quarry, where there will be different water activities for park visitors." https://www.dispatch.com/

A couple more updates on Metro Park construction from today's Dispatch: Work continues on Great Southern Metro Park "Construction continues on the $21million Great Southern Metro Park that will sit between the Scioto River and the Great Southern Shopping Center on Columbus’ Far South Side. It will be a traditional metro park with trails, play areas and picnic areas, and an existing wetland to the south. There also will be river access for canoes and kayaks. The park will also include a four-mile extension of the Scioto Trail south from the Scioto Audubon Metro Park, which will cost approximately $11 million. According to Snyder, the trail would provide access to 70,000 Far South Side residents and 1.2 million trail users. The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission awarded $7.98 million in federal funds to Metro Parks to build a bridge over state Route 104 and connections to the Scioto Trail, which represents about 72% of the trail extension’s total cost." https://www.dispatch.com/

"Construction continues on the observation tower and canopy walk at Blacklick Woods Metro Park. Expected to open in the first week of May, it will feature an Americans with Disabilities Act accessible elevator to a 55-foot observation deck and a canopy walk through the trees." https://www.dispatch.com/

Didn't realize it until I came across this bulletin... Once the new pedestrian bridge over the Scioto River and an adjoining trail along Souder Avenue to West Broad Street opens in early July, "the project completes the long-awaited Downtown Scioto trail loop, spanning 3.5 miles around the Scioto Mile". More about the project found here: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/OHCCC/bulletins/3894c56

Time for Intel to cash in its chips Long-promised federal funds are finally flowing to the tech giant as it builds up its now $28 billion Central Ohio campus. "By the end of 2023, construction crews had poured 32,000 cubic yards of concrete – enough to fill two stories of the Rhodes Tower – to build just the basement of Intel Corp.’s two semiconductor factories in New Albany. After some initial delays, Intel’s projects in Ohio and three other states should accelerate now that the chipmaker has a deal for $8.5 billion of federal grants, as much as $11 billion in loans, and tens of billions more in tax breaks. The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the non-binding preliminary agreement March 20, the fourth and largest award to date from the 2022 Chips and Science Act. "That field of dreams (in Ohio) is now an extraordinary construction site coming to life before your very eyes,” Gelsinger said at a livestream event from the company’s suburban Phoenix campus to celebrate the Chips Act announcement. Intel has spent $4.5 billion so far on construction in New Albany, Allen Thompson, Intel vice president of government relations for the U.S. and Canada, said in a teleconference with reporters and Ohio officials after the announcement." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/03/28/intel-chips-act-federal-funding-ohio-semiconductor.html

Here's what CU said about it in August: "The Downtown Commission this morning approved a plan to build a five-story, 120-unit mixed-use development at 266 E. Main St. The new building will sit on what is now an under-utilized parking lot for the 11-story Jaycee Arms complex, which has held affordable senior housing since the early 1970s and would remain intact (continuing to serve that population) under the plan. The development has been before the commission twice previously, with changes to the design made each time based on the board’s feedback. When it was first presented in December of last year, plans called for two separate buildings. Now a single building, the apartments will be located on the upper floors, over first-floor commercial space and a rear parking lot will be partially covered by a raised amenity deck for residents." https://columbusunderground.com/downtown-commission-new-apartments-approved-restaurant-planned-for-high-street-bw1/

Long discussed Columbus zoning changes nearing the finish line "The owners of 13,000 properties in Columbus — mainly those on main bus transportation thoroughfares — will have their zoning and all the associated rules that go with it changed over the summer under City Council's planned update of the city's zoning code. City Council began amending the zoning code Monday in what it said was laying out a process that eventually will lead to a set of amendments to the city's current zoning code, and the ultimate complete replacement of the existing code with a new set of building rules later this year. Monday's changes will allow council to rezone parcels in phases by ordinance, said Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans, who is leading the rezoning effort. The first phase will amount to a rezoning of about 13,000 parcels located mainly along main city bus routes. The result would be to make neighborhoods denser and more walkable. About 80% of the targeted transportation corridors currently ban residential development, either totally or on the ground floor, and a current 35-foot height limitation and off-street parking requirements make it costly for developers, officials have said. At this point, the city hasn't said what exactly is going to change neighborhood by neighborhood. Council plans to unveil those new zoning rules beginning in the next month, Dorans said. After that, a series of zoning ordinances will transfer parcels to the new code's jurisdiction in phases, with required public hearings and public comment periods to allow for neighborhood feedback, he said." https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2024/03/26/long-discussed-columbus-zoning-changes-nearing-the-finish-line/73108191007/

Ohio State Pistol Team Wins Fourth Straight National Championship "Ohio State's pistol team secured its fourth consecutive national championship at the Intercollegiate Pistol Championships, marking the first four-peat in program history." By the Numbers • Ohio State has won 5 of the last 6 national championships in pistol since 2018. • The Buckeyes have claimed 9 pistol national championships since 2000. • Ohio State finished with an aggregate score of 6736, besting second-place Navy by 296 points Ohio State's dominance was evident as they swept the top five spots on the individual leaderboard. https://bvmsports.com/2024/03/23/ohio-state-pistol-team-clinches-fourth-straight-national-title-in-a-dominant-display/

Few more details on the Oak Run Solar Project... Ohio’s largest solar farm will also be the US’s largest agrivoltaics project "The $1 billion Oak Run Solar Project, approved by the Ohio Power Siting Board last week, will sit on over 6,000 acres in Madison County, west of Columbus. The 800-megawatt (MW) solar farm will have two 3.5-mile-long transmission lines. It will also be paired with a 300 MW battery energy storage facility and create enough electricity to power 170,000 households. Nearly 90% of Madison County is designated as farmland, and Oak Run has faced a lot of local opposition. So as part of the approval conditions, Oak Run will graze at least 1,000 sheep and grow crops on 2,000 acres after the first year of operation. Within eight years of operation, at least 70% of the farmable project area, or at least 4,000 acres, will include agrivoltaics. That will make it the largest agrivoltaics project in the US. According to the Ohio Power Siting Board, it will also be a first-of-its-kind utility-scale solar energy plan for livestock grazing and row crops." https://electrek.co/2024/03/25/ohios-largest-solar-farm-us-largest-agrivoltaics-project/

Looks like it might be the Liebherr LR 13000 instead of Big Carl... "The two new fabs, which Evers called a twin-pack fab, will be essentially copied in Ohio with two key differences: more fabs and a better layout. ...one of the largest mobile land cranes in the world is on the job in Ocotillo, the Liebherr LR 13000. It lifts roof trusses that were assembled on the ground into the air several stories high, and will be on its way to build the new Ohio campus." https://www.aztechcouncil.org/intels-biggest-fab-is-coming-to-ohio-and-arizona-is-the-blueprint/ https://www.liebherr.com/en/usa/products/mobile-and-crawler-cranes/crawler-cranes/lr-crawler-cranes/lr-13000.html

This new agrivoltaic system doesn't look too bad: Gorgeous Agrivoltaic System Gilds The Rural Solar Lily "For those of you new to the topic, agrivoltaics is a developing discipline that leverages solar infrastructure for agriculture. Agrivoltaic arrays are matched with crops that do well in partial shade. In addition to improving yields and protecting sensitive crops from overheating, the shady micro-climate can also conserve water, prevent erosion, and improve soil health." https://cleantechnica.com/2024/03/22/gorgeous-agrivoltaic-system-gilds-the-rural-solar-lily/

Ohio State Women's Hockey wins National Championship Freshman Joy Dunne scored with 7:12 remaining to lift Ohio State past Wisconsin 1-0 in the NCAA women's hockey championship game on Sunday. The win marked the Buckeyes' second national championship in three years. https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/college/2024/03/24/ncaa-womens-hockey-ohio-state-tops-wisconsin-for-national-title/73085106007/ Congratulations on another title!

Now that CHIPS funding has been officially secured, we're starting to get a few more details on some of Intel's plans... Intel is planning a sprawling U.S. expansion with 'the largest AI chip manufacturing site in the world' "American semiconductor maker Intel wants to build “the largest AI chip manufacturing site in the world,” in a new five-year, $100 billion U.S. expansion plan. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger told reporters this week that the chipmaker is focused on building the manufacturing site on empty land near Columbus, Ohio, one of the four states the company is investing in. Gelsinger said about 30% of the $100-billion plan will be spent on construction costs such as labor and infrastructure. The remaining will go towards buying chipmaking tools from firms such as ASML, Tokyo Electron, Applied Materials and KLA, among others. Those tools will help bring the Ohio site online by 2027 or 2028. Beyond grants and loans, Intel plans to make most of the purchases from its existing cash flows. The company’s investment into U.S. semiconductor factories is expected to create around 80,000 jobs, Gelsinger said, including company and construction jobs, and indirect jobs for suppliers and adjacent industries." https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/intel-embarks-on-100-bn-investment-in-us-chip-manufacturing-expansion-702537

Sofidel breaks ground on Circleville site expansion Sofidel, a leading manufacturer of toilet paper, is expanding its footprint in Circleville. In 2016, Sofidel broke ground on its first building located on 280 acres in Circleville along State Route 23. At the time, the company committed to employing 300 Ohioans. Last year, it announced plans to expand in Pickaway County and under that proposed expansion, the number of employees could grow to nearly 600. Due to the increase in demand, the company chose Ohio to invest an additional $185 million that would allow the company to expand its facility by 500,000 square feet at its Circleville campus. Sofidel's CEO, Luigi Lazzareschi travelled from Italy for Thursday's groundbreaking and said he was amazed by all the changes in Circleville. "The first time I was in this area was 10 years ago," Lazzareschi said. "I am amazed on the improvements of infrastructure and new housing and companies that have settled here in this area." Other Columbus leaders at Thursday's groundbreaking noting the positive economic domino effect Sofidel has had. "As I drove down today, I saw dozens of small businesses that did not exist before this site was selected," President and CEO of Columbus Partnership Kenny McDonald said. Sofidel said it expects construction to be completed by Aug. 2025. https://abc6onyourside.com/newsletter-daily/sofidel-tissue-paper-plant-sodifel-185-million-expand-circleville-campus-central-ohio-growth-business-booming

A few interesting tidbits in an article in the Ohio Capital Journal... U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown announces almost $20 billion for Intel fabs in Ohio, around U.S. "During a call with reporters Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown stressed the project’s impact on skilled trades workers in the state. “There’s never been a construction project like this in the Midwest,” Brown said, “maybe in the country — work for 7,000 union workers in the skilled trades over 10 years, 3,000 workers in Intel’s fabs.” Ohio Chamber of Commerce President Steve Stivers said the CHIPS Act’s passage may be the beginning of a virtuous cycle. “We’ve heard a lot more from other manufacturing companies that want to re-shore their manufacturing as a result of the fact that we’re going to have chips made in Ohio,” he said. “It’s a big deal.” To Mike Knisley, secretary-treasurer for the Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, the project is worth the wait. He reiterated an argument he’s made before, that Intel’s fabs will establish an employment pipeline spanning multiple generations. Knisley also argued the sheer scope of the project can be hard to fathom. “45 million work hours just on the first phase alone,” he said, “That is gold.” Brown downplayed the delays, arguing that, for projects as big the new microchip facility, setbacks are part of the bargain. “We always knew this wasn’t going to just be quick and easy,” he said, “that this was always going to be a challenge. This is the most complicated, complex building project that anybody’s ever done in Ohio.” Full article found here: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/03/22/u-s-sen-sherrod-brown-announces-almost-20-billion-for-intel-fabs-in-ohio-around-u-s/

French bistro Chouette opening at intersection of High and Gay downtown "A growing restaurant group will bring a French bistro to downtown Columbus this summer. Dallas-based Makeready plans to open Chouette at the northeast corner of High and Gay streets. The restaurant will occupy a 2 E. Gay St. spot that was once partially home to Brioso Coffee’s original location. The coffee shop moved across the intersection in 2020 to make way for Edwards Cos.' redevelopment of the Madison and White-Haines buildings. Makeready President and COO Christine Magrann described the forthcoming concept as a classic French bistro, but not “stuffy." The restaurant is expected to seat 121 inside and another 44 on its outside patio, which Magrann expects to be the most sought after seats, especially for weekend brunch, which is a big part of the plan." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/03/21/chouette-french-bistro-opening-downtown.html & https://columbusunderground.com/french-bistro-slated-for-prominent-downtown-corner-sp1/