February 3, 20232 yr 21 minutes ago, columbus17 said: If that's true it'll be the 11th tallest building in the city! Still want to see something that breaks 400 feet though! I believe the new OSU tower is supposed to hit 410, unless you mean solely downtown. Overall in the city, that tower should crack the top ten, and push the Merchant back to 12th overall. I want one to surpass the Rhodes tower, but I have my doubts that’ll happen.
February 3, 20232 yr I wish local media and developers would just give us the heights as well instead of all this digging to try and figure it out. Give us the precision we desire because using stories and floors is so variable. Donley's website (Concrete contractor) for Hilton 2.0 describes the project as being 30 stories instead of 28 but they list the actual height of 357' whereas all other media calls Hilton 2.0 28 stories. In reality, stories are so often confused with floors. So a '28 story' Hilton 2.0 could be much closer to the height of Merchant building if they aren't accounting for the fact several of the stories are well over 10-14' tall. Anywho... I won't hold my breath on media and developers giving us what we want. Lol.
February 3, 20232 yr ^I watched the Hilton construction cam regularly - crews poured two floors above the rooftop bar for what I assume to be mechanical space and elevator equipment. It's hidden by the crown. So I guess it's 30 stories tall but only 28 are open to the public. I imagine the Merchant Bldg will have something similar.
February 3, 20232 yr All indications are this will be darn near identical in height to the Hilton and end up 'technically' shorter. It gains an advantage for ground level being a little higher than the Hilton. I really don't think there will be a discernable difference except from certain perspectives where one advantages the other. Cbussoccers's post is pretty definitive. 352' vs the Hilton's 357'. And seeming to compare apples to apples, Hilton is 30 stories (including mechanial) and Merchant is 32 including mechanical. Wherr multiple stories in the Hilton are massive well exceeding if not doubling the typical 10-14' average where Merchant doesn't have the equivalent. Now, let's have some real fun and figure out the heights from sea level 😅
February 4, 20232 yr 23 hours ago, Gnoraa said: 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. That one-story corner will eventually get something.
February 4, 20232 yr 37 minutes ago, jonoh81 said: That one-story corner will eventually get something. We can only hope, it should be a 4-5 story with matching materials to the historic buildings next to it.
February 4, 20232 yr The one story and adjacent 2 story are both owned by the same entity so there is some really good potential to build above the two to the corner. I would love to see a similar treatment as the Hampton. Build out and up for the corner with a mix of traditional and modern materials. Part of me would also be ok if that 1 story just went away and became a big gateway plaza.
February 4, 20232 yr 5 hours ago, DTCL11 said: The one story and adjacent 2 story are both owned by the same entity so there is some really good potential to build above the two to the corner. I would love to see a similar treatment as the Hampton. Build out and up for the corner with a mix of traditional and modern materials. Part of me would also be ok if that 1 story just went away and became a big gateway plaza. Not a bad idea if more height was added around it!
February 4, 20232 yr On 2/3/2023 at 9:46 AM, cbussoccer said: 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. Could the discrepancy have to do with the telecom tower? Maybe the 382’ takes that into account?
February 5, 20232 yr 16 hours ago, amped91 said: Could the discrepancy have to do with the telecom tower? Maybe the 382’ takes that into account? Probably
February 6, 20232 yr You beat me to it! As far as I can tell, a building permit still hasn’t been issued. So I wonder, after demolition, if there might be a pause in activity until they can get that permit.
February 6, 20232 yr The permit might be forthcoming - or they got a foundation start permit allowing underground work to commence while the rest is in review.
February 6, 20232 yr Is everything pending archeological dig? We know there will he a pause. That's a given. But is the city holding the permits specifically until that's done for some reason?
February 6, 20232 yr 21 minutes ago, amped91 said: The foundation permit is still pending too, according to the access portal. Maybe they have to make sure there are no more bodies? Idk if that could delay it or not, just a thought.
February 7, 20232 yr Columbus Underground has an article about unearthing graves. https://columbusunderground.com/archeologists-unearthed-40-graves-at-north-market-in-2022-jb1/ Someone with a better camera should go to that spot. You can see the OSU tower, Parkside on Pearl, and the crane for Greenhouse. Soon you'll see the Casto development in Harrison West, too.
February 8, 20232 yr I hadn’t realized some archeological work was done last year. It sounds like quite a complex process! I think it would be nice for some sort of plaque or marker near the tower telling the history of the site.
February 8, 20232 yr 16 hours ago, aderwent said: Columbus Underground has an article about unearthing graves. https://columbusunderground.com/archeologists-unearthed-40-graves-at-north-market-in-2022-jb1/ Someone with a better camera should go to that spot. You can see the OSU tower, Parkside on Pearl, and the crane for Greenhouse. Soon you'll see the Casto development in Harrison West, too. That there still might be several hundred graves is surprising.
February 8, 20232 yr 19 hours ago, aderwent said: Columbus Underground has an article about unearthing graves. https://columbusunderground.com/archeologists-unearthed-40-graves-at-north-market-in-2022-jb1/ Someone with a better camera should go to that spot. You can see the OSU tower, Parkside on Pearl, and the crane for Greenhouse. Soon you'll see the Casto development in Harrison West, too. Wow this article is actual journalism! Cool to see a real article published for once and it's kinda sad that this was worth mentioning.
February 8, 20232 yr 4 hours ago, amped91 said: ^Are those remains that are roped off? Graves. Not sure if they still contain remains, though. Some of the graves are approaching 200 years old, but surely there are at least some bones left. Edited February 8, 20232 yr by jonoh81
February 9, 20232 yr Here’s a little more info on the dig, this time from WOSU: North Graveyard in downtown Columbus to be excavated before Merchant Building constructed “The recovered material will be stored until it is analyzed, and the bones are examined by an osteologist. Researchers will look for clues to paint a picture that could include information about the descendants’ race, age, sex, health and socioeconomic status. Zink said when the work is complete, it will be detailed in a public report. “I think interesting components are going to come out at the end, once we get all of that information. Do we have something unique that we can tell about the early history of the city of Columbus, based on this burial population and this window in the time?" he said. Horrocks said the remains of the people left behind at the site deserve a proper burial. “It'd be really great to finally properly be able to honor and memorialize the people that were left behind unfortunately," she said. All of the remains and other items recovered from the excavations will be interred in Greenlawn Cemetery following the study.” https://news.wosu.org/2023-02-09/north-graveyard-in-downtown-columbus-to-be-excavated-before-merchant-building-constructed?fbclid=IwAR11djtaMdWuHulrmbzOmNlR3qzRbrKrFoDlI4GxTs8lbS3Podfnnpr6S_8&mibextid=Zxz2cZ
February 10, 20232 yr 6 hours ago, Luvcbus said: Exhumation Tents now up at North Market (From r/Columbus) This is honestly great to see. I think one of the worries everyone had was "is moving the bodies going to slow the project down" and I think these images kinda demonstrate it won't. Seems they know where they need to look and have this part of the process very well planned out and is likely a part of their completion estimates.
February 13, 20232 yr The NM sign has been taken down, to be moved to the west-facing side of the building. Some details from The Dispatch on TMB’s impact on the market: What to know as North Market starts $345 million Merchant Building development “Is the North Market still open? Emphatically yes, said North Market CEO Rick Harrison Wolfe. In fact, the first two weeks since the fence went up saw strong traffic to the market. Last year, an estimated 1.5 million people visited the market, nearly reaching pre-COVID levels, Wolfe said. How long will construction last? Construction is expected to take nearly three years, or until the end of 2025 — just in time for the market's 150th anniversary in 2026 Will the market be any different when the construction ends? The Merchant Building project will result in two big changes to the market: expansion and parking. A two-story addition will be built on the east side of the market, with space for eight to 10 new vendors around a center bar. The second floor will house event space. The market will have direct access on the second floor to the Merchant Building parking garage.” More info at the link: https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2023/02/13/what-north-market-visitors-need-to-know-about-construction-on-the-site/69885973007/
February 14, 20232 yr 2 hours ago, amped91 said: The NM sign has been taken down, to be moved to the west-facing side of the building. Some details from The Dispatch on TMB’s impact on the market: What to know as North Market starts $345 million Merchant Building development “Is the North Market still open? Emphatically yes, said North Market CEO Rick Harrison Wolfe. In fact, the first two weeks since the fence went up saw strong traffic to the market. Last year, an estimated 1.5 million people visited the market, nearly reaching pre-COVID levels, Wolfe said. How long will construction last? Construction is expected to take nearly three years, or until the end of 2025 — just in time for the market's 150th anniversary in 2026 Will the market be any different when the construction ends? The Merchant Building project will result in two big changes to the market: expansion and parking. A two-story addition will be built on the east side of the market, with space for eight to 10 new vendors around a center bar. The second floor will house event space. The market will have direct access on the second floor to the Merchant Building parking garage.” More info at the link: https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2023/02/13/what-north-market-visitors-need-to-know-about-construction-on-the-site/69885973007/ I thought the expansion was on the ground floor?
February 14, 20232 yr 18 minutes ago, columbus17 said: I thought the expansion was on the ground floor? It is, it’s saying the expansion is 2 stories, with market space on the first floor and event space on the second. At least that is how I read it. I’m hoping they aren’t getting rid of the seating upstairs. That would be strange, hopefully it’s adding some seating, instead of just event space.
February 14, 20232 yr 24 minutes ago, VintageLife said: It is, it’s saying the expansion is 2 stories, with market space on the first floor and event space on the second. At least that is how I read it. I’m hoping they aren’t getting rid of the seating upstairs. That would be strange, hopefully it’s adding some seating, instead of just event space. Yeah, this should be where the expansion is located: I’d wager the event space will be confined to the new addition. I can’t imagine them getting rid of the upstairs seating.
February 14, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, amped91 said: Yeah, this should be where the expansion is located: I’d wager the event space will be confined to the new addition. I can’t imagine them getting rid of the upstairs seating. Kinda wish it'd be bigger - that looks a bit small.
February 14, 20232 yr 8 hours ago, columbus17 said: Kinda wish it'd be bigger - that looks a bit small. It should be a ~50% increase in the market’s footprint (~18,000 sqft increase). Or, room for 8-10 new vendors, and a bar, according to the Dispatch. I wonder if the NM will get the same folks who run the Market Bar at Bridge Park to run the bar downtown? 🤔
February 14, 20232 yr 10 hours ago, columbus17 said: Kinda wish it'd be bigger - that looks a bit small. Never what you want to hear- especially on Valentine's Day! 😂
February 14, 20232 yr Mostly unrelated, I went down a rabbit hole the other day looking at other former graveyard sites in the city, and there are at least 2 other sites where there are probably bodies remaining. There was a Catholic cemetery beginning in the 1840s at Washington and Mt Vernon. It became the site of St. Patrick's College, then Aquinas, then Columbus State. They apparently did not move all the graves, as several were found during the original construction of St. Patrick's. I couldn't find anything as to whether efforts were made to remove them all. The other big one though is the former East Graveyard, now the site of Livingston Park. It was bounded by Livingston, 18th, Stone and what was then called Pendelton- now Children's Gateway. It was open from about 1839-1876 and despite very wet land condtions, had several thousand graves. In 1882, the city purchased 3 lots in Green Lawn to move the bodies, but only about 10 boxes of various remains were moved. Another 70 individual graves were moved by families. There didn't seem to be any further efforts made after that, so there are potentially hundreds of graves under the park. The northern edge of the park now stops at Children's Drive, but it originally extended north to Stone Avenue. Today, part of a hospital building sits on top of the site, but most of it is just surface parking. I wonder if anything was found during the building construction.
February 14, 20232 yr 4 hours ago, amped91 said: I wonder if the NM will get the same folks who run the Market Bar at Bridge Park to run the bar downtown? I feel like they would just use The Barrel and Bottle bar that is already at north market, and just move them to the new spot. Edited February 14, 20232 yr by VintageLife
February 14, 20232 yr 13 minutes ago, VintageLife said: I feel like they would just use The Barrel and Bottle bar that is already at north market, and just move them to the new spot. That’s true too. I was thinking, similar to what they are doing with BP, having an anchor in both sections to draw more visitors to the surrounding stalls. It would probably be more polite to ask B&B to man both though, instead of bringing in someone new lol I’ve only bought beer from B&B. Do they have a full bar?
February 14, 20232 yr 38 minutes ago, amped91 said: That’s true too. I was thinking, similar to what they are doing with BP, having an anchor in both sections to draw more visitors to the surrounding stalls. It would probably be more polite to ask B&B to man both though, instead of bringing in someone new lol I’ve only bought beer from B&B. Do they have a full bar? I’ve had run and cokes from there, and I know others that have gotten gin, so I would assume, they also have wine.
February 15, 20232 yr 10 hours ago, jonoh81 said: Mostly unrelated, I went down a rabbit hole the other day looking at other former graveyard sites in the city, and there are at least 2 other sites where there are probably bodies remaining. There was a Catholic cemetery beginning in the 1840s at Washington and Mt Vernon. It became the site of St. Patrick's College, then Aquinas, then Columbus State. They apparently did not move all the graves, as several were found during the original construction of St. Patrick's. I couldn't find anything as to whether efforts were made to remove them all. The other big one though is the former East Graveyard, now the site of Livingston Park. It was bounded by Livingston, 18th, Stone and what was then called Pendelton- now Children's Gateway. It was open from about 1839-1876 and despite very wet land condtions, had several thousand graves. In 1882, the city purchased 3 lots in Green Lawn to move the bodies, but only about 10 boxes of various remains were moved. Another 70 individual graves were moved by families. There didn't seem to be any further efforts made after that, so there are potentially hundreds of graves under the park. The northern edge of the park now stops at Children's Drive, but it originally extended north to Stone Avenue. Today, part of a hospital building sits on top of the site, but most of it is just surface parking. I wonder if anything was found during the building construction. Good knowing I walk over a graveyard twice a week
February 21, 20232 yr North Market Redevelopment Forces Columbus to Confront the Saga of the North Graveyard "For the past eight months, Justin Zink has been digging up a buried history. Since work began last summer on the much-anticipated redevelopment of North Market on Spruce Street, the archaeologist with the Columbus engineering firm Lawhon & Associates has been in the trenches, overseeing excavations near the 147-year-old landmark. And what he’s found has been significant: more than 40 sets of human remains, including eight nearly full skeletons. It’s also just the start. The digs on Spruce, Vine, Park and Wall streets aren’t finished yet, and crews began excavating North Market’s adjacent 1.4-acre parking lot in February. Zink declines to estimate how many sets of remains his team might find in the lot, but Ohio History Connection archaeologist Krista Horrocks, who’s consulting on the project, suggests the numbers could be considerable. “We have always known that the parking lot is the area of most concern,” says Horrocks, project reviews manager with OHC’s State Historic Preservation Office. Zink’s work highlights an underappreciated aspect of the $300 million North Market redevelopment, rebranded as the Merchant Building in 2022. Not only do its co-developers, Rockbridge and the Edwards Cos., plan to build a boutique hotel, an 18,000-square-foot market expansion and a 31-story tower, the tallest skyscraper in Columbus in more than three decades—they also face a massive challenge below the surface: the complicated legacy of the abandoned North Graveyard." more: https://www.columbusmonthly.com/story/lifestyle/around-town/2023/02/20/north-market-redevelopment-forces-columbus-action-on-abandoned-graveyard/69925236007/
February 27, 20232 yr Found this on Reddit, trying to find out if it is an official construction camera or someone’s personal camera. https://www.reddit.com/r/Columbus/comments/11dntvi/a_time_lapse_of_todays_storm_hitting_north_market/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf Edited February 27, 20232 yr by VintageLife It is not a construction camera.
February 28, 20232 yr 15 hours ago, VintageLife said: Found this on Reddit, trying to find out if it is an official construction camera or someone’s personal camera. https://www.reddit.com/r/Columbus/comments/11dntvi/a_time_lapse_of_todays_storm_hitting_north_market/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf It's a personal phone that they taped to the window to get a time lapse of the storm. Might need to recruit them for this forum though...
March 27, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, CbusOrBust said: Couple from North Market If I'm not mistaken, that second picture is where the tents originally were after they tore up the parking lot. Must be making some solid progress on the excavation of the grave sites.
March 28, 20232 yr 8 hours ago, CbusOrBust said: Couple from North Market Wow...these pictures really give my title as a Dirt Lot a whole new meaning.
March 28, 20232 yr 10 hours ago, PrestoKinetic said: Wow...these pictures really give my title as a Dirt Lot a whole new meaning. We should see if they can switch the tag to "graveyard".
April 3, 20232 yr CBF says tower groundbreaking will be Q2 this year. So should be any time now. “The Merchant Building: Site work started on Rockbridge's and Edwards Cos.' redevelopment of the North Market parking lot. There will be a ground breaking in the second quarter of this year. The development will expand the North Market footprint with 18,000 square feet of new merchant, event and outdoor space. There will be 174 apartments and 162 hotel rooms in the $292 million building. There also will be a social club, with wellness and restaurant space.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/04/03/q1-crane-watch.html
April 3, 20232 yr 11 minutes ago, amped91 said: CBF says tower groundbreaking will be Q2 this year. So should be any time now. “The Merchant Building: Site work started on Rockbridge's and Edwards Cos.' redevelopment of the North Market parking lot. There will be a ground breaking in the second quarter of this year. The development will expand the North Market footprint with 18,000 square feet of new merchant, event and outdoor space. There will be 174 apartments and 162 hotel rooms in the $292 million building. There also will be a social club, with wellness and restaurant space.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/04/03/q1-crane-watch.html Can't wait! It's going to be awesome seeing the tower cranes for this and 100 N High in the skyline.
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