July 23, 20186 yr The new Gay St. pavement looks pretty cool. The light colored pavers in the roadway are really going to show tire marks. :( Thanks for the photo update, Pablo. I find that paver patterning to be fascinating (if possibly a bit impractical as you point out). But I wish I knew more about this radical rebuild of Gay Street. I haven't heard or seen anything about this project, other than that April construction photo I posted earlier. However I do like the direction they seem to be going with this rebuilt Gay Street that goes under the "ART" sculpture, through the CCAD Campus and next to the Museum of Art - "An Artistic Street for an Artistic Section of Downtown".
July 23, 20186 yr The new Gay St. pavement looks pretty cool. The light colored pavers in the roadway are really going to show tire marks. :( But I wish I knew more about this radical rebuild of Gay Street. I haven't heard or seen anything about this project, other than that April construction photo I posted earlier. https://www.columbus.gov/publicservice/streets/project-information/Creative-Campus-Roadway-Improvements/
July 23, 20186 yr EDIT: aderwent: I see you found it too! This was the only thing I found on the City's website about this Gay Street rebuild. A good project description but no visuals: https://www.columbus.gov/publicservice/streets/project-information/Creative-Campus-Roadway-Improvements/ CREATIVE CAMPUS ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS Description and Benefits: This project will upgrade the roadway, sidewalk, pedestrian safety and aesthetic elements within the City of Columbus right-of-way in the Columbus College of Art and Design area. The Phase 1 project will be divided into two parts: -- 1A Gay Street: 1A will be a street reconstruction, including sidewalks, pedestrian safety, brick pavers, street lighting, bollards and trees on Gay Street between Cleveland Avenue and Washington Avenue. Raised intersections will be installed to promote traffic calming for Gay Street at Cleveland Avenue, Ninth Street and Washington Avenue. All existing above-ground utilities will be relocated to an underground conduit. Parking will be removed from Gay Street between Cleveland and Washington. -- 1B Cleveland Avenue, Ninth Street and Washington Avenue: 1B will include resurfacing of roadway, sidewalk, pedestrian safety and aesthetic elements on Cleveland Avenue, Ninth Street and Washington Avenue between Long Street and Broad Street. A planted median will be installed on Cleveland Avenue; which, coupled with mid-block crossings will improve pedestrian safety and traffic into campus. All existing above-ground utilities will be relocated to an underground conduit.
August 28, 20186 yr Developer refining plan for new apartments near downtown library A developer is putting together more plans for the latest residential development to come near the Columbus Metropolitan Library's main branch downtown. Developer Pizzuti Cos. and Lupton Rausch Architects Inc. presented the first ideas for the new apartment project – bound by Oak Street, South 9th Street, Library Park North and South Grant Avenue – to the Downtown Commission. The developers say they're working up a five-story residential project to replace a trio of older apartment buildings there now. Plans show a mix of 70 apartment units, including some studios under 500 square feet, one-bedroom units starting at 650 square feet and two-bedroom units starting at over 1,000 square feet. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/08/28/developer-refining-plan-for-new-apartments-near.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
August 28, 20186 yr ^The article does not clearly report that the first four buildings east of Grant will be saved and renovated.
August 28, 20186 yr ^My understanding from folks that have talked to Pizzuiti is that those buildings would be retained.
August 28, 20186 yr New Plan Calls for Preserving Four Apartment Buildings Across from Library The developer behind a plan to demolish the Grant Oak Apartment buildings downtown presented a new plan today that calls for renovating four of the seven buildings. When the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Board of Trustees voted in January to approve the sale of the 1.25-acre site, which sits across the street from the Main Library, the plan was to replace the 1940’s-era buildings with two new buildings that would hold 120 apartments above ground-level retail. More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/new-plan-calls-for-preserving-four-apartment-buildings-across-from-library-bw1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
August 29, 20186 yr Borror's 222-apartment project next to Grant Medical Center approved Borror has taken pains to rework its biggest downtown development yet. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/01/24/borrors-222-apartment-project-next-to-grant.html ^ Any indication on a timeline? Looks like work is scheduled to start next Monday, September 3rd. The crane will come shortly after.
August 29, 20186 yr Borror's 222-apartment project next to Grant Medical Center approved Borror has taken pains to rework its biggest downtown development yet. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/01/24/borrors-222-apartment-project-next-to-grant.html ^ Any indication on a timeline? Looks like work is scheduled to start next Monday, September 3rd. The crane will come shortly after. Good. We need to replenish our crane supply. Two have been taken down in the past two weeks.
August 29, 20186 yr ^On Labor Day? They'll probably start Tuesday the 4th. They don't call it Labor Day for nothin ;)
August 30, 20186 yr ^On Labor Day? They'll probably start Tuesday the 4th. D'oh! You're right, I was just going by their FAA application project schedule dates. Thanks for reminding me I have a three day weekend!
August 30, 20186 yr ^On Labor Day? They'll probably start Tuesday the 4th. D'oh! You're right, I was just going by their FAA application project schedule dates. Thanks for reminding me I have a three day weekend! Is there a website where you can see these applications?
August 30, 20186 yr ^On Labor Day? They'll probably start Tuesday the 4th. D'oh! You're right, I was just going by their FAA application project schedule dates. Thanks for reminding me I have a three day weekend! Is there a website where you can see these applications? Yep, its fun to check sometimes but currently only the Borror project has a height notification application. https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=showSearchProposedCasesForm Happy hunting!
August 30, 20186 yr ^On Labor Day? They'll probably start Tuesday the 4th. D'oh! You're right, I was just going by their FAA application project schedule dates. Thanks for reminding me I have a three day weekend! Is there a website where you can see these applications? Yep, its fun to check sometimes but currently only the Borror project has a height notification application. https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=showSearchProposedCasesForm Happy hunting! Thanks! I'm not seeing the Borror request, but I did see three tower crane applications for the new rental car facility at the airport with a start date of 8/23. I didn't realize they were already starting that.
August 30, 20186 yr ^On Labor Day? They'll probably start Tuesday the 4th. D'oh! You're right, I was just going by their FAA application project schedule dates. Thanks for reminding me I have a three day weekend! Is there a website where you can see these applications? Yep, its fun to check sometimes but currently only the Borror project has a height notification application. https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=showSearchProposedCasesForm Happy hunting! Thanks! I'm not seeing the Borror request, but I did see three tower crane applications for the new rental car facility at the airport with a start date of 8/23. I didn't realize they were already starting that. Make sure you are looking under "Off Airport Cases" and try application 2018-AGL-15527-OE Looks like they are asking for a max height crane of 230' (Maybe because of the hospital) for a duration of 24 mos. Yes! I saw the airport facility as well! I also just looked and it seems they have set up a dedicated webpage to the new terminal and updates. Seems they are getting pretty serious about it finally. Anyway back to the Discovery District, Iv'e also been keeping my eye out for a crane application for the 230 E Long Street Development.
August 30, 20186 yr Make sure you are looking under "Off Airport Cases" and try application 2018-AGL-15527-OE Looks like they are asking for a max height crane of 230' (Maybe because of the hospital) for a duration of 24 mos. Yes! I saw the airport facility as well! I also just looked and it seems they have set up a dedicated webpage to the new terminal and updates. Seems they are getting pretty serious about it finally. Anyway back to the Discovery District, Iv'e also been keeping my eye out for a crane application for the 230 E Long Street Development. I was looking at "Off Airport Cases", I just scrolled right past it at first. I see it now. But yea, I'm guessing it's 230 feet tall due to the hospital. I don't know why else it would be so tall. And yea I saw the dedicated page for the new terminal yesterday. It's exciting that they are starting on the new rental car facility.
September 7, 20186 yr Borror's 222-apartment project next to Grant Medical Center approved Borror has taken pains to rework its biggest downtown development yet. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/01/24/borrors-222-apartment-project-next-to-grant.html ^ Any indication on a timeline? Looks like work is scheduled to start next Monday, September 3rd. The crane will come shortly after. Does anyone know if work was started on the Borror project this week?
September 8, 20186 yr Does anyone know if work was started on the Borror project this week? The buildings are demolished, and the site is fenced off with about two feet excavated.
September 28, 20186 yr Thanks to a new campus center, CCAD getting a lot more animated By Jennifer Smola, The Columbus Dispatch Updated: Sept 26, 2018 - 5:49 AM When the Columbus College of Art & Design launched its animation major in 2008, the department had about 16 students. Ten years later, more than 250 students are now animation majors, making it the school’s most popular degree program. Starting this school year, animation students at the Downtown art college welcomed the new Cloyd Family Animation Center within CCAD’s Design Studios near the corner of East Broad Street and Cleveland Avenue. ( . . . ) The 11,000-square-foot center features a stop-motion lab, virtual-reality drawing stations, an analog drawing studio, digital drawing lab with touchscreen displays, a 25-seat classroom, faculty offices, flex space and a gallery with rotating exhibits. It also is attached to the Ohio Film Group to foster learning opportunities and connections with industry professionals. ( . . . ) The $1.75 million animation center was made possible through state funding and private donations, including that of CCAD trustee and Ohio Film Group co-founder Gil Cloyd. ... An increasing presence in Columbus of animation companies such as Spacejunk, SUPER77 and Pixel Park makes the new animation center a perfect fit for the city, CCAD officials have said. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180925/thanks-to-new-campus-center-ccad-getting-lot-more-animated
September 28, 20186 yr More about CCAD's new animation center with a photo-tour from CU: https://www.columbusunderground.com/new-state-of-the-art-animation-center-unveiled-at-ccad-tm1
September 30, 20186 yr That Culinary Arts Building (aka Mitchell Hall) is the start of some great improvements for the Columbus State downtown campus. The Culinary Arts Building is being built on the large triangular surface parking lot just south of the Center for Technology and Learning at the corner of Cleveland Avenue and Mt. Vernon Avenue. Below is an aerial view of the triangular parking lot and a 2013 Master Plan for the same area: https://www.columbusunderground.com/columbus-state-president-presents-vision-for-revitalized-discovery-district-bw1 Late May view of the parking lot being torn up for the Culinary Arts Building at the corner of Cleveland & Mt. Vernon from https://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-may-2018-we1 Here is a view from across Cleveland Avenue of that same parking lot area. Note that the portion of Mt. Vernon Avenue that currently runs just south of the Center for Technology and Learning has been removed and replaced with campus green space: Late August construction photo of the elevator and stairwell cores rising from the former parking lot at Columbus State for the new Culinary Arts Building (aka Cameron Mitchell Hall) at Cleveland & Mt. Vernon: https://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-august-2018-part-1
October 9, 20186 yr Construction begins at Topiary Park brownstones Work has started on the planned five-story brownstones along Topiary Park downtown behind the main library. MIG Realty, a division of Motorists Insurance Group, is behind the project along Oak Street, between South 9th Street and South Washington Avenue. Once completed, the development will bring 91 units in new five-story apartment housing on the north end of the park. “Today as we celebrate Motorists’ development of The Residences at Topiary Park, we are contributing to the community in which we live and work – our own backyard,” Motorists CEO Dave Kaufman said at a ground-breaking ceremony. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/10/09/construction-begins-at-topiary-park-brownstones.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 22, 20186 yr On 1/22/2018 at 1:36 PM, aderwent said: Excavation is well underway. Edited October 22, 20186 yr by Pablo
October 22, 20186 yr That concrete wall is awful. It makes the space look private and off limits to the public.
October 22, 20186 yr ^is that the right rendering for that location? I think the rendering you're showing was the one on State St, and the pic you're showing is Oak? Edited October 22, 20186 yr by ck
October 23, 20186 yr 11 hours ago, ck said: ^is that the right rendering for that location? I think the rendering you're showing was the one on State St, and the pic you're showing is Oak? No, that photo is of State St. This is the street view from State St:
October 23, 20186 yr 22 hours ago, jonoh81 said: That concrete wall is awful. It makes the space look private and off limits to the public. I would consider that this is in the early/mid construction phase, this could be said for just about any project in the raw materials construction process. Considering the wall portion is going in front of a huge surface parking lot I don't think it's implying an "off limits" feel. I also anticipate that as they put a more polished/colored finish on the concrete and incorporate the paths and landscaping this will soften it as well. The angle of the picture may be a bit misleading too as to how far back and curved the wall is. Attaching above renderings for reference...
October 23, 20186 yr ^^ That perspective does help. It really shows the wall is between the parking lot and the park and not between the park and Broad, which is how it looks in the first pic. What looks to be an entrance to the park on the right is actually a way of leaving the park and entering the parking area-the first pic is very misleading looking. And that raw bare concrete does look bad as it is. Does anyone know what material they are going to use to darken it as shown in the renderings? Will it be just paint of something else? Is that a mural on it? Edited October 23, 20186 yr by Toddguy blah blah blah
October 30, 20186 yr On 10/22/2018 at 5:31 PM, jonoh81 said: That concrete wall is awful. It makes the space look private and off limits to the public. The parks is now "finished and open" and it's just... really bad. They ended up leaving all the concrete bare aside from the front where they just attached a vinyl wrap with text and graphics, which looks really cheap. I was always indifferent about this little park but now seeing what they're calling finished, not a fan. Edited October 30, 20186 yr by DevolsDance
October 30, 20186 yr It looks like the Social Justice Park is open, but its not quite finished yet. Above is a photo of a temporary mural being installed from this Dispatch article about its dedication on Sunday: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20181028/mural-at-new-park-honors-columbus-social-justice-pioneers According to the article, "The mural will be replaced by a permanent piece of art that has yet to be selected". The article also said that "the park planning board has raised about $1 million of the $3.7 million goal for the park’s construction, programs and endowment" and gave this website for more information: http://www.socialjusticepark.org/ Although the park isn't 100% complete, the people behind it said in the article “We did’t want to wait forever ... We wanted to get it open to the public as soon as possible.”
October 30, 20186 yr Well thank God this is not the final 'complete' version and they (hopefully) can raise the rest of the money to finish it. So basically it is open but NOT finished...
December 19, 20186 yr Must have been an interesting Downtown Commission meeting! Someone spoke out against the Pizzuti plan to demo a few of the buildings and insisted they would've payed the library more to renovate all the existing apartments. From the beginning this project felt like a give away to Pizzuti. https://www.columbusunderground.com/commission-tables-plan-for-grant-oak-apartments-bw1
December 19, 20186 yr 26 minutes ago, Pablo said: Must have been an interesting Downtown Commission meeting! Someone spoke out against the Pizzuti plan to demo a few of the buildings and insisted they would've payed the library more to renovate all the existing apartments. From the beginning this project felt like a give away to Pizzuti. https://www.columbusunderground.com/commission-tables-plan-for-grant-oak-apartments-bw1 I really hope they just reconsider this and leave those buildings that add a bit of character even though I believe they were built in the 40's so not really "historic architecture" or anything... but maybe so in a city that has demolished so much of it's older buildings. Plus the city needs every bit of affordable housing it can get(or keep)especially downtown.
December 19, 20186 yr It's irresponsible to to tear down affordable housing to be replaced with more expensive units when there are empty lots all over the vicinity. Edited December 19, 20186 yr by GCrites80s
December 19, 20186 yr 13 minutes ago, GCrites80s said: It's irresponsible to to tear down affordable housing to be replaced with more expensive units when there are empty lots all over the vicinity. You don't think the renovations will make these unaffordable? Considering Pizzutti is getting this land for cheap (apparently half the market price), I would think any new build could afford to be cheaper units.
December 19, 20186 yr 54 minutes ago, GCrites80s said: I feel it is unlikely that the new units will be less than 30% higher in rent. I hate that I kind of think you might be right.
December 19, 20186 yr The entire project is kind of a disaster in terms of design and expectations. It always seemed strange how hell-bent the library was on having that garage access, like they denied developers who didn't include that in the design proposal. Now they have pivoted and have removed garage access and saying it's all about developing the land correctly? Their goal posts keep moving and pizutti's proposal in my eyes is not a correct development of the land. I cant help but feel this has either been a giant bait and switch to line pockets, or something else is happening we aren't being told. It almost seems like the library thinks they are too good to be located next to the mid- market units that exist. Either way, there are literally 3 massive surface lots and a grass lot that aren't currently being developed that could use attention way before this existing built out property. Sadly thats not how development works, oh well.
January 22, 20196 yr Downtown Commission gives Pizzuti Cos. OK to redevelop Grant Oak apartments The redevelopment of the Grant Oak apartments near the Columbus Metropolitan Library has an approval. Pizzuti Cos. wants to revitalize the 1940s-era complex of 130 apartments along Oak Street next to the Columbus Metropolitan Library and near the Topiary Park by demolishing three of seven buildings and putting up a five-story, 80-unit building. The 70 units inside the four remaining buildings would be renovated. The developer is shooting to start construction in March or April, said Jon Riewald, director of development for Pizzuti Cos. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/01/22/downtown-commission-gives-pizzuti-cos-ok-to.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 25, 20196 yr Brad DeHays has purchased the old Boys and Girls club building. That's good news - he's known for historic renovations. He could convert a portion of it into an awesome gym for downtown residents with apartments above. https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/01/25/developer-buys-salesian-boys-and-girls-club.html?iana=hpmvp_colum_news_headline
January 29, 20196 yr Salesian Building Downtown Has New Owner The former Salesian Boys and Girls Club at 80 S. Sixth St. has a new owner. Franklin County Auditor records show that a Connect Realty- affiliated company purchased the five-story building for $3 million at the end of last year. Connect Realty is the developer behind some high-profile historic renovation projects in and around Downtown, like the Municipal Light Plant on West Nationwide Boulevard, the Trolley Barn site on the Near East Side, the Stoddart Block Building on South Fourth Street, and a group of buildings at the corner of Front and Long streets that are being converted into micro apartments. More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/photos-salesian-building-downtown-has-new-owner "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 12, 20196 yr Columbus State wants spend $3M to redo Aquinas Hall Columbus State Community College officials are seeking a design team to restore a 114-year-old building on campus for $3 million. Built in 1905, Aquinas Hall served as the school's first building when then-Columbus Technical Institute purchased it in 1965. Before then, it was Aquinas College High School. According to the request, the building's limestone and brick have cracked and rainwater has started to seep through the exterior. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/02/12/columbus-state-wants-spend-3m-to-redo-aquinas-hall.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 13, 20196 yr Columbus State (and community colleges in general) is such an under appreciated asset in Columbus. The fact that it's downtown just makes it better. I'm glad to see the campus expanding and reinvesting in itself to replicate a university more than a commuter college. If we could get decent affordable housing for students and connect CState/CCAD to the rest of downtown, it would go a long way in term of making downtown more active.
February 21, 20196 yr Discovery District readies for new life amid $2.5B development boom With hundreds of new housing units proposed in the downtown’s easternmost neighborhood, the Discovery District will look completely different in a few years, developers told a crowd at the Columbus Metropolitan Club on Wednesday. The next big thing the neighborhood needs? It’s a bit more tricky than bricks and steel. "There aren't services – the 18-to-24 hour experience that a balanced neighborhood needs," said Joel Pizzuti, president of Pizzuti Cos. "A lot of neighborhoods are trying to embrace what they have. There's a lot to work with if people recognize and try to build on it." Downtown Columbus has seen 15 years of population growth – adding 600 residents last year and likely will hit 10,000 in 2020, said Marc Conte, deputy director of research, planning and facilities with the Discovery Special Improvement District. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/02/20/discovery-district-readies-for-new-life-amid-2-5b.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 21, 20196 yr I really am interested in how the article discusses Broad Street as the biggest issue because I absolutely agree. Since I moved here I have consistently been shocked with just how absurdly wide and deadening Broad Street feels. I've read on here that at one point there we're plans for a Broad Street diet but I have never actually seen any design or even official discussion of it, is it actually a thing? Anyway, the combination of Kaufman and other developers seem to thinking it's enough if an issue to be specifically calling it out, plus a fairly successful narrowing over by COSI, maybe the city will take a more serious look at it again.
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