November 3, 20222 yr Even before this revelation (on my part) I'm skeptical of the ability of Merchant to pull the award. If you look at the other big winners across the state, they all included a stronger element of affordable housing, community access, equity, job creation etc. The Merhcant Building promises 20% affordable units. 35 in total. Half will be 80% median income and the other half is 100%. If the tax credits are favoring transformational projects that promote more equity, then Merchant lags behind, at least for the first round comparatives. It also doesn't necessarily create significant jobs or bring jobs to an area of opportunity. Now, if the pool of applicants starts to drop competitors of greater community benefit, then it has a better chance. It's a great project that needs to happen but it doesn't hit as many of the boxes to tranform a community as much as elevate the status quote for an area that has plenty of market rate apartments, office space, boutique hotels etc etc etc. And Cincy didn't get any last round so there may be a bias as a result for the next round.
November 3, 20222 yr 6 hours ago, DTCL11 said: Even before this revelation (on my part) I'm skeptical of the ability of Merchant to pull the award. If you look at the other big winners across the state, they all included a stronger element of affordable housing, community access, equity, job creation etc. The Merhcant Building promises 20% affordable units. 35 in total. Half will be 80% median income and the other half is 100%. If the tax credits are favoring transformational projects that promote more equity, then Merchant lags behind, at least for the first round comparatives. It also doesn't necessarily create significant jobs or bring jobs to an area of opportunity. Now, if the pool of applicants starts to drop competitors of greater community benefit, then it has a better chance. It's a great project that needs to happen but it doesn't hit as many of the boxes to tranform a community as much as elevate the status quote for an area that has plenty of market rate apartments, office space, boutique hotels etc etc etc. And Cincy didn't get any last round so there may be a bias as a result for the next round. Is there a way to view the applications? I would hope Rockbridge went into the mmm market’s role as a small business incubator too, with the market space increasing by ~50%. I’d hate to see this get delayed even longer. I already have a feeling we’re not going to see that November official groundbreaking.
November 3, 20222 yr Author How much could the possible idea of "hey Columbus is going to boom with Intel and all, they should be able to get this going on their own with that" hurt the chances of this getting that money(along with the others things mentioned?)
November 3, 20222 yr No way that Arlington Gateway should be considered for this, but if it's anything like round 1 they'll win it anyway Projects that are clearly well underway or complete should not be allowed. It doesn't get us anything we wouldn't already have
November 21, 20222 yr We were at the North Market a little earlier. On my way out I asked one of the construction workers if he knew when they were going to close the parking lot. He said they are preparing things for that right now and he expects it to be fenced off "pretty soon"!
December 7, 20222 yr Great news! Hopefully this means a groundbreaking announcement is in the near future. North Market tower, Grandview Crossing projects awarded transformational mixed-use tax credits from state “The planned North Market tower, now dubbed The Merchant Building, and the Grandview Crossing development that straddles Columbus and Grandview Heights will receive state support via Ohio's new transformational mixed-use tax credit program. The awards were announced at Wednesday's Ohio Tax Credit Authority meeting. Columbus-based Rockbridge secured a $34 million tax credit for its nearly $345 million Merchant Building project. The 31-story tower will house a boutique hotel, apartments and retail. The company said this kind of high-rise project has proven difficult to deliver in Ohio and is the type of project the TMUD program was created to support. The project also aims to help keep the North Market thriving for years to come, the developer said. Thrive Cos. was awarded $6.3 million for the $506 million Grandview Crossing project. The developer had also requested $6 million for the $251 million project in Franklinton that would redevelop the Mount Carmel West campus, but that project was not awarded tax credits. This is the second round of the tax credit awards. All but one of the 11 Central Ohio projects that applied for this second round of funding had also applied for the first round.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/12/07/north-market-tower-merchant-building-grandview-cro.html
December 7, 20222 yr 14 minutes ago, amped91 said: Great news! Hopefully this means a groundbreaking announcement is in the near future. North Market tower, Grandview Crossing projects awarded transformational mixed-use tax credits from state “The planned North Market tower, now dubbed The Merchant Building, and the Grandview Crossing development that straddles Columbus and Grandview Heights will receive state support via Ohio's new transformational mixed-use tax credit program. The awards were announced at Wednesday's Ohio Tax Credit Authority meeting. Columbus-based Rockbridge secured a $34 million tax credit for its nearly $345 million Merchant Building project. The 31-story tower will house a boutique hotel, apartments and retail. The company said this kind of high-rise project has proven difficult to deliver in Ohio and is the type of project the TMUD program was created to support. The project also aims to help keep the North Market thriving for years to come, the developer said. Thrive Cos. was awarded $6.3 million for the $506 million Grandview Crossing project. The developer had also requested $6 million for the $251 million project in Franklinton that would redevelop the Mount Carmel West campus, but that project was not awarded tax credits. This is the second round of the tax credit awards. All but one of the 11 Central Ohio projects that applied for this second round of funding had also applied for the first round.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/12/07/north-market-tower-merchant-building-grandview-cro.html Wasn’t TMUD originally to help underserved areas get buildings and new uses. It’s funny that grandview crossing, an area that is mostly very very wealthy, would get this, when an area like Franklinton is desperate for more development. Seems TMuD is just going to whoever and for whatever.
December 7, 20222 yr 4 minutes ago, VintageLife said: Wasn’t TMUD originally to help underserved areas get buildings and new uses. It’s funny that grandview crossing, an area that is mostly very very wealthy, would get this, when an area like Franklinton is desperate for more development. Seems TMuD is just going to whoever and for whatever. It certainly seems like the criteria has gotten a lot more broad. Maybe Grandview Crossing received it because of the land use mitigation? I believe much of the land used to be a landfill.
December 7, 20222 yr 1 hour ago, VintageLife said: Wasn’t TMUD originally to help underserved areas get buildings and new uses. It’s funny that grandview crossing, an area that is mostly very very wealthy, would get this, when an area like Franklinton is desperate for more development. Seems TMuD is just going to whoever and for whatever. Maybe. I don’t remember ever hearing that, though. However, similar to nearly-complete (not mixed use) CMM campus winning last round, it is silly for Grandview Xing, already far along in its construction, to win out over other proposals. Seems to go against the intent of helping projects that need the extra help get off the ground.
December 9, 20222 yr Author On 12/7/2022 at 12:46 PM, VintageLife said: Wasn’t TMUD originally to help underserved areas get buildings and new uses. It’s funny that grandview crossing, an area that is mostly very very wealthy, would get this, when an area like Franklinton is desperate for more development. Seems TMuD is just going to whoever and for whatever. I would really like that 30 plus story tower for the Scioto Peninsula to apply for and get picked for the next round. Turning a surface lot into a 30 story plus tower is pretty transformational, just sayin' and all lol.
December 9, 20222 yr 18 minutes ago, Toddguy said: I would really like that 30 plus story tower for the Scioto Peninsula to apply for and get picked for the next round. Turning a surface lot into a 30 story plus tower is pretty transformational, just sayin' and all lol. Especially if it has a grocery store in it, that area desperately needs one.
December 9, 20222 yr Author 2 minutes ago, VintageLife said: Especially if it has a grocery store in it, that area desperately needs one. A small one would be great. What would work? Would a second Hill's work? What chains would be good for the site given the size? They need something as it will be a live/work/play/etc. neighborhood with workers, residents, and visitors alike. They need to have retail and a grocery store would be a good fit. Look at all the units that will be coming both south of this site and north of it across Broad.
December 10, 20222 yr 1 hour ago, Toddguy said: A small one would be great. What would work? Would a second Hill's work? What chains would be good for the site given the size? They need something as it will be a live/work/play/etc. neighborhood with workers, residents, and visitors alike. They need to have retail and a grocery store would be a good fit. Look at all the units that will be coming both south of this site and north of it across Broad. The developers said they have been in talks with a grocer, but didn’t say what one. It would be a great spot for Aldi, or an smaller meijer
December 10, 20222 yr Author 2 hours ago, VintageLife said: The developers said they have been in talks with a grocer, but didn’t say what one. It would be a great spot for Aldi, or an smaller meijer I was just at a Meijer this week. Better than Kroger, but pricier IMO. I like Aldi. I did not know until recently that I was mispronouncing it (had Lidl right though). I just hope the whole thing comes to fruition. For both towers!
December 14, 20222 yr Some interesting tidbits from CBF’s weekly Punch List feature: How Central Ohio fared in the latest round of transformational mixed-use tax credits “According to state score cards obtained by Columbus Business First, the two Central Ohio projects awarded scored high in the following categories: committed financing, end-use commitment, walkability, job creation and community impact. The state had a preference for projects with more committed tenants or end users, projects in areas of walkability and those creating more payroll or economic activity, according to the presentation made at the Tax Credit Authority meeting last week. The community impact category is the only category scored subjectively; both The Merchant Building and Grandview Crossing projects got seven out of 10 points in this category.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/12/12/tmud-state-tax-credit-central-ohio-round-two.html Wonder if that means the Merchant Building already has some office and retail tenants lined up? Or if, rather, having the market expansion and hotel component is what helped them score higher there? Also interesting to note that although total Central Ohio projects receiving awards was lower this round (2 compared with 5 last round), the total amount of money coming into the area ($40.3 million v $32.7 million) is still higher thanks to the huge award given to the MB ($34 million).
January 17, 20232 yr TMB ground breaking should be v soon now, based on info posted to the NM’s website:
January 20, 20232 yr On 1/17/2023 at 4:30 PM, amped91 said: TMB ground breaking should be v soon now, based on info posted to the NM’s website: Fencing up!
January 20, 20232 yr "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 27, 20232 yr 59 minutes ago, CbusOrBust said: Parking attendant booths are a thing of the past at the North Market Wait so I have to park across the street and walk an extra 40 seconds to get to the North Market now?! This is an outrage! I'll never be visiting again! /s
January 27, 20232 yr 18 minutes ago, TIm said: Wait so I have to park across the street and walk an extra 40 seconds to get to the North Market now?! This is an outrage! I'll never be visiting again! /s There is a person on Reddit that is adamant that the vendors in the north market are all pissed about this. I’m sure a few are, but if they can’t see that this is going to be a huge benefit to them, they aren’t good business people. Edited January 27, 20232 yr by VintageLife
January 27, 20232 yr 18 minutes ago, TIm said: Wait so I have to park across the street and walk an extra 40 seconds to get to the North Market now?! This is an outrage! I'll never be visiting again! /s What do you mean, I have to pay a $1.50 to park on the street instead of $1, how dare you.
January 27, 20232 yr 15 minutes ago, VintageLife said: There is a person on Reddit that is adamant that the vendors in the north market are all pissed about this. I’m sure a few are, but if they can’t see that this is going to be a huge benefit to them, they aren’t good business people. Yeah that was the inspiration for my sarcastic comment here haha.
January 27, 20232 yr Is there a possibility that the expanded market and plaza will be open before the building is fully completed? With safety canopies etc of course Edited January 27, 20232 yr by DTCL11
January 27, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, VintageLife said: There is a person on Reddit that is adamant that the vendors in the north market are all pissed about this. I’m sure a few are, but if they can’t see that this is going to be a huge benefit to them, they aren’t good business people. They have to survive the next three years for that benefit, though. And, as much as we love to joke, the temporary construction absolutely will deter some people from going to the market. Edited January 27, 20232 yr by TH3BUDDHA
January 27, 20232 yr 5 minutes ago, TH3BUDDHA said: They have to survive the next three years for that benefit, though. And, as much as we love to joke, the temporary construction absolutely will deter some people from going to the market. It will drive some people away, but all the construction workers will also have options and some will choose north market. It also helps that the developer is paying the market money to help cover lost income for the vendors
January 27, 20232 yr 22 minutes ago, VintageLife said: It will drive some people away, but all the construction workers will also have options and some will choose north market. It also helps that the developer is paying the market money to help cover lost income for the vendors I didn’t know they were doing that. That’s a good thing to hear. I was somewhat annoyed to see even CBF appearing to lament the loss of the parking lot in today’s weekly rundown: ”But the reality of a slight inconvenience for shoppers is now before the market, and no one really knows how customers will react. Ask any Short North retailer – or any retailer anywhere, for that matter – and they’ll tell you how important parking is. They’ll also tell you that nearby garages and street parking are no match for an attached lot.” In all reality, I’m sure all the construction over the next few years will scare some customers away (I believe it was the owners of Preston’s that said the anticipation of construction played into their decision to relocate). But, of course, this is a win for the market and Downtown long term.
January 27, 20232 yr 45 minutes ago, amped91 said: I didn’t know they were doing that. That’s a good thing to hear. I was somewhat annoyed to see even CBF appearing to lament the loss of the parking lot in today’s weekly rundown: ”But the reality of a slight inconvenience for shoppers is now before the market, and no one really knows how customers will react. Ask any Short North retailer – or any retailer anywhere, for that matter – and they’ll tell you how important parking is. They’ll also tell you that nearby garages and street parking are no match for an attached lot.” In all reality, I’m sure all the construction over the next few years will scare some customers away (I believe it was the owners of Preston’s that said the anticipation of construction played into their decision to relocate). But, of course, this is a win for the market and Downtown long term. I am 99.98% sure I read they are doing that. I cannot find an article right now to back it up, but I swear I read it haha.
January 30, 20232 yr On 1/27/2023 at 6:35 PM, VintageLife said: I am 99.98% sure I read they are doing that. I cannot find an article right now to back it up, but I swear I read it haha. I was just thinking, it would be a good idea too if the market owners partnered with the construction companies to offer discounts for onsite workers to the market stalls, in order to encourage them to patronize the vendors. I’d imagine, once things really rev up, it should be a fairly substantial crew. On another note, I’m really hoping once the market space has increased, we see an increase in non-prepared food vendors. Maybe an expansion of Mini Supes or another grocery-esque vendor, more local makers of things like apparel, body care, candles, etc. just to make sure it doesn’t become solely a food hall.
January 31, 20232 yr When did this get changed to 32 stories? The last article I saw said 31, so this is awesome. Edited January 31, 20232 yr by VintageLife
January 31, 20232 yr 20 hours ago, amped91 said: I was just thinking, it would be a good idea too if the market owners partnered with the construction companies to offer discounts for onsite workers to the market stalls, in order to encourage them to patronize the vendors. I’d imagine, once things really rev up, it should be a fairly substantial crew. On another note, I’m really hoping once the market space has increased, we see an increase in non-prepared food vendors. Maybe an expansion of Mini Supes or another grocery-esque vendor, more local makers of things like apparel, body care, candles, etc. just to make sure it doesn’t become solely a food hall. I would think that there should be a good amount of potential daily customers from the jobsite. I'm pretty sure the convention center food court made it through the pandemic mainly on the support of the Hilton 2.0 construction workers.
February 3, 20232 yr On 1/30/2023 at 8:03 PM, VintageLife said: When did this get changed to 32 stories? The last article I saw said 31, so this is awesome. I’m thinking it grew another story when they announced the official name last year?
February 3, 20232 yr On 1/27/2023 at 5:49 PM, amped91 said: ”But the reality of a slight inconvenience for shoppers is now before the market, and no one really knows how customers will react. Ask any Short North retailer – or any retailer anywhere, for that matter – and they’ll tell you how important parking is. They’ll also tell you that nearby garages and street parking are no match for an attached lot.” Tell me you don't know how to differentiate urban businesses without telling me you don't know how to differentiate ubran businesses. Anyway... The height changed with the branding change, correct. But the only difference that I can find is that the top floor has potentially grown in height and the Merchant Building signage extends significantly higher than the core. I wonder if it's just some weird semantics they're playing because some articles from the name announcement last may say 31 stories and others say 32 but I don't think anything substantive has actually changed. A side by side comparison. All things being the same. Sorry I couldn't find a better resolution of the updated version. i noticed that they did add telecom as well. Perhaps the rooftop access section was heightened a bit to accommodate this. If they found the right contract, it may have been worthwhile to make a difference most won't even realize while touting an additional story? Now I kind of wish the telecom tower was something more aestetic or iconic as well. Like one of those that also indicates weather conditions or something or some sort of false water tower etc. It would have given it a bit more of that iconic look like the original proposal vs the average mixed use behemoth. They could always play the big city games and shroud the tower too and pretend it adds height too 😅 Edited February 3, 20232 yr by DTCL11
February 3, 20232 yr I'd like to see a rendering more from the West seeing how this looks next to the new Hilton tower. Edited February 3, 20232 yr by Gnoraa
February 3, 20232 yr Did they ever add screening along the Vine St side of the garage? That was something that stood out to me in previous renderings and made the building look 'unfinished'
February 3, 20232 yr 10 hours ago, DTCL11 said: The height changed with the branding change, correct. But the only difference that I can find is that the top floor has potentially grown in height and the Merchant Building signage extends significantly higher than the core. I wonder if it's just some weird semantics they're playing because some articles from the name announcement last may say 31 stories and others say 32 but I don't think anything substantive has actually changed. noticed that they did add telecom as well. Perhaps the rooftop access section was heightened a bit to accommodate this. If they found the right contract, it may have been worthwhile to make a difference most won't even realize while touting an additional story? Looking back at renderings pre-2022 update, it looks like the rooftop patio was added last year as well. Might also be where the additional floor is coming from?
February 3, 20232 yr I'm also blanking, but do we have the official height of this thing? Also, I do like the rendering from High Street. With Hilton and this that whole area is literally so elevated! With the population boom expected over the next 20+ years in Franklin County, you have to wonder if a good handful more of these towers are in the inevitable pipeline. Edited February 3, 20232 yr by Gnoraa
February 3, 20232 yr 10 minutes ago, Gnoraa said: I'm also blanking, but do we have the official height of this thing? Based on this plan, which I believe is the last detailed plan that was submitted to the commission, it looks like it will top out at 352'. I also found this FAA application for 382'. It says it's for a highrise/skyscraper, but I wouldn't be surprised if the 382' is the top out height for the tower crane. Usually you'll see an app for a crane and a separate one for the tower, but I only recall seeing one app for this project.
February 3, 20232 yr 21 minutes ago, amped91 said: Looking back at renderings pre-2022 update, it looks like the rooftop patio was added last year as well. Might also be where the additional floor is coming from? The carve out was there from the start of the major update, including the railings even though the rooftop terrace wasn't formally announced or renderings released for another year. I did some more digging and I think I figured it out. It seems to be semantics. The building will be 31 floors but 32 stories tall. A floor wasn't added. They just started describing it as 32 stories to account for the mechanical penthouse. EDIT: CbusSoccer's elevation rendering seems to confirm the same. 31 floors. 32 stories. From 2021 As of May 2022, the SF of offices, number of rooms etc has shifted but not seemingly the number of floors. Edited February 3, 20232 yr by DTCL11
February 3, 20232 yr 12 minutes ago, cbussoccer said: Based on this plan, which I believe is the last detailed plan that was submitted to the commission, it looks like it will top out at 352'. I also found this FAA application for 382'. It says it's for a highrise/skyscraper, but I wouldn't be surprised if the 382' is the top out height for the tower crane. Usually you'll see an app for a crane and a separate one for the tower, but I only recall seeing one app for this project. I'm leaning towards 382 feet. The new Hilton is 357 feet and this thing will be taller than that. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 3, 20232 yr 1 minute ago, ColDayMan said: I'm leaning towards 382 feet. The new Hilton is 357 feet and this thing will be taller than that. If that's true it'll be the 11th tallest building in the city! Still want to see something that breaks 400 feet though!
February 3, 20232 yr On 1/27/2023 at 6:35 PM, VintageLife said: I am 99.98% sure I read they are doing that. I cannot find an article right now to back it up, but I swear I read it haha. Finally found the article that was talking about payments during development. I had misread it, or it has changed since this article. It’s from when Wood Companies was part of the project, so who knows if it all still is the same. City Council Takes Up North Market Tower Proposal “They’re not giving it away,” Wolfe says of the city plan. “So that’s a key thing—there’s no public market in the world that operates without a subsidy from someone.” He points to the market’s parking revenue—roughly $300,000 a year. Under a different deal the market might lose that parking revenue, instead the agreement calls for the developer to cut the market a check for the parking revenue every year. “That’s their subsidy to us, and the developer has to take over that subsidy in perpetuity” Wolfe says. “So, think about that—$300,000 a year in perpetuity. They’re paying a lot for that land. But they understand the importance of the market and this project together, so that’s something they’re willing to take on.” The Wood Companies and Schiff Capital Group make up the development team. Neither responded to interview requests for this story. Under their $300,000 annual payment, it would take about 15 years for them to pay off the auditor’s current valuation of the parcel. They’ll also contribute $200,000 a year during construction to off set lost revenue at the market.
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