Posted September 6, 201410 yr Along with the 21st century businesses showing interest in Central Ohio, an existing 19th century industry on the city's south side also got a big boost this week: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/09/03/manufacturer-planning-550-new-jobs-in-boost-for.html http://www.columbusunderground.com/south-side-gaining-550-new-jobs-new-community-center
April 22, 20169 yr Author Along with the 21st century businesses showing interest in Central Ohio, an existing 19th century industry on the city's south side also got a big boost this week: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/09/03/manufacturer-planning-550-new-jobs-in-boost-for.html http://www.columbusunderground.com/south-side-gaining-550-new-jobs-new-community-center Back when I posted this in 2014, Columbus Castings (formerly known as Buckeye Steel) on the city's south side was riding high and looking to expand its workforce. This week, the company dropped this bombshell: Business First: Columbus Castings' 799 jobs in jeopardy as buyer sought Dispatch: Columbus Castings likely to close if buyer not found
April 22, 20169 yr Author Everyone's been wondering, "Why the turnaround with Columbus Castings". Business First published an in-depth look at "why" in today's print edition. Unfortunately, they don't allow their print articles to be viewed by non-subscribes anymore. But here's the gist of it in this excerpt: Columbus Castings' fate rose and fell with the oil and gas industry By Tom Knox, Reporter - Columbus Business First April 22, 2016, 8:21am EDT The downturn in the oil and gas industry has hammered eastern Ohio since late 2014. Now its impact has shifted from Appalachia to Columbus. Part of Columbus Castings’ resurgence was tied to the renewed rise of the rail industry, for which the south side steel foundry made undercarriages. Now that appears to be over, after officials this week notified nearly 800 workers of an impending closure. When the company’s private-equity owners announced a planned doubling of its 550-employee base in September 2014, oil prices averaged just under $100 a barrel. The U.S. was pumping oil and gas from deposits long thought economically unattainable. It needed to be sent afar from rural areas, and rail benefited. So did Columbus Castings. Indeed, the industry had “a seemingly unending appetite for crude oil tank cars and frac sand covered hoppers,” as noted by a railroad trade magazine. However, oil prices soon tumbled, traditional powerhouse oil producers in the Gulf region didn’t hold back production, and supply outstripped demand. Last month oil prices averaged just over $37 a barrel. Rail cars that had carried oil and natural gas across the country stopped their trips. Those macro-level economics are now impacting Columbus Castings, which faces the likely prospect of closing this summer unless it finds a buyer. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/04/22/columbus-castings-fate-rose-and-fell-with-the-oil.html
April 30, 20169 yr Author A little more surrounding the Columbus Castings news from Business First... Columbus Castings needs a savior, but Worthington Industries won't be it By Tom Knox, Reporter - Columbus Business First April 22, 2016, 2:01pm EDT Worthington Industries Inc. owned Columbus Castings for nearly two decades, when the south side foundry was known by its longtime moniker Buckeye Steel. ... Now Columbus Castings' current owners are looking to sell or shut down. A Columbus Castings official this week said the company is in talks with a potential buyer, but it's unknown who it is and how the serious talks are. But playing savior is not in the cards for Worthington Industries, a global metals processor that ran the Parsons Avenue plant from 1980 to February 1999. "It was a good 20-year partnership, but it does not fit our present-day portfolio," Worthington Industries spokeswoman Cathy Lyttle said in an email. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/04/22/columbus-castings-needs-a-savior-but-worthington.html
May 17, 20169 yr Author The other shoe drops for Columbus Castings (formerly Buckeye Steel). http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2016/05/11/columbus-castings-layoff-most-workers-for-now.html
May 21, 20169 yr Author More Columbus Castings news (bankruptcy phase): Columbus Castings parent files for bankruptcy By Dan Gearino, The Columbus Dispatch Tuesday, May 17, 2016 - 5:44 PM The fate of Columbus Castings, including a potential sale to a new owner, is in the hands of a bankruptcy court, with no timetable for resolution. The South Side foundry's parent company, Constellation Enterprises, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late on Monday in a Delaware court. The move follows mass layoffs by the company last week that have left 23 workers at a plant that recently had about 800. On Tuesday, Columbus Castings said it has received a letter of intent from an unspecified company that is interested in buying the foundry as part of the bankruptcy process and resuming operations. In a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, a company is seeking to restructure and manage its debt. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2016/05/17/columbus-castings-files-for-bankruptcy.html
May 21, 20169 yr Author Bankruptcy looks like long road for Columbus Castings By Dan Gearino, The Columbus Dispatch Thursday, May 19, 2016 - 6:04 AM The parent company of Columbus Castings had its first day in bankruptcy court on Wednesday, the start of what experts say is a process that likely will take months to resolve. Constellation Enterprises, the parent of the Columbus foundry, was able to get a judge's approval for interim financing to continue paying some bills while the company works through the process of trying to sell its assets. In court filings, Constellation and its affiliates presented a schedule that would lead to a sale within 75 days. But any schedule at the point is subject to change for any number of reasons, said A.C. Strip, a Columbus attorney who specializes in companies in financial distress. ( . . . ) On Tuesday, Columbus Castings said that it has received a letter of intent from one potential buyer. Sources familiar with the situation have told the Dispatch that the buyer is Stellex Capital Management, a New York private-equity firm. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2016/05/19/1-bankruptcy-looks-like-long-road-columbus-castings.html
June 5, 20169 yr Author Catching up on the Columbus Castings bankruptcy: -- May 17 - Potential buyer for Columbus Castings: http://nbc4i.com/2016/05/17/columbus-castings-has-potential-buyer-after-filing-for-bankruptcy/ -- May 26 - Sale could happen by June 3: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/05/26/columbus-castings-could-be-sold-as-soon-as-june-3.html -- June 4 - ... or later: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2016/06/04/1-columbus-castings-sale-still-uncertain.html
June 13, 20168 yr Author Bankruptcy sale of Columbus Castings is still pending. (Update from the Dispatch): -- Delay in Columbus Castings sale worries customers, creditors: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2016/06/09/1-columbus-castings-still-hasnt-been-sold-would-be-buyer-faces-clean-up-power-bills.html
June 14, 20168 yr Author Update from Business First: Columbus Castings sale is off, creditors say By Tom Knox, Reporter - Columbus Business First Updated: June 13, 2016, 3:22pm EDT The sale of Columbus Castings' idled South Side foundry, which just a few weeks ago seemed imminent, has been called off, according to creditors involved in the company's bankruptcy case. ( . . . ) In bankruptcy documents filed Monday, however, a committee of creditors ... said they've been told the deal is off. "The committee was informed by the debtors that they will not seek approval of, or proceed with, the private sale option and will instead only seek approval of the bidding sale option at the June 15, 2016 hearing," the group said in a filing. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/06/13/columbus-castings-sale-is-off-creditors-say.html
June 16, 20168 yr Author ^ Welp. Maybe this isn't bad news... Columbus Castings auction coming as another interested party shows up By Tom Knox, Reporter - Columbus Business First Updated: June 15, 2016, 5:45pm EDT The planned private sale of Columbus Castings fell through this week, but it's not as dire as it sounds. As I reported Monday, creditors of the South Side foundry’s parent company said in bankruptcy filings that a purchase by an undisclosed company was no longer imminent. Instead, Columbus Castings could be sold at auction. Constellation Enterprises, the parent company, is asking the federal bankruptcy court for an auction, with a deadline for bids on July 11 and the auction taking place three days later. The deal would close Aug. 22, if the court approves the proposed timeline. The auction ... means other interested parties have come forward since the bankruptcy filing. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/06/15/columbus-castings-auction-slated-for-july.html
August 6, 20168 yr Author Bankruptcy auction for Columbus Castings is back on: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/08/05/newcolumbus-castings-auction-set-for-aug-9.html
August 10, 20168 yr Author Bankruptcy auction for Columbus Castings is back on: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/08/05/newcolumbus-castings-auction-set-for-aug-9.html Nevermind about that auction. It didn't occur yesterday: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2016/08/09/columbus-castings-auction.html http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/08/10/columbus-castings-auction-delayed-with-no-new-date.html I think I'll stop posting any Columbus Castings auction updates -- until one actually happens!
August 13, 20168 yr Author The auction is done. And it looks like this is the end of the road for Columbus Castings: Winning bid for Columbus Castings points to foundry closing By Dan Gearino, The Columbus Dispatch Friday, August 12, 2016 - 5:35 PM A winner has been declared in the auction for Columbus Castings, a result that likely is bad news for people who want to see the foundry reopen. Late this afternoon, a company affiliated with Reich Brothers Inc. was named the winner with a bid of $29.7 million, coming out $1.6 million ahead of the next-highest bidder, according to a court filing. The results will go before a judge for approval Tuesday in bankruptcy court in the state of Delaware. On Thursday, the Dispatch cited sources familiar with the case who said Reich Brothers was the leading bidder and that the company was planning to strip the foundry's assets and sell them rather than reopen. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2016/08/12/1-columbus-castings-winner-declared.html
August 18, 20168 yr Columbus Castings' new owner planning mixed-use development on the site The new owner of Columbus Castings plans to turn the foundry site into "an environmentally clean mixed-use redevelopment." Reich Brothers LLC, which agreed last week to buy the plant for $30.3 million, won't keep it running but says it plans to employ some workers during the transition. Early in the bidding it indicated it could keep on 30 employees at the biggest single-site foundry in the U.S. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/08/17/columbus-castings-new-owner-planning-mixed-use.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
August 31, 20168 yr Author Moved a bunch of Columbus Castings posts from the Columbus Business thread into this newly created Southside thread.
September 26, 20168 yr Author http://www.columbusunderground.com/city-targets-far-south-in-1000-tree-giveaway
October 4, 20168 yr Author Columbus Castings update: Land sells for $2.6M The land where Columbus Castings stood for decades has sold for $2.6 million. Reich Brothers, the New York company that purchased the steel foundry out of bankruptcy last month in a deal valued at $30.3 million, bought the 1.82 acre property this month, according to property records. Early plans for the site at 2211 Parsons Ave. include a mix of industrial and retail use, though last month Co-CEO Jonathan Reich said "we have a long road before the shovel hits the ground.” MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/09/29/columbus-castings-update-land-sells-for-2-6m.html
February 2, 20178 yr South side getting boost as Columbus Realtors Foundation makes largest grant in its history An effort to rehab vacant and blighted homes on the city's south side is getting a big boost. The Columbus Realtors Foundation announced the biggest grant its history – $300,000 that will go to the South Side Renaissance, an initiative to turn 45 homes into affordable rental properties. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/02/02/south-side-getting-boost-as-columbus-realtors.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 22, 20177 yr Author Fortner Upholstering moves to South Side, bringing jobs and space for creative tenants http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170718/fortner-upholstering-moves-to-south-side-bringing-jobs-and-space-for-creative-tenants An 88-year-old Columbus maker of upholstered furniture has moved into a large complex of buildings on the South Side at 2000 S. High Street. Fortner Upholstering sold two buildings near John Glenn Airport and moved into this facility to consolidate and expand its manufacturing operations. Fortner is using more than half of this 200,000 square-foot facility for its operations and is leasing the remaining space to Actors’ Theatre of Columbus, which is using it to build and store sets for its productions. Above is an aerial view of the complex of buildings at 2000 S. High Street, some of which date to the late 1800's. The facility is also adjacent to the former Columbus Castings/Buckeye Steel foundry site.
July 23, 20177 yr Author Another bit of industrial development news for the south side. On Monday, City Council approved a tax abatement deal for Franklin International to build a $3.4 million, 12,300 square-foot R&D lab at 145 Hosack Street. Below is an aerial view showing 145 Hosack Street. I also highlighted the former Columbus Castings/Buckeye Steel property at 2211 Parsons Avenue (outlined in blue) and the previous mentioned Fortner Upholstering property at 2000 S. High Street (outlined in orange):
September 1, 20177 yr New Housing Development, Workforce Training Center Opens on South Side A ribbon cutting ceremony today marked the official opening of the Residences at Career Gateway, a 58-unit affordable housing development on the South Side. Residents have already moved into the 14 townhomes on the site, while the 44 apartments in the main building will start filling up this weekend. Amenities include a fitness center, a community room with a kitchen, an outdoor playground, and a children’s obstacle course. More below: http://www.columbusunderground.com/new-housing-development-workforce-training-center-opens-on-south-side-bw1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 8, 20177 yr South Side Project Latest to Use Shipping Containers for Housing Brett zumFelde and Naomi Sakuma want to turn a small vacant lot on the South Side into the next shipping container development in Columbus. The couple closed on the 34 by 110-foot parcel in April and plan to place two shipping containers on it, each providing about 320 square feet of living space. A deck in between the two structures will lead to small porches in front and private patios in the back. Plans also call for a rear carport topped with solar panels, and a third shipping container in between the parking spaces that would be used for storage. More below: http://www.columbusunderground.com/south-side-project-latest-to-use-shipping-containers-for-housing "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 12, 20177 yr ^Shipping container buildings can be really interesting. http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/12965-carroll-house-by-lot-ek
September 15, 20177 yr Residences at Career Gateway brings work force housing to south side Another milestone has been logged in the ongoing work to revitalize the city's south side. The Residences at Career Gateway, 755 E. Whittier St., has opened as a workforce housing and training center community that's a public/private partnership. It's the latest Low Income Housing Tax Credit initiative of Community Development for All People (CDAP). More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/09/15/first-look-residences-at-career-gateway-brings.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 15, 20177 yr Residences at Career Gateway brings work force housing to south side I love the intent and the mission, but I don't understand why the existing historic school building couldn't have been saved and retrofitted as part of this project. The architecture of the new buildings is horrendous and the build quality is as cheap as they come. It's a shame.
September 22, 20177 yr Author Chase donates $1.5 million toward South Side housing By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch Updated: September 21, 2017 at 9:05 PM A $1.5-million grant will pay to renovate 75 rental units on the city’s South Side over the next five years. The money from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation is going to Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Healthy Neighborhoods, Healthy Families initiative, which will redevelop single-family and duplexes with the nonprofit Community Development for All People. Both groups have been working together to redevelop and build housing on the South Side for years. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170921/chase-donates-15-million-toward-south-side-housing
November 6, 20177 yr Author Business First: Rev. Edgar's South Side mission: Community Development for All People is changing the neighborhood for good https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/11/02/rev-edgars-south-side-mission-community.html Friday's print edition of Business First ran a cover story about the Community Development for All People, a group that focuses on South Side development projects. The full article is only available to subscribers or those who sign up for a free trial view at their website. But here's a brief history about the Community Development for All People (CDAP) from the article plus a chart and map of the CDAP projects on the South Side: -- In 1999, the United Methodist Church for All People launched a retail operation along Parsons Avenue called the Free Store. The store did well and led to Community Development for All People being formed in 2003. CDAP completed their first development project - a small duplex - in 2005. Since then CDAP has moved up to larger projects and is partnering with the City of Columbus and Nationwide Children's Hospital on larger development initiatives. -- CDAP partnered with Nationwide Children’s Hospital for the Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families Initiative. This initiative focuses on the neighborhood located south of the Children's Hospital campus along Livingston Avenue. -- CDAP partnered with the City and has been joined the Grote, Weiler, Kelley, Crane and Yoakum families and groups such as the Columbus Foundation, United Way, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Franklin County for the South Side Renaissance project. This initiative seeks to revitalize the neighborhood around the Reeb Avenue Center recently built in a historic school building by the City. This area is shown on the attached map.
January 23, 20187 yr Author Above is an aerial view of the former non-profit Columbus Community Hospital that closed and later re-opened as the for-profit Select Specialty Hospital at 1430 S. High Street. Now, a below linked article reports that a 55-bed treatment center offering immediate care for overdose patients has opened at that location last Friday. The Addiction and Stabilization Center, operated by Maryhaven, opened on two floors in the Select Specialty Hospital building at 1430 S. High in Merion Village. Officials say this is a first-of-its-kind effort to relieve pressure on hospital emergency rooms and provide better chances for recovery. Paramedics responding to overdose incidents will be able to transport patients directly to this new center: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180118/emergency-overdose-treatment-center-to-open-friday
January 23, 20187 yr Author Demolition permits filed for Columbus Castings complex By Tristan Navera – Staff Reporter, Columbus Business First Updated: January 22, 2018, 3:29pm The new owner of the former Columbus Castings plant on the south side wants to knock down at least part of the labyrinthine complex. Reich Brothers has filed for permits to demolish up to 664,000 square feet of commercial building space at the site of the old steel foundry at 2211 Parsons Avenue. "At this point, just demo and clean-up," was how Reich Brothers co-CEO Jonathan Reich described the project in an email. He said it remains to be determined how much of the complex of buildings would ultimately come down. ... Reich said in 2016 he envisioned transforming the site into a mixed-use development, and that the company was exploring a mix of industrial and retail uses for the site. MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/01/22/demolition-permits-filed-for-columbus-castings.html
April 11, 20187 yr Author Columbus Castings demolition will make way for future development By Dan Gearino, The Columbus Dispatch Posted: March 31, 2018 at 5:00 AM Demolition is starting at the complex formerly occupied by Columbus Castings, a key step in the redevelopment of the property that was a foundry for more than a century. The property’s owners have obtained permits to clear the seven main buildings, according to city records. As of Friday, workers were at the site preparing for the demolition and doing work inside the buildings, but the buildings remained standing. Reich Brothers Inc. bought the complex in bankruptcy court in 2016, a few months after the prior owner had ceased operations and laid off about 800 employees. The company, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, buys and sells industrial properties. Previously, it has said it plans to turn the Columbus Castings property into a development that could have industrial, retail or other uses. “I think a mixed-use situation would be nice,” said Curtis Davis, zoning chairman for the South Side Area Commission, the neighborhood group that advises Columbus city government. One important factor is the environmental cleanup of the property. Davis said he was told by Reich Brothers that the property is less polluted than originally thought, which could lead to a faster process. The foundry complex is gigantic, with 44 acres under roof, and many more acres on the surrounding grounds. Reich Brothers has not yet determined whether every building will be demolished. ... Jonathan Reich, the co-CEO, said in an email that the demolition process likely will last for the rest of 2018. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/business/20180331/columbus-castings-demolition-will-make-way-for-future-development
May 29, 20187 yr Author The Dispatch has a slideshow of the on-going demolition at the former Buckeye Steel/Columbus Castings site, plus some very neat drone video of the demolition: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180522/buckeye-steel-about-halfway-gone
May 29, 20187 yr Author The former Buckeye Steel/Columbus Castings site was also mentioned in a recent Business First article about the tremendous amount of warehouse construction going on in Central Ohio. The article mentioned that despite the huge amount of square footage coming on-line, Central Ohio warehouses still have historic low vacancies. This in turn could make other sites attractive for warehousing uses - like the 70-acre Buckeye Steel/Columbus Castings site, where the new owner is said to be looking to land warehouse users in its redevelopment: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/05/03/columbus-warehouse-frenzy-showing-little-sign-of.html Below is view showing the Buckeye Steel/Columbus Castings site along Parsons Avenue with the downtown skyline in the distance:
May 29, 20187 yr The under-construction 104/71 interchange upgrade comes at a good time for this site.
May 29, 20187 yr ^The work to untangle Jackson Pike from the ramps isn’t scheduled for a couple years, however; it is a separate project than the l-71 mainline widening.
May 29, 20187 yr Meh, call me crazy but I'm just not that excited about that site becoming a bunch of warehouses. I understand the logic behind it, I just think it has so much more potential.
May 29, 20187 yr Meh, call me crazy but I'm just not that excited about that site becoming a bunch of warehouses. I understand the logic behind it, I just think it has so much more potential. Think outside the box a bit, warehouses equal jobs and an economic boost to a neighborhood that sure could use it.
May 30, 20187 yr Meh, call me crazy but I'm just not that excited about that site becoming a bunch of warehouses. I understand the logic behind it, I just think it has so much more potential. Think outside the box a bit, warehouses equal jobs and an economic boost to a neighborhood that sure could use it. There's a lot of development that could go there that would give the area an economic boost. Pretty much anything but a vacant lot would. I just think warehouses are squarely inside the box, personally.
May 30, 20187 yr Meh, call me crazy but I'm just not that excited about that site becoming a bunch of warehouses. I understand the logic behind it, I just think it has so much more potential. Think outside the box a bit, warehouses equal jobs and an economic boost to a neighborhood that sure could use it. There's a lot of development that could go there that would give the area an economic boost. Pretty much anything but a vacant lot would. I just think warehouses are squarely inside the box, personally. It can be re-purposed/developed quicker as warehouses; otherwise it would be a greenfield development aka more money and years of red tape.
May 30, 20187 yr Meh, call me crazy but I'm just not that excited about that site becoming a bunch of warehouses. I understand the logic behind it, I just think it has so much more potential. Think outside the box a bit, warehouses equal jobs and an economic boost to a neighborhood that sure could use it. There's a lot of development that could go there that would give the area an economic boost. Pretty much anything but a vacant lot would. I just think warehouses are squarely inside the box, personally. It can be re-purposed/developed quicker as warehouses; otherwise it would be a greenfield development aka more money and years of red tape. The environmental issues have to be remedied before any development anyway, so I'm not sure I buy that. I'd rather see it done right and maximize the site's potential than build something just to have something there.
August 13, 20186 yr Author Another bit of news about the neo-industrial boomlet on the South Side - previous examples are Fortner Upholstering at https://www.urbanohio.com/forum/index.php/topic,30844.msg865677.html#msg865677 and Franklin International at https://www.urbanohio.com/forum/index.php/topic,30844.msg865757.html#msg865757 in this thread. This one is about Urbn Timber at 29 Kingston Avenue: http://www.thisweeknews.com/business/20180805/columbus-urbn-timber-turns-salvaged-trees-into-live-edge-furniture Below is a street map and google aerial showing the Urbn Timber location: This is an aerial showing the wider context of this area within the South Side. This industrial triangle where Urbn Timber is located, is next to the massive Columbus Castings (former Buckeye Steel) plant which recently closed and is being demolished for redevelopment. The Columbus Castings/Buckeye Steel property is at the southern end of the Parsons Avenue corridor, which starts some 2 miles north at Children's Hospital next to Downtown. -- The Reeb-Hosack and Hungarian Village neighborhoods are located south of the revitalizing Merion Village neighborhood and red-hot properties of the German Village neighborhood:
August 13, 20186 yr Author Urbn Timber is a company that creates projects from slabs of wood featuring a “live edge” look - which refers to the natural edge of the wood or the bark after it is cut. The company was founded in 2016 and has grown rapidly. This new 29 Kingston Avenue location on the South Side is an expansion into a 10,000 square-foot wood shop - up from 2,400 square feet previously. Urbn Timber has created tables and counter tops for restaurants and homes in New York, Texas, Colorado, as well as throughout the Columbus and Central Ohio area. Urbn Timber collaborates with Columbus arborists and tree services to salvage local trees that have been removed because of storm damage, to make way for new construction or are hazardous because of disease or death. The salvaged trees are then transformed into “live edge” slabs for its projects. Below is the full article about Urbn Timber and really nice youtube video produced by The Dispatch: http://www.thisweeknews.com/business/20180805/columbus-urbn-timber-turns-salvaged-trees-into-live-edge-furniture
September 5, 20186 yr Author http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180830/teardown-of-columbus-castings-continues The Dispatch had a recent update of the on-going demolition at the former Columbus Castings/Buckeye Steel site. According to the above linked article, about 90 percent of the 76-acre site has been demolished. The above photo made me wonder if the four-story brick office building facing Parsons Avenue might not be part of the overall site demolition. However, from the looks of the below photo, it looks like it is coming down too:
October 9, 20186 yr Want to work in an old fire truck factory? 'The Fort' opens on the south side A 136-year-old warehouse that once housed a fire truck factory is being converted into Columbus’ newest office space. After spending much of the year renovating the former Seagraves building, Justin McAllister said he is ready to welcome some new neighbors. McAllister, owner and president of Fortner Upholstering, bought the properties at 2000-2060 S. High St. for about $1.1 million last year and began renovating them in the spring. The 230,000-square-foot complex is now called “The Fort.” Fortner, which claims to be the largest reupholstery furnishing company in Ohio, took about 60,000 square feet with the intent to lease out about 150,000 square feet. Posy Florals, Menges Design, Nick Fancher Photography, The Leisure Club and others rent about 100,000 square feet. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/10/06/first-look-want-to-work-in-an-old-fire-truck.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 8, 20196 yr Columbus Castings site cleared; owner negotiating with developer Quote The once-mighty Columbus Castings foundry buildings are gone, as the owner works with a developer interested in the South Side site. Reich Brothers Holdings, a New York-based company that owns the property with the real estate firm CBRE, is negotiating with the developer on the 76-acre site, said Jonathan Reich, co-CEO of Reich Brothers. He declined to identify the developer. Reich said it might be six months before he knows whether the developer wants to proceed. Reich Brothers bought the Columbus Castings site out of bankruptcy court in 2016. “The site overall is incredibly attractive for manufacturing development as well as distribution for industrial,” said Joe Kimener, senior associate in the Columbus office of CBRE. “That is why this developer has placed such a value on this specific property.” https://www.dispatch.com/business/20190108/columbus-castings-site-cleared-owner-negotiating-with-developer
February 19, 20196 yr Factory Turned Small Business Hub: The Fort on South High The Fort is an apt name for the collection of industrial buildings at 2000 – 2050 S. High St. Tracing their origins back to the late 1800s to early 1900s, what started as the Seagraves Fire Truck Factory is now a growing ecosystem of local businesses. Fortner Upholstering led the way, purchasing the complex for its growing commercial operations in 2017. Now, the company is joined by roughly 20 tenants staking their claim on the South Side. For the small businesses, manufacturers, artisans and more looking for space, the possibilities at The Fort are nearly limitless. Leases range from 500 square feet to 16,000 square feet and everything in between. Some spaces are already defined, others can be built out to the business’ needs. Nods to the building’s industrial past are apparent throughout the space, with brick walls, original wood floors, large, structural steel elements and more unique features that add to The Fort’s historic character. More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/factory-turned-small-business-hub-the-fort-on-south-high-sp1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 14, 20196 yr It looks like large-scale warehouses are slated for the former Columbus Coated Castings site as well: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/03/14/exclusive-heres-the-plan-for-the-columbus-castings.html It's a pretty enviable spot for distribution, being close to highway and rail, and not too far from Rickenbacker. Interesting that it's garnered the attention of outside developers in Chicago and NYC. Too bad Columbus commercial and residential development, especially in the form of new, large-scale projects in the urban core, can't seem to generate the same interest. Edited March 14, 20196 yr by CMHOhio
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