Kroger shutters Columbus bakery, cuts 411 jobs. After the bakery is decommissioned, Kroger will sell it. The structure was built originally as a Ford assembly plant. Partially built cars were shipped down from Detroit and final assembly for local dealers happened here.

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/02/11/kroger-shutters-columbus-bakery-cuts-411-jobs.html?iana=hpmvp_colum_news_headline

45 minutes ago, Pablo said:

Kroger shutters Columbus bakery, cuts 411 jobs. After the bakery is decommissioned, Kroger will sell it. The structure was built originally as a Ford assembly plant. Partially built cars were shipped down from Detroit and final assembly for local dealers happened here.

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/02/11/kroger-shutters-columbus-bakery-cuts-411-jobs.html?iana=hpmvp_colum_news_headline

Historic lofts coming in 3...2...1...

1 hour ago, Pablo said:

Kroger shutters Columbus bakery, cuts 411 jobs. After the bakery is decommissioned, Kroger will sell it. The structure was built originally as a Ford assembly plant. Partially built cars were shipped down from Detroit and final assembly for local dealers happened here.

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/02/11/kroger-shutters-columbus-bakery-cuts-411-jobs.html?iana=hpmvp_colum_news_headline

 

First the Wonder Bread bakery and now the Kroger bakery.  The Short North/Italian Village fresh bread smell will now be history(!)

More on that...

 

Kroger Announces Sudden Closure of Columbus Bakery

 

 

Say farewell to the intoxicatingly sweet smells of the Columbus Bakery. Kroger announced on Monday, Feb. 11 that it has closed the facility at 457 Cleveland Ave., impacting 411 workers. 

 

The decision was motivated by the outdated layout and age of the production plant’s equipment, which made it “no longer sustainable for us to remain competitive,” the company said in a statement. 

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/kroger-announces-sudden-closure-of-columbus-bakery-ls1

0!

 

"Three Columbus developers bought the closed Kroger bakery property on Cleveland Avenue on Friday with plans to redevelop the 10-acre site.

 

Casto, The Robert Weiler Co. and the Kelley Companies paid $8.15 million for the site on the edge of Downtown, which includes two century-old buildings.

 

The developers have no immediate plans for the property but envision renovating the two old buildings while adding other buildings, said Brent Sobczak, president of Casto Communities."

 

https://www.dispatch.com/business/20200228/kroger-bakery-property-bought-for-redevelopment

I'm curious how they're going to do the layout of the site if they're planning more buildings.  It's a challenging setup with the existing buildings covering more than 1/3rd of the site and assuming they're going to put in a garage somewhere.  Maybe they'll try to go for some height (meaning more than 5 stories).

This is pretty exciting. It may be one of the more exciting projects in terms of potential for me. I won't expect alot, but I hope that a trio of companies can provide the potential for something more than a simple reno and perhaps that is an indication of something big in that there are multiple investors. They would have more capital to go bigger and I assume would expect a much bigger ROI to split

 

There is some pretty significant potential for this location given, not just the size of the existing structures, but the size of the lot that exists as surface parking now. More than 50% of the property is surface lots. Its proximity to the CMAX helps. The unfortunate part is being surrounded by Abbott, Columbus Schools Fort Hayes Campus, and CSCC, there isnt much opportunity to build continuity (from other developers etc) beyond that. I'm not willing to bet any money the city will ever give up any portion of Ft Hayes. It would be somewhat isolated.  While it might have the potential to be Columbus's Ponce City Market, that isolation might kill some of that kind of ambition to bring that kind of retail to the location, and reasonably so.  

 

Regardless of whether it molds to a Ponce model, there is ample room for a structure over parking in the center of the existing buildings. depending on the size of the central garage, that could be a decent mid-rise and the remaining areas of the NW and North portion of the property could be several smaller outbuildings. But my sim city dreams of maximum potential are probably more ambitious than what the developers can feasibly do. 

 

Edit: for reference, the total land there is a little less than 9.5 acres with about half being non structure currently. The Casto Giant Eagle/CVS plaza in VV is about 5 acres. 

 

Edited February 29, 20205 yr by DTCL11

Thought I'd break out the former Kroger Bakery complex into its own thread, since it just sold to a trio of developers – Casto, Kelley Companies and The Robert Weiler Company – the same partnership behind the River & Rich development in Franklinton.

 

CU has a photo-tour of the former Kroger Bakery complex at https://www.columbusunderground.com/photos-inside-the-former-kroger-bakery-bw1

 

View of the two buildings - which are connected - fronting Cleveland Avenue:

 

Interior of the north building - which is nearly 200,000 square feet in size:

 

View of downtown from the roof of the south building with I-670 in the foreground:

Looks like we have our answer:

 

Plan Calls for 448 Apartments at Kroger Bakery Site

 

A plan to transform the former Kroger Bakery site into a 448-unit residential development has been submitted to the Historic Resources Commission.

 

The two existing buildings on the site would be renovated, and three additional apartment building would be constructed around them on what is now a large surface parking lot.

 

 

 

 

https://www.columbusunderground.com/plan-calls-for-448-apartments-at-kroger-bakery-site-bw1

Edited April 7, 20214 yr by TH3BUDDHA

2 minutes ago, TH3BUDDHA said:

Looks like we have our answer:

 

Plan Calls for 448 Apartments at Kroger Bakery Site

 

A plan to transform the former Kroger Bakery site into a 448-unit residential development has been submitted to the Historic Resources Commission.

 

The two existing buildings on the site would be renovated, and three additional apartment building would be constructed around them on what is now a large surface parking lot.

 

 

 

 

https://www.columbusunderground.com/plan-calls-for-448-apartments-at-kroger-bakery-site-bw1

I like the overall layout and look, I wish there was a little more height.

I'm happy but will always feel there was a missed opportunity for a 10+ story building in the pocket of the site. 

Edited April 7, 20214 yr by DTCL11

4 minutes ago, DTCL11 said:

I'm happy but will always feel there was a missed opportunity for a 10+ story building in the pocket of the site. 

Exactly what I was thinking. It doesn’t need a 20+ story, even a 9 story or something close to 10 would look great. There really isn’t residential in the area, so no one will complain about the height. The layout also makes it look like there wouldn’t be any area to add a taller building, down the road. 

Land prices need to be higher in order to get height on everything.

1 hour ago, TH3BUDDHA said:

Looks like we have our answer:

 

Plan Calls for 448 Apartments at Kroger Bakery Site

 

A plan to transform the former Kroger Bakery site into a 448-unit residential development has been submitted to the Historic Resources Commission.

 

The two existing buildings on the site would be renovated, and three additional apartment building would be constructed around them on what is now a large surface parking lot.

 

 

 

 

https://www.columbusunderground.com/plan-calls-for-448-apartments-at-kroger-bakery-site-bw1

That’s awesome! I’ve noticed them doing some work on the buildings in the past couple weeks, so I figured an announcement would be coming. 

I'm not in love with the layout.  The surface lots take up too much of the north side and I'd rather see a garage tucked into the back instead.  I also don't like that the dog park has the same footprint as one of the new buildings.  How many dogs are there really going to be?  The green space should also be more centered instead of against the highway and a building put there instead.  Height is too short and the density is not quite where it could be for almost 10 acres.  Positives are that the Kroger factory buildings will end up being pretty nice historic renovations/conversions and it's great that this weird area is being redeveloped to something a lot more active.  

^Looks like the dog park is #4, not #5. So not as big as the buildings.

1 hour ago, jonoh81 said:

I'm not in love with the layout.  The surface lots take up too much of the north side and I'd rather see a garage tucked into the back instead.  I also don't like that the dog park has the same footprint as one of the new buildings.  How many dogs are there really going to be?  The green space should also be more centered instead of against the highway and a building put there instead.  Height is too short and the density is not quite where it could be for almost 10 acres.  Positives are that the Kroger factory buildings will end up being pretty nice historic renovations/conversions and it's great that this weird area is being redeveloped to something a lot more active.  

It is not perfect IMO but could be much worse. Maybe they can be talked into adding a bit more to it? How does this compare to Jeffrey Park which is about 40 acres?-the equivalent would be 1800 units there I guess. The dog park looks a bit smaller on the map which really does not match up perfectly with the renderings.  At least all of the surface parking(outside)is relegated to the perimeter to the north as you mention and it appears that at least a part of that will be under the buildings a bit. 

 

Too bad they cannot do more with the rooftops as well-the views would be great.

 

Looks like the pandemic killed any real mixed-use ideas for place. 

 

Also they are going to have nearly 9,000 square feet of restaurant space per the article at CU-better than nothing I guess. And yes this is a weird area-reminds me of the "triangle" and adjacent parcels near Astor Park, but still having buildings about.

 

*Also if they can put apartments this close to 670 here then they can do it in the northern section of Astor Park and the "triangle" parcels as well. Some of these buildings are very close to the elevated freeway-don't know if I would like that myself.

Edited April 7, 20214 yr by Toddguy
the usual

4 hours ago, GCrites80s said:

^Looks like the dog park is #4, not #5. So not as big as the buildings.

 

Yes, the small font made the numbers hard to read.  

Err, #1 I meant.

2 hours ago, Toddguy said:

It is not perfect IMO but could be much worse. Maybe they can be talked into adding a bit more to it? How does this compare to Jeffrey Park which is about 40 acres?-the equivalent would be 1800 units there I guess. The dog park looks a bit smaller on the map which really does not match up perfectly with the renderings.  At least all of the surface parking(outside)is relegated to the perimeter to the north as you mention and it appears that at least a part of that will be under the buildings a bit. 

 

Too bad they cannot do more with the rooftops as well-the views would be great.

 

Looks like the pandemic killed any real mixed-use ideas for place. 

 

Also they are going to have nearly 9,000 square feet of restaurant space per the article at CU-better than nothing I guess. And yes this is a weird area-reminds me of the "triangle" and adjacent parcels near Astor Park, but still having buildings about.

 

*Also if they can put apartments this close to 670 here then they can do it in the northern section of Astor Park and the "triangle" parcels as well. Some of these buildings are very close to the elevated freeway-don't know if I would like that myself.

 

Jeffrey Park was originally supposed to be like 1200-1300 units, if I remember correctly, which is about 32-33 units per acre.  I long ago lost count on how many they've ended up with.  As proposed, the Kroger project would be closer to 47 units per acre, so better.  Would definitely be cool to see some kind of green roof with a bar/restaurant on the factory buildings. 

Edited April 8, 20214 yr by jonoh81

448 apartments, commercial spaces pitched for old Kroger bakery site downtown

 

Three developers want to turn the former Kroger bakery building on the northern end of downtown into 448 apartment units, according to plans filed with the city.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/04/07/kroger-bakery-downtown-could-become-apartments.html

 

Completing the trifecta, here's the Dispatch report on the renovation plans for the former Kroger bakery complex just north of downtown:

 

https://www.thisweeknews.com/story/business/2021/04/08/kroger-bakery-site-include-448-apartments/7128565002/

 

Really pleasing to see these two massive historic buildings getting renovated and the remainder of the site built out with appropriate new structures that defer to the historic buildings: a four-story brick 155,000-square-foot building opened in 1914 where Ford once built Model T cars; and a four-story brick 250,000-square-foot building that opened in 1928 as a Kroger bakery.

 

At final build-out the 9.4-acre site would have 448 apartments along with additional commercial and amenity spaces.

 

 

 

 

I know this has been a controversial announcement it seems but overall I'm happy. 

 

I think the new additions and rehabs shown look beautiful. seriously, the added units and density, the salvaging of historic structures, and it ultimately leaves room for growth... I think this is a solid a win for the city. 

21 minutes ago, DevolsDance said:

I know this has been a controversial announcement it seems but overall I'm happy. 

 

I think the new additions and rehabs shown look beautiful. seriously, the added units and density, the salvaging of historic structures, and it ultimately leaves room for growth... I think this is a solid a win for the city. 

Yeah it is mostly good news-especially given Covid-19 and everything else the last year.  

 

I think the windows area going to be huge in those existing buildings-maybe similar to The Julian(maybe not that big) or something?-lots of natural light.

 

*It would be nice if the commission this goes before maybe makes a "recommendation" for a rooftop use to take advantage of those views?

Edited April 8, 20214 yr by Toddguy

7 hours ago, Toddguy said:

*It would be nice if the commission this goes before maybe makes a "recommendation" for a rooftop use to take advantage of those views?

 

It looks like there's some rooftop usage on one of the historic buildings in the last rendering of my previous post.

17 hours ago, Columbo said:

 

It looks like there's some rooftop usage on one of the historic buildings in the last rendering of my previous post.

I noticed that too but I can't tell what it is...is it just something like a fancy skylight or something or is it something people will need to access via the rooftop?  It looks like they could really have access to the roof given the taller parts sticking up on the existing buildings. Too bad they could not put a bar/lounge up there with access to an outdoor deck. There would be great afternoon and evening views.

It appears to be a rooftop garden to me. More plant life than patio space so I believe it's more of a utility than leisure.  

 

The more I look at it, it really is such a catch 22. It is great. But it could be so much better. But at least it's not worse. Ultimately, if it gets completed it's going to be a net positive....

 

Now on to Fort Hays.... (I know. The city is never gonna give it up). but what a unique historic campus that could be something more. 

They need to activate at least one of those rooftops. Agree with everyone above saying that. Would be nice views of DT. Especially now that we lost the Smith bros rooftop for public use. I still can’t believe that catering company is only using that for a wedding venue and not a bar/restaurant as well. Such a waste.

1 hour ago, DTCL11 said:

It appears to be a rooftop garden to me. More plant life than patio space so I believe it's more of a utility than leisure.  

 

The more I look at it, it really is such a catch 22. It is great. But it could be so much better. But at least it's not worse. Ultimately, if it gets completed it's going to be a net positive....

 

Now on to Fort Hays.... (I know. The city is never gonna give it up). but what a unique historic campus that could be something more. 

 

I would love to see Fort Hayes redeveloped, but with all the historic buildings restored.  I was thinking about that when the Kroger project was announced.  The city really isn't using all of it, and it seems like a waste.

2 hours ago, DTCL11 said:

It appears to be a rooftop garden to me. More plant life than patio space so I believe it's more of a utility than leisure.  

 

I don't know, it looks to me like there are umbrellas, tables, and outdoor sofas up there, along with rendered people.

 

 

Edited April 9, 20214 yr by TH3BUDDHA

3 hours ago, DTCL11 said:

Now on to Fort Hays.... (I know. The city is never gonna give it up). but what a unique historic campus that could be something more. 

 

1 hour ago, jonoh81 said:

I would love to see Fort Hayes redeveloped, but with all the historic buildings restored.  I was thinking about that when the Kroger project was announced.  The city really isn't using all of it, and it seems like a waste.

 

"The city" has nothing to do with Fort Hayes.  It was built as a state and federal military facility and later taken ownership by the Columbus City Schools.  It now operates as the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center.

 

2 hours ago, Columbo said:

 

 

"The city" has nothing to do with Fort Hayes.  It was built as a state and federal military facility and later taken ownership by the Columbus City Schools.  It now operates as the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center.

 

A lot of the buildings look boarded up there though. Correct me if I’m wrong.

2 hours ago, Columbo said:

 

 

"The city" has nothing to do with Fort Hayes.  It was built as a state and federal military facility and later taken ownership by the Columbus City Schools.  It now operates as the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center.

 

I guess I lump the school district as being part of 'the city'.  While separate entities and governing bodies they do have impacts on one another. And 'the city' (formal) could play a big role in helping to find a suitable alternative for 'the city schools' via credits or land swaps etc so there is definitely a role for both. But thats a conversation for another thread I suppose. Unless this one gets renamed to the 'spaghetti triangle' or something. 

11 minutes ago, DTCL11 said:

I guess I lump the school district as being part of 'the city'.  While separate entities and governing bodies they do have impacts on one another. And 'the city' (formal) could play a big role in helping to find a suitable alternative for 'the city schools' via credits or land swaps etc so there is definitely a role for both. But thats a conversation for another thread I suppose. Unless this one gets renamed to the 'spaghetti triangle' or something. 

 

If CCS ever decamps from their Fort Hayes campus, that would make a good new thread.  But with all the investment CCS has been making there, it's hard to see them leaving:

 

https://www.ccsoh.us/forthayeshs

 

Interactive Map:  https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1HlBF0xM9a2XG2OO6waJSObzdWGOAJg-bWKFM4DuyoTk/edit

 

I think Ft Hayes should remain in the District. Maybe the school district could make some money selling their State St. HQ and moving to renovated buildings along Cleveland Ave?

An update on this project:

 

Kroger Bakery redevelopment delayed as neighbor Abbott raises concerns

 

”The Columbus Development Commission Thursday night voted to table the rezoning of 457 Cleveland Ave., which would have changed the use of the 9.43-acre site from manufacturing to apartment residential. It’s the second month in a row the proposal was tabled...Tom Evers, vice president of U.S. government affairs, said the area is historically manufacturing and residential use is incompatible with the work Abbott has been doing there for decades. The company is concerned that residents would be upset with Abbott’s 24-7 operations, including lights at loading docks throughout the night and noise from semi-trucks and other vehicles in transit.”

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/06/10/kroger-bakery-redevelopment-delayed-as-abbott-rais.html?ana=TRUEANTHEMFB_CO&csrc=6398&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR1hH95wjr2Hh99afBHznWC8_qcGw8Q2YPXnyp5cjI_L_jPDom6NwqoHqzc
 

I think this is a pretty creative use of this space, so I hope they’re eventually able to find a way to move forward with it. 

1 hour ago, amped91 said:

An update on this project:

 

Kroger Bakery redevelopment delayed as neighbor Abbott raises concerns

 

”The Columbus Development Commission Thursday night voted to table the rezoning of 457 Cleveland Ave., which would have changed the use of the 9.43-acre site from manufacturing to apartment residential. It’s the second month in a row the proposal was tabled...Tom Evers, vice president of U.S. government affairs, said the area is historically manufacturing and residential use is incompatible with the work Abbott has been doing there for decades. The company is concerned that residents would be upset with Abbott’s 24-7 operations, including lights at loading docks throughout the night and noise from semi-trucks and other vehicles in transit.”

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/06/10/kroger-bakery-redevelopment-delayed-as-abbott-rais.html?ana=TRUEANTHEMFB_CO&csrc=6398&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR1hH95wjr2Hh99afBHznWC8_qcGw8Q2YPXnyp5cjI_L_jPDom6NwqoHqzc
 

I think this is a pretty creative use of this space, so I hope they’re eventually able to find a way to move forward with it. 

I agree, I hope they can make this happen. I think anyone moving there would be aware of noise concerns as the elevated freeway is right there beside it.  So what is this "if an area is historically manufacturing...incompatible with Abbot...stuff"?  They know there will be lights and traffic noise...again the freeway.  This proposal seems very 'inward focused' anyway except for the side facing Cleveland avenue. I hope they don't get it cancelled. 

 

So is this Tom Evers a specialist on urban developments near light manufacturing plants so that he can say "residential use is incompatible with the work Abbott has been doing there for decades"  What work is Abbot doing that would cause this? All I read was lighting and some vehicle noise?

5 minutes ago, Toddguy said:

I agree, I hope they can make this happen. I think anyone moving there would be aware of noise concerns as the elevated freeway is right there beside it.  So what is this "if an area is historically manufacturing...incompatible with Abbot...stuff"?  They know there will be lights and traffic noise...again the freeway.  This proposal seems very 'inward focused' anyway except for the side facing Cleveland avenue. I hope they don't get it cancelled. 

 

So is this Tom Evers a specialist on urban developments near light manufacturing plants so that he can say "residential use is incompatible with the work Abbott has been doing there for decades"  What work is Abbot doing that would cause this? All I read was lighting and some vehicle noise?

Yeah that’s pretty annoying. If you are moving next to a factory you know the lights will be on. If Abbott was concerned about what would go there, they should have bought the property. The city needs to move forward with this and approve it. Screw what abbott has to say. 

Edited June 11, 20214 yr by VintageLife

2 minutes ago, VintageLife said:

Yeah that’s pretty annoying. If you are moving next to a factory you know the lights will be on. If Abbott was concerned about what would go there, they should have bought the property. The city needs to move forward with this and approve it. Screw what abbott has to say. 

Exactly. I was not able to read the article but the snippet made it seem like this Tom Evers was a government official and not an employee of Abbot for the last 17 years. This sounds like some Abbot bullsh*t for some reason. This is really not their issue anyway-they need to butt out.  They are basically NIMBYS with this..."incompatible"..."change the historic nature of the neighborhood"...etc.

27 minutes ago, Toddguy said:

Exactly. I was not able to read the article but the snippet made it seem like this Tom Evers was a government official and not an employee of Abbot for the last 17 years. This sounds like some Abbot bullsh*t for some reason. This is really not their issue anyway-they need to butt out.  They are basically NIMBYS with this..."incompatible"..."change the historic nature of the neighborhood"...etc.

Never thought I'd see the day where industrial businesses would become NIMBYs.

Abbott is preemptively trying to fight the residents that would move into that complex and *then* complain about Abbott. Though it's just like the hundreds of apartments that have gone up adjacent to the railroad tracks across the city -- you can either deal with it or you choose not to live there. It's called a city.

That's like all the people that built their houses next to the racetracks at Laguna Seca, CA and Lime Rock, CT then complained about the noise.

I think this a legitimate concern on the part of Abbott. Most people are idiots (or to be nicer will be touring apartments during the day) and not realize that their fancy new apartment is next to a 24 hour loading dock. If these were for sale units then I think Abbott would have more to worry about. I don't see renters doing much more than posting bad reviews on apartments.com. If they were condos and you had a bunch of people who just popped down $400k+ then yeah I could see the residents complaining constantly to the city and forcing a change. 

Perhaps, in a more sinister way, Abbott wants to devalue the land use to acquire it. If you convince the city it can't rezone then mixed use developers won't bid and you're limited to manufacturing and what manufacturer is going to pony up for an old site like that anymore? 

 

But we've seem what 'living in a city' means to people knowingly moving into Miranova or Waterford and complaining to the city in order to underutilize adjacent parks and pavilions.

 

We've also seen what living by a highway means elsewhere in the state where we foot millions of dollars to put up sound walls for people who knowing bought their homes next to a highway. So like 17 points out, Abbott probably knows what's up. 

 

But also, the city should approve it and move forward and push for a tower in there. But thats me playing Sim City 

Edited June 11, 20214 yr by DTCL11

Well I think we know the answer as to why the northern end(adjoining Abbott)is where the strip of surface parking lot is. They might have anticipated this, I mean there will be a parking buffer and then landscaping as well separating Abbot from the apartments. Building B is really the only problem-the area by building A is not a loading or manufacturing area but a large parking lot.  I think they could tweak Building B a bit and be fine here. JMHO. 

 

And yeah, it would be different if these were condos.

 

And I think they will know about noise...the other two sides of this triangle are an elevated freeway and Cleveland Avenue, a major artery. I think traffic noise will be a consideration of possible residents. 

Edited June 11, 20214 yr by Toddguy

Maybe they can stage a Beep-Out protest. Where they put all their trucks in reverse so they all beep at once

1 hour ago, Toddguy said:

 

And I think they will know about noise...the other two sides of this triangle are an elevated freeway and Cleveland Avenue, a major artery. I think traffic noise will be a consideration of possible residents. 

Exactly. Just like when I had lived at Gravity, I knew living on Broad and having train tracks wrapping around the back, there would be noise. People know what they’re signing up for.  

Opposition from Abbott Leads to Delay in Kroger Bakery Proposal

 

The developers trying to turn the former Kroger bakery site north of Downtown into a 448-unit apartment complex have seen the proposal tabled twice in the last two months by the Development Commission.

 

The main opposition to the project is from Abbott Laboratories, the now-global corporation that has been operating next door to the Kroger site for over 100 years.

 

Representatives of Abbott, which makes products like Similac and Ensure at the Cleveland Avenue facility, told the commission during its July 8 meeting that semi-trucks maneuvering in and out of the site and being loaded around the clock would leave the company vulnerable to noise complaints or lawsuits from future residents living so close.

 

“We’re concerned that that will not create an enjoyable environment for residents,” said Tom Evers, VP of U.S. Government Affairs for Abbott. “They’re gonna call…and we’re going to bear the brunt [of the impact].”

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/kroger-bakery-proposal-delayed-due-to-opposition-from-abbott-bw1/

 

3 minutes ago, ColDayMan said:

Opposition from Abbott Leads to Delay in Kroger Bakery Proposal

 

The developers trying to turn the former Kroger bakery site north of Downtown into a 448-unit apartment complex have seen the proposal tabled twice in the last two months by the Development Commission.

 

The main opposition to the project is from Abbott Laboratories, the now-global corporation that has been operating next door to the Kroger site for over 100 years.

 

Representatives of Abbott, which makes products like Similac and Ensure at the Cleveland Avenue facility, told the commission during its July 8 meeting that semi-trucks maneuvering in and out of the site and being loaded around the clock would leave the company vulnerable to noise complaints or lawsuits from future residents living so close.

 

“We’re concerned that that will not create an enjoyable environment for residents,” said Tom Evers, VP of U.S. Government Affairs for Abbott. “They’re gonna call…and we’re going to bear the brunt [of the impact].”

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/kroger-bakery-proposal-delayed-due-to-opposition-from-abbott-bw1/

 

Important quote from the article:

 

”Sobczak told Columbus Underground that he expects to bring the project back to the commission in September, and that he’s optimistic it will be approved, despite the delays; “I think we’ll find a good solution for everyone involved.”

“We’ve got a path forward we’re comfortable with,” he added, explaining that his team is currently working on implementing suggestions from the commission related to noise mitigation and improved screening along the northern edge of the property.”

 

I hope this gets approved. Or something at least. That vacant property is quickly becoming an eyesore, and more housing is rarely a bad idea.