4 minutes ago, amped91 said:

The article also has a brief mention of the developer’s other project on Whittier, which was also intended to include some housing, but was also met with a lot of resident push back and the residential portion was completely cut. I’m a bit torn, honestly, because I think residents should have a say in what happens in their community, but I also don’t think that it should be used to keep people out either. Idk. 
 

But very much yes to the part I bolded. There’s so many/much vacant land and buildings along the stretch of Parsons between Livingston and Thurman that it’s just ripe for more dense development. 

I think the Whittier project was only 4 units. And wasn't part of the plan to densify our corridors where there is transit right there so you don't need so much parking? Parsons really is starting to look ripe and there is so much junk along there that can go and will not be missed. How many auto parts stores do you need on one stretch of avenue?

4 minutes ago, DEPACincy said:

 

I don't see why? In lots of cities large apartment buildings next to 2 story homes is completely normal. Go to NYC, Philly, DC, Boston, Chicago, etc. and you see this in lots of neighborhoods.

Did you see the rendering? It does look a bit too much to me(and ugly). And well we are not those cities as well. And it seems a bit much given the many more appropriate locations along Parsons itself. You are of course entitled to your opinion.

 

*Plus we don't know what the 'pushback' was...maybe they would have settled or a 3 or four story building with less units but better design?

Edited September 14, 20213 yr by Toddguy

6 minutes ago, Toddguy said:

Did you see the rendering? It does look a bit too much to me(and ugly). And well we are not those cities as well. And it seems a bit much given the many more appropriate locations along Parsons itself. You are of course entitled to your opinion.

 

*Plus we don't know what the 'pushback' was...maybe they would have settled or a 3 or four story building with less units but better design?

 

I didn't see the rendering. Got a link? "We are not those cities" isn't really a good argument in my opinion. I'd like to see Columbus become every bit as relevant as those cities and density is needed for that to happen. Plus, aesthetics are in the eye of the beholder. I don't personally like the inward facing townhomes with a gate and outward facing garages at all. Gated communities are never good neighbors. 

And of course we're all entitled to our own opinions. Not trying to be hostile to yours, just curious about your thought process.

1 hour ago, DEPACincy said:

 

I didn't see the rendering. Got a link? "We are not those cities" isn't really a good argument in my opinion. I'd like to see Columbus become every bit as relevant as those cities and density is needed for that to happen. Plus, aesthetics are in the eye of the beholder. I don't personally like the inward facing townhomes with a gate and outward facing garages at all. Gated communities are never good neighbors. 

And of course we're all entitled to our own opinions. Not trying to be hostile to yours, just curious about your thought process.

The link is posted-the renderings are in the CU article.

 

I never said that I did not want Cbus to become 'relevant" or "denser". But I also think comparing Cbus to those particularly large older legacy cities only is a bit disingenuous and questionable at best. Why not Paris, Tokyo as well? C'mon now! lol

 

My thought process is that we do need density in the right places and in the right forms and putting 99 units on two thirds of an acre in a generally single family two story neighborhood where you will have an ugly 5 story building with no setbacks roughly ten feet or so(by appearances)from said housing when we have a commercial strip nearby that is ripe for just this kind of dense development may not be the right strategy or aesthetic for achieving said density. Even the "whale" has setbacks and is surrounded by streets on all sides to help 'buffer' if from surrounding homes. This would have been significantly denser than "the whale" and with no setbacks at all-regarding the building itself in relation to it's height(five floors straight up)appearing to be only about ten or twelve feet from existing two story homes. It just did not look like the right density done the right way in the right location to me. 

 

Aesthetically this thing looked ugly to me. 20 units on 2/3's of an acre is fine for this spot IMO-especially when you have an under-utilized commercial corridor a block away. If this was actually on Parsons the 99 units thing would work better IMO-especially with the Kroger right there.(with a better looking design).

 

As is yours, this is just an opinion-my opinion and we will all never totally agree but "generally' we are on the same side I think.

 

 

*This previous proposal: 99 units on .65 acres.

 

The 'whale": 262 units on 2.5 acres and surrounded by buffering streets.

 

Almost 50 percent denser, with no buffer and no setbacks plus an ugly design. Just not the right proposal for this place-again JMO of course. Fix the design and put it on Parsons with a bit of ground floor retail and it's a YES from me!  :)

Edited September 14, 20213 yr by Toddguy

2 hours ago, amped91 said:

The article also has a brief mention of the developer’s other project on Whittier, which was also intended to include some housing, but was also met with a lot of resident push back and the residential portion was completely cut. I’m a bit torn, honestly, because I think residents should have a say in what happens in their community, but I also don’t think that it should be used to keep people out either. Idk. 
 

But very much yes to the part I bolded. There’s so many/much vacant land and buildings along the stretch of Parsons between Livingston and Thurman that it’s just ripe for more dense development. 

 

It's disappointing to me how many times per year does someone has to write something along the lines of "there are plenty of other sites for dense development" when a dense development fall through, particularly because of NIMBYism.  It's just pushing things down the line in hopes that the next project ends up being better when there are no guarantees.  Every project that doesn't push the envelope is a wasted opportunity for increasing density- and all the amenities that come with it.

 

 

17 minutes ago, jonoh81 said:

 

It's disappointing to me how many times per year does someone has to write something along the lines of "there are plenty of other sites for dense development" when a dense development fall through, particularly because of NIMBYism.  It's just pushing things down the line in hopes that the next project ends up being better when there are no guarantees.  Every project that doesn't push the envelope is a wasted opportunity for increasing density- and all the amenities that come with it.

 

 

Ok so now you are here....so what do you think of(what we know of, including the one rendering on CU)of the original 99 unit five floor proposal on the Frebis site? What do you think of the render?  Was it too much for the site? Should we push for things like it for Parsons and other corridors-and how best to get our voices heard?

 

I think personally they should take the ugly 99 unit proposal and put it along South High right against Pearl just out of the clutches of German Village-just for spite.

18 hours ago, Toddguy said:

The link is posted-the renderings are in the CU article.

 

Sorry I somehow missed it. Now that I've seen it I'm even more bummed. IMO, the original proposal was worlds better. It actually addressed the street and I love the mansard roofs. Looks like it was part of the community instead of a gated enclave. 

 

18 hours ago, Toddguy said:

I never said that I did not want Cbus to become 'relevant" or "denser". But I also think comparing Cbus to those particularly large older legacy cities only is a bit disingenuous and questionable at best. Why not Paris, Tokyo as well? C'mon now! lol

 

Why is it disingenuous? Don't we aspire for Columbus to be compared to the best cities in the country from an urbanist standpoint? We have ample evidence that large apartment buildings can coexist with single-family homes, so what is the actual issue? Heck, we don't even have to travel that far. There are plenty of examples in Cincinnati in neighborhoods like Hyde Park, Avondale, Northside, Clifton, etc. I'm sure there are examples in Cbus too.

 

18 hours ago, Toddguy said:

My thought process is that we do need density in the right places and in the right forms and putting 99 units on two thirds of an acre in a generally single family two story neighborhood where you will have an ugly 5 story building with no setbacks roughly ten feet or so(by appearances)from said housing when we have a commercial strip nearby that is ripe for just this kind of dense development may not be the right strategy or aesthetic for achieving said density.

 

Again, "ugly" is subjective. I find the original proposal to be A LOT more attractive. But I would agree that building density on the commercial corridor is also important. The whole neighborhood would be better served by more density given its central location. The no-setbacks thing is a plus for me, not a negative. Setbacks in urban neighborhoods just create wasted space, and while they may have their place, they are generally too large. The best urban neighborhoods generally have very small or no setbacks. I lived in a 5-story pre-war walk up building in West Philly that was right next to single-family homes on both sides. Zero setback. Everyone coexisted very well and walking around that neighborhood was a wonderful experience.

 

18 hours ago, Toddguy said:

As is yours, this is just an opinion-my opinion and we will all never totally agree but "generally' we are on the same side I think.

 

 

Of course, like I said--no hostility meant. Just expressing my opinion and trying to understand yours better. That's why we're all here. I respect your opinion even if I disagree.

 

19 hours ago, Toddguy said:

Ok so now you are here....so what do you think of(what we know of, including the one rendering on CU)of the original 99 unit five floor proposal on the Frebis site? What do you think of the render?  Was it too much for the site? Should we push for things like it for Parsons and other corridors-and how best to get our voices heard?

 

I think personally they should take the ugly 99 unit proposal and put it along South High right against Pearl just out of the clutches of German Village-just for spite.

 

Aesthetics aside, it's no secret I'm in favor of getting as much density into a site as possible.  5 stories is not a skyscraper.  I don't really get the freakouts some have about these low-rise developments in residential areas.  On Parsons itself, there is no reason we can't go even higher than that.  It's one of the main corridors on the South Side.  

 

I'm all for spiting the whale watchers so long as it's with a decent project.

3 hours ago, DEPACincy said:

 

Sorry I somehow missed it. Now that I've seen it I'm even more bummed. IMO, the original proposal was worlds better. It actually addressed the street and I love the mansard roofs. Looks like it was part of the community instead of a gated enclave. 

 

 

Why is it disingenuous? Don't we aspire for Columbus to be compared to the best cities in the country from an urbanist standpoint? We have ample evidence that large apartment buildings can coexist with single-family homes, so what is the actual issue? Heck, we don't even have to travel that far. There are plenty of examples in Cincinnati in neighborhoods like Hyde Park, Avondale, Northside, Clifton, etc. I'm sure there are examples in Cbus too.

 

 

Again, "ugly" is subjective. I find the original proposal to be A LOT more attractive. But I would agree that building density on the commercial corridor is also important. The whole neighborhood would be better served by more density given its central location. The no-setbacks thing is a plus for me, not a negative. Setbacks in urban neighborhoods just create wasted space, and while they may have their place, they are generally too large. The best urban neighborhoods generally have very small or no setbacks. I lived in a 5-story pre-war walk up building in West Philly that was right next to single-family homes on both sides. Zero setback. Everyone coexisted very well and walking around that neighborhood was a wonderful experience.

 

 

Of course, like I said--no hostility meant. Just expressing my opinion and trying to understand yours better. That's why we're all here. I respect your opinion even if I disagree.

 

Well we will just have to agree to disagree. You think the design is good(rom the one render we have available)-I don't. You think it is appropriate for the site-I don't. You are fine with the comparisons to certain other cities-I am not. And that is ok. So we are really not going to get anywhere with discussing this further. We just respectfully disagree. 

 

I do wonder exactly what the blowback from the commission and the residents was against the first design-was it reasonable or unreasonable? I guess we will never know. 

 

I am fine with what we are getting. I hope for much more density along Parsons and other major corridors and in other appropriate areas as the years go by.

$16M affordable housing development coming to Columbus' South Side

 

A $16 million affordable housing development will break ground next month on Columbus' South Side.

 

Nationwide Children's Hospital's Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families Realty Collaborative, Community Development for All People and Woda Cooper Companies are behind the multifamily Lockbourne Greene development.

 

The three-story, 60-unit affordable apartment development is located at 1836 Lockbourne Road – a site acquired from the Columbus Land Bank.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/09/29/lockbourne-greene.html

 

Lockbourne Road aka mini-Linden

On 6/3/2021 at 10:45 AM, CbusOrBust said:

Anyone know what's going on at 1471 South High Street in Merion Village?  (It's where the old KFC used to be).  They've been doing some repairs to the building recently and today crews are repaving the lot.  I tried to do some research but couldn't find much. I was just wondering if anyone has heard if there's a new business going in there?

Just spoke with one of the workers that are currently renovating this building.  Although he said he isn't 100% sure, he "thinks" they are planning on opening a gyro place here soon.

Today crews are landscaping around the new apartment building that's going in directly behind Cavan Irish Pub (at South High St and West Jenkins Ave.) where an old warehouse used to sit.

 

Edited November 10, 20213 yr by CbusOrBust

This is near South High Street and Southgate where a few hundred more apartments are going in.  (it's extremely busy through there, so the only way I could get a shot was to go to the back of the property)

 

Was out on Rathmell Rd on the far south side of the city a few minutes ago...

There's not much here yet, but crews are clearing this property for a large Data Center.

 

On 11/12/2021 at 10:59 AM, CbusOrBust said:

This is near South High Street and Southgate where a few hundred more apartments are going in.  (it's extremely busy through there, so the only way I could get a shot was to go to the back of the property)

 

 

Just think, this was raw greenfield until now.

38 minutes ago, GCrites80s said:

 

Just think, this was raw greenfield until now.

Yep, and there is so much infill that can be done all over the city. Hopefully most of it is done with apartments or townhomes. 

On 9/14/2021 at 12:51 PM, NorthShore647 said:

 

Scaled-Down Merion Village Project Lands Approval

Brent Warren - Columbus Underground - Sep. 14, 2021

 

 

"A plan to build a three-story townhouse development in Merion Village got a vote of approval from the Development Commission last week. ... Kreais said that he hopes to break ground on the project next spring. The three-bedroom townhomes will be offered for sale, but prices have not yet been set."

 

 

The developer has put some higher quality renderings of this development on their website.

 

The view from Frebis Ave:

 

 

The view from Moler St:

 

 

And a view down between the two townhome buildings:

 

21 minutes ago, .justin said:

 

The developer has put some higher quality renderings of this development on their website.

 

The view from Frebis Ave:

 

 

The view from Moler St:

 

 

And a view down between the two townhome buildings:

 

We live in Merion Village and are all for more of these to fill a few of the empty lots that are left around the neighborhood.

6 hours ago, .justin said:

 

The developer has put some higher quality renderings of this development on their website.

 

The view from Frebis Ave:

 

 

The view from Moler St:

 

 

And a view down between the two townhome buildings:

 

Those two people in the front of that last image look incredibly unnatural, almost scary.

^It also serves as a promo image for the next Twilight installment

I like it. You see this type of infill in older neighborhoods of Chicago and Toronto. These types of buildings do a lot to increase density and are ideal for smaller or new developers.

I decided to post a little photo tour of some of the development that’s been occurring in the neighborhood I moved into last year, Southern Orchards. This area has seen tremendous investment over the past few years from the city, private developers, and non-profits, such as NCH’s Healthy Homes program. 
 

Fencing and property markets have just recently gone up on the site of the former Kossuth Street Garden. So groundbreaking should start before too long. 
 

 

Another new build is going up on a formerly vacant lot on Oakwood Ave. This one is from New City Homes, which is based in Franklinton. Quite a bit of infill like this has been occurring, which is definitely a plus. 
 

 

One of the neater projects I’ve noticed is the renovation of a dilapidated warehouse that has sat empty for years. Before:

 

 

It is currently being transformed into five condo units. 
 

 

 

Lastly, Kreais Co, a local real estate developer, now calls 752 Forest St home, with the renovation of a small retail site (ignore my console reflection 😅). 
 

Southern Orchards really should be one of the "next" neighborhoods to blow-up for obvious proximity reasons.  Thanks!

They took a brick building and covered it in vinyl siding? That looks terrible! 

Looks like something out of the Plains States.

...or New Jersey.

20 hours ago, ink said:

They took a brick building and covered it in vinyl siding? That looks terrible! 

The infill house also doesn't look very good either. An odd lack of windows/poorly placed windows on that big flat side, feel like it's going get pretty inconsistent natural light in that thing.

Edited January 4, 20223 yr by TIm

56 minutes ago, TIm said:

The infill house also doesn't look very good either. An odd lack of windows/poorly placed windows on that big flat side, feel like it's going get pretty inconsistent natural light in that thing.

I imagine they were conservative with the windows on that side considering the proximity of the neighboring house. It is odd, however, they didn’t put ANY in the portion of that side that would likely receive the most sunlight lol New City has had quite a few homes pop up recently, especially in Milo-Grogan it seems, and they’re…interesting…designs to say the least. 

On 9/14/2021 at 12:51 PM, NorthShore647 said:

 

Scaled-Down Merion Village Project Lands Approval

Brent Warren - Columbus Underground - Sep. 14, 2021

 

 

"A plan to build a three-story townhouse development in Merion Village got a vote of approval from the Development Commission last week. ... Kreais said that he hopes to break ground on the project next spring. The three-bedroom townhomes will be offered for sale, but prices have not yet been set."

 

Final hoop, plus public art(!):

 

Merion Village townhomes get city approval, gear up for construction

 

“A new townhome development in Merion Village will break ground some time this year, according to the developer. 

 

Rezoning for the 20-unit development was approved by Columbus City Council on Monday. Aaron Kreais, principal with Kreais Cos., said he is still working on final details of construction documents and design, but hopes to break ground in 2022 and have the townhomes ready for occupancy in early 2023.

 

The development has been dubbed Eisen 359, a reference to the German word for iron. The site, 359 Frebis Ave., is currently a surface parking lot.
 

Townhomes would include three bedrooms and up to four bathrooms. Units will range from 1,500 square feet to 2,600 square feet and two to three stories. The larger units will have rooftop patio access.

 

Three units will face East Moler Street and one will face Frebis Avenue. The other 16 units will face each other, creating a walkway. Kreais said he made a commitment to put a public art installation along Frebis. There will also be more balconies along Frebis.”

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/01/12/merion-townhomes.html

2 hours ago, amped91 said:

Final hoop, plus public art(!):

 

Merion Village townhomes get city approval, gear up for construction

 

“A new townhome development in Merion Village will break ground some time this year, according to the developer. 

 

Rezoning for the 20-unit development was approved by Columbus City Council on Monday. Aaron Kreais, principal with Kreais Cos., said he is still working on final details of construction documents and design, but hopes to break ground in 2022 and have the townhomes ready for occupancy in early 2023.

 

The development has been dubbed Eisen 359, a reference to the German word for iron. The site, 359 Frebis Ave., is currently a surface parking lot.
 

Townhomes would include three bedrooms and up to four bathrooms. Units will range from 1,500 square feet to 2,600 square feet and two to three stories. The larger units will have rooftop patio access.

 

Three units will face East Moler Street and one will face Frebis Avenue. The other 16 units will face each other, creating a walkway. Kreais said he made a commitment to put a public art installation along Frebis. There will also be more balconies along Frebis.”

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/01/12/merion-townhomes.html

This looks good, it still sucks it was scaled back from 99 units to only 20 units. Still is great infill and hopefully it leads to more projects like this all over the city. 

Cleveland developer proposes 175-unit affordable housing complex in south Columbus
 

 

“Cleveland-based developer NRP Group has proposed an affordable housing complex with up to 175 units at 103 Fornoff Road, a vacant site southeast of South High Street and Frank Road. The apartments would provide housing targeted for residents with income at 30% to 80% of the area median income.
 

The site is zoned for manufacturing and the developer is requesting it be rezoned to allow for multifamily. Columbus City Council will have a first reading of the legislation tonight, with a decision expected at its next meeting. 
 

The Far South Side Area Commission approved the project in November.“

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/01/31/nrp-group175-unit-affordable-housing-complex-in-so.html

Today crews are putting fencing up around the perimeter of the site where the next Amazon warehouse will be built in the Columbus Metro.

 

This is on Rathmell Road, on the far south side.

High Street's 'Fort' complex plans further renovation
 

 

“A turn-of-the-century building that once housed Seagrave Fire Truck Manufacturing and now is home to office space will soon add more features, including a potential coffee shop and retail space. 

 

The 230,000-square-foot complex is now called “The Fort.” Justin McAllister, owner and president of Fortner Upholstering, bought the properties at 2000-2060 S. High St. for about $1.1 million in 2017. Fortner Upholstery moved into the facility in 2018 and takes up about a quarter of the space.

 

McAllister plans to renovate about 42,000 square feet of currently vacant space to create new office space, space for a coffee shop and other retail space on the south side of the 2050 S. High St. building. McAllister said he would love to see a taproom come into the renovated part of the building, too.
 

McAllister said there will be creative or industrial loft space ranging from 600 square feet to 7,000 square feet. McAllister also plans a second phase of renovation in the future, for the remaining 60,000 square feet of the building that is vacant. 
 

McAllister said the renovation will add to the small business ecosystem they're creating in The Fort.

 

McAllister said he hopes making The Fort a mixed-use building will make it attractive to new office tenants. He hopes to start the project this year and finish renovations next year.“

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/02/18/the-fort.html

1 hour ago, amped91 said:

High Street's 'Fort' complex plans further renovation
 

 

“A turn-of-the-century building that once housed Seagrave Fire Truck Manufacturing and now is home to office space will soon add more features, including a potential coffee shop and retail space. 

 

The 230,000-square-foot complex is now called “The Fort.” Justin McAllister, owner and president of Fortner Upholstering, bought the properties at 2000-2060 S. High St. for about $1.1 million in 2017. Fortner Upholstery moved into the facility in 2018 and takes up about a quarter of the space.

 

McAllister plans to renovate about 42,000 square feet of currently vacant space to create new office space, space for a coffee shop and other retail space on the south side of the 2050 S. High St. building. McAllister said he would love to see a taproom come into the renovated part of the building, too.
 

McAllister said there will be creative or industrial loft space ranging from 600 square feet to 7,000 square feet. McAllister also plans a second phase of renovation in the future, for the remaining 60,000 square feet of the building that is vacant. 
 

McAllister said the renovation will add to the small business ecosystem they're creating in The Fort.

 

McAllister said he hopes making The Fort a mixed-use building will make it attractive to new office tenants. He hopes to start the project this year and finish renovations next year.“

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/02/18/the-fort.html

Parts of the south side, particularly the area near South High from roughly 104 to Rathmell has really begin to see some serious momentum!

 

From the apartment complex announced off Fornoff, to both sides of High near the Southgate intersection and multiple projects in the Rathmell/Lockbourne/Parsons area, the far south side is really starting to see a noticeable uptick in new construction.

 

Multiple other chunks of land, like one near Dering and High are being cleared out and put up for sale.

 

 

 

 

On 1/31/2022 at 3:54 PM, amped91 said:

Cleveland developer proposes 175-unit affordable housing complex in south Columbus
 

 

“Cleveland-based developer NRP Group has proposed an affordable housing complex with up to 175 units at 103 Fornoff Road, a vacant site southeast of South High Street and Frank Road. The apartments would provide housing targeted for residents with income at 30% to 80% of the area median income.
 

The site is zoned for manufacturing and the developer is requesting it be rezoned to allow for multifamily. Columbus City Council will have a first reading of the legislation tonight, with a decision expected at its next meeting. 
 

The Far South Side Area Commission approved the project in November.“

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/01/31/nrp-group175-unit-affordable-housing-complex-in-so.html

 

I have literally never been on this road. I wonder what used to be here. Maybe a school or some ball fields?

1 hour ago, GCrites80s said:

 

I have literally never been on this road. I wonder what used to be here. Maybe a school or some ball fields?

If possible, they may need to try to connect Fornoff directly to Parsons to the east.

The potential problem with Fornoff having more housing is it comes out on High St very close to the busy 23/104 interchange.

Edited February 18, 20223 yr by CbusOrBust

The site for this project has been fenced off for several months now. Glad to see it breaking ground:

 

Affordable housing development starts construction Columbus' south side

 

 

“Woda Cooper Cos., Community Development for all People and Healthy Homes, an affiliate of Community Development for All People and Nationwide Children's Hospital, are starting construction on Lockbourne Greene, located at 1836 Lockbourne Road.
 

The three-story apartment building will have a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, priced for individuals or families earning between 40% and 80% of the area median income. Rents are projected at $669 to $999 a month depending on income category and the size of the apartment.
 

Healthy Homes also has plans to build seven single-family homes nearby as a second phase to the project.
 

There will be an onsite management office, a resident fitness center and a community room residents can use for social gatherings. SproutFive will offer onsite childcare, and early childhood classes will be available to the broader neighborhood, Edgar said.“

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/03/21/lockbourne-greene.html

Looks like work is underway at Scioto Downs:

 

 

Scioto Downs grandstand demolished

 

"Crews worked Tuesday to demolish the grandstand at Scioto Downs racetrack to make way for a new grandstand. The 62-year-old grandstand was crumbling and no longer in service. It will be replaced by a $20 million, 30,000-square-foot grandstand seating about 1,000 visitors, in addition to VIP suites."

 

https://dispatch-oh.newsmemory.com/?token=4f934a4b16ced94dc3e350484b476609&cnum=0b7d0e5f-fe67-eb11-9acf-90b11c3bc1f2&fod=1111111STD-0&selDate=20220330&licenseType=paid_subscriber&

Okay, this is one that I hope they do get pushback on. If it were being torn down for something much more dense, I could be more supportive. But to tear down a historic structure for only eight units, when there’s the potential to convert the existing structure, sounds asinine. 
 

Former South Side Learning Center to be demolished for affordable housing

 

 

“An affordable housing developer plans to transform the site of the former South Side Learning and Development Center on Reeb Avenue. 

 

Gretchen West, executive director of Healthy Homes, Nationwide Children's affordable housing offshoot, said the organization wants to build four duplexes in place of the building at 255 Reeb Ave. The housing would be aimed at families that use the services at the Reeb Avenue Center across the street, which offers childcare, workforce development and more.

 

The building as it stands would be best suited to be retooled as one-bedroom and studio apartments. Healthy Homes wants to build two- and three-bedroom units to accommodate families. 
 

West said the average family they serve is a single mother with two children, so building new made the most sense.”

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/14/south-side-learning-center.html

44 minutes ago, amped91 said:

Okay, this is one that I hope they do get pushback on. If it were being torn down for something much more dense, I could be more supportive. But to tear down a historic structure for only eight units, when there’s the potential to convert the existing structure, sounds asinine. 
 

Former South Side Learning Center to be demolished for affordable housing

 

 

“An affordable housing developer plans to transform the site of the former South Side Learning and Development Center on Reeb Avenue. 

 

Gretchen West, executive director of Healthy Homes, Nationwide Children's affordable housing offshoot, said the organization wants to build four duplexes in place of the building at 255 Reeb Ave. The housing would be aimed at families that use the services at the Reeb Avenue Center across the street, which offers childcare, workforce development and more.

 

The building as it stands would be best suited to be retooled as one-bedroom and studio apartments. Healthy Homes wants to build two- and three-bedroom units to accommodate families. 
 

West said the average family they serve is a single mother with two children, so building new made the most sense.”

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/14/south-side-learning-center.html

Oh for God's sake. Keep and renovate this nice existing old building into the one bedroom and studio apartments and build the other housing in another appropriate place. Why the hell are people so damn dense? What's up Gretchen? sheesh.

 

Some people need to shoot some emails to Nationwide about this.  The existing building actually has some character-much more than the probable cheap thing they want to replace it.

 

I mean really, just what the hell?

 

*There is no other site within a reasonable distance of the Learning Center? 

 

Quote

The building as it stands would be best suited 

Does this mean impossible to make into housing for small families or what? They cannot incorporate the existing building-with this being a Nationwide/Children's Hospital supported thing? They can spend literally billions on the hospital but they need to wreck this building? 

Damn they just want to knock down every damn thing it seems.

Edited April 14, 20223 yr by Toddguy

14 minutes ago, Toddguy said:

Oh for God's sake. Keep and renovate this nice existing old building into the one bedroom and studio apartments and build the other housing in another appropriate place. Why the hell are people so damn dense? What's up Gretchen? sheesh.

 

Some people need to shoot some emails to Nationwide about this.  The existing building actually has some character-much more than the probable cheap thing they want to replace it.

 

I mean really, just what the hell?

 

*There is no other site within a reasonable distance of the Learning Center? 

 

Does this mean impossible to make into housing for small families or what? They cannot incorporate the existing building-with this being a Nationwide/Children's Hospital supported thing? They can spend literally billions on the hospital but they need to wreck this building? 

Damn they just want to knock down every damn thing it seems.

I couldn’t agree more. I’m sure it helps that with the property coming from the land bank, it’s cheaper and makes this site an attractive option. But still, it should be cheaper to convert the existing structure into micro-apartments than building all new. There are so many vacant lots and dilapidated structures that actually do need torn down in this city; this shouldn’t be one of them. 

This is the entire purchase. You could build 4 2-3 bedroom duplexes around this building and STILL have handful of efficiency units in the existing structure. 

 

It's really about ease and convenience. The structure undoubtedly would require some serious lead and asbestos abatement for a conversion if the city or school district hadn't done it before. 

 

So they want to go as cheap as possible to keep affordability. I'm not going to put much hope in quality builds either. 

 

Seems like a perfect opportunity for a partnership with someone who can put the money into the existing structure for some efficiency units that are closer to market rate and 8 affordable units around it. I'd think that the Financials of mixed market rates could also help finance the project longer term perhaps? 

 

I'm also going to guess that parking is playing a part of this in that they'll want way to much space on the land to accommodate cars.

 

Dumb. Something so simple. But the city will roll over for it because of who it is and the fact it is for affordable housing, which tends to get far more leeway in design, demolition, etc. 

 

Found the city staff report, via the South Side Area Commission. Sounds like staff is supportive of rezoning to allow two of the duplexes to be built. However, they also are opposed to demolition and recommend converting the existing structure. Sounds good to me. 
 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K_ab-jZ9Jt_5eGJ2zoosHKsAtEou3Wcn/view

Just doubled the units - helps more people. 4 duplex houses shown in red (8 three bedroom units) and 8 studios / 1 bedroom units in the renovated existing building. Plenty of room for a shared green space and parking off of the alley.

 

4 hours ago, Pablo said:

Just doubled the units - helps more people. 4 duplex houses shown in red (8 three bedroom units) and 8 studios / 1 bedroom units in the renovated existing building. Plenty of room for a shared green space and parking off of the alley.

 

They could easily get 20 parking spaces including parking along Reeb. If these are studios with likely only one occupant and three bed units that are lower income with mothers with children, I doubt they would need to account for more than one space per unit. They could also align the 2 duplex units directly behind the existing building with a 20/25 foot courtyard between them and the back of the building, this courtyard extending to the greenspace behind the other two duplexes along Reeb.

 

I mean this is very basic stuff-this is not rocket science here.

 

I am glad to see the Southside Commission is opposed to the demolition. 

On 4/14/2022 at 10:50 AM, amped91 said:

Okay, this is one that I hope they do get pushback on. If it were being torn down for something much more dense, I could be more supportive. But to tear down a historic structure for only eight units, when there’s the potential to convert the existing structure, sounds asinine. 
 

Former South Side Learning Center to be demolished for affordable housing

 

 

“An affordable housing developer plans to transform the site of the former South Side Learning and Development Center on Reeb Avenue. 

 

Gretchen West, executive director of Healthy Homes, Nationwide Children's affordable housing offshoot, said the organization wants to build four duplexes in place of the building at 255 Reeb Ave. The housing would be aimed at families that use the services at the Reeb Avenue Center across the street, which offers childcare, workforce development and more.

 

The building as it stands would be best suited to be retooled as one-bedroom and studio apartments. Healthy Homes wants to build two- and three-bedroom units to accommodate families. 
 

West said the average family they serve is a single mother with two children, so building new made the most sense.”

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/04/14/south-side-learning-center.html

 

Because public input seemed to at least put pressure on the Neil Avenue proposal- even if they didn't work it out- I encourage anyone with comments about this to contact Health Homes directly through their website at https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/about-us/population-health-and-wellness/healthy-neighborhoods-healthy-families/affordable-housing and through email at [email protected] 

This is a ridiculous reason to tear down a perfectly good building, especially with the entire site's given space.  My message: 

 

I just had a few comments on the proposed project at 255 Reeb Avenue.  While I fully support the Healthy Homes initiative, this seems like a poorly considered project.  The existing building is in reasonable condition, and while it may not be able to offer the larger units your organization prefers, a historic building like this should not be sacrificed solely because it doesn’t strictly adhere to existing plans, especially when there are alternatives.  Columbus has lost too many of these buildings as it is.  Furthermore, it seems like the greater site includes the vacant lots immediately to the west, as well as the land back to the rear alley.  Is there any reason why you could not fit 2-4 multi-unit structures there (or 1 large one) with the desired 2-3 bedroom units while incorporating the existing building into the project in some way?  If not for residential units, it could make a great little community center of some sort.  This whole neighborhood is on the rise, and with the trajectory of Greater Columbus, we should be working to both preserve our history and build the type of density necessary to sustain it. 

 

Edited April 16, 20223 yr by jonoh81

In a typically timely fashion, The Dispatch is reporting the building will be demolished. The article is behind a paywall but there's nothing new to report from the print edition, other than a demolition permit has not been pulled yet.

17 hours ago, Pablo said:

In a typically timely fashion, The Dispatch is reporting the building will be demolished. The article is behind a paywall but there's nothing new to report from the print edition, other than a demolition permit has not been pulled yet.

Here’s the link to that article:

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/05/09/south-side-building-designated-landmark-proposed-demolition/9648182002/

 

Makes it sound like demo isn’t a done deal. I sent an email to Gretchen West at the address @jonoh81 provided. 

Columbus Humane to open south side Columbus facility to meet increased demand
 

 

“Columbus Humane says it will open a new facility on the city's south side to keep up with increased demand and changing needs.

 

The Essential Care Center at 3772 S. High St. will focus on pet food distribution and pet care.

 

Construction and renovation of the facility will start this July and it will open in February. 
 

The project will cost $5.1 million, including the cost of buying the building, Finney said. Alterra Real Estate Advisors bought the building for Columbus Humane. The organization has raised about $2.5 million for the project so far.”

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/05/10/columbus-humane-society.html