May 7, 20187 yr ^ Larger version of the rendering for that 51-unit proposal along the 200 block of East Livingston Avenue:
May 7, 20187 yr Any word on if anyone is going to take over the old Max & Erma's location? They had people write in suggestions on stickers this winter for ideas but as far as I can tell nothing materialized. Very Stable Genius
July 9, 20186 yr Developer's third go at proposed German Village hotel fails to impress commission, residents The third iteration of a planned hotel in German Village continues to face resistance from officials and residents. Developers downsized their plan for the hotel at 31-35 E. Livingston Ave. on the north edge of the village from six stories to a smaller 124-room version with a three-story wing, a four-story wing, and a fifth-floor rooftop lounge. But during a meeting Thursday night, members of the German Village Commission told developer Luxe Hotel that the project was still too tall for the neighborhood. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/06/developers-third-go-at-proposed-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
July 9, 20186 yr Isn't German Village an historic neighborhood? That hotel looks like a cheap motel found at a highway interchange--and doesn't fit in at all.
July 9, 20186 yr Livingston is currently essentially just a pockmarked feeder road for I 70/71 and the children's hospital. This hotel, which presumably will be clad in reasonably high-quality brick, will be at least as good (actually, significantly better) as the suburban Chase Bank and parking lots that currently line much of that street. “To an Ohio resident - wherever he lives - some other part of his state seems unreal.”
July 9, 20186 yr Developer's third go at proposed German Village hotel fails to impress commission, residents The third iteration of a planned hotel in German Village continues to face resistance from officials and residents. Developers downsized their plan for the hotel at 31-35 E. Livingston Ave. on the north edge of the village from six stories to a smaller 124-room version with a three-story wing, a four-story wing, and a fifth-floor rooftop lounge. But during a meeting Thursday night, members of the German Village Commission told developer Luxe Hotel that the project was still too tall for the neighborhood. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/06/developers-third-go-at-proposed-german-village.html As a German Village resident, I have no problem with the height or massing but the design is really bad. It just looks like a shoddy Red Roof Inn: Brick Edition. Yeah If I wish it was the design and not the massing/height they were fighting. It's next to a freeway and downtown, I think it a larger development is absolutely acceptable but the design needs to be strong.
July 23, 20186 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 Construction has begun on the Townhaus 10-unit condo development in Schumacher Place. Early July construction photo from CU showing the project from the corner of 9th Street and South Lane. The view looking north up 9th Street shows the nine-story Children's Hospital Behavioral Health Pavilion being built on the other side of Livingston Avenue: https://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-july-2018-edition-we1
September 16, 20186 yr German Village updates - we got em: Any word on if anyone is going to take over the old Max & Erma's location? They had people write in suggestions on stickers this winter for ideas but as far as I can tell nothing materialized. Former Max & Erma's in German Village becoming coworking space (with a bar) The old German Village Max & Erma’s will again be a gathering place — albeit of a somewhat different sort. A new coworking space called Kollektiv is setting up shop at the space at 739 S. 3rd St., with plans to convert to a neighborhood bar in the evenings. Kollektiv said the new space will have tables, booths, offices and conference rooms for both short- and long-term tenants. Communal tables and booths will be on the first floor with leasable office space on upper levels. The workspace will be available for flexible month-to-month rates or longer-term agreements. ... No other details were released on the planned bar. MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/12/former-max-ermas-in-german-village-becoming.html Coworking Website: http://kollektivco.com/ Couple of exterior photos of the original Max & Erma's at 739 S. 3rd Street:
September 16, 20186 yr Another German Village update: 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 Cedar Square: Developer to rework proposal Cedar Square, a residential project proposed for East Livingston Avenue in German Village, has been put on hold as the developer prepares to rework the proposal. The 52-unit complex planned between 247-281 E. Livingston Avenue apparently did not have the support of neighbors in the historic district, who said they preferred a commercial development. “We’ll continue to work on the site,” said attorney Don Plank, who’s representing Toula Management and other limited-liability corporations that own the properties. Toula’s desire was to combine several parcels from Dixon Alley to South Sixth Street along East Livingston. The company’s plan called for razing one building, constructing two new buildings and reusing an existing structure to accommodate the request. The former Happy Dragon restaurant, which is being converted to a Philco Bar + Diner, on the eastern edge of the site, as well as existing buildings to the west, would remain. The German Village Commission heard a request for nine variances for the property Sept. 5 and consented to one: allowing for residential on the first floor of properties originally built for residential in a district zoned for commercial district. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180911/cedar-square-developer-to-rework-proposal
September 16, 20186 yr And one for Schumacher Place: Developer seeks mixed use at former Shane’s Gourmet Market Northstar Realty wants to build a 5-story mixed-use development that would include the former Shane’s Gourmet Market site, 447 E. Livingston Ave., in Schumacher Place, according to documents filed recently with the City of Columbus. The development would combine several properties between 447 and 485 E. Livingston Avenue. (This is located across the street from the 9-story Children's Hospital Behavioral Health Pavilion currently under construction. The development would replace the vacant one-story Shane’s Gourmet Market building & site and the vacant one-story Enterprise Rent-A-Car building & site.) Northstar is seeking a number of variances, including a request to exceed the maximum building height from 35 to 65 feet, according to the documents. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180821/developer-seeks-mixed-use-at-former-shanes-gourmet-market Review not required for latest East Livingston redevelopment near German Village The latest proposed mixed-use development on East Livingston Avenue is outside German Village historic district boundaries, meaning it does not have to go through a historic-review process. Unlike a proposed hotel at 31 E. Livingston and the multi-family development at 247 E. Livingston, this proposal at 447-485 E. Livingston is in the Schumacher Place neighborhood. Brenda Gischel, president of the Schumacher Place Civic Association, said that’s been a source of frustration for members of the group, in that the civic association only serves in an advisory role. ... Tom Brigdon, a representative of Northstar Realty, which has submitted the proposal, said the company is in the midst of revising the design. “After hearing the residents’ concerns, we are looking at the project to address those concerns,” he said. The original proposal called for a five-story building across four parcels between 447 and 485 E. Livingston. ... It’s unclear what is going to change, but the middle portion of the first floor contains 1,000 square feet of lobby and 40 parking spaces, according to the document filed with the City of Columbus. Apartments are on floors two through five, with 84 units being proposed. ... The current plans show another parking area located behind the building, which will be bookended by 3,200 square feet of retail space to the west and a 2,000-square-foot workout facility to the east. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180828/review-not-required-for-latest-east-livingston-redevelopment-near-german-village
September 17, 20186 yr German Village updates - we got em: Any word on if anyone is going to take over the old Max & Erma's location? They had people write in suggestions on stickers this winter for ideas but as far as I can tell nothing materialized. Former Max & Erma's in German Village becoming coworking space (with a bar) The old German Village Max & Erma’s will again be a gathering place — albeit of a somewhat different sort. A new coworking space called Kollektiv is setting up shop at the space at 739 S. 3rd St., with plans to convert to a neighborhood bar in the evenings. Kollektiv said the new space will have tables, booths, offices and conference rooms for both short- and long-term tenants. Communal tables and booths will be on the first floor with leasable office space on upper levels. The workspace will be available for flexible month-to-month rates or longer-term agreements. ... No other details were released on the planned bar. MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/12/former-max-ermas-in-german-village-becoming.html Coworking Website: http://kollektivco.com/ Couple of exterior photos of the original Max & Erma's at 739 S. 3rd Street: Ugh... I miss Max & Erma's...
November 27, 20186 yr Redesign of Livingston Avenue in German Village Underway Bike lanes are coming to a section of East Livingston Avenue in German Village. The new five-foot-wide lanes on both sides of the street will start at Dixon Alley and continue east to Kennedy Drive, where they will connect up with the existing lanes that extend past Parsons Avenue. Preliminary work is now underway on the project, which will also feature upgraded intersections and street lights as well as new sidewalks and street trees. New curbs will be made of sandstone to match the material that was historically utilized in the neighborhood. More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/work-begins-on-redesign-of-livingston-avenue-in-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
November 28, 20186 yr More bike lanes always excites me. Anything to get more cars off the streets. Looks like the full project will be complete after ODOT finishes its monster project.
December 3, 20186 yr The future fate of the Maennerchor buildings - previously mentioned in this thread at https://forum.urbanohio.com/topic/1167-columbus-german-village-schumacher-place-developments-and-news/?do=findComment&comment=802232 - are up for discussion again as a conceptual review at the Dec. 6th Brewery District Commission meeting. Below is an article from CU and some conceptual renderings of the new proposal: New Plan for Maennerchor Site Would Preserve Buildings The Brewery District Commission will hear a new plan for 966 S. High Street at its December 6 meeting. The new proposal calls for renovating the two-and-a-half story brick building that served as the original home of the Columbus Maennerchor, along with the one-story section that was later added in front of the building. A 1,485-square-foot addition and a small parking lot would be constructed on the north side of the building. Renderings submitted to the City of Columbus also show a three-story building on the north end of the site that is labeled as “proposed future development.” MORE: https://www.columbusunderground.com/new-plan-for-maennerchor-site-would-preserve-buildings-bw1 A massing model of the existing site: The proposed addition and parking lot: Proposed future site development:
February 7, 20196 yr Townhaus should be done pretty soon. It's looking good, the brick looks weird in my picture only because it's wet. In person this looks better.
February 14, 20196 yr Proposal for Schumacher Place Mixes Modern, Historic A plan to build a three-story apartment building next to a 100-year-old commercial building on the South Side has been slowly making its way through the approval process. The new, modern building would replace a 1950s-era concrete block addition and sit just to the east of the existing, one-story brick building at 364 E. Whittier St. The proposal, from developer Aaron Kreais, calls for four one-bedroom apartments above a first-floor live-work unit. The historic building would be renovated to accommodate a brewery or restaurant, with a rear patio and five parking spaces accessible from Schiller Alley. More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/proposal-for-schumacher-place-mixes-modern-historic-bw1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 2, 20196 yr Revised Proposal Going Back to German Village Commission A revised development proposal for a prominent stretch of Livingston Avenue will be presented to the German Village Commission next week. It will be the seventh time that the project has been before the commission, whose members have previously expressed concern about the height and scale of the project. The current plan calls for three new buildings on the south side of Livingston Avenue, between Dixon Alley and the former Happy Dragon restaurant (which is now slated to hold a new Philco location). All but one of the existing buildings on that block will be renovated, resulting in a total count of 42 residential units and 52 parking spaces, according to documents submitted to the City of Columbus in advance of Tuesday’s meeting. More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/revised-proposal-going-back-to-german-village-commission-bw1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 5, 20196 yr I just can't get over the allergy to height in this city. It's *mind boggling*. This is my feeling after seeing that High/N Broadway project in Clintonville. I'm not too sure why this one was reduced. Just ***why***
March 5, 20196 yr 46 minutes ago, Zyrokai said: I just can't get over the allergy to height in this city. It's *mind boggling*. This is my feeling after seeing that High/N Broadway project in Clintonville. I'm not too sure why this one was reduced. Just ***why*** I have some friends (or friends of friends?) on Facebook who are sharing posts about it and the Commission Meeting: I can copy/paste comments but they basically boil down to "MUH PROPERTY VALUE" and "PRESERVATION!!!" - the only building that would be demolished was built in 1981, hardly historic. Very Stable Genius
March 5, 20196 yr 5 minutes ago, DarkandStormy said: I have some friends (or friends of friends?) on Facebook who are sharing posts about it and the Commission Meeting: I can copy/paste comments but they basically boil down to "MUH PROPERTY VALUE" and "PRESERVATION!!!" - the only building that would be demolished was built in 1981, hardly historic. Being a German Village resident, I absolutely plan on going and shutting down some NIMBYs on this one. I am all about historic preservation when necessary, that said, nothing about this project will negatively impact German Villages historic value, nature, or aesthetic... and even then it's across from a freaking freeway. See you soon NIMBYs, hope you're all ready to play.
March 5, 20196 yr 1 hour ago, DevolsDance said: Being a German Village resident, I absolutely plan on going and shutting down some NIMBYs on this one. I am all about historic preservation when necessary, that said, nothing about this project will negatively impact German Villages historic value, nature, or aesthetic... and even then it's across from a freaking freeway. See you soon NIMBYs, hope you're all ready to play. Good luck to you! I'd love to attend but I'm not a resident of German Village....................do they frown on nonresidents of the neighborhood attending neighborhood commission meetings? lol
March 6, 20196 yr 9 hours ago, Zyrokai said: Good luck to you! I'd love to attend but I'm not a resident of German Village....................do they frown on nonresidents of the neighborhood attending neighborhood commission meetings? lol You're a city resident and and it's a public hearing. Anyone interested should go and speak. People need to actively participate in these meetings for them to work properly and get insight on how all of this works.
March 6, 20196 yr 11 hours ago, cityscapes said: You're a city resident and and it's a public hearing. Anyone interested should go and speak. People need to actively participate in these meetings for them to work properly and get insight on how all of this works. Good to know. Unfortunately, I missed yesterday's meeting but I need to get more involved in these things. Did anyone attend? How did it go? Is there a schedule online of these meetings across the city? I'd like to go to many different ones.
March 6, 20196 yr 13 minutes ago, Zyrokai said: Good to know. Unfortunately, I missed yesterday's meeting but I need to get more involved in these things. Did anyone attend? How did it go? Is there a schedule online of these meetings across the city? I'd like to go to many different ones. https://www.columbus.gov/development/Public-Meetings/
March 18, 20196 yr On 9/16/2018 at 7:49 PM, Columbo said: Former Max & Erma's in German Village becoming coworking space (with a bar) The old German Village Max & Erma’s will again be a gathering place — albeit of a somewhat different sort. A new coworking space called Kollektiv is setting up shop at the space at 739 S. 3rd St., with plans to convert to a neighborhood bar in the evenings. Kollektiv said the new space will have tables, booths, offices and conference rooms for both short- and long-term tenants. Communal tables and booths will be on the first floor with leasable office space on upper levels. The workspace will be available for flexible month-to-month rates or longer-term agreements. ... No other details were released on the planned bar. MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/12/former-max-ermas-in-german-village-becoming.html Coworking Website: http://kollektivco.com/ Couple of exterior photos of the original Max & Erma's at 739 S. 3rd Street: ^ An update on the three new uses going into the former Max & Erma's: Kollektiv (co-working space), Wunderbar (bar), and Pierogi Mountain (restaurant) Columbus Navigator has a rundown on the Kollektiv co-working part of the redo: https://www.columbusnavigator.com/kollektiv-coworking-german-village/ Plus, a bunch of interior photos at Columbus Navigator. This one is the ground floor former restaurant portion of the building that most people remember. Quite a bit of the Max & Erma's interior has been retained: More photos of the building's second and third floors (i.e the non-public former Max & Erma's offices) are at https://www.columbusnavigator.com/kollektiv-coworking-german-village/ There's more about the Wunderbar and Pierogi Mountain parts of the redo at CU: Wunderbar, Pierogi Mountain Opening Alongside Co-Working Space in German Village A German Village staple has officially been replaced, but its remnants can be found for those who are looking. Max & Erma’s, which operated in German Village for 45 years, has become a combination co-working space, bar and restaurant. Kollektiv, a co-working and office leasing company, shares the three-story building with Pierogi Mountain’s second location and a new concept, Wunderbar. It’ll open to the public on March 15. Kollektiv offers 11 dedicated desks and six private offices, as well as 40 hot desks and several conference rooms. The ground floor they’ve dedicated to the full bar and restaurant, Wunderbar and Pierogi Mountain. MORE: https://www.columbusunderground.com/wunderbar-pierogi-mountain-opening-alongside-co-working-space-in-german-village-ls1
March 23, 20196 yr Another construction photo of The Townhaus 10-unit condo project in Schumacher Place. Getting closer to completion, but not quite done - as indicated by the continued presence of the porta-outhaus at the corner(!) Photo posted 3/19 at https://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-east-side-south-side-grandview-we1
April 15, 20196 yr A wonderful update regarding St. Mary church in German Village. First, here are the previous posts in this thread about the damage that closed it and the 2 1/2 year restoration of the church: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/10/13/lightning-strike-closes-german-village-church-indefinitely-WB-GS.html http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20170515/keeping-faith-st-mary-officials-parishioners-hope-sanctuary-restoration-is-success On 5/25/2017 at 11:11 AM, Columbo said: 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:
April 15, 20196 yr Now the update: St. Mary Catholic Church in German Village hosts first services in 2 1/2 years Waves of tears and emotion greeted the ushers at a historic German Village church as they handed out palm branches and bulletins to the incoming parishioners. Many of the people who came in the South 3rd Street entrance of St. Mary Catholic Church hadn’t been inside the 151-year-old building in more than 2-1/2 years, since it was struck by lightning in August 2016 and then closed in October 2016. But on Palm Sunday, after setting their umbrellas down just inside the front doors and stepping into the nave, the parishioners were greeted with those familiar beige walls. Paintings of biblical scenes were spaced out by the stained-glass windows, and the massive chandeliers dangled above their heads as hymns echoed from the choir. ( . . . ) The church, which originally was built in 1868, was struck by lightning Aug. 25, 2016, and after structural engineers inspected the building two months later, it was closed for concerns over its structural integrity. ... Though the project stalled in 2017 due to a lack of funding, (but) the campaign was able to raise the $8 million needed, thanks to so many generous people. That money not only restored the church, but added in new front steps, a memorial prayer garden and new stained-glass windows. MORE: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190414/st-mary-catholic-church-in-german-village-hosts-first-services-in-2-12-years
May 27, 20196 yr The 10-unit Townhaus condo project in Schumacher Place is now finished. Photo taken during the recently completed Urban Living Tour, in which the Townhaus was one of the stops: https://www.columbusunderground.com/photos-urban-living-tour-mg1
September 23, 20195 yr The hotel is back - new architect and better looking building. Should be interesting to see if this passes the German Village Commission..... https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190922/proposed-hotel-latest-german-village-flashpoint
September 23, 20195 yr 9 minutes ago, Pablo said: The hotel is back - new architect and better looking building. Should be interesting to see if this passes the German Village Commission..... https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190922/proposed-hotel-latest-german-village-flashpoint The NIMBYs in that article are insufferable. Aren't commissions like the German Village Society just advisory commissions? So if they're being as unreasonable as they are can't the developer just go straight to City Council?
September 23, 20195 yr 50 minutes ago, Pablo said: The hotel is back - new architect and better looking building. Should be interesting to see if this passes the German Village Commission..... https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190922/proposed-hotel-latest-german-village-flashpoint It looks great-and it is hardly in the heart of German Village-it is on crappy Livingston for Christ's sake-it is not replacing anything historic. The German Village NIMBYS will be out in force with pitchforks and barrels of tar and feathers. smh
September 23, 20195 yr 40 minutes ago, aderwent said: The NIMBYs in that article are insufferable. Aren't commissions like the German Village Society just advisory commissions? So if they're being as unreasonable as they are can't the developer just go straight to City Council? Regarding the hotel, its absolutely the best design we've seen so far and based on location and design it should be approved. Regarding the Society and residents, they have completely lost touch with reality on many fronts. They are treating the proposal as if it's in the middle of the neighborhood and will lead to some massive demolition of the village character. The proposal is on the very fringe of the village, it's along Livingston and I70/71, and will replace a surface lot and a single story stucco building... dragging this project out has hit the point of unreasonable imho. Finally, yes, developers can appeal to the city and ultimately win approval if they feel they have reached an impasse on a reasonable project with the commissions/review boards, however this just doesn't really happen. It definitely ventures into gray area because while the city does have ultimate approval it kind of opens a pandoras box in a way to bypass the commission and I think that the city will be very hesitant to do such a thing, it would likely just be another dead end for the developer. I have never seen it tested and developers typically want to be a "friendly neighbor" so while it can be done, I don't expect it will.
September 23, 20195 yr 21 minutes ago, DevolsDance said: Regarding the hotel, its absolutely the best design we've seen so far and based on location and design it should be approved. Regarding the Society and residents, they have completely lost touch with reality on many fronts. They are treating the proposal as if it's in the middle of the neighborhood and will lead to some massive demolition of the village character. The proposal is on the very fringe of the village, it's along Livingston and I70/71, and will replace a surface lot and a single story stucco building... dragging this project out has hit the point of unreasonable imho. Finally, yes, developers can appeal to the city and ultimately win approval if they feel they have reached an impasse on a reasonable project with the commissions/review boards, however this just doesn't really happen. It definitely ventures into gray area because while the city does have ultimate approval it kind of opens a pandoras box in a way to bypass the commission and I think that the city will be very hesitant to do such a thing, it would likely just be another dead end for the developer. I have never seen it tested and developers typically want to be a "friendly neighbor" so while it can be done, I don't expect it will. It's similar to what happened with the Price Avenue project in Vic Village. Maybe GV NIMBYers learned from that and figure if they can just cog up the process long enough with BS excuses, the developer will just abandon the project altogether. This is just another reason why the city needs massive zoning reform, though in this case, I'm not sure how it would conflict with historic preservation efforts. Still, nothing historic is being threatened here, and the location is essentially on the highway, so the outrage is wildly misplaced at best. Main corridors like Livingston and High should maintain what existing historic buildings there are, but in locations that lost them decades ago like this one, zoning should allow for denser development like this without a bunch of busybodies being able to stop it for irrational reasons. Edited September 23, 20195 yr by jonoh81
September 23, 20195 yr Does the commission have guidelines or rules they follow to approve or reject proposals?
September 23, 20195 yr 7 minutes ago, ck said: Does the commission have guidelines or rules they follow to approve or reject proposals? Yes - the guidelines can be downloaded from this page: https://www.columbus.gov/Templates/Detail.aspx?id=67372#GVg (note the guidelines document is a ~100MB PDF)
September 23, 20195 yr It's like a nice hotel with direct access to one of the most recognized neighborhoods in the city, possibly state, is somehow going to suffer with an influx of tourists dollars ??? I agree with other sentiments regarding Livingston should be denser and hold many of the commodities that the core of the neighborhood can not hold. (Hotels, large new commercial space, etc etc)
September 23, 20195 yr For anyone curious, this is the proposed location and "character" the society and residents are trying to preserve... https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9527248,-82.9976987,3a,75y,162.52h,87.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWMwF_xxutSIstEHbV7aAkA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 While I do understand and appreciate the commissions, I do believe they hold a bit too much power at times. I think the commissions should have less influence on density, height, use, and parking, and should be almost exclusively focused on design and quality. Columbus has some of the better infill I have seen in growth cities and this can be heavily attributed to the commissions, however their power and influence over the actual size of developments has gotten wildly out of hand and is really going to become an issue if we ever hope to achieve the density for things like transit, retail, and walkability.
September 23, 20195 yr ^^ That is just ridiculous! You can see looking west down Livingston where High is part of the Brewery District. I almost hope they line South High with 12+ story buildings that will cause half the NIMBY German Villains to stroke out. First having gas meters *gasp* on the outside of homes, and now a monstrous five story building covering up low rise cheap stucco buildings and parking lots!-what will happen next!!!! -get me my smelling salts! I must have my aromatics and recline dramatically on my settee! /sarcasm.
September 23, 20195 yr I want to start a thread-which is worse, Victorian Village NIMBYS or German Village NIMBYS. (or Clintonville NIMBYS) Edited September 23, 20195 yr by Toddguy
September 23, 20195 yr 39 minutes ago, Toddguy said: I want to start a thread-which is worse, Victorian Village NIMBYS or German Village NIMBYS. (or Clintonville NIMBYS) I was going to say GV based on the gas meter fiasco, but then I remembered the amazing Kaufman development that VV shut down. And then I remembered the CV High & (was it North Broadway????) development that was reduced to a stupid one-story strip mall at a prominent corner. They're all just the worst.....ugh. Edited September 23, 20195 yr by Zyrokai
September 23, 20195 yr 5 minutes ago, Zyrokai said: I was going to say GV based on the gas meter fiasco, but then I remembered the amazing Kaufman development that VV shut down. And then I remembered the CV High & (was it North Broadway????) development that was reduced to a stupid one-story strip mall at a prominent corner. They're all just the worst.....ugh. I'm gonna say GV and Clintonville are tied. While VV has pushed back on that awesome proposal, they have allowed some other decent projects to move forward that would NEVER see the light of day in the others. One would he hard pressed to find anything like what VV has approved in GV or CV. (Excluding the massive suburban complexes on Indianola) I Just read the article in full. What a bunch of nuts.
September 23, 20195 yr 1 minute ago, Zyrokai said: I was going to say GV based on the gas meter fiasco, but then I remembered the amazing Kaufman development that VV shut down. And then I remembered the CV High & (was it North Broadway????) development that was reduced to a stupid one-story strip mall at a prominent corner. They're all just the worst.....ugh. The Kaufman development and the Pizzutti development in Victorian Village. The Pizzutti development has turned out pretty nice, but it should have been that nice and twelve stories. This award has to go to Clintonville, though. So many developments shot down or amended to nothing but 80s strip malls. Yikes! Only the Bareburger building has been a win in Clintonville. Considering the surface lot there and the tiny stature of that building it's really sad that's their "great development" during this boom. We have the Rusty Bucket shot down from a mixed-use condo development to a single-use standalone restaurant. We have the Local Cantina and Hot Chicken Takeover buildings not even trying to propose anything better. We have the Patrick J's site completely avoiding having to deal with their idiotic BS by just placing a lot in the Clintonville part of their parcel. Then of course the Clintonville Electric site remains empty, because Clintonville does what Clintonville does. Then we have the garbage being built on Indianola. How is Clintonville not ashamed?
September 23, 20195 yr 4 minutes ago, DTCL11 said: I'm gonna say GV and Clintonville are tied. While VV has pushed back on that awesome proposal, they have allowed some other decent projects to move forward that would NEVER see the light of day in the others. One would he hard pressed to find anything like what VV has approved in GV or CV. (Excluding the massive suburban complexes on Indianola) I Just read the article in full. What a bunch of nuts. GV has ridiculously awesome history they've managed to not only preserve, but keep up to date. It's a delicate balance, and they've done well. Although it hasn't really been challenged hardly. This hotel being the hardest test says something, because it's a no-brainer development, and is not even remotely inappropriate. Clintonville on the other hand has a historic commercial strip that hasn't been threatened in the slightest, and then a bunch of insignificant, overpriced 60s and 70s houses. What exactly do they think they've preserved? It's seriously cringey.
September 23, 20195 yr 5 minutes ago, aderwent said: The Kaufman development and the Pizzutti development in Victorian Village. The Pizzutti development has turned out pretty nice, but it should have been that nice and twelve stories. This award has to go to Clintonville, though. So many developments shot down or amended to nothing but 80s strip malls. Yikes! Only the Bareburger building has been a win in Clintonville. Considering the surface lot there and the tiny stature of that building it's really sad that's their "great development" during this boom. We have the Rusty Bucket shot down from a mixed-use condo development to a single-use standalone restaurant. We have the Local Cantina and Hot Chicken Takeover buildings not even trying to propose anything better. We have the Patrick J's site completely avoiding having to deal with their idiotic BS by just placing a lot in the Clintonville part of their parcel. Then of course the Clintonville Electric site remains empty, because Clintonville does what Clintonville does. Then we have the garbage being built on Indianola. How is Clintonville not ashamed? It's ridiculous, these commissions have made decisions that will last decades based on their desire for the city of the past.
September 23, 20195 yr 1 hour ago, DevolsDance said: For anyone curious, this is the proposed location and "character" the society and residents are trying to preserve... https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9527248,-82.9976987,3a,75y,162.52h,87.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWMwF_xxutSIstEHbV7aAkA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 While I do understand and appreciate the commissions, I do believe they hold a bit too much power at times. I think the commissions should have less influence on density, height, use, and parking, and should be almost exclusively focused on design and quality. Columbus has some of the better infill I have seen in growth cities and this can be heavily attributed to the commissions, however their power and influence over the actual size of developments has gotten wildly out of hand and is really going to become an issue if we ever hope to achieve the density for things like transit, retail, and walkability. I don't get it. Is it an ego thing? Do they just like feeling powerful that they are able to halt a big developer from doing something? I don't see any other explanation for trying to save that.
September 23, 20195 yr 29 minutes ago, aderwent said: GV has ridiculously awesome history they've managed to not only preserve, but keep up to date. It's a delicate balance, and they've done well. Although it hasn't really been challenged hardly. This hotel being the hardest test says something, because it's a no-brainer development, and is not even remotely inappropriate. Clintonville on the other hand has a historic commercial strip that hasn't been threatened in the slightest, and then a bunch of insignificant, overpriced 60s and 70s houses. What exactly do they think they've preserved? It's seriously cringey. To be fair, the vast majority of Clintonville housing is pre-WWII, with much of it from the 1920s. You'd have to go east of 71 into North Linden to find mostly mid-century stuff. I have no problem protecting historic neighborhoods. The last thing I want to see it a bunch new proposals requiring historic demolition. We've seen too much of that. But again, if the history's already been lost, as with the Livingston site, it doesn't make much sense to scream about protecting the historic integrity of the neighborhood.
September 23, 20195 yr 23 minutes ago, Zyrokai said: Is there possibly a chance this still goes through, though? Possible? Yes. Likely? Nah. I believe the original issues from the GV society were all in relation to massing and height. Primarily they felt the massing was too heavy for the area and wanted to see it contextually relate the surrounding building heights but were not a fan of any "step down" sections. Something important though was the earlier designs called for 6 stories, so maybe 5 will easier for them to digest? We will see but I'm not going to get excited yet. That being said, I think this is a beautiful design to bring some of the modern and clean aesthetics we are seeing in the SN with the classic brick and massing we see in German Village.
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