The neighborhood should be full of these "experimental" homes and perhaps will bring in new retail along Cleveland Avenue for a comeback of sorts.

Unless they are really desperate, how many families with any kids would be able to make do with 750 square feet? I realize that is the same size as the original Levittown, Long Island homes, but would families with say, four members really be willing to live in 750 square feet?  Expectations of space for the average family have changed since then, especially when comparing a single family home to apartment space. And I do realize that the trend is for smaller spaces needed for smaller families, couples and singles. The average number of persons per housing unit is dropping and is expected to continue to do so and all. Maybe with smaller families, say one parent two kids or two parents one kid it would be ok. 

 

Now that said, I think this kind of place would be great for a couple or a single person. One of the two extra bedroom spaces could be storage/guest bed, the other home office, etc. Would do very well for that IMO. I wonder what these would go for on the open market? And I would still love to see a floor plan. But it looks like they did quite a lot with that 750 square feet.  And it is good to see experimental homes like this trying to address affordability and make the most of smaller spaces.

 

 

Edited March 4, 20196 yr by Toddguy
blah blah

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/03/05/homeport-gets-approval-for-affordable-linden.html

 

Homeport is disappointing the crap out of me lately.  With its desire to tear down the Franklinton church and now this... ugh...  I wanted to like this project, I really did. It'll be in an area and along a corridor- Cleveland Avenue- that desperately needs development.  But this design is just bad.  It's a suburban design with the large setback from the street and no mixed-use elements.  I know it's affordable housing, but that doesn't mean it has to be a bad design. They can do better than this, and have.

Edited March 5, 20196 yr by jonoh81

^The setback is consistent with existing buildings along this stretch of Cleveland Ave. The development would be inappropriate along Cleveland Ave. south of Weber Rd. but it fits in here.

1 hour ago, Pablo said:

^The setback is consistent with existing buildings along this stretch of Cleveland Ave. The development would be inappropriate along Cleveland Ave. south of Weber Rd. but it fits in here.

 

Cleveland Avenue is a major corridor with the city's only existing BRT-ish line.  Any new buildings should have zero setback. 

9 hours ago, jonoh81 said:

 

Cleveland Avenue is a major corridor with the city's only existing BRT-ish line.  Any new buildings should have zero setback. 

 

PREACH

On 3/6/2019 at 8:52 AM, Pablo said:

^The setback is consistent with existing buildings along this stretch of Cleveland Ave. The development would be inappropriate along Cleveland Ave. south of Weber Rd. but it fits in here.

 

That's kind of the issue here, just because it is the current "standard" in the area does not mean it should continue to be.

 

The city keeps releasing these "( Insert focus neighborhood ) Corridor" plans, but the only way for those to happen is a piecemeal approach. Corridors like Cleveland Ave, Olentangy north of OSU, and Parsons Ave aren't going to just become walkable urban areas overnight, they need every new development to follow a new standard. People often forget that the Short North used to be parking lot/suburban drive through wasteland that almost all looked like the check cashing place at 3rd and High, or the plaza with Local Bar, but with years of forcing new urban standards we have one of the strongest urban corridors in the midwest.

 

Letting Homeport build this with a setback for no reason other than "It's consistent with what exists" is unacceptable, what gets built now will be around for decades.

I mean, Bollinger tower, anyone see the similarities. 

^The Short North was never all "parking lot/suburban drive through" as you describe. 

1 minute ago, Pablo said:

^The Short North was never all "parking lot/suburban drive through" as you describe. 

 

Not entirely, but it wasn't that long ago that every block had a lot more surface lots and single-story outlet buildings than it does now.  And certainly in the 1970s and 1980s, it was a wasteland of those things, in addition to most of the existing buildings being either abandoned or in poor condition.  The parts of Cleveland Avenue that used to be walkable are much like that today.  In any case, why would we want a major corridor like Cleveland to continue to be suburbanized when there is a better way?  The city keeps allowing this instead of being forward-thinking and getting to work on vastly improving area zoning.  The city is not building well behind existing demand for no reason.  Among other things, It's because of zoning that continues to either actively promote limited-scale, suburbanized development, or block development altogether. 

Yeah, I'm well aware of what the SN looked like.

 

I still think this stretch of Cleveland Ave is just fine with a small setback. It's no different than the setback on Indianola between Arcadia and Weber. South of Weber Rd. Cleveland needs a 0' setback. North of Oakland Park Cleveland Ave is a suburban mess. I don't think 0' setbacks are a panacea for all urban ills.

6 minutes ago, Pablo said:

Yeah, I'm well aware of what the SN looked like.

 

I still think this stretch of Cleveland Ave is just fine with a small setback. It's no different than the setback on Indianola between Arcadia and Weber. South of Weber Rd. Cleveland needs a 0' setback. North of Oakland Park Cleveland Ave is a suburban mess. I don't think 0' setbacks are a panacea for all urban ills.

 

North of Weber, it's just a mix of older single-family homes, strip malls and commercial buildings.  Aside from some of the older housing, churches, etc, there is really nothing there worth protecting from updated zoning.  And as you say, north of Oakland Park, Cleveland reverts back entirely to commercial and retail in Hilliard-Rome Road style suburban layouts.  I'm not really sure why any of that should be left as is.  And I'm not making the case that 0' setback is a panacea.  It's just one aspect of creating better urban zoning for an actual urban corridor that's been left to rot or chopped up with a multitude of bad development. 

Homeport Releases More Details on Linden Project

 

With City Council approval secured, Homeport is now just waiting on financing before it can proceed with a 50-unit affordable housing project in Linden.

 

The development will feature a three-story, 45-unit apartment building at 2959 Cleveland Ave. — across the street from the New Salem Baptist Church — as well as five single family homes to be built on scattered lots in the immediate area.

 

“We’re excited about the project,” said Bruce Luecke, Homeport President & CEO. “We think this’ll be one of those projects that not only provides good, quality, affordable housing, but that will serve to…get the ball rolling in Linden.”

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/homeport-releases-more-details-on-linden-project-bw1

 

Not bad for this area of town 

New Linden grocery hopes to fill void left by Kroger’s departure last year

 

The Kroger store in the Northern Lights Shopping Center closed more than a year ago, but the space will be revived with a new international grocery catering to the Linden area’s growing immigrant population.

 

Dublin resident John Sung plans to open a Saraga International Grocery there in May and employ 120 people.  Last week, he and others were stocking shelves with mango nectar and soda from Mexico, tapioca from Brazil, sardines from Morocco, palm wine from Nigeria and other items.  “There are lots of immigrants. Low-income people need more food,” said Sung, 56, an immigrant from South Korea who sees the store as more than a capitalistic enterprise; it’s an opportunity to serve a community that needs a grocery store.

 

Sung owns and operates a Saraga International Grocery on Morse Road in the Northland area, and is trying to open a third in the former Kohl’s department store on South Hamilton Road across from Eastland Mall.

 

MORE:  https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190327/new-linden-grocery-hopes-to-fill-void-left-by-krogers-departure-last-year

^My very first job was a bagger at that Kroger in 1979. Glad to see another Saraga opening!

Edited March 28, 20196 yr by Pablo

40 minutes ago, Columbo said:

New Linden grocery hopes to fill void left by Kroger’s departure last year

 

The Kroger store in the Northern Lights Shopping Center closed more than a year ago, but the space will be revived with a new international grocery catering to the Linden area’s growing immigrant population.

 

Dublin resident John Sung plans to open a Saraga International Grocery there in May and employ 120 people.  Last week, he and others were stocking shelves with mango nectar and soda from Mexico, tapioca from Brazil, sardines from Morocco, palm wine from Nigeria and other items.  “There are lots of immigrants. Low-income people need more food,” said Sung, 56, an immigrant from South Korea who sees the store as more than a capitalistic enterprise; it’s an opportunity to serve a community that needs a grocery store.

 

Sung owns and operates a Saraga International Grocery on Morse Road in the Northland area, and is trying to open a third in the former Kohl’s department store on South Hamilton Road across from Eastland Mall.

 

MORE:  https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190327/new-linden-grocery-hopes-to-fill-void-left-by-krogers-departure-last-year

 

The area between North Linden, Morse and Easton has in recent years exploded in immigrant population.  It always had a lot of immigrants relative to the rest of the city, but the census tracts there have now become between 30% and 60% foreign-born, with high populations of Asian and African immigrants in particular.  If it wasn't for them, the area would be in a lot worse shape.

Edited March 28, 20196 yr by jonoh81

The Saraga Grocery International has now opened in the old Linden Kroger location:

 

https://abc6onyourside.com/on-your-side/saraga-grocery-international-opens-in-old-linden-kroger-location

^That's good news for the neighborhood. I worked as a bagger at that Kroger when it was new in the late '70s.

Edited June 5, 20196 yr by Pablo

$5M JPMorgan grant to kick-start Linden revival initiative focused on housing, health and business assistance

 

A $5 million grant from JPMorgan Chase will seed a new $20 million fund designed to spur the revitalization of Linden.

 

JPMorgan's grant, announced Tuesday, will be part of a $20 million loan pool that will fund several neighborhood-building initiatives, including the development or rehabilitation of 500 affordable housing units, expansion of health services and consulting and other assistance to small businesses to boost the neighborhood's economy.

 

The new initiative, The 614 for Linden, will carry forward the One Linden Community Plan plan launched last year by Mayor Andrew Ginther to address the challenges in the struggling northeast Columbus neighborhood. Linden's population has shrunk from 26,000 in 1960 to 18,000 today, with a median income of $24,000, half that of the rest of the city.

 

More below:
https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/11/25/5m-jpmorgan-grant-to-kick-start-linden-revival.html

 

City Announces $25 Million Linden Initiative

 

The City of Columbus announced a new initiative yesterday that is designed to implement some of the ideas laid out in last year’s One Linden plan.

 

An initial donation of $5 million for the project will come from a national program run by JPMorgan Chase called Partnerships for Raising Opportunity in Neighborhoods.

 

An additional $20 million will be made available in a loan pool to be developed by the nonprofit Ohio Capital Finance Corporation, with support from three other community development financial institutions: the Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County, the Finance Fund Capital Corporation and the Economic Community Development Institute.

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/city-announces-25-million-linden-initiative-bw1

 

I wish the city would create a 'main street' grant program for Linden and other areas. Other cities have found success in a grant program that awards funds to business owners or building owners for capital improvements to the exteriors/storefronts in an effort to restore and spruce up areas. Not loans, but funds that allow current owners/occupants to take part in the revitalization of areas they may not have been able to otherwise. 

 

Other cities have also done similar programs or interest free loans for home improvements and curb appeal projects. To my knowledge, the only similar program columbus offers is roofing and tax abatements, the latter benefitting people who can purchase a flipped house more than current residents.  I think is important to continue to explore more options to keep current residents and not rapidly change the value and demographics of the area. 

 

IMO I want to see the city go all in in Linden. I don't want to see a half-assed attempt. Take my tax dollars and do it big. Do it right. 

 

Additionally. It sounds like the 200 units for those on the brink of homelessness may be similar to a Franklin Station. If not, I'd like the city to build another shelter and services center in Linden as well. Ideally, we should have several additional shelters across the city IMO. 

Developer picked for Downtown Linden housing project

 

 

 

Current area:

 

 

"The local nonprofit developer Homeport was selected to lead the development of 100 senior apartments and commercial space, and 11 single-family homes that would anchor a new Downtown Linden at Cleveland and Myrtle avenues."

 

https://www.dispatch.com/business/20200219/developer-picked-for-downtown-linden-housing-project

2 hours ago, aderwent said:

Developer picked for Downtown Linden housing project

 

 

 

Current area:

 

 

"The local nonprofit developer Homeport was selected to lead the development of 100 senior apartments and commercial space, and 11 single-family homes that would anchor a new Downtown Linden at Cleveland and Myrtle avenues."

 

https://www.dispatch.com/business/20200219/developer-picked-for-downtown-linden-housing-project

I like it, I just wish the parking could be underground or incorporated into the build. 

I wish they could incorporate the old retail building at the corner of Briarwood.  It's really the only decent building on the site, is in good condition and there's really no reason it should be demolished.

$20M development could kick-start 'downtown Linden' revival

 

Mayor Andrew Ginther said in his state of the city address this month that there had been significant progress in the neighborhood, one year after the city launched its One Linden plan focused on a turnaround for Linden.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2020/02/23/20m-development-could-kickstart-downtown-linden.html

 

Homeport Picked for “Downtown Linden” Project

 

Affordable housing developer Homeport has been selected to redevelop a prominent corner in Linden.

 

The site, a 1.7-acre parcel at the southeast corner of Cleveland and Myrtle avenues, was assembled by Columbus Next Generation Corporation (CNGC).

 

Homeport was chosen to develop the site after CNGC put out a request for proposals earlier this year, and now plans to construct a two-building, 100-unit senior housing development there.

 

“We’re really excited and honored to be at the table,” said Leah Evans, Homeport’s Vice President of Real Estate Development. “Housing impacts people’s lives, and [we see this] as an impactful project, a catalytic project.”

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/homeport-picked-for-downtown-linden-project-bw1

 

 

https://www.columbusunderground.com/first-residents-move-into-new-huckleberry-house-community-sp1

 

The first residents moved into Huckleberry House’s new Kenmore Square community in Linden starting March 17.  Kenmore Square is located just south of Hudson Street between Cleveland Avenue and Joyce Avenue.

 

The organization, which helps Central Ohio youth in crisis, purchased the 56-unit Kenmore Square apartment community from Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority.  The renovated units will provide Columbus-area youth aged 18- to 24-year old experiencing homelessness a place to call home and receive support services.

From https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20200328/opwc-awards-nearly-30-million-for-20-central-ohio-roadway-projects:

 

The City of Columbus was awarded $2 million in funding from the Ohio Public Works Commission for a $19.43 million project to reconstruct Hudson Street from I-71 to Cleveland Avenue in the Linden neighborhood.  The reconstruction will include rain gardens and a multi-use pathway along the south side of the street:

13 hours ago, Columbo said:

From https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20200328/opwc-awards-nearly-30-million-for-20-central-ohio-roadway-projects:

 

The City of Columbus was awarded $2 million in funding from the Ohio Public Works Commission for a $19.43 million project to reconstruct Hudson Street from I-71 to Cleveland Avenue in the Linden neighborhood.  The reconstruction will include rain gardens anda multi-use pathway along the south side of the street:

 

They should also do a road diet of Hudson from 4th to Indianola. Three lanes could get the job done just as well, and it would be less chaotic. That's also a gap in the bike lanes.

7 hours ago, Ted said:

They should also do a road diet of Hudson from 4th to Indianola. Three lanes could get the job done just as well, and it would be less chaotic. That's also a gap in the bike lanes.

Yeah I hate that this doesn’t have bike lanes. 

Hudson and Sullivant Get Redesigns, Other Street Projects Moving Forward

 

The City of Columbus is gearing up for a busy spring and summer of road work. Although the long term impact of the coronavirus pandemic is unknown – and some state projects are already being impacted because of a projected loss of gas tax funds – work is continuing on the local projects that were already in the city’s pipeline.

 

Work started earlier this month on $10 million worth of improvements to Sullivant Avenue, including new sidewalks, improved lighting and traffic signals, and bump outs to slow cars and shorten the distance for pedestrians crossing the street.

 

A redesign of Hudson Street between I-71 and Cleveland Avenue is also moving forward. The project, which was first announced by Mayor Ginther at his State of the City address in February, calls for a new sidewalk on the north side of the street and a 12-foot-wide shared use path along the south side. New curbs, street trees and traffic lights are also a part of the project, along with a new water main and storm sewers.

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/hudson-sullivant-redesigns-other-street-projects-bw1

 

2 hours ago, ColDayMan said:

Hudson and Sullivant Get Redesigns, Other Street Projects Moving Forward

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/hudson-sullivant-redesigns-other-street-projects-bw1

 

That Hudson st project is going to be great. I just wish they would put some more focus on bike lanes. This would be a perfect area for it.

CMHA taking on $40 million project in South Linden

 

The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority is embarking on a nearly $40 million project to buy and upgrade a major affordable housing property in South Linden.

 

CMHA closed this week on its purchase of the 230-unit Rosewind community along Brooks Avenue, and plans significant upgrades to bring the property into the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's project-based voucher program, a more stable funding stream for the affordable housing entity.

 

"We want to make it feel like a 21st-century housing and this will give us the financial structure to do that," said Bob Bitzenhofer, vice president of planning and development for CMHA.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2020/07/17/cmha-plans-extensive-rehab-of-largest-property.html

 

Free Food Market coming to Linden 

 

https://www.columbusunderground.com/free-food-free-food-market-coming-to-linden-sp1market-opening-in-linden-sp1

 

Two Linden Developments Moving Forward

 

Site work is underway on an affordable housing development at 2959 Cleveland Avenue in Linden, with a virtual groundbreaking for the project scheduled for next week. ... The 50-unit project, known as Kenlawn Place, is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.  It will feature a three-story, 45-unit apartment building on Cleveland Avenue as well as well as five single family homes to be built on scattered lots in the immediate area.

 

Less than a mile to the south, work will likely start some time next year on 100 units of senior housing, the first phase of a larger plan for the intersection of Cleveland and Myrtle avenues.

 

Both projects are being developed by Homeport, a nonprofit organization with a long history in Linden that is looking to contribute to the latest efforts to revitalize the neighborhood.  “We’re excited about the work in Linden,” said Bruce Luecke, Homeport President & CEO.  “The community put together the One Linden plan, and what we’ve been trying to do is to capitalize on the ideas that they wanted advanced,” like more housing options and new development along Cleveland Avenue.

 

Luecke pointed to other initiatives that are either underway or recently announced in the area – such as the Linden Community Center, the Linden Fresh Market, and new homes being built by Habitat for Humanity – as proof that momentum is building in the neighborhood.

 

MORE:  https://www.columbusunderground.com/two-linden-developments-moving-forward

 

CVS Health will invest $13.7 million to renovate Rosewind in South Linden

 

CVS Health announced that it will invest $13.7 million to help renovate the Rosewind complex in the South Linden neighborhood, improve the community center and provide onsite community health programs there for residents.  The investment is part of the drug store chain’s nationwide commitment of nearly $600 million over five years to address issues of racial inequality and social determinants of health in Black communities.  The commitment includes an emphasis on increasing access to affordable housing, which is linked to positive health outcomes.

 

About 95% of the residents at the 230-unit Rosewind complex are Black and have an average household income of less than $17,000. ... CVS Health will work with the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority and the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing on the project.

 

Rosewind opened in 1998 on the site of the old Windsor Terrace apartment project located east of the Cleveland Avenue and East 11th Avenue intersection.  The Rosewind development has 160 townhouses and 70 single-family houses and the CVS contribution will be used to help renovate all 230 units.  The money will also be used toward improvements to the local community center and to support new community health programs.

 

MORE:  https://www.thisweeknews.com/story/lifestyle/health-fitness/2020/09/16/cvs-health-will-invest-137-million-to-renovate-rosewind-in-south-linden/114035586/

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2020/11/09/columbus-1-4b-capital-budget-2020.html

 

A number of items in the City's latest capital improvements budget for the Linden neighborhood:

• $1 million dedicated to the Linden neighborhood for affordable housing development - plus $11.5 million city-wide for affordable housing development
• $3.7 million to rebuild Hudson Avenue from I-71 to Cleveland Avenue
• $500,000 for home repair, plus street and sewer improvements in the Linden neighborhood

 

The new $25 million Linden Community Center opened Monday:

• https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/getting-a-look-inside-the-new-linden-rec-center-set-to-open-monday/
• https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/03/07/linden-community-center-begins-programs-monday-columbus/4493408001/

 

^^^^ Looks fantastic!!

 

Above is an aerial view of an interesting property in North Linden.  Listed as 757 Carolyn Avenue, it is an 11-acre property sandwiched between I-71 and a residential neighborhood.  The 11-acre parcel has two buildings on it: a northern two-story 65,000 sq. ft building built in 1968; and a southern one-story 51,000 sq. ft. building built in 1975.

 

These buildings were built by City National Bank (later Bank One) and were used for non-retail supportive operations until they sold the property and buildings to the City of Columbus in 1998.  The city used the northern building for the Building and Zoning Department until they moved to the Michael Coleman Government Center Downtown in 2018.  The southern building was used by the city to inspect licensed vehicles (taxis, food trucks, etc.) until they moved.

 

When the city announced the downtown Coleman Center in 2014, they initially said they would sell off the North Linden property.  However, after North Linden residents expressed concern about possible future uses, the city decided the retain the property and look for another municipal use.

 

Earlier this month, Columbus City Council approved spending to study a plan for the 11-acre site for use by the police and fire divisions.  According to the city ordinance, they will assess how it could be repurposed into "a potential site for a real time crime center, an emergency operations center, 911 call center and safety dispatching, and a north office for the Division of Fire".

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/05/11/study-could-recommend-old-city-zoning-office-become-new-911-call-center/5031254001/

 

Below is a closer look at the two buildings on the 11-acre property next to I-71:

 

Nationwide Children's lands another $10M toward Linden revival, health research

 

This year's $10 million research donation to Nationwide Children's Hospital from the Nationwide Foundation includes $2 million to continue improving housing and public health in Linden.  Focused on one of the Columbus neighborhoods with the lowest incomes and worst health disparities, including a high infant mortality rate, the project aims to repeat successes in stabilizing housing in the South Side neighborhood surrounding the pediatric hospital.

( . . . )

Children's since 2008 has operated an initiative called Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families on the South Side, renovating more than 375 houses while keeping them affordable for rental or homeownership.  It added Linden as a focus neighborhood in late 2019.  Part of last year's Nationwide gift went to the Linden efforts.

 

The hospital is part of a coalition, called 614 for Linden, of governmental agencies and nonprofits seeking to implement objectives of the city's One Linden neighborhood revitalization plan.  The first year was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, and Children's focused on changes to safely provide healthcare in Linden, according to a coalition report.

 

MORE:  https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/05/28/nationwide-10m-to-childrens-linden-and-research.html

Linden Proposal Pits New Affordable Housing Against Existing Jobs, Neighbors Say

 

A plan to bring 204 affordable apartments to Linden will be heading to City Council despite being voted down earlier this year by both the Development Commission and the South Linden Area Commission.

 

The proposal calls for a nine-building apartment complex to be built on about ten acres of land at 999 Bonham Ave. Rents would range from about $775 a month for a one-bedroom to $975 for a three-bedroom, according to the project’s developer, Ascent Development Group.

 

At the May 13 Development Commission meeting, several neighbors voiced concerns about the project, particularly the impact that it would have on a local business that has been employing Linden residents for years.

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/linden-proposal-pits-new-affordable-housing-against-existing-jobs-neighbors-say-bw1/

 

More affordable housing in the area is a good thing, but you have to laugh at the developer’s counter to loss of decent paying jobs is to say that there will be retail space. Sounds a bit out of touch. 
 

ETA: I don’t know enough about this particular scenario to know whether it actually will in fact impact the current jobs that are nearby. 

Edited July 14, 20213 yr by amped91

Indiana-based developer eyes mixed-use project in Linden

 

Indiana-based Ascent Development wants to construct 204 apartment units and 4,000-square-feet of commercial space in nine buildings at 999 Bonham Ave., near where Enviro Recycling Group currently operates a recycling center.

 

If approved, Ascent would start construction in the spring of 2022, with units available for lease towards the end of 2023, said Michael Rodriguez, principal of Ascent Development Group. The overall investment is anticipated to cost just over $45 million, Rodriguez said via an emailed statement. The project has been dubbed Bonham Pointe.

 

"There are several attributes to this neighborhood that make this an attractive site for this proposed mixed-use community," Rodriguez said.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/07/21/linden-housing-development.html

 

On 2/20/2020 at 7:30 AM, aderwent said:

Developer picked for Downtown Linden housing project

 

 

 

Current area:

 

 

 

"The local nonprofit developer Homeport was selected to lead the development of 100 senior apartments and commercial space, and 11 single-family homes that would anchor a new Downtown Linden at Cleveland and Myrtle avenues."

 

https://www.dispatch.com/business/20200219/developer-picked-for-downtown-linden-housing-project

I believe they’ve started moving dirt/clearing this site in the past week or so. I’ll try to snap a pic soon. 
 

Here’s a mediocre photo of some machinery now onsite:

Edited August 2, 20213 yr by FudgeRounds

Updated: Linden Proposal Pits New Affordable Housing Against Existing Jobs, Neighbors Say

Brent Warren - Columbus Underground - July 27, 2021

 

"Ascent Development chose to withdraw its development proposal for Bonham Avenue before it could come up for a vote last night at City Council. Ascent Principal Michael Rodriguez told CU that the decision to table the vote was made because 'we ultimately did not have the votes needed to be successful.' He added; 'Although Ascent Development will not be moving forward on this site, we do hope to find another site to assist the City of Columbus in addressing their affordable housing needs.'"
 

$25M mixed-use Linden development will break ground this year

 

A $25 million mixed-use development in Linden that city leaders hope will spur growth in the area could soon break ground.

 

Columbus City Council approved plans for Mulby Place last week, giving Homeport the green light to build the affordable housing development for seniors on Cleveland Avenue. Developers and city leaders are hoping the project kickstarts revitalization efforts in "downtown Linden."

 

"This has been two years in the making," said Leah Evans, senior vice president for development at Homeport. "We are creating nexus of activity and investment along the Cleveland Avenue corridor."

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/08/04/mulby-place.html

 

If the point is to "spur growth" and help bring back the neighborhood, I'm not sure why this large site doesn't have a project at least double the height/density as what is being proposed.  This is one area of the city without a large, outspoken gaggle of NIMBY whale watchers blocking everything, so they could definitely get away with doing a 6-story project or more.  Is it just a matter of funding or do they think they just need to go with something smaller because they don't think there will be all that high demand for the area?

Probably trying to avoid ruffling feathers since there is almost nothing over 2-3 stories in the entire neighborhood. Also the land probably isn't very expensive. It's a colossal neighborhood that is almost all SFH.