Jeffrey Place to become ‘home’

Move-in date nears for first residents of often-delayed project

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Debbie Gebolys, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

In the time it’s taken to build the first 11 condos at Jeffrey Place in Italian Village, other developers have built more than 1,500 condos and apartments Downtown.  But Jeffrey Place devotees say the wait will be worth it.  Joe Recchie and his company, National Community Builders, spared little fanfare in announcing plans to bring an eventual 3,000 new residents to 41.5 acres of barren land at 1 st Avenue and N. 4 th Street. It started in 2000 with three public forums to solicit ideas and grew to plans for 1,100 housing units, parks, shops, a grocery and a school.

 

Read much more at http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/26/20061226-B1-01.html

I took a stroll this afternoon to see the progress at Jefferey Place and Kramer Place. Here are a few pics that I took. I really like the new loft building in Jefferey Place, lots of glass and great proportions. I don't care for the architecture of the Kramer Place building, but it definitely creates a much improved urban environment. Along with these developments, if we could just get 4th street and Summit streets converted back to two-way traffic the Italian Village would really be on its way!!

 

(sorry these pictures are a little mixed up. The first picture with all the white Tyvec is Kramer Place. The finished brick buildings are the Jefferey Place Townhomes, and the glass and steel beauty is the new Loft building.)

 

 

It's about time this project got underway!  It seemed like JP's lot was dirt for the longest time.

Those townhouses would be really cool if they had REAL balconies.  How much do they actually save not having them project out a few feet?

^They probably saved themselves a cumbersome variance for building over the public right-of-way.

 

By the way, here's a photo from last October. Progress indeed!

 

 

People drive way too fast on that road....I was in Columbus last week thinking I would be nervous walking on that sidewalk, or having my front door so close to the steet.

People drive way too fast on that road....I was in Columbus last week thinking I would be nervous walking on that sidewalk, or having my front door so close to the steet.

 

They may eventually make the street 2 ways.

Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/04/23/story4.html 

 

Jeffrey Place project goes 'green'

Business First of Columbus - April 20, 2007

by Brian R. BallBusiness First

Illustration: Courtesy Acock Associates Architects LLC

 

The next phase of the developing Jeffrey Place in Italian Village may be in line for national recognition as an environmentally friendly Columbus neighborhood.  National Community Builders Inc. plans to begin construction in June on a $17 million housing and commercial project at Jeffrey Place that would employ energy-saving technology and stormwater reuse strategies. Those efforts could earn it kudos from the U.S. Green Building Council.

 

National Community principal Joe Recchie said the North Block project would feature solar-paneled roofs to produce electricity for the 72 residential and three commercial condos planned for the site. It would also have a geothermal heating and cooling system and a rainwater collection system to provide irrigation for the project.

 

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_image/79340-400-0.jpg?rev=3

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GREEN

Joe Recchie thinks there’s big money in environmentally friendly condos

By Sara Smith / May 10, 2007 

 

Joe Recchie isn’t an epiphany kind of guy. The CEO of National Community Builders, developer of the sprawling Jeffrey Place community north of Downtown, Recchie plans for everything; he watches the market and studies consumer trends.  So, seven years ago when he purchased the vacant slab of Italian Village concrete where the Jeffrey Manufacturing Co. once turned out mining machinery, he already knew he wanted to build an eco-friendly neighborhood.

 

Read more at http://www.theotherpaper.com/TOP5-10/5-10_coverstory.html

Simply Living Exclusive!

 

Tour Columbus' newest, greenest, most sustainable community development project –Jeffrey Place

 

Thurs. June 14, 6:30PM, 350 East First Ave. 

 

SL members Joe and Larke Recchie are hosting a cookout and tour for us of their strikingly beautiful Neighborhood Development Community. They'll furnish a vegetarian and meat entre; you bring a side dish and your table service. RSVP required to 447-0296 by June 12.

 

They are Integrating the principles of green buildings, smart growth and new urbanism into their Jeffrey Place North Block 1 development, houses feature geothermal heating and cooling, solar photovoltaic panels, stormwater runoff and retention, green-roofed carports, and more!! We'll tour the Jeffrey Loft building, soon to be completed. Not only is this project a first for Columbus, but nationally they anticipate being one of the first residential communities to receive LEED-ND certification. (Translation: LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Neighborhood Development.)

 

 

 

Come and be inspired!

Love the photos that Indy2Miami2Columbus posted above.

STATE LIBRARY OF OHIO

Librarians also urban trendsetters

Monday, March 31, 2008

By Charlie Boss, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

For more than seven years, the State Library of Ohio has quietly operated on the outskirts of Italian Village.  For a number of years, the library, located in the former Jeffrey Mining Machinery building, was separated from the neighborhood by abandoned buildings and barren land.

 

But a lot has changed, and the historic neighborhood is beginning to flourish. Now, the library sits on a prime spot in what developers call the next vibrant urban community. More traffic is coming this summer.

 

Read more at http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/31/KENTPRO.ART_ART_03-31-08_B1_5N9PQ0O.html?sid=101

Medical offices new twist to old site

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

BY MARK FERENCHIK, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Where Joe Recchie once planned condos and apartments on the old Jeffrey Mining site near Downtown, the developer now wants a medical office park.  Recchie's National Community Builders has applied for a $3 million Ohio Jobs Ready Sites grant to help finance the $35.9 million project, which he says could bring 600 jobs.  The plan is to build two or three buildings, each three stories, totaling 150,000 square feet.  OhioHealth would lease space for support services including MRI, radiology and lab services, according to documents Recchie provided to the state.

 

The city continues to support Recchie's efforts, Safford said, though the Jeffrey site remains mostly vacant after eight years "because we have been supportive of the concept in the past, and we want to continue to support it somehow." For Recchie it's another bid to fill space at Jeffrey Place, which has languished at times after he announced the effort eight years ago. 

 

 

Read more at http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/05/21/JEFFREY.ART_ART_05-21-08_C8_CLA8PJQ.html?sid=101

Jeffrey Lofts condos delayed again

Business First of Columbus - by Doug Buchanan

Friday, January 23, 2009

 

The Jeffrey Lofts condominium project in Italian Village has stalled again over a dispute about $923,257 for construction work.  General contractor Albert M. Higley Co. filed a mechanic's lien for that amount in December against project owner Jeffrey Loft 1 LLC, an affiliate of Columbus developer National Community Builders Inc.

 

Joe Recchie, the developer's president, said Cleveland-based Higley completed the building about five months late.  "There is a dispute and it is sizable," he said. "... The issue is time, not quality."  Work on the Jeffrey Lofts condo project has stopped while the developer and contractor go through mediation over a payment dispute.

 

 

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/01/26/tidbits1.html

 

 

This is an ambitious project made Herculean by the economic crisis. I feel bad every time I drive past it.

As if Jeffrey Place didn't have enough problems...

 

Tax break slips through cracks

Developer's 6-figure abatement missing after city paperwork stalled for years

Sunday,  February 1, 2009 - 3:34 AM

By Mark Ferenchik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

When the developer of the Jeffrey condominium project opened his December tax bill, he was expecting to see a 75 percent tax abatement.  Instead, he was charged the full amount, "several hundred thousand dollars."  "Startling" was developer Dan Schmidt's exact word, especially as the city had five years to send the necessary paperwork to have the county deduct the abated tax.

 

The city is correcting the problem for Schmidt's 98-unit project at E. 1st Avenue and N. 4th Street in Italian Village.  He has sold 10 units and was on the hook for the full tax on the other 88.  Columbus Development Director Boyce Safford III said Friday that he has ordered an audit to ensure that proper documentation has been filed with the Franklin County auditor and Ohio Department of Development for similar tax-abated projects.  "This is not how we're supposed to do business," Safford said of the Jeffrey abatements. 

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/02/01/JEFFREYABATE.ART_ART_02-01-09_B1_U9COMC9.html?sid=101

Very very very awesome news. :D

 

Can we get the topic's subject lined updated to include "Wonderland"? ;)

Can we get the topic's subject lined updated to include "Wonderland"? ;)

 

So let it be written, so let it be done!

So let it be written, so let it be done!

"Modified by a Chosen One!"

 

Metallica day at UO!

So let it be written, so let it be done!

 

Actually, it was an homage to Cecil B. DeMille's movie "The Ten Commandments".

So let it be written, so let it be done!

 

Actually, it was an homage to Cecil B. DeMille's movie "The Ten Commandments".

 

Which is what upon "Creeping Death" is based.

Jeffrey Lofts condos delayed again

Business First of Columbus - by Doug Buchanan

Friday, January 23, 2009

 

The Jeffrey Lofts condominium project in Italian Village has stalled again over a dispute about $923,257 for construction work.  General contractor Albert M. Higley Co. filed a mechanic's lien for that amount in December against project owner Jeffrey Loft 1 LLC, an affiliate of Columbus developer National Community Builders Inc.

 

Joe Recchie, the developer's president, said Cleveland-based Higley completed the building about five months late.  "There is a dispute and it is sizable," he said. "... The issue is time, not quality."  Work on the Jeffrey Lofts condo project has stopped while the developer and contractor go through mediation over a payment dispute.

 

 

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/01/26/tidbits1.html

Not sure if this qualifies as a true update.  But with Jeffrey Place, you take what you can get! :wink:

 

From the Columbus Underground thread:  Jeffrey Place Loft Building: What's The Deal?

"This week the 'Jeffrey Place Office' sign that sits on the corner of 1st Avenue and 4th Street was updated with a sign for 'Walden Lofts - Authentic Ohio Lofts.'  Website is: www.waldenlofts.com"

 

This is the image from the Walden Lofts homepage:

 

 

An update about Jeffrey Place.  Yes.  That Jeffrey Place!  And its actually some encouraging news this time!  Below is an excerpt from last Friday's Business First about a new developer (Wagenbrenner) gaining control of some the Jeffrey Place land from the original developer (Joe Recchie). 

 

As the article stated - Joe Recchie once planned more than 1,100 living units on 42 acres he purchased from Abbott Labs.  The plan also called for a mix of stores, offices and possibly a school.  Recchie secured significant state and city incentives for those plans.  However, a combination of developer mismanagement coupled with the 2008 real-estate meltdown effectively killed those plans.  The Recchie version of Jeffrey Place comprises just 11 townhouses along North Fourth Street and a 30-condominium building later converted into the Walden Lofts apartments.  Although, JDS Companies (now Cityspace) did finish a really nice renovation of the former Jeffrey Mining Company Building at the corner of North Fourth Street and East 1st Avenue (aka The Jeffrey) - but that was not part of Recchie's Jeffrey Place plans.

 

Now, as the defunct Recchie LLC's work their way through sheriff sales and bankruptcy courts, other developers are starting to pick out parcels to purchase.  Wagenbrenner, who has been very active in Columbus' urban neighborhoods, is the first new developer to purchase within the original Jeffrey Place boundaries.  The 29-acre parcel that Wagenbrenner is purchasing is located directly across East First Avenue from the renovated Jeffrey Building - The Jeffrey.

 

---

Wagenbrenner moving in on Jeffrey Place

By Brian R. Ball, Business First staff reporter

Date: Friday, November 25, 2011, 6:00am EST

 

Wagenbrenner Development Inc. is maneuvering to take control of a 29-acre piece of the long-stalled Jeffrey Place project in Italian Village, a tract city officials say is important to the vibrancy of the historic district.  Affiliate Jeffrey New Day LLC closed on the purchase of nearly 6 acres along East First Avenue in early November following a sheriff’s sale of the land.

 

It also filed a foreclosure lawsuit Nov. 7 against Waterford LP, owner of an additional 23 vacant acres at Jeffrey Place.  It sued in Franklin County Common Pleas Court after buying an $8.5 million note on the land held by Abbott Laboratories, which sold the former Jeffrey Mining Co. site to affiliates of developer Joe Recchie in 2000.  “We’re very excited about moving forward with a multifamily project that we hope to present to the Italian Village Commission before the end of the year,” said President Mark Wagenbrenner.  He declined to talk further about the initiative.

 

Rex Hagerling, chairman of the Italian Village Commission, expects the zoning panel will approach the proposal “with an open mind.”  He hopes Wagenbrenner offers Italian Village residents a glimpse of a broader plan as the company attempts to gain control of the additional land.  “I suspect the community will want to look at that,” said Hagerling, an architect at Moody Nolan Inc.  “I’m sure there will be questions about where this is leading.”

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/11/25/developer-moves-into-jeffrey-place.html

Wagenbrenner raises $4.5M from investors for Jeffrey Place bid, eschewing banks

By Brian R. Ball, Business First staff reporter

Date: Thursday, December 1, 2011, 2:24pm EST

 

The Wagenbrenner Development Inc. affiliate that has started taking over the stalled Jeffrey Place project in Italian Village has secured investors backing the first phase.

 

Jeffrey New Day LLC in early November revealed its interest in the property when it closed on nearly 6 acres along East First Avenue.  At the same time, it filed a foreclosure lawsuit against the owner of an adjacent 23 acres after buying a mortgage that had financed the land’s acquisition in late 2000.

 

Wagenbrenner President Mark Wagenbrenner said he expects to file a plan for a multifamily project on the 6 acres in December or January.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2011/12/wagenbrenner-raises-45m-from.html

 

Some Jeffrey Place activity from this month's Italian Village Commission agenda.  But it's not from Wagenbrenner.  And it's technically not within the old Jeffrey Place master plan boundaries.

 

The company that renovated the former Jeffrey Mining Building on First Avenue into condominiums (aka Jeffrey Lofts and/or the Jeffrey) is proposing a three-story, 52-unit apartment project to be located just north of the Jeffrey building.  The project site is a vacant lot at the southwest corner of Sixth Avenue and Second Street.  Also, the architect is Jonathan Barnes, who was designing a number of great projects in the Brewery District and Downtown.  So, I'm looking forward to some renderings of this project.

 

Below is the project information from the June 19, 2012 Italian Village Commission agenda and a site map showing the project location at the southewest corner of Second Avenue and Sixth Street:

 

From the Italian Village Commission Agenda - Tuesday, June 19, 2012

 

CONCEPTUAL

10. 12-5-16

895 North Sixth Street (Vacant lots at SW crnr. of N. Sixth St. & E. Second Ave.)

Jonathan Barnes Architecture & Design (Applicant) JDS Jeffrey, LLC (Owner)

This application was conceptually reviewed at the May 15, 2012 IVC hearing. Revised drawings have been submitted.

New Construction/Apartment Complex

• Conceptual review of a proposed new apartment complex on a vacant lot.

• Development to consist of two and three story buildings with approximately 52 residential units.

• Parking to be provided on a surface parking lot located to the rear of the building.

 

Can't wait to see the actual Jeffrey site plan.  I hope it's a fairly dense development.  There's a huge opportunity there with such a large amount of space and I would hate to see something low-density, like single-family housing or 1-2 story buildings go in there. 

Eh, it's not like there's not lots of vacant land there for 1-2 story buildings to make a huge visual difference by completely filling in a barren space and the developer is proposing a 3 story apartment building right next door. I'm guessing a good deal of single-family homes and a few 3 story apartments on the Jeffrey site.

Another Jeffrey Place update from today's Columbus Business First.  The headline from the article is the reduction of a Wagenbrenner residential proposal on a seven-acre parcel from 4 to 3 stories in height.  But given that (according to the article) the original proposal in February for this 7 acres was for 243 apartments.  And since the current proposal is now 340 units (267 rental & 73 for-sale townhomes).  It is unclear whether there is any reduction in overall residential density for this project.  Actually, it sounds like an increase in residential density.  But without any detailed plans, elevations or renderings, that cannot be confirmed.  Below the article excerpt is a general location map for this seven-acre portion of Wagenbrenner/Jeffrey Place development.

---

 

Jeffrey residences won’t tower over neighborhood under revised plan

Business First by Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Date: Friday, September 14, 2012, 6:00am EDT

 

Developer Mark Wagenbrenner has altered his plans for the first phase of housing construction at the former Jeffrey Manufacturing Co. site in Columbus, proposing to build three-story residential buildings rather than four-story complexes.  The president of Wagenbrenner Development Inc. outlined the conceptual plan for 267 rental units and 73 for-sale townhomes on 7 acres at the September 11th Italian Village Commission.  The company had previously attempted to secure approval for buildings taller than some commissioners wanted to see at the edge of the historic urban neighborhood.

(. . .)

Wagenbrenner said he remains optimistic that apartment designer Architectural Alliance and townhouse designer BBCO Design LLC will work out acceptable looks so that construction can start in March. “We have a consensus we’re on the right track,” Wagenbrenner said. “It’s just fine-tuning the elevations.”

(. . .)

Wagenbrenner Development hopes to redevelop the entire 29-acre site that once was dubbed Jeffrey Place and progressed in fits and starts before grinding to a halt (under a previous developer).  Wagenbrenner Development is attempting to get 23 of those acres turned over to its control as a result of a pending settlement of its foreclosure.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/09/14/jeffrey-residences-wont-tower-over.html

 

http://development.columbus.gov/uploadedFiles/Development/Planning_Division/Boards_and_Commissions/Historic_Preservation/Italian_Village_Commission/Meetings/2012/2012%20IVC%20NOV%20agd.pdf

 

A little bit of an update.  Phase 1 of the Jeffrey site development plan is to include 334 residential units in several different styles (townhomes, apartments, condos) in several buildings.  From what I can tell, this is only a small part of the overall site, so having 334 units already in the works shows that this site is going to be a pretty massive development.

 

 

The same commission notes also mentions 46-48 East 4th Street for a 4-unit residential building on an existing surface parking lot.

 

So overall, some good news for this area.

Really really big update about Wagenbrenner's Jeffrey Place development from Columbus Underground.  First off, it's no longer Jeffrey Place.  It's now Jeffrey Park.  But the best part of the really really big update is a draft site plan for all of the former Jeffrey Place area - and dozens of renderings of the 1,350 residential units proposed for the 41-acre site by Wagenbrenner.  More about this from the Columbus Underground link below:

 

CU: Jeffrey Park Will Add Over 1300 New Residences to Italian Village

 

A larger version of this site plan is at the CU link.

Here are a few of the 30 residential renderings posted at the Columbus Underground update about Jeffrey Park linked below.  Much more modern than Wagenbrenner's previous urban infill work in Harrison Park and Weinland Park.  But very fitting to the original "Jeffrey Place" vision for the site.

 

CU: Jeffrey Park Will Add Over 1300 New Residences to Italian Village

 

 

 

Wow.  That's a ton.

I'll take it.

Sooo glad it's not red-brick boxes.  Something Columbus lacks is modern design recently, so this is definitely good news and it will be a huge addition to the area.  You know the Downtown area has momentum when long-languishing projects are having their rebirth, such as this and the Hubbard site.  Only bigger news is if the city gets another Downtown tower. 

...or transit.

...or transit.

 

Tower or transit... hard to know what would end up coming first at this rate.

How about a Terminal Tower ;).

Wagenbrenner eyes spring start for Jeffrey Park housing

Business First by Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Date: Wednesday, December 5, 2012, 1:12pm EST

 

Wagenbrenner Development Inc. expects to begin construction on the first phase of its Jeffrey Park neighborhood in March or April, reviving building activity at the long-idle land near downtown.

 

The Columbus developer recently acquired the last 9.6 acres of reclaimed industrial land it needs for a residential project that could include as many as 1,300 apartments and condos built over 10 years.  The company’s New Day Jeffrey LLC affiliate took title to the land through a deed in lieu of foreclosure from Waterford LP.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2012/12/05/wagenbrenner-eyes-spring-start-for.html

I came across a flickr photo page from the Ohio Office of Redevelopment regarding the old Jeffrey Place project (now Jeffrey Park).  The previous developer of the Jeffrey Mining property received funds from the state's Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund (CORF).  The below link to the photo page documents the property in 2004 and one of the few residential projects completed by the previous developer by 2011.

 

The previous developer completed 11 townhouses along North Fourth Street and a five-story, 30-condominium building later converted into the Walden Lofts apartments further into the Jeffrey property.  Below the photo link is a Franklin County Auditor's page photo of the Fourth Street townhouses:

 

Flickr Page: Columbus-Jeffrey Place (CORF)

 

I saw this ad in the most recent Business First about an auction on the old Jeffrey Place (now Jeffrey Park) property.  Apparently, the five-story, 30-unit apartment building that was previously marketed as Walden Lofts is being auctioned off on December 27th.  Below is the link and text for the auction from the AuctionOhio.com website.  Below is text are a few photos of the 30-unit building.  Many more photos at the below link.

 

---

From: Auction Ohio

 

PUBLIC AUCTION - 801 Civitas Ave., Columbus, OH 43215

 

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MASTER’S PUBLIC SALE OF CERTAIN REAL ESTATE AND IMPROVEMENTS PURSUANT TO AN ORDER OF THE FRANKLIN COUNTY COMMON PLEAS COURT CASE,  SWAC, LLC VS. JEFFREY LOFT 1 LLC, ET AL., CASE NO. 11 CVE 07 9571, JUDGE BESSEY

 

2 Parcels To Be Sold Individually or Together

 

Premise #1 - Parcel #: 010-280397-80  & Parcel #: 010-280397-90

* Contains a 46,621 Sq. Foot Apartment Building

* Building consists of 30 Residential Units

* 3 Retail Spaces

* First Floor Parking Garage

* All units have Rooftop Recreational Access

* .433 Acre Parcel

 

Premise #2 - Parcel #: 010-280403-80 & Parcel #: 010-280403-90

* Located directly south of Premise #1

* .411 Acres

* Vacant Lot

 

The sale shall take place at public auction at 789 Civitas Ave, Columbus, OH 43215  on 27th DAY OF DECEMBER, 2012, at 2 o’clock p.m. 

 

The Minimum Bid for Subject Properties as a whole shall be $2,260,000.00.  And, if sold separately, shall be $2,200,000.00 for Premises 1 and $60,000.00 for Premises 2. 

 

   

To put the last two posts into some context, here are two County GIS maps of the former Jeffrey Place development.  The first map shows the two residential projects that the previous developer finished.  To the west along Fourth Street are two 3-story building containing 11 townhouses.  To the east, in the interior of the Jeffrey property, is a 5-story, 30-unit apartment building.  The 30-unit building and the similarly sized rectangular lot immediately south of the building are up for auction on December 27th:

 

 

 

Another GIS map of the Jeffrey property showing more of the Italian Village neighborhood to the west:

The Walden Lofts apartment building and vacant lot south of it in Jeffrey Park both sold at their Dec. 27th auction.  Business First reported the details of the court-ordered auction sale (next post).  Both the Walden Lofts building and the lot sold to the same person.  They also sold for well over their minimum bids. 

 

The Walden Lofts building - which was described in the auction notice and article as having 30 apartment units that are "almost fully occupied" and 4,500 sq. ft. of ground floor commercial that is unoccupied - sold for $4.4 million (twice its minimum bid of $2.2 million).  The same sized vacant lot directly south of the Walden building sold for $230,000 (almost three times its minimum bid of $60,000). 

 

I believe this now closes the door on the "Jeffrey Place" development phase of the site, as this finishes the bankruptcy court disposition of the former "Jeffrey Place" property.  The auction winner now controls the Walden building and lot.  Wagenbrenner Development controls the remainder of the 42-acre site - with the exception of an 11-unit condo development facing Fourth Street (shown in the previous GIS maps).

Here's the Business First article giving the details of the Walden Loft auction:

 

Walden Lofts apartments in Italian Village get new owner

Business First by Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Date: Friday, January 4, 2013, 6:00am EST

 

A 30-unit apartment building in Italian Village, once pitched as a high-end condominium but left to languish amid money woes, has been sold to a Westerville real estate investor specializing in troubled assets.  Windsor Cos. principal Alex Dorsey bid nearly $4.4 million for the Walden Lofts apartments, beating out 10 other registered bidders in a Dec. 27 court-ordered auction of the building at Auden and Civitis avenues near East First Avenue in Columbus.  He will pay $230,000 for an adjoining 0.41-acre parcel where the investor-builder may develop another 30 apartments after the deal closes in a few weeks.

 

Dorsey looked at securing control of the surrounding undeveloped land a few years ago by purchasing the mortgage while developer National Community Builders struggled to revitalize the former Jeffrey Manufacturing Co. industrial site in the shadow of downtown.  “I wanted to buy all 27 acres,” Dorsey said.  “We ended up with this and we’re happy.”  Those 27 acres ultimately were acquired by Wagenbrenner Development Inc.

 

The Walden Lofts deal becomes the first Windsor investment in that area of Italian Village.  Dorsey said he expects to work with Wagenbrenner Development on streetscape and other common-area issues as the Columbus developer moves forward on its Jeffrey Park plans.  Wagenbrenner intends to begin construction this spring on a project that could grow to as many as 1,300 apartments and condos over 10 years.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2013/01/04/languishing-apartments-in-italian.html

Jeffrey Park Community Center Approved, Construction on Apartments to Start Soon

By: Brent Warren, Columbus Underground

Published on July 18, 2013 - 3:20 pm

 

Wagenbrenner Development has presented to the Italian Village Commission for the latest addition to their Jeffrey Park development – two buildings at the corner of North Fourth Street and First Avenue that will house a community center and 13 townhomes.

 

The community center will feature an outdoor pool and a community room, as well as space for offices, a gym and a neighborhood bar.  Also in the plans is a space along the sidewalk on First Avenue reserved for a potential CoGo Bike Share station.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/jeffrey-park-community-center-approved-construction-on-apartments-to-start-soon-bw1

 

Despite some teasing announcements about an imminent commencement of Wagenbrenner's 1300-residence development planned for Jeffrey Park - nothing to report yet.  However, another non-Wagenbrenner project is starting up just north of the Jeffrey Park/former Jeffrey Place boundaries.  Below is the original post about this development project from 2012:

 

Some Jeffrey Place activity from this month's Italian Village Commission agenda.  But it's not from Wagenbrenner.  And it's technically not within the old Jeffrey Place master plan boundaries.

 

The company that renovated the former Jeffrey Mining Building on First Avenue into condominiums (aka Jeffrey Lofts and/or the Jeffrey) is proposing a three-story, 52-unit apartment project to be located just north of the Jeffrey building.  The project site is a vacant lot at the southwest corner of Sixth Avenue and Second Street.  Also, the architect is Jonathan Barnes, who was designing a number of great projects in the Brewery District and Downtown.  So, I'm looking forward to some renderings of this project.

 

Below is the project information from the June 19, 2012 Italian Village Commission agenda and a site map showing the project location at the southewest corner of Second Avenue and Sixth Street:

 

From the Italian Village Commission Agenda - Tuesday, June 19, 2012

 

CONCEPTUAL

10. 12-5-16

895 North Sixth Street (Vacant lots at SW crnr. of N. Sixth St. & E. Second Ave.)

Jonathan Barnes Architecture & Design (Applicant) JDS Jeffrey, LLC (Owner)

This application was conceptually reviewed at the May 15, 2012 IVC hearing. Revised drawings have been submitted.

New Construction/Apartment Complex

• Conceptual review of a proposed new apartment complex on a vacant lot.

• Development to consist of two and three story buildings with approximately 52 residential units.

• Parking to be provided on a surface parking lot located to the rear of the building.

 

 

And here is an update from Columbus Underground about that project - with a rendering.  More renderings and the full article at link below:

 

 

New 56-Unit Apartment Project Coming to Italian Village

By: Brent Warren, Columbus Underground

Published on November 28, 2013 - 8:00 am

 

JDS Companies appears ready to move forward on a four-building project that would bring 56 new apartments to Italian Village.  The project, which they are calling Battery B, would be built on a vacant lot at the corner of East 2nd Avenue and North 6th Street.  It would sit behind the original Jeffrey Mining Company office building that JDS developed into apartments in 2005.

 

The company received approval at the November 19th Italian Village Commission meeting for slight modifications to the design of the project, which had previously been approved in August of 2012.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/new-56-unit-apartment-project-coming-to-italian-village-bw1

Jeffrey Park Community Center Approved, Construction on Apartments to Start Soon

By: Brent Warren, Columbus Underground

Published on July 18, 2013 - 3:20 pm

 

Wagenbrenner Development has presented to the Italian Village Commission for the latest addition to their Jeffrey Park development – two buildings at the corner of North Fourth Street and First Avenue that will house a community center and 13 townhomes.

 

The community center will feature an outdoor pool and a community room, as well as space for offices, a gym and a neighborhood bar.  Also in the plans is a space along the sidewalk on First Avenue reserved for a potential CoGo Bike Share station.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/jeffrey-park-community-center-approved-construction-on-apartments-to-start-soon-bw1

 

Above is the last update we had for the Wagenbrenner reboot of the Jeffrey Park development.  Now, Business First is reporting that the first phase of the 1300 planned new residences at Jeffrey Park is ready to begin construction.  The direct quote from the article: “Earthwork begins this winter,” Mark Wagenbrenner (said), “with wholesale construction in the spring.”

 

This first phase at Jeffrey Park would consist of 276 apartments and 79 attached fee-simple houses.  This phase would also include the community center building mentioned in the previous update.  The community center building would be 32,000 sq. ft. - 1/2 occupied by a fitness center that would be open to public membership.  The article linked below also reports that the community center would feature a pool and a public restaurant.

 

Business First: Jeffrey Park cleared for construction in Italian Village

 

• Slideshow of Jeffrey Park renderings (16 total) from Business First

Utility work is now underway at Jeffrey Park.  From 10TV, a report about this utility work beginning in February.  It also has a pretty comprehensive rundown of the long and winding development history of Jeffrey Square Place Park:

 

Work Begins On Large Housing Development At Old Jeffrey Factory Site

 

After three name changes, two developers, and 14 years, a large blank spot on the urban landscape near the Short North is about to be filled in.  Work has begun on a major housing development called Jeffrey Park.  This 40-acre plot of land just north of I-670 was once the site of the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, which made mining equipment for more than a century.  The factory closed in 1999.

 

In 2000, developer Joseph Recchie drew up plans for Jeffrey Square with shops, homes, and offices.  He hoped to break ground later that year ... then re-named it Jeffrey Place ... then a state grant helped pay for site cleanup.  Recchie promised condos, lofts, shops, single family homes, and maybe a school.  The city and state pumped in almost 5 million dollars.  But the developer had financial problems and Mother Nature developed it into a weedy field.

 

"For us, it's a real chance to start with a clean slate," said Mark Wagenbrenner, President of Wagenbrenner Development.  He took over as developer of the area that he's now re-named Jeffrey Park.  He's starting small, with eight acres.  On that property he's planned 276 apartments, 76 semi-detached homes, and a community center complete with fitness facilities, swimming pool, and restaurant.  Eventually, though, he expects 1500 housing units will cover the 40-acre site.

 

Full report with video at http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2014/02/25/columbus-jeffrey-factory-work-housing.html

Photo of the Jeffrey Park utility work from late February 2014 taken by Columbus Underground at http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-february-2014-part-2

 

An update on a three-story, 56-unit apartment project called Battery B, located just north of the Jeffrey Park boundaries.  Below is the previous update posted earlier in this thread:

 

 

New 56-Unit Apartment Project Coming to Italian Village

By: Brent Warren, Columbus Underground

Published on November 28, 2013 - 8:00 am

 

JDS Companies appears ready to move forward on a four-building project that would bring 56 new apartments to Italian Village.  The project, which they are calling Battery B, would be built on a vacant lot at the corner of East 2nd Avenue and North 6th Street.  It would sit behind the original Jeffrey Mining Company office building that JDS developed into apartments in 2005.

 

The company received approval at the November 19th Italian Village Commission meeting for slight modifications to the design of the project, which had previously been approved in August of 2012.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/new-56-unit-apartment-project-coming-to-italian-village-bw1

 

Late March construction photo of foundation work underway at the Battery B apartment development from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-march-2014-part-1