January 22, 201510 yr A look back at 2014 in German Village from ThisWeekNews: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2014/12/19/village-year-in-review-a-year-of-outreach-and-new-programs-in-german-village.html
January 22, 201510 yr The iconic St. Mary Catholic Church located at 684 S. Third Street in German Village is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. More about this at http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/01/12/parish-milestone-st--mary-celebrates-its-150th-anniversary-this-year.html and at http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/faith_and_values/2014/12/26/st--mary-reaches-back-to-roots-to-mark-150-years.html
March 9, 201510 yr URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE RECOVERY FUNDS Village gets $1 million for brick replacement BY GARY SEMAN JR., THIS WEEK COMMUNITY NEWS Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - 7:33 PM The German Village Society has gotten a cool $1 million to replace portions of brick streets in the neighborhood. In the latest round of funding of Urban Infrastructure Recovery Funds, the city of Columbus awarded the historic district money toward the repair of Mohawk Street between Whittier Street and Reinhard Avenue. That will cost $400,000, leaving $600,000 for the Society to use for other repairs through 2020, said Susan DeLay, capital improvements coordinator for the city. ( . . . ) It's an extra dose of good news for the Village, as dollars from the city's brick repair program will pay for the remainder of Mohawk between Livingston and Whittier Street, about 11 blocks. Most of the work on Whittier will be done in 2016. Other streets slated for repair under the recovery funds are Beck Street between Pearl and Lathrop streets; Macon Alley between Sycamore and Beck; Pearl between Sycamore and Livingston; and Jaeger Street between Beck and Sycamore, which is asphalt. The city's brick repair program also will pay for repairs from Sycamore Street between Third Street and Grant Avenue; Kossuth Street between Third and Mohawk; and Frankfort Street between City Park Avenue and Mohawk; and Sixth Street between Sycamore and Beck. That's a combined 50 blocks of street repair. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/02/16/urban-infrastructure-recovery-funds-village-gets-1-million-for-brick-replacement.html
April 28, 201510 yr Improvements to Third Street through German Village are on the horizon: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/04/06/south-third-street-residents-asked-to-help-select-upgrades.html http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/04/06/village-notebook-its-time-to-review-study-results-and-create-plan-for-third-street.html
May 9, 201510 yr More about the Third Street upgrade project currently being examined in the German Village (aerial photo of S. Third Street in GV looking toward downtown is below). The link above the aerial photo is from the German Village Society neighborhood organization. This link gives a recap of a recent public meeting on the project and numerous pdf's of the planning documents showing the various upgrade options available: http://germanvillage.com/third-street-public-meeting-set-march-31/
May 10, 201510 yr I just love that aerial. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 2, 20159 yr German Village residents concerned about noise and parking from planned Rockmill Tavern brewpub Rockmill Brewery’s plans to set up a small brewery and tavern in German Village may hinge on finding more parking. The Lancaster-based craft brewery plans to take over part of the Juergen’s Bakery building at 525 S. Fourth St., where it would operate Rockmill Tavern, a new brewpub. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/12/02/german-village-residents-concerned-about-noise-and.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 11, 20159 yr Concerns over parking bubble up over brewpub plan BY GARY SEMAN JR., THIS WEEK COMMUNITY NEWS Tuesday, December 8, 2015 - 10:48 AM Adding a brewpub to German Village doesn't sit well with some residents, who say they worry about parking, and potential noise and additional litter in the area. Rockmill Brewery in Lancaster wants to build a brewpub inside of Juergens German Bakery at 525 S. Fourth Street. The plan is for Rockmill to create a tavern with house-brewed beer and its own menu and share a small portion of the space with Juergens, which has been in operation since 1947. Rockmill made its first presentation Dec. 1 to the German Village Commission, which is the local architectural review commission. The commission took no action on the matter. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/12/07/concerns-over-parking-bubble-up-over-brewpub-plan.html
December 13, 20159 yr House demolition approved by commission BY GARY SEMAN JR., THIS WEEK COMMUNITY NEWS Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 2:02 PM For the second time in the last year, the German Village neighborhood is faced with the demolition of a residential property. In two separate moves July 7, the German Village Commission signed off on a demolition order and recommended approval of several variances for the property at 290 E. Sycamore Street, which officials say is too dilapidated to consider preserving. ( . . . ) "There are two major problems with this property: One is that it has been modified so significantly from its original form there is little surviving historic integrity," said Jay Panzer, chairman of the local architectural review commission. "Two, as part of the modifications that have been done over the years, the structure of the building has been significantly compromised." The two-story frame house, which was most recently a two-unit rental property -- with separate apartments on the first and second floors -- also leans 30 degrees to the north. Sycamore Property Group, which bought the parcel for $162,500 Sept. 4, wants to build a two-story house on basically the same footprint, Panzer said. ( . . . ) It would be the second razing of a primary residence in the historic district since last fall, when the city of Columbus declared a residence at 799 S. Third Street uninhabitable and issued an emergency order to repair or demolish the property. ... Panzer said demolitions of garages are fairly common -- the commission approved one July 7 -- but residential demolitions are rare. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/07/13/house-demolition-approved-by-commission.html
December 16, 20159 yr ^ More about the 799 S. Third Street location mentioned in the previous post: Property owner revises house plan for empty lot BY GARY SEMAN JR., THIS WEEK COMMUNITY NEWS Tuesday, November 17, 2015 - 8:35 PM The lot at 799 S. Third St. will remain vacant for the foreseeable future while its owner once again looks to revise plans for a new house. The German Village Commission Nov. 10 tabled property owner Jon Knitter's latest proposal and asked him to further tighten the design of the two-story house. Members of the architectural review board asked Knitter to reconsider changing the slate-gray brick facade to a lighter shade that includes some red tones and made it clear they were not in favor of wooden siding. Knitter is looking to replace the former house, which was condemned by the city and razed about a year ago. It was the third time the Commission has considered a request from Knitter. Members approved his original house design last year. But then Knitter went back to the commission seeking a curb cut on Third Street so he could build a driveway for off-street parking. The Commission denied the request. So Knitter, who said the original plan was too expensive, has returned to simplify the overall design to make it more cost efficient, said his architect, Bill Hugus. The house is 2,200 square feet, about the same size as his first proposal, and is a simplified Italianate style, Hugus said. Hugus said the item would not appear before the commission in December, pushing the earliest construction back date to spring. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/11/16/property-owner-revises-house-plan-for-empty-lot.html
January 31, 20169 yr Couple of recent Village Notebook items from the This Week News' German Village Gazette: -- http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/11/16/village-notebook-recommendations-for-third-street-renovation-options-submitted.html -- http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/11/30/village-notebook-long-range-planning-committee-works-to-keep-delicate-balance.html
May 4, 20169 yr Schmidt's taking expansion plan straight to Columbus City Council after rejection from German Village Schmidt’s Sausage Haus’ rooftop patio plans went down in defeat at the German Village Commission, but that doesn’t mean its expansion is dead. The 49-year-old German Village restaurant wants to add a 1,600-square-foot rooftop beer garden to its 240 E. Kossuth St. building, which requires two variances from the city, both of which were rejected by the German Village Commission in a 7-0 vote Tuesday evening. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/05/04/schmidts-taking-expansion-plan-straight-to.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 2, 20168 yr German Village residents concerned about noise and parking from planned Rockmill Tavern brewpub Rockmill Brewery’s plans to set up a small brewery and tavern in German Village may hinge on finding more parking. The Lancaster-based craft brewery plans to take over part of the Juergen’s Bakery building at 525 S. Fourth St., where it would operate Rockmill Tavern, a new brewpub. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/12/02/german-village-residents-concerned-about-noise-and.html Update on the Rockmill Tavern proposal: German Village Commission OKs parking, patio variance for Rockmill BY GARY SEMAN JR., THIS WEEK COMMUNITY NEWS Tuesday, September 13, 2016 - 11:51 AM Rockmill Brewery is one step closer to building a restaurant in German Village. After nearly a year of hearings, meetings with neighbors and plan revisions, the brewery got support for its restaurant plans from the German Village Commission last week. A reduction in the size of the patio, which led to the need for fewer on-site parking spaces, put Rockmill over the top with commissioners, who recommended approval of two key variances for the Lancaster-based brewery. ... In another concession, (Rockmill) agreed not to brew beer on the site. Instead, (Rockmill) will open a brewery in the nearby Brewery District. The initial request set in motion a heated exchange over adding to the area's parking woes and bringing additional noise to a largely quiet neighborhood vs. creating another quality dining option in a pedestrian-friendly environment. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/09/07/german-village-commission-oks-parking-patio-variance-for-rockmill-WB-GS.html
October 17, 20168 yr (I thought I had posted this development report last year, but see that I hadn't. So it's a bit late but here it is.) Last year, the German Village Commission approved the construction of a new single-family house next to an existing house at 157 Thurman Avenue plus a three-unit condo building with detached garages on the back of the Thurman Avenue lot where a brass foundry building once stood. Below is a rendering of the new single-family house to the right of the existing historic house at 157 Thurman Avenue. Below that rendering is a rendering of the three-unit condo building and garages that will go on the back of the lot: Plan to Demolish and Replace Buildings in German Village Moving Forward By Brent Warren, Columbus Underground September 16, 2015 - 9:09 am A collection of buildings that once housed a brass foundry at the southern edge of German Village will likely be demolished and replaced with new residential construction. The buildings are located on the back half of a 0.4-acre parcel at 157 Thurman Avenue. A large, historic single-family house sits on the front of the site. The plan for developing the site, which was presented conceptually to the German Village Commission on September 1, 2015, calls for restoring the historic house and building a new single-family house next to it, along with a three-unit condo building with detached garages on the back of the lot. The demolition of the main foundry building – the only one not condemned by the City of Columbus – was opposed by both the German Village Society and the German Village Commission. The commission voted against demolition at their June 3, 2015 meeting, but the developers took the case to the Ohio Board of Building Appeals. The state agency agreed with the developers that the building should be condemned, effectively taking the commission out of the process since they can’t make a property owner preserve a condemned building. MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/thurman-avenue-development-in-german-village-bw1
October 17, 20168 yr In February 2016, there was a flurry of stories about a proposal to replace a two-story, 13,800 square-foot office building at 247-257 E. Livingston Avenue with a three-story apartment building. The office building is to the left in the photo below. It was originally built as a movie theater around 1910 and was renovated into an office space in 1982. http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/02/01/apartments-planned-along-livingston-avenue-in.html http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/02/02/apartment-complex-proposed-across-from-africentric-WB-GS.html http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/02/08/plans-for-apartments-hinge-on-historical-context.html The property owners went to the February German Village Commission for a conceptual review to determine if the building is a contributing structure to the historic district. According to the meeting minutes, the commission believed the building could no longer be seen as contributing "because of inappropriate modifications to the structure over the years" and told the owner to return with plans for his three-story apartment building proposal (which would need to be approved by the commission. However, as of this posting date, the owner has not yet returned to the German Village Commission with his proposal.
October 17, 20168 yr Catching up on some older German Village news items from earlier this year: URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE RECOVERY FUNDS - Society to choose $468,000 worth of projects: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/01/25/urban-infrastructure-recovery-funds-society-to-choose-468000-worth-of-projects.html
October 17, 20168 yr CARETAKERS OF A LEGACY AWARDS - Whittier Street renovation among honorees: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/05/23/caretakers-of-a-legacy-awards-whittier-st--renovation-among-honorees.html
October 17, 20168 yr Couple of update articles about the planning for the Third Street streetscape project: -- http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/05/17/village-notebook-key-meeting-about-third-street-is-set-for-saturday.html -- http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/06/08/village-notebook-finalizing-plans-for-third-street-reconstruction-continues.html
October 17, 20168 yr And a story about the on-going maintenance/repair of the historic brick sidewalks in German Village: VILLAGE NOTEBOOK - Brick by brick we are rebuilding our sidewalks http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/06/15/village-notebook-brick-by-brick-we-are-rebuilding-our-sidewalks.html
October 20, 20168 yr Schmidt's taking expansion plan straight to Columbus City Council after rejection from German Village Schmidt’s Sausage Haus’ rooftop patio plans went down in defeat at the German Village Commission, but that doesn’t mean its expansion is dead. The 49-year-old German Village restaurant wants to add a 1,600-square-foot rooftop beer garden to its 240 E. Kossuth St. building, which requires two variances from the city, both of which were rejected by the German Village Commission in a 7-0 vote Tuesday evening. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/05/04/schmidts-taking-expansion-plan-straight-to.html Some previous articles about the Schmidt's rooftop patio plan: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/04/06/residents-criticize-proposed-schmidts-expansion-in-german-village-WB-GS.html http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/04/11/schmidts-returns-with-expansion-plans-patio.html http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/05/03/Schmidts-expansion-plans-rankle-some-neighbors.html And here is a more recent Dispatch article detailing multiple patio proposals in German Village. According to the below linked article, the German Village Commission has heard patio proposals for Stauf’s coffee house at 627 S. 3rd Street, Harvest Pizzeria at 495 S. 4th Street, and The Sycamore restaurant at 262 E. Sycamore Street. They approved the Rockmill Tavern patio at 525 S. 4th Street and denied the Schmidt's rooftop patio at 240 E. Kossuth Street. According to the above quoted article, Schmidt's planned to appeal the commission decision to City Council. However, there was no indication in the more recent article linked below that City Council had acted on any appeal yet: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/09/27/more-german-village-restaurants-want-patios.html
October 24, 20168 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 Catching up on the renovation of the former St. Mary's School at 673 Mohawk Street into a very large private residence. Here's what the building looked like prior to the renovation work when it was still being used as an U.S. Bank branch: Even as a bank branch, the former St. Mary's School looked pretty good on the outside. Unfortunately, much of the inside had been remodeled and a 37-space parking lot was located next door to the historic building to serve customers of the bank: Here's a photo of the renovation in 2014. It wasn't planned to be this much of a gut renovation, but it certainly turned into one: Another view of the renovation in 2014 from the former parking lot location. The historic St. Mary's Church is visible in the background, as well as the current St. Mary's School building housed in a circa-1960's structure: Here is the rebuilt former St. Mary's School building in November 2015. The biggest visual change is a more open landscaping plan and a more historically correct stone pier and wrought iron fence next to the sidewalk: Another view of the rebuilt former St. Mary's building. This view shows the transformation of the previous bank parking lot into a driveway that accesses the current St. Mary's school and church property. Some guest parking spaces remain for the new residence. But otherwise parking for the new residence is in the basement level of the renovated building. This basement parking level is accessed by a ramp that was camouflaged with a garden structure built atop it: Closer front view of the renovated former St. Mary's building from Mohawk Street: Front & side view of the renovated former St. Mary's building. This view more clearly shows the garden structure that was built atop a ramp that accesses the basement parking level added within the historic structure:
October 27, 20168 yr Nice! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 28, 20168 yr The iconic St. Mary Catholic Church located at 684 S. Third Street in German Village is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. More about this at http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/01/12/parish-milestone-st--mary-celebrates-its-150th-anniversary-this-year.html and at http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/faith_and_values/2014/12/26/st--mary-reaches-back-to-roots-to-mark-150-years.html Unfortunately in the 151st year, St. Mary was hit by an "Act of God". In this case, a lightning strike to the church spire: Lightning strike closes German Village church indefinitely BY GARY SEMAN JR., THIS WEEK NEWS Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - 12:07 PM St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in German Village is closed indefinitely after severe storm damage in late September. Church officials said they did not have a solid timeline for repairs. For the time being, weekend Masses at St. Mary, 684 S. Third St., will be temporally relocated to the adjacent St. Mary Catholic School gymnasium and weekday Masses will be held in the church's chapel. The school is still open. Assessments to determine the time frame and cost for repairs are underway. A lightning strike occurred Sept. 25. It hit the stainless-steel cross at the top of the spire. On Oct. 7, after an inspection of the church building by structural engineers, it was determined that roof-truss joints were in significant need of repair and the church will temporarily close until the renovations are made, said George Jones, spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Columbus. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/10/13/lightning-strike-closes-german-village-church-indefinitely-WB-GS.html
October 28, 20168 yr Update on the Rockmill Tavern proposal: German Village Commission OKs parking, patio variance for Rockmill BY GARY SEMAN JR., THIS WEEK COMMUNITY NEWS Tuesday, September 13, 2016 - 11:51 AM Rockmill Brewery is one step closer to building a restaurant in German Village. After nearly a year of hearings, meetings with neighbors and plan revisions, the brewery got support for its restaurant plans from the German Village Commission last week. A reduction in the size of the patio, which led to the need for fewer on-site parking spaces, put Rockmill over the top with commissioners, who recommended approval of two key variances for the Lancaster-based brewery. ... In another concession, (Rockmill) agreed not to brew beer on the site. Instead, (Rockmill) will open a brewery in the nearby Brewery District. The initial request set in motion a heated exchange over adding to the area's parking woes and bringing additional noise to a largely quiet neighborhood vs. creating another quality dining option in a pedestrian-friendly environment. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/09/07/german-village-commission-oks-parking-patio-variance-for-rockmill-WB-GS.html ^ Eh, nevermind... Proposed German Village tavern rejected by BZA BY GARY SEMAN JR., THIS WEEK NEWS Thursday, October 27, 2016 - 12:25 PM The latest Rockmill Brewery proposal in German Village has been rejected. In a 3-2 vote Oct. 25, the Columbus Board of Zoning Adjustment denied several variances that would have allowed Rockmill Brewery to build a tavern at the Juergens German Bakery site, 525 S. Front Street. “We’re evaluating our options right now,” attorney Jeffrey L. Brown said, also refusing to elaborate on those options. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/10/27/bza-rejects-proposed-german-village-rockmill-tavern-WB-GS.html
January 16, 20178 yr Brick streets and sidewalks are one of the defining features of German Village. The City of Columbus maintains the brick streets. However, it is the homeowners responsibility to maintain the brick sidewalks. For 2017, the German Village Society has raised money to award grants for neighborhood residents to repair these brick sidewalks: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2017/01/01/1-grants-to-help-make-german-village-brick-walks-safer.html
April 16, 20178 yr It seems that it's not often we see an actual development proposal for GV anymore because it's basically completely built-out now, but here we go... Developer Lykens Co is proposing a 3-story, 36 unit apartment building for a rare open parking lot at Thurman Ave and 4th St (https://goo.gl/maps/UuNX4RKXkp92). NIMBYs in the area have of course come out of the woodwork with all their usual concerns including environmental remediation, height, parking, traffic, and possible historic/archaeological remains. How seriously any of those can actually delay or derail this project is questionable though... There are no remaining historic buildings on-site, Thurman Ave is a larger, main artery in the neighborhood, the height, materials and detailing seem consistent with existing historic industrial type structures that are scattered throughout the neighborhood, the city has been advocating denser infill, no parking variances appear to be necessary, and the Ohio EPA has already said the site is clean. http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170415/german-village-residents-question-plans-for-foundry-site
May 25, 20178 yr The iconic St. Mary Catholic Church located at 684 S. Third Street in German Village is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. More about this at http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2015/01/12/parish-milestone-st--mary-celebrates-its-150th-anniversary-this-year.html and at http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/faith_and_values/2014/12/26/st--mary-reaches-back-to-roots-to-mark-150-years.html Unfortunately in the 151st year, St. Mary was hit by an "Act of God". In this case, a lightning strike to the church spire: Lightning strike closes German Village church indefinitely BY GARY SEMAN JR., THIS WEEK NEWS Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - 12:07 PM St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in German Village is closed indefinitely after severe storm damage in late September. Church officials said they did not have a solid timeline for repairs. For the time being, weekend Masses at St. Mary, 684 S. Third St., will be temporally relocated to the adjacent St. Mary Catholic School gymnasium and weekday Masses will be held in the church's chapel. The school is still open. Assessments to determine the time frame and cost for repairs are underway. A lightning strike occurred Sept. 25. It hit the stainless-steel cross at the top of the spire. On Oct. 7, after an inspection of the church building by structural engineers, it was determined that roof-truss joints were in significant need of repair and the church will temporarily close until the renovations are made, said George Jones, spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Columbus. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/10/13/lightning-strike-closes-german-village-church-indefinitely-WB-GS.html The St. Mary church is still closed after last September's lightning strike. But repairs are underway: http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20170515/keeping-faith-st-mary-officials-parishioners-hope-sanctuary-restoration-is-success
May 25, 20178 yr Photos of the St. Mary church repairs from http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20170515/keeping-faith-st-mary-officials-parishioners-hope-sanctuary-restoration-is-success. The first photo is an image of what the interior looked like before the lightning strike:
May 26, 20178 yr From the sacred to the profane. Columbia Gas has been relocating gas meters located on the inside of single-family homes (usually in basements) to the exterior of those homes. That program is running into resistance in the German Village neighborhood: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170522/german-village-group-files-complaint-with-puco-to-halt-gas-meter-relocation http://www.columbusunderground.com/german-village-society-gearing-up-for-a-fight-on-gas-meters-bw1
October 4, 20177 yr The drama over the relocation of gas meters from the interior to the exterior of homes in German Village appears to be over. A review of the drama from this year: http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20170320/columbia-gas-german-village-society-at-odds-over-meter-move http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20170602/judge-dismisses-german-village-societys-request-for-temp-restraining-order http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20170605/full-story-judge-says-meters-relocation-is-puco-matter
October 4, 20177 yr Report last week about a settlement reached between the German Village Society and Columbus Gas: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170929/columbia-gas-and-german-village-reach-settlement-over-meter-relocation According to the Dispatch article: "The German Village Society and Columbia Gas of Ohio have reached a settlement that allows the utility to continue to relocate gas meters to building exteriors, but customers will be involved in deciding where they will go." "The Public Utility Commission of Ohio must approve the settlement, which resolves a dispute that began in May when the German Village Society, which represents property owners in the historic neighborhood, filed a complaint with PUCO to stop Columbia Gas from moving inside meters to the exterior of homes in the historic district, arguing that the moves would hurt the neighborhood’s aesthetic and historic appeal." "With the agreement, customers can consult with the society for historic preservation guidance. If the society and Columbia Gas agree that the rear of the building is the safest exterior location for the meter, and the property owner approves, that will be the first option. Columbia Gas also will paint all meters and provide landscaping to help camouflage them. In addition, Columbia Gas will pay the society to replace brick sidewalks during the work."
October 4, 20177 yr Developer buys Giant Eagle near German Village The Giant Eagle near German Village has been acquired by a local developer. Pizzuti Cos. bought three parcels covering roughly 2.5 acres for $5.35 million in a sale that closed Monday, according to information from the Franklin County Auditor. Giant Eagle operates a 30,000-square-foot store at 280 E. Whittier St. in the Schumacher Place neighborhood and has leased the property through an LLC. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/10/04/exclusivedeveloper-buys-giant-eagle-near-german.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 9, 20177 yr ^ Here's the Dispatch report on that Pizzuti Cos. purchase of the Giant Eagle property in German Village: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20171004/developer-pizzuti-buys-german-village-area-giant-eagle-site-but-store-to-remain-open
October 9, 20177 yr Although the Dispatch is reporting that the Giant Eagle is not going to close and "has multiple years remaining with several options for (lease) extension", its natural to see this as a future large-scale development site rather than it staying as is. The existing supermarket was previously a Big Bear store built in 1950 and later acquired by Giant Eagle. At 30,000 square-feet, it's small compared with most Giant Eagle locations. And it doesn't include a GetGo gas station that is frequently paired with the chain’s supermarkets. Below are a couple of aerial views of this Giant Eagle location. Note its proximity to Schmidt's and other restaurant destinations like Barcelona. A Short North type of parking garage with offices and/or residential townhouses lining the surrounding streets would seem to make sense for any redevelopment of this Giant Eagle site. But, of course, this isn't the Short North, its German Village. Such a redevelopment might have difficulty gaining approval, since German Village residents are highly protective of the neighborhood's historic character and often express concern and resistance toward large-scale commercial development:
October 9, 20177 yr ^I believe the GE site is just outside the German Village Commission limits - its within the boundaries of the Schumacher Place Civic Association which is part of the Columbus Southside Area Commission. Is this commission as strict as German Village?
October 9, 20177 yr ^I believe the GE site is just outside the German Village Commission limits - its within the boundaries of the Schumacher Place Civic Association which is part of the Columbus Southside Area Commission. Is this commission as strict as German Village? You're right. Thanks for catching that! Apparently Jaeger Street is one of the streets that forms the eastern boundary of the German Village Historic District. And this Giant Eagle site is immediately east of that boundary. As for is the Southside Area Commission as strict as German Village? No commission is as strict as the German Village Commission(!) But there's still likely to be a bunch of zoning variances for setback, height, etc for a large-scale mixed-use redevelopment anyway. So all the GV and GV-area residents could still show up and express their concern/resistance toward it. But not needing to obtain a formal German Village approval would likely be better for any larger-scale redevelopment of this site.
October 9, 20177 yr Another important distinction is that the Southside Area Commission does not encompass architectural review. They can vote on recommendations to City Council for approving/denying zoning variances (similar to the Clintonville Area Commission, Near East Commission, etc), but they don't have the wider and more formal design review authority like the VVC, IVC, GVC, DTC, UARB, etc all do.
October 10, 20177 yr Report last week about a settlement reached between the German Village Society and Columbus Gas: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170929/columbia-gas-and-german-village-reach-settlement-over-meter-relocation According to the Dispatch article: "The German Village Society and Columbia Gas of Ohio have reached a settlement that allows the utility to continue to relocate gas meters to building exteriors, but customers will be involved in deciding where they will go." "The Public Utility Commission of Ohio must approve the settlement, which resolves a dispute that began in May when the German Village Society, which represents property owners in the historic neighborhood, filed a complaint with PUCO to stop Columbia Gas from moving inside meters to the exterior of homes in the historic district, arguing that the moves would hurt the neighborhood’s aesthetic and historic appeal." "With the agreement, customers can consult with the society for historic preservation guidance. If the society and Columbia Gas agree that the rear of the building is the safest exterior location for the meter, and the property owner approves, that will be the first option. Columbia Gas also will paint all meters and provide landscaping to help camouflage them. In addition, Columbia Gas will pay the society to replace brick sidewalks during the work." https://germanvillage.com/event/celebrate-grassroots-advocacy-columbia-gas-preservation-partnership/ It is quite hilarious the GVS is claiming victory when the meters will still be placed outside. I'm not sure if at the rear of the homes is any "safer" - what if there's an actual issue and personnel need to get to the meter? Do they have to scale fences and gates? Very Stable Genius
December 12, 20177 yr In a recent article about Columbus City Schools selling its excess properties, the Maennerchor Building at 966 S. High Street was mentioned. The Maennerchor Building was acquired during the renovation of the neighboring Stewart Elementary School, which was completed in 2015 -- previous post about that at https://www.urbanohio.com/forum/index.php/topic,7048.msg740104.html#msg740104. According to the Dispatch article at http://www.dispatch.com/news/20171128/nationwide-childrens-buys-former-africentric-school-site-for-15-million: "Also selling was the Maennerchor Building, 966 S. High Street in German Village, which was bid up to $460,000, or 42 percent over its minimum-bid price of $325,000. Galbreath Properties bought the 6,500-square-foot building, which dates to 1930."
December 24, 20177 yr Apparently the Maennerchor building, which was mentioned previously in this German Village thread, is actually part of the Brewery District. Both sides of South High Street are governed by the Brewery District Commission - even though the east side of the street is generally considered to be part of "German Village". However, the German Village Commission jurisdiction doesn't officially start until you cross the alley that separates the Maennerchor property from the Stewart Elementary School property that was previously discussed here: Redevelopment would add apartments to Brewery District's Maennerchor Building A redevelopment project on the Maennerchor site on South High Street is in the works. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/12/22/redevelopment-would-add-apartments-to-brewery.html That above article was posted in the Brewery District thread. Here is some more about the Maennerchor proposal presented to the Brewery District Commission from that posted article: "Developers discussed a plan for the historic site at 966 S. High St. that calls for a significant building addition for more space to serve the Columbus Maennerchor club as well as a connected three-story development that would have 18 flats facing Stewart Avenue. In an informal presentation to Brewery District Commission, developers said they're still gathering feedback on the plan." "The new residential building would be arrayed as six stacked flats per floor, 15 two-bed units and 3 one-bed units from 900 to 1,200 square feet. It would abut land that serves Stewart Alternative Elementary School and feature below-grade parking accessible from the side of the building." "The building was sold at auction in November for $460,000. Before that, the building, which sits on about one-third of an acre, was purchased by the school district in 2011 and had been the home of Columbus Maennerchor, a German-American singing organization that now meets next door at Valter’s at The Maennerchor bistro and bar." "The developer is in contract with a to-be-determined parcel of land from the school and will continue to develop a project and site layout ... and will return with more concrete plans to future meetings. But the project as it is would give additional practice space for the Maennerchor, which has wanted for years to regain control of the historic building."
December 28, 20177 yr Work Set to Begin on High-End Townhomes Near German Village Construction is set to begin in January on a 10-unit condominium development in Schumacher Place, just east of German Village. The project, which consists of two five-unit buildings, will require the demolition of a small house at 601 S. Ninth St. The land to the south of the house is vacant. Columbus City Council approved a variance for the project in April, after a series of neighborhood meetings that culminated in votes of approval last February from both the Schumacher Place Civic Association and the South Side Area Commission. More below: http://www.columbusunderground.com/work-set-to-begin-on-high-end-townhomes-near-german-village-bw1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 11, 20187 yr This sounds like a good project. And it will be even better once this part of the freeway gets rebuilt and capped Five-Story Hotel Proposed in German Village https://www.columbusunderground.com/five-story-hotel-proposed-in-german-village-we1
March 12, 20187 yr This sounds like a good project. And it will be even better once this part of the freeway gets rebuilt and capped Five-Story Hotel Proposed in German Village https://www.columbusunderground.com/five-story-hotel-proposed-in-german-village-we1 Highly anticipating the renderings on this one, I think we could see something very unique considering the location.
March 13, 20187 yr 129-room hotel proposed in German Village A rare commercial parcel could become home to a new hotel in German Village. Last week, the German Village Commission heard first ideas for a plan to demolish the one-story stucco building at 33 E. Livingston Ave., about a block from High Street. The office building, parking lot and vacant parcel next to it is owned by Carl Fry, city documents show. On that land, a five-story, 129-room hotel would be built, at 58,750 square foot, according to plans submitted to the commission. Jonathan Barnes is listed as architect on the project, which would need to be approved by German Village Commission to proceed. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/03/12/129-room-hotel-proposed-in-german-village.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 19, 20187 yr New 55-Unit Residential Development Planned in German Village A two-building development plan known as “Cedar Square” has been in front of the German Village Commission twice for review at the February and March commission meetings. The project, submitted by local architectural firm Berardi + Partners, calls for the construction of two new four-story buildings located between 247 and 281 East Livingston Avenue. The first proposal submitted in February called for 74 residential units and 54 parking spaces. before being reduced to 55 units for the second presentation in March. More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/new-55-unit-residential-development-planned-in-german-village-we1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 20, 20187 yr ^^ They really need more of this especially along the edges of German Village(like High/Brewery District) where it is out of the clutches of the German Village Commission. It is a neighborhood, it is not a museum. A little change is not always a bad idea.
May 2, 20187 yr German Village Hotel Proposal Grows to Six Stories "A proposal to build a hotel on the northern edge of German Village has grown in size. When the project was brought before the German Village Commission in March, plans called for a five-story building with 129 guest rooms. The latest concept, which was heard by the commission last night, calls for a six-story building with 156 rooms and an underground garage with space for 148 cars. Located at 31 E. Livingston Ave., the hotel would be built on the site of a surface parking lot and a one-story office building, which would be demolished. Two existing buildings are included within the scope of the project and would be renovated; one at 489 City Park Ave. and the other at 46 E. Blenkner St." https://www.columbusunderground.com/german-village-hotel-bw1
May 2, 20187 yr Ya know...I actually like it. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 2, 20187 yr 51 units now proposed for German Village development A proposed Livingston Avenue residential development in German Village looks to have been downsized again after feedback from the neighborhood. "We're at the point where we can’t go any further with reducing the number of units," says John Leonard, project leader at Berardi + Partners. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/05/02/51-units-now-proposed-for-german-village.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
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