January 3, 201114 yr ^I hope they are successful. I am going to have to send a donation. Schiller Park was great when we live there. It would be a shame to lose that many of the big old trees.
January 20, 201114 yr Maennerchor's sale to force groups to find new meeting, performing space Tuesday, January 18, 2011 By Kathy Lynn Gray THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The Maennerchor, plagued by a shrinking membership, is selling its main building and 80 percent of its land at 966 S. High St. to Columbus City Schools so the district can expand and renovate Stewart Alternative Elementary School, which backs up to the site. "They need more space to provide for the students, such as a gym and a cafeteria," said Kim Norris, a spokeswoman for Columbus schools. "But we don't know if the Maennerchor building will be torn down. We'll have community meetings to talk about the expansion." The property is set to change hands Wednesday for $1.3 million. The school board is expected to approve a lease so the Maennerchor can rent back the 12,056-square-foot clubhouse until Aug. 31. The building includes banquet rooms and a concert hall as well as a restaurant. The Maennerchor is renovating a small building called the Dutch House on the southwest corner of the property and will move club activities there, said president Werner Niehaus. Eventually, the group hopes to build a 2,500-square-foot hall on the property for concerts and other events. MAP OF MAENNERCHOR PROPERTY AND SURROUNDING AREA MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/01/18/stepping-out.html?sid=101
March 17, 201114 yr Updating the now completed Beck Place Condo project. More photos available at their website - http://www.beckplacecondos.com/index.htm:
March 18, 201114 yr Society eyes complex Third Street plan Wednesday, March 16, 2011 - 12:47 PM By GARY SEMAN JR. ThisWeek Community Newspapers German Village wants a lot - and needs to do a lot - to improve South Third Street. The effort to beautify and fix the roadway between East Livingston and Reinhard avenues has been kicked into high gear, as a historic preservation consultant recently told neighborhood officials that a key grant would be made available next year. The German Village Society's streetscape committee, in a master plan approved last summer, named about a dozen scenarios for enhancing the stretch of roadway, from burying utility lines to installing decorative planters to removing the asphalt on Third Street and renovating the brick underneath. A timeline must be met if the community wants transportation-enhancement funds through the U.S. Department of Transportation. Those funds will become available next March through the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, said Yolita Rausche, the historic preservation consultant who has been involved with the Third Street planning but has not been hired to guide the project. READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/germanvillage/stories/2011/03/16/society-eyes-complex-third-street-plan.html?sid=104
March 27, 201114 yr Emporium planned for Thurman Avenue Wednesday, March 23, 2011 By GARY SEMAN JR. ThisWeek Community Newspapers Rebecca Milnes is in the midst of transforming a German Village property with a rich history and - she hopes - a lot of potential. Milnes is redeveloping the 4,600-square-foot building at 210 Thurman Ave., to be called Thurmania Place. She hopes to create an emporium concept at the site, replete with chocolates, greeting cards, locally sourced food and knickknacks. Milnes said she is seeking approval of her plans from the German Village Commission, the local architectural review board, and hopes to have the space ready by Aug. 1. She plans to lease the 2,600-square-foot emporium to several vendors and live in a 2,000-square-foot apartment in the back. Meanwhile, the 3,000-square-foot basement, former home of the Latvian Supper Club, will be converted to a wine and cheese shop and a banquet room. READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/germanvillage/stories/2011/03/23/emporium-planned-for-thurman-avenue.html?sid=104 Below is a April 2010 photo of 210 Thurman Avenue from the Franklin County Auditor's website
June 27, 201113 yr The Columbus Dispatch featured a look at one of the fine urban homes participating in today's German Village Haus and Garten Tour: German Village tour features airy 4,000-square-foot residence created from side-by-side rentals
June 28, 201113 yr OSU grad students to assess residential-retail mix Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - 09:21 AM By GARY SEMAN JR., ThisWeek Community Newspapers German Village officials are looking to shed some light on the community's residential and retail mix to see whether it's viable and worth preserving or improving. They've enlisted the help of a band of graduate students studying city and regional planning at The Ohio State University, who will begin taking a critical look at the residential and business climates this fall. The issue was discussed June 16 by members of the long-range planning committee, which is part of the German Village Society. Roxyanne Burrus, an adjunct professor at Ohio State, told committee members that the students will study demographics, visit stores and address secondary issues such as parking, while also looking at other historic neighborhoods throughout the country for comparisons to German Village. READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/germanvillage/stories/2011/06/22/osu-grads-students-to-assess-residential-retail-mix.html?sid=104
August 3, 201113 yr More about the Stewart school expansion in German Village. A preliminary plan was heard by the German Village Commission on July 12: Commission concerned about closing Pearl Street Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - 08:41 AM By GARY SEMAN JR., ThisWeek Community Newspapers Columbus City Schools' plan to redevelop Stewart Alternative Elementary School recently met some resistance from the German Village Commission. Members of the architectural review commission, who were given an informal presentation July 12 on the district's plan, expressed concern over the closing of a portion of South Pearl Street. District officials want to close the street so they can proceed with expansion plans at the school. Such a move would require moving gas and sewer lines and overhead utilities. "It's one of those things we look at like demolition -- once you do it, it's done," said commission chairman Jay Panzer. Panzer said in an email July 15 that closing a street represents "an alteration to the urban fabric of the community, the consequences of which can be unpredictable and long-lasting." READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/germanvillage/stories/2011/07/20/commission-concerned-about-closing-pearl-street.html?sid=104
August 16, 201113 yr Whittier roadwork continues through August Wednesday, July 27, 2011 - 10:27 AM By GARY SEMAN JR. ThisWeek Community Newspapers The project involves the replacement of water lines and fire hydrants in the area. As part of the work, the city has made Whittier one way eastbound between Mohawk and Ebner streets to accommodate construction. The city determined that two-way traffic could not be safely maintained on Whittier because of the narrow street, said Laura Young Mohr, spokeswoman for the Columbus Department of Public Utilities. The $840,000 project, which includes other repairs in the area and has taken away some on-street parking, began July 18 and is scheduled to conclude at the end of August. Repaving work will follow. The city is using two types of drilling methods - a traditional open-cut system and horizontal directional drilling, the latter being trenchless technology meant to minimize the disruption to brick streets. For any brick removed that cannot be salvaged, it will be replaced with other historic bricks. READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/germanvillage/stories/2011/07/27/whittier-roadwork-continues-through-august.html?sid=104
August 16, 201113 yr Plans for Maennerchor taking shape Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 10:05 AM By GARY SEMAN JR. ThisWeek Community Newspapers Although the Columbus Maennerchor will close at the end of the month, a new day is dawning on America's oldest German singing society. Werner Niehaus, president of the Maennerchor's board of directors, laid out plans Aug. 5 for the new facility, which will be located next door. Officials are renovating the German Heritage Haus, commonly referred to as the Dutch House. The hope is to have the building ready for activities by the end of the year. In the meantime, Maennerchor activities will be moved to the Germania or the Swiss Club, both of which are in the Brewery District, while board meetings will be held at Plank's Cafe on Parsons Avenue. A larger goal is to build a 2,500-square-foot addition to the German Heritage Haus, making the entire building 6,000 square feet. Construction could take several years. READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/germanvillage/stories/2011/08/10/plans-for-maennerchor-taking-shape.html?sid=104 Earlier version of the story from ThisWeek: Plans taking shape for Maennerchor's new home
September 17, 201113 yr Two recent bits of German Village news from ThisWeek Neighborhood Newspapers: City plans to begin repaving Whittier this month - Another Whittier Street project coming on the heels of a different Whitter Street road project that finished up last month. Village notebook: German Village still a ‘smart place to live’ 50 years later - A look back at some source material from the 1960's and a reflection on the remarkable transformation of the German Village neighborhood from then to now.
October 11, 201113 yr Business First ran an extended profile of Franklin Art Glass - located in the heart of German Village. This is a great example of residential and non-residential uses coexisting in this great urban neighborhood. Even some light industrial uses like this one: Franklin Art Glass continuing Columbus tradition: Since 1924 and over five generations of its founding family, Franklin Art Glass has been turning out works of stained glass art for buildings of all kinds. Slideshow: Stained glass studio sparkles with vibrant colors
October 11, 201113 yr From Columbus Underground: German Village Recognized Nationally as a Top 10 Neighborhood of 2011 If you live in Columbus, then chances are pretty good that you already consider German Village to be a great neighborhood. Today, the American Planning Association (APA) confirms what we already knew with the designation of German Village as one of the “10 Great Neighborhoods” in the 2011 edition of the organization’s Great Places in America Program. READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/german-village-regonized-nationally-as-a-top-10-neighborhood-of-2011 More information about the Great Places designation can be found at www.planning.org/greatplaces.
October 17, 201113 yr More about the American Planning Association (APA) selecting German Village as one of it's 10 Great Neighborhoods for 2011 under the APA's Great Places in America program. Two articles from Columbus Local News - German Village Gazette: National group tabs German Village as 'Great Neighborhood' - German Village was singled out for its architecture, parks and engaged citizens. 'Great Neighborhood' designation is termed a boon - Village Society officials say the honor will help promote tourism and interest from propsective residents.
November 22, 201113 yr Support builds for bricks on S. 3rd St. German Village has plan, no funding By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch Friday, November 18, 2011 - 10:07 AM German Village leaders want to see S. 3rd Street paved with bricks between Livingston Avenue and Schiller Park. Now, they have to figure out how much that will cost and whether the city is willing to pay for any of it. The German Village Society board approved a conceptual plan this week to pave the busy thoroughfare with bricks; add limestone curbs, brick sidewalks and new streetlights; and create a two-way bike lane along the west side of the street. The bike lane would run between the curb and parallel-parking spaces. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/11/18/support-builds-for-bricks-on-s--3rd-st-.html BRIEF 10TV VIDEO ABOUT THE BRICK STREET PROPOSAL
November 29, 201113 yr If they're going to actually brick it and add bike lanes, and it seems doubtful since even residents aren't ponying up the dough, I would hope that the bike lanes are faux brick, since brick roads aren't charming to ride on.
December 22, 201113 yr Much more about the Third Street streetscaping plan (i.e. the proposal to re-brick Third Street) in German Village. The German Village Society held a meeting last week to go over the details and to get more public input on the proposal. Columbus Dispatch: German Village leaders meet Wednesday to discuss 3rd street plans ThisWeekNews - German Village: Streetscape committee will ask forengineering study by Columbus Columbus Local News: Public input encouraged at Third Street meeting Dec. 14 German Village Society: Community Discusses 3rd
December 23, 201113 yr Glad to see cyclists, especially those using 3rd, are speaking up about having 3rd become an unpleasant experience. I wonder if they'll end up going with something like my solution or just go for 100% brick.
January 3, 201213 yr More about the Columbus Public Schools proposed addition to the Stewart Avenue Elementary School at Pearl & Stewart, which might also cross onto the Maennerchor property that CPS purchased last year near the northeast corner of High and Stewart: STEWART SCHOOL EXPANSION Commission hesitant about closing Pearl Street By Gary Seman Jr., ThisWeek Community Newspapers Wednesday, December 14, 2011 - 3:06 PM Columbus City Schools’ plan to close a portion of Pearl Street for an elementary school expansion still isn’t sitting well with the German Village Commission. The school’s planning consultant, KKG, took conceptual plans for the expansion of Stewart Alternative Elementary School to the commission on Dec. 6. While no vote was taken, some commission members still had reservations about permanently closing the street and altering traffic patterns in the area. (. . .) The school district’s original project called for building the 16,500-square-foot addition to Stewart on the Columbus Maennerchor property across Pearl Street. An enclosed walkway would cross over Pearl Street, connecting both buildings. Planners, however, unveiled an alternate plan that would cluster the addition on the existing parcel. It also calls for the closing of Pearl Street because the playground would be moved to the Maennerchor parcel at 966 S. High St. Because the expansion crosses two architectural-review boundaries — German Village and the Brewery District — each local commission would have to sign off on the project. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2011/12/14/commission-hesitant-about-closing-street.html
January 3, 201213 yr Charm and history attract residents and visitors to German Village, one of the city’s best-known neighborhoods By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch Monday, January 2, 2012 - 6:56 AM When Carolyn McCall and her husband transferred from Connecticut to Columbus 11 years ago, they didn’t think their stay would be this long. McCall, an East Coast native, had no inkling what the Midwest and Columbus held. She and her husband, who had accepted a job as a vice president at Scotts in Marysville, looked at homes in Dublin and Powell but found none to their liking. “We moved from a house built in 1790. We wanted character and personality. We didn’t want something new and big,” McCall said. They discovered German Village, its architecture and gardens and its unique character, just south of Downtown. “When we first saw it, we loved it. That visual impact. I can remember as we drove into it,” McCall said. She heard the bells ringing at St. Mary Catholic Church on S. 3rd Street. “That was lovely,” she said. Visitors to Columbus are often captivated by German Village, its narrow brick streets, its meticulously kept brick homes and fine restaurants. It’s likely Columbus’ best-known neighborhood. And like most other Columbus neighborhoods, it’s going through changes. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/02/tourist-magnet.html
January 10, 201213 yr Columbus Underground has an on-going series featuring home renovations in urban Columbus. Quite a few have featured German Village locations. These projects give a good indication of the renovation activity occurring in German Village that usually is too small to be mentioned in the local media. Below are links to each individual project. At Home: German Village Work in Progress At Home: Cape Cod Cottage in German Village At Home: German Village Condo At Home: German Village Restoration At Home: Converted Garage in German Village
April 19, 201213 yr STEWART ALTERNATIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL New plan: Keep Maennerchor building By GARY SEMAN JR., ThisWeek Community News Wednesday, April 18, 2012 - 2:52 PM Columbus City Schools’ latest site plan for Stewart Alternative Elementary School calls for saving the historic Columbus Maennerchor building and leaving Pearl Street open to through traffic. The district now wants to cluster all new additions on the existing property. Meanwhile, the Maennerchor parking lot would be divided, with roughly half dedicated to greenspace and the other portion used for parking and by parents dropping off their children at school. Another portion of the Maennerchor parcel would be used for outdoor playground equipment. The current design calls for the construction of three distinct additions, totaling 44,062 square feet, on the existing building: two on the north end and one on the south. The total cost of the project is $10.45 million, which includes the purchase of the Maennerchor property. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2012/04/17/new-plan-keep-maennerchor-building.html
May 3, 201213 yr The Metropreneur Columbus featured a look inside Big Red Rooster - a marketing and consulting business located in German Village. Big Red Rooster is not located in just any German Village building though. They are located at the southwest corner of Thurman Avenue and S. Fourth Street, 121 Thurman Avenue. This is the former location of the much beloved restaurant Engine House No. 5. The former Engine House No. 5 restaurant was located in one of the city's beautiful 19th century two-story brick firehouses. The one built in German Village was called (wait for it) Engine House No. 5. At its peak, the restaurant was as popular and well known as the original Max & Erma's is today. However, in 1993 the restaurant closed when the owner and his wife were lost at sea off the coast of Florida. It never reopened and the building was never again used as a restaurant. In 2002, the owners of Big Red Rooster bought the building for their business. The Metropreneur Columbus gives us a rare look at Engine House No. 5's interior - post restaurant. Below is a link to the article, which includes many photos (including the famous fire pole). Also below are two exterior views of the building. The first from S. Fourth Street and the second from Thurman Avenue: The Metropreneur Columbus: At Work: Big Red Rooster fills Engine House No. 5
May 3, 201213 yr The Metropreneur Columbus featured a look inside Big Red Rooster - a marketing and consulting business located in German Village. Big Red Rooster is not located in just any German Village building though. They are located at the southwest corner of Thurman Avenue and S. Fourth Street, 121 Thurman Avenue. This is the former location of the much beloved restaurant Engine House No. 5. The former Engine House No. 5 restaurant was located in one of the city's beautiful 19th century two-story brick firehouses. The one built in German Village was called (wait for it) Engine House No. 5. At its peak, the restaurant was as popular and well known as the original Max & Erma's is today. However, in 1993 the restaurant closed when the owner and his wife were lost at sea off the coast of Florida. It never reopened and the building was never again used as a restaurant. In 2002, the owners of Big Red Rooster bought the building for their business. The Metropreneur Columbus gives us a rare look at Engine House No. 5's interior - post restaurant. Below is a link to the article, which includes many photos (including the famous fire pole). Also below are two exterior views of the building. The first from S. Fourth Street and the second from Thurman Avenue: The Metropreneur Columbus: At Work: Big Red Rooster fills Engine House No. 5 I remember in the 70's Engine House 5 was the place to work if you wanted a restaurant job in Columbus. Extremely popular. Good $$ for servers. http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
May 3, 201213 yr Great article! It mentions the restaurant closing in 1993 but that's a typo, it was still up and running as late as 2002.
June 6, 201213 yr Great article! It mentions the restaurant closing in 1993 but that's a typo, it was still up and running as late as 2002. You're right about Engine House No. 5 staying open until 2002. This was recently confirmed in a write-up that was included with a 1979 restaurant photo from the Dispatch Library Archives. Pretty neat photo too. It shows one of the signature elements of the restaurant - a waiter delivering a birthday cake by descending down the fireman pole that remained from its former time as a fire house.
June 7, 201213 yr Parking is very difficult in German Village. And it might become more difficult. The city will be posting no-parking signs in some alleys in the primarly residential core of German Village (map of the alleys affected is below). German Village residents have complained about vehicles parking in front of their garages along those alleys. City garbage truck drivers have also complained about parked vehicles that block their movements through the alleys. Below are two recent articles about the alley parking restrictions from This Week News and the Dispatch: This Week News: City to end parking in some German Village alleys Columbus Dispatch: Alleys to get no-parking signs
August 9, 201212 yr SOUTH THIRD STREET Society seeks city money for engineering study By Gary Seman Jr., ThisWeek Community News Thursday, July 19, 2012 - 2:52 PM In the latest push to improve South Third Street, the German Village Society board of trustees has applied for $400,000 in Urban Infrastructure Recovery Funds to pay for a preliminary engineering study of the corridor. "It will help us understand what each element of our priority list costs, and in what order we should pursue these projects," said Shiloh Todorov, German Village Society director. The Urban Infrastructure Recovery Fund, or UIRF, is a central city capital improvement program overseen by the Department of Development in partnership with the public service, recreation and parks and public utilities departments on assessing the projects and administering the funds, said Susan DeLay, capital improvement manager for Columbus. She said $6 million is available in current round of funding in the UIRF program area, which follows the city's 1950 boundaries. Each project is scored based on several criteria, such as whether the project solves a real problem, how many residents will benefit and if there's an economic benefit. A list of funded projects should be available in mid- to late September. The Third Street project priorities accomplish three things: improve safety, update deteriorating infrastructure and restore the historic feel to the corridor. The key elements of the Third Street plan include replacing and restoring limestone curbs, adding pedestrian lighting, cleaning up utility lines and poles, consolidating signs to cut down on driver distractions and restoring the historic look of sign posts, Todorov said. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2012/07/17/south-third-street-society-seeks-city-money-for-engineering-study.html
November 5, 201212 yr More about Columbus City Schools plans for the renovation of the Stewart Alternative Elementary School from This Week News. Previous update here. STEWART ALTERNATIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Redesign still calls for Pearl closure By GARY SEMAN JR., ThisWeek Community News Wednesday, October 10, 2012 - 12:23 PM Officials from Columbus City Schools have recast their renovation plans for Stewart Alternative Elementary School in German Village. The design now combines an 18,000-square-foot addition, a slight increase over the last plan, and existing school on one parcel instead of two. The district previously had called for the addition to be built on the Columbus Maennerchor property, directly to the west. Carole Olshavksy, senior executive of capital improvements for the district, said the changes primarily were made because of functional requirements within the building, budget concerns and new traffic patterns. It does not affect the cost of the renovation and addition, which is a little less than $11 million. The district presented the latest proposal Oct. 2 to the German Village Commission, which expressed continued reservations with the project, particularly the closing of Pearl Alley. READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2012/10/09/stewart-alternative-elementary-school-redesign-still-calls-for-pearl-closure.html
November 19, 201212 yr STEWART ALTERNATIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL School renovation on course for approval By Gary Seman Jr., ThisWeek Community News Wednesday, November 14, 2012 - 10:15 AM Proposed renovations to Stewart Alternative Elementary School cleared two of three hurdles Nov. 7 during a joint meeting of the German Village and Brewery District commissions. Both architectural review boards agreed on the most contentious issue of all -- the closing of Pearl Street -- with a stipulation designed to prevent any future development on the vacated portion of Pearl, regardless of who owns it now or later. While members of each commission expressed serious concern about permanently changing traffic patterns in the area, it was worth the inconvenience to drivers so that the project could begin, they said. ... Officials with Columbus City Schools had maintained closing the street was necessary for the safety of school children. The redevelopment plans call for the consolidation of classrooms, a gymnasium and offices on current school grounds, at the northwest corner of Stewart and City Park avenues. Meanwhile, parking and playground facilities would be located on the west side of Pearl, posing a threat to children walking back and forth across the street. READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2012/11/13/stewart-alternative-elementary-school-renovation-on-course-for-approval.html
January 31, 201312 yr From ThisWeekNews - a look back at 2012 and a look forward to 2013 for the German Village neighborhood: 'Corrals' on Third Street, recycling bins top news in '12 Sprucing up S. Third to top agenda in '13
February 2, 201312 yr German Village Society Board of Trustees Member Jeffrey McNealey recently wrote a guest column in the This Week News - German Village Gazette. He talks about the post-WWII to 1970's decline and restoration of the German Village neighborhood. This restoration, which he refers to as the original "recipe" of Frank Fetch and the founding members of the German Village Society, has served the GV neighborhood well since then. But occasionally, the “recipe” requires some “tweaks”. One tweak he discusses is an effort to keep young families from leaving German Village when their children come of school age. A program is underway to improve the educational opportunities for families with school-age children. Another tweak is to reconnect German Village with the downtown. An upcoming reconstruction of I-70/71 might provide an opportunity to do this by bridging “the trench” with “caps” at High and Third Streets. Similarly, a revisioned Third Street could aid this reconnection. Below is the link to the full column at This Week News: This Week News: Careful 'tweaks' to 'recipe' help keep Village thriving
February 2, 201312 yr German Village Society Board of Trustees Member Jeffrey McNealey recently wrote a guest column in the This Week News - German Village Gazette. He talks about the post-WWII to 1970's decline and restoration of the German Village neighborhood. This restoration, which he refers to as the original "recipe" of Frank Fetch and the founding members of the German Village Society, has served the GV neighborhood well since then. But occasionally, the “recipe” requires some “tweaks”. One tweak he discusses is an effort to keep young families from leaving German Village when their children come of school age. A program is underway to improve the educational opportunities for families with school-age children. Another tweak is to reconnect German Village with the downtown. An upcoming reconstruction of I-70/71 might provide an opportunity to do this by bridging “the trench” with “caps” at High and Third Streets. Similarly, a revisioned Third Street could aid this reconnection. Below is the link to the full column at This Week News: This Week News: Careful 'tweaks' to 'recipe' help keep Village thriving The caps proposed have very little in common with the 670 cap, unfortunately. They will be built a bit wider than traditional bridges, and with extra support to hold buildings, but they're unlikely to ever actually hold any just because it would be so cost-prohibitive for a private developer to do so, and it would require ODOT cooperation considering it'd be done directly over 70. ODOT has shown little to zero interest in helping or even allowing for restoring neighborhood connectivity that it destroyed years ago. It fought the city's push to get more caps and have them building-ready. Ultimately, ODOT mostly won out.
July 30, 201311 yr German Village is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the German Village Commission. This is the city-recognized group that was formed to perform architectural review on renovations within German Village. It's 1963 formation actually predates the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which allowed similar design review in historic districts throughout the nation. Below are two articles from ThisWeekNews that discuss this: Commission celebrates 50 years of architectural review Neighborhood passion, design review go hand in hand
July 30, 201311 yr Catching up on a big renovation project that was wiped out by the July server crash. Here was the first report about the proposal to renovate the former St. Mary's School into a large private residence for the retired founder of Cardinal Health, a locally based Fortune 500 company. Cardinal Health founder wants to convert German Village property By GARY SEMAN JR., ThisWeek Community News Monday, May 13, 2013 - 12:41 PM The retired founder of Cardinal Health wants to turn the U.S. Bank building in German Village into an 13,250-square-foot private residence. The German Village Commission Tuesday, May 7, considered but did not take action on the conceptual plan to convert the commercial building at 673 Mohawk Street into a single-family house. The three-story structure, which has a basement, was built in 1887 as an elementary school for St. Mary Catholic Church, which is adjacent to the west. The school, which was expanded years later, was a high school until 1967, when St. Mary closed the facility. The parish then sold the parcel in 1972. It has housed a bank, and other commercial uses, since. The plan calls for converting a portion of the basement into a three-car garage and ripping up much of the 37-car parking lot and replacing it with manicured green space. ... However, the couple, would keep seven spaces for guest parking. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2013/05/07/Cardinal-Health-founder-wants-to-reconvert-German-Village-property.html
July 30, 201311 yr Here's a little bit of context for the St. Mary's School renovation at 673 Mohawk Street. It's located in the heart of German Village. Just east of St. Mary's Catholic Church, who originally built it in 1887. Below are two views of the school building from Mohawk Street. And a couple of close-ups of the building's entrance - which is one of more photographed landmarks in German Village. The property has an existing 37-space parking lot which would be mostly removed as part of the renovation.
July 30, 201311 yr The renovation of the St. Mary's School into a private residence was approved by the German Village Commission, after two more meetings to work out the details of the project. One of which was a driveway to allow access from Mohawk Street to the St. Mary's Catholic Church, which is adjacent to the school property. Below are two articles about those meetings from ThisWeekNews: Plans for Mohawk Street home given a fresh look Key variances granted for Mohawk property
September 21, 201311 yr The renovation of the St. Mary's School into a private residence continues to work its way through the city zoning process. Report from ThisWeekNews below about the project getting BZA approval: BZA OKs variances for Mohawk property
December 30, 201311 yr More about the renovation of the St. Mary's School at 673 Mohawk Street into a residence for Cardinal Health founder Bob Walter. Nice four-image slideshow of the exterior from Business First as well at the link below: U.S. Bank moving out of future Bob Walter home in German Village By Evan Weese, Staff reporter Business First - Dec 26, 2013, 12:09pm EST U.S. Bank will relinquish its German Village branch this spring, making way for Cardinal Health founder Bob Walter to renovate the space for his future home. The bank will relocate its branch at 673 Mohawk St. to 780 S. High St., just a half-mile away, said spokesman Pat Swanson. Walter, who founded Cardinal Health in 1971, bought the Mohawk property in January for $830,000. The 13,250-square-foot former school, built in 1887, would make for the city’s second-largest residence. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/12/24/us-bank-vacating-future-bob-walter.html
January 15, 201411 yr ThisWeekNews has look ahead at some planning projects slated for the German Village neighborhood in 2014: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2014/01/02/society-to-ramp-up-historic-preservation-mission-in-14.html
March 25, 201411 yr OSU students embark on parking study By GARY SEMAN JR., ThisWeek Community News Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - 9:31 AM A group of college students is out to show just where -- and when -- parking is available in German Village. Jason Sudy, a partner in Side Street Planning and part-time instructor at Ohio State University, is leading a group of seven graduate students in city and regional planning through a comprehensive review of village streets. Sudy said the students are going out at various times of the day at different times of the week, counting parking spaces street by street, looking at the positioning of parking signs and restrictions, and trying to determine where spaces are not being used to their full potential. "I think the interesting thing in German Village is you have a high percentage of residential uses, but you also have retail uses that draw people not just from the city but the whole region" Sudy said. "We have to find a way to interface those two elements which are sometimes -- not always, but sometimes -- in conflict." Among the subjects under review are private parking spaces, which are being counted, Sudy said. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2014/02/24/osu-students-embark-on-parking-study.html
December 16, 201410 yr Strategic Planning Task Force identifies priorities Village Notebook column at the German Village Gazette / ThisWeekNews By Shiloh Todorov, German Village Society Executive Director Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - 11:22 AM In January, the German Village Society Board of Trustees set a purpose for a new Strategic Planning Task Force: to evaluate the Society's mission and vision and to recommend a strategic plan to guide the Society's focus and goals for the next 5-10 years. The Society had not issued a strategic plan since 2007. Task force members were asked to: Review the German Village Society's mission and vision, in the context of German Village today and in the future, for continued relevance and make recommendations as needed. Develop a strategic plan which identifies the three to five most pivotal strategies for the German Village Society to pursue over the next number of years and, which includes specific goals supporting these strategies and facilitating their execution. Starting at a board retreat Sept. 20, where trustees heard the findings of the task force, and during board meetings through the end of 2014, the board will seek consensus on focusing the resources of German Village Society and presenting a final plan with timeline. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2014/10/20/village-notebook-strategic-planning-task-force-identifies-priorities.html
December 20, 201410 yr News of a very unusual project for German Village. It involves the first total demolition of a structure within the German Village Historic District in 28 years. Now, the structure is a modest 1.5 story house under 1,800 square feet in size. And the proposal would replace the existing house with a new one of about the same size. But its still unusual for GV. There's a photo of the house at the ThisWeekNews link below: House on S. Third up for demolition, rebuilding By GARY SEMAN JR., This Week News Tuesday, November 4, 2014 - 2:01 PM With the facade half covered in ivy, bowing walls and missing windows, a house at 799 S. Third St. has been declared uninhabitable by City of Columbus officials. The city has issued an emergency order to repair or demolish the property. Architect Bill Hugus, who's representing owner Jon Knitter, said his client's original plan to repair the house was approved by the German Village Commission, the local architecture review board. But under further inspection, the house was too dilapidated to fix, Hugus said. -- So, Knitter wants to raze the structure and replace it with a 2,200-square-foot house of similar -- but not identical -- architecture. "We're going to try to reuse the overall plans and modify the exterior in a modern way so it's recognized as a new structure," Hugus said. The German Village Commission is scheduled to hear plans at its Nov. 11 meeting. The property has physically changed many times since it was built sometime before 1891, according to information supplied by the German Village Society. Hugus said it appears the original structure was a 1 1/2-story cottage with a second framed room on the first floor. There were four more recorded changes between 1901 and 1971. Sometime after 1971, someone added a one-story lean-to, or a shed with a one-pitch roof, to the back of the property. Hugus said the house's current condition is the result of improperly completed construction. "The reason for the brick sagging and collapsing is that a previous owner -- we're not sure who it was -- replaced the water line on the house," he said. Meanwhile, somebody dug out a crawl space but never reinforced it. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2014/11/03/house-on-s--third-up-for-demolition-rebuilding.html
December 20, 201410 yr Some late November 2014 construction photos of renovation work at the Stewart Alternative Elementary School in German Village. More information about this Columbus City Schools project posted previously in this thread: April 2012: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,7048.msg615276.html#msg615276 Nov. 2012: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,7048.msg648466.html#msg648466 Both of these photos are from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-november-2014-part-1
December 20, 201410 yr Late November 2014 construction photo of renovation work at the St. Mary’s school building at 673 Mohawk Street in German Village. The former school, which was later used as an office building and a bank branch, is being converted into a private residence. More information about this project posted previously in this thread: July 2013: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,7048.msg666372.html#msg666372 Dec. 2013: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,7048.msg690244.html#msg690244 Photo is from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-november-2014-part-1
January 12, 201510 yr The beautifully renovated Stewart Elementary School has reopened: Gleaming, expanded Stewart Elementary reopens after 2010 fire: 19th-century building now a hub of technology By Bill Bush, The Columbus Dispatch Tuesday, January 6, 2015 - 5:09 AM When Columbus City Schools built Stewart Elementary in 1874, the Civil War had ended less than a decade before and wiring buildings for electricity was still years off. Over the years, the two-story building on the west edge of Schiller Park in German Village fell into disrepair. Despite getting two additions, the last in 1926, the building never had a gym. Students would take gym class in the cafeteria or in the city’s Schiller Park Recreation Center across the street. But the renovated and expanded building that 300 children returned to yesterday is a hub of technology, clad in 1800s charm. The $11.2 million project renovated the 28,000-square-foot existing building and added 18,000 square feet of new space. New items include air-conditioning; an elevator; a separate gym and cafeteria; Wi-Fi; interactive classroom technology, including “Smart Boards”; a computer lab; designated art and music rooms; separate parking for buses and cars; a fire-suppression system; and a building video-surveillance system. (. . .) In July 2010, an intoxicated South Side man broke into the historic school and set it ablaze, doing $1 million in damage and forcing it to close. But rather than just fixing it, the district added it to its state-funded reconstruction list. That meant the Ohio School Facilities Commission would pay for about 30 percent of the project. A few months later, the district expanded the site by purchasing the adjacent Columbus Maennerchor, a German cultural club, for $1.3 million, which more than doubled the site to 2.4 acres. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/01/05/Stewart_Elementary.html
January 12, 201510 yr Stewart looks great. I wonder what happens to the old Maennerchor house that faces High Street.
January 12, 201510 yr Stewart looks great. I wonder what happens to the old Maennerchor house that faces High Street. Last news from 2012 (see below) was the Maennerchor Building would stay. Although Columbus City Schools has never said what exactly they would use it for: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2012/04/17/new-plan-keep-maennerchor-building.html http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2012/10/09/stewart-alternative-elementary-school-redesign-still-calls-for-pearl-closure.html UPDATE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/01/05/columbus-maennerchor-open-house-celebrates-end-of-construction.html Columbus Maennerchor, the German singing society, moved next door into the slightly smaller 1907 Dutch House at 976 S. High Street. The above article noted that the former Maennerchor building is now-vacant and owned by CCS, but does not name a replacement use for it.
January 12, 201510 yr Yes, I know the building is not planned for demolition, but it is also without a user. It could be hard to re-occupy without some type of shared parking agreement with the school district.
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