From the above-linked CU article:

 

Expect a “very substantial” urban development that “adds vibrancy, walkability and density” to the area, he added. “A significant amount of development could happen on that site, and to the extent it doesn’t require parking, that much more could happen…one of COTA’s goals will be to try and make sure these uses reinforce the use of transit.”

Potential uses include office, mixed-income residential, and retail, and COTA could even decide to move its offices into the new development, Foegler said, allowing it to sell off other assets, like its current office building near the corner of Broad and High.

 

Wonder what the actual chances are of the parking hawks on council letting it slide with no additional parking? If developers don’t have to build parking into their plans, they really could offer up some big, exciting proposals. 

22 minutes ago, Toddguy said:

Agreed. At the minimum 12 floors-At the minimum. If they are talking about mixed use and transit oriented they need density and they can achieve that(and probably a decent amount of parking-this is still Cbus)with going big and maximizing that 2.5 acres. This could be huge for that part of Downtown and could be a catalyst for connecting those nodes just south along Main and Fourth. 

 

This might even get something like that proposal on the Holiday Inn property going and fill in some lots(like the big ones just south of this site).  Fill in those lots and the Greyhound site and you can have a large actual neighborhood forming something like what has happened with River South and Neighborhood Launch.

 

And here is an idea, how about remaking a new Central Market?-something like a baby North Market. If you get the area built up enough it could work. It would not necessarily have to be a smaller carbon copy of the North Market-maybe some kind of hybrid that would still have enough options to be worthy of the name "market". It would only be a few blocks from River South and right by Grant Hospital and Franklin University and right by Columbus Commons. 

 

Make it happen for Chrissakes Columbus "movers and shakers'!  Move it and Shake it! 

Would be really cool if it was more true to the word market and was actually a nice grocery store with some cool food vendors to eat at as well. Kill two birds with one stone having some additional places to eat and make the area less of a food desert for groceries.

29 minutes ago, TIm said:

Would be really cool if it was more true to the word market and was actually a nice grocery store with some cool food vendors to eat at as well. Kill two birds with one stone having some additional places to eat and make the area less of a food desert for groceries.

 

Hell, I'll take a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's to fill that void downtown.

33 minutes ago, amped91 said:

From the above-linked CU article:

 

 

 

 

Wonder what the actual chances are of the parking hawks on council letting it slide with no additional parking? If developers don’t have to build parking into their plans, they really could offer up some big, exciting proposals. 

Great point. How much parking was included across the street at Kaufman's 80 on the commons? Yeah, they connected to the commons garage but c'mon.. a precedent was certainly established, no? Fingers crossed.

46 minutes ago, amped91 said:

From the above-linked CU article:

 

 

 

 

Wonder what the actual chances are of the parking hawks on council letting it slide with no additional parking? If developers don’t have to build parking into their plans, they really could offer up some big, exciting proposals. 

Parking is not required in the Downtown district - council or the Downtown Commission have no authority to demand parking. Developers choose to include it because they feel their customers will demand parking.

1 hour ago, ColDayMan said:

 

Hell, I'll take a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's to fill that void downtown.

I would take a downtown gym just as much as TJ and WF. 24 hr fitness, planet fitness or even something nicer than that would be awesome. There’s literally no bigger box gyms in the downtown area.

Dispatch:

 

A sign of progress: Scaffolding surrounding Rhodes Tower begins to come down

 

“After more than four years of being covered by mountainous scaffolding, portions of both Pearl Street and Lynn Street surrounding the Rhodes State Office Building are finally seeing the light of day.

Scaffolding that was erected in late 2016 at the start of the state tower's now nearly four-year-long improvement project is now coming down as construction work enters its final stages of completion, said Melissa Vince, a spokesperson for the Department of Administrative Services.”

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/07/22/rhodes-tower-improvements-near-complete-scaffolding-comes-down/8055175002/

5 hours ago, TIm said:

Would be really cool if it was more true to the word market and was actually a nice grocery store with some cool food vendors to eat at as well. Kill two birds with one stone having some additional places to eat and make the area less of a food desert for groceries.

Yeah that would be ideal. Also the idea of a Whole Paycheck or a Trader Joe's(how can it be called that and be a German company? lol)is good. It would be nice to have a grocery store and some vendors so it could be branded as "Central Market"-not a bad name for a development.  Reclaim what misguided "urban renewal" took away.

 

*I would probably faint if they let a huge development come about with NO parking...this is Cbus lol. But I could be surprised. 

3 hours ago, 614love said:

I would take a downtown gym just as much as TJ and WF. 24 hr fitness, planet fitness or even something nicer than that would be awesome. There’s literally no bigger box gyms in the downtown area.

With 2.5 acres to work with they could have all of this. They want mixed use, right? And density because it would be transit oriented? There is room for it all here-especially if they don't have to have hundreds of parking spaces taking up room. The land is right next to a 3600 space parking garage as it is.

 

*Also if they were able to acquire the parking lots just south of this, they could go even bigger.

On 7/21/2021 at 1:36 PM, .justin said:

Unsure if this is the right thread for this...but the Greyhound station downtown is now slated for mixed-use redevelopment.

 

COTA has agreed to buy the Greyhound station for redevelopment and a transit center

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/07/21/cota-buy-greyhound-station-redevelopment-transit-center/8038610002/

 

Greyhound bus service will be moving to the existing COTA terminal in the Columbus Commons parking garage by fall.

 

COTA does not have exact plans for the site yet, but they have said the transit hub will just be one part of the overall mixed-use redevelopment -- they said the transit function should be a "secondary" use and not the most visible part of the redevelopment.

 

This comes after Greyhound agreed to work to address the crime and other issues at the station.

This is some of the best news to come on downtown development yet! There is just so much potential here and the descriptions by those interviewed really make it sound like a grand structure or structures is the goal for the block. I personally would love to see something like Boston's South Station with the proposed tower:

I don't mean the goal should be to mimic the historic structure but to have it function similarly - be a multimodal, multi-story transit hub with shops, restaurants and other businesses - such as a gym and/or grocery store. The base could then be topped with a mixed use tower, though with office space demand likely to continue to be weak for the foreseeable future, I could see a shorter, all-residential building instead. If we get something in the 20-story range, I will be more than happy. 

 

I also wonder what this means for the grand plans the Dispatch and Elford had for the empty lots between Capitol Square and 4th Street. Pre-Pandemic, it seemed like it was slated for quite a bit of vertical development, though an actual proposal was never seen. It's safe to assume that plan is on hold indefinitely, but I wonder if the shift in attention to the Greyhound Terminal site might kill it completely. 

Edited July 23, 20213 yr by CMHOhio

I really wish they would've taken the opportunity to tweak some of the tower's weird angles and mismatched heights and windows. Evening it out a bit would make it slightly less ugly. 

2 minutes ago, CMHOhio said:

This is some of the best news to come on downtown development yet! There is just so much potential here and the descriptions by those interviewed really make it sound like a grand structure or structures is the goal for the block. I personally would love to see something like Boston's South Station with the proposed tower:

I don't mean the goal should be to mimic the historic structure but to have it function similarly - be a multimodal, multi-story transit hub with shops, restaurants and other businesses. The base could then be topped with a mixed use tower, though with office space demand likely to continue to be weak for the foreseeable future, I could see a shorter, all-residential building instead. If we get something in the 20-story range, I will be more than happy. 

 

I also wonder what this means for the grand plans the Dispatch and Elford had for the empty lots between Capitol Square and 4th Street. Pre-Pandemic, it seemed like it was slated for quite a bit of vertical development, though an actual proposal was never seen. It's safe to assume that plan is on hold indefinitely, but I wonder if the shift in attention to the Greyhound Terminal site might kill it completely. 

I kind of would not mind holding out on the Capitol Square site and hope for an eventual proposal that would maybe include a corporate relocation either from the area or outside of it. Something worthy of the spot and with REAL height. All of these other projects making the CBD so much more desirable may help that to just come about. Progress and success leading to simply more progress and success. I can't forget that old proposal for that tower 30 years or so ago I guess. 

 

Agree on the first paragraph. Condos, apartments, maybe a boutique/small hotel, retail(including the market stuff ideas), recreation and fitness(like the fitness center mentioned), some office, etc. They could really get a lot of different uses in there and that would probably make the project more viable in the long run-diversity of uses being sort of the opposite of what happened with City Center Mall where all the eggs were in one badly designed/thought out ugly basket.

 

 

*The tower part of what you posted is what I want for Capitol Square I guess.

10 minutes ago, CMHOhio said:

I really wish they would've taken the opportunity to tweak some of the tower's weird angles and mismatched heights and windows. Evening it out a bit would make it slightly less ugly. 

That would be great...but this is a state building so I doubt it will ever happen. It is too ugly...to far gone for help anyway IMO lol. I despise it so much I can't even find the words...

8 hours ago, TIm said:

Would be really cool if it was more true to the word market and was actually a nice grocery store with some cool food vendors to eat at as well. Kill two birds with one stone having some additional places to eat and make the area less of a food desert for groceries.

I absolutely agree that a cool grocery store of some kind would be awesome. Hills and the DGX down the street is just not enough, especially if we keep moving in the direction of more people moving downtown. 
 

But, with that in mind, if its another food hall I’ll be annoyed. With the north market, budd dairy, trolley barn, and the new market that’s going into Grandview Crossing, adding a fifth just doesn’t seem like a good move to me. Maybe if it were a different take on a market I’d be ok with it. Like a permanent “makers market” (what happens in German village) would be kind of cool. Not convinced this specific location is particularly the right spot for that concept, but it would be kind of cool to have a permanent spot for artists and designers to have a similar concept downtown. Could have outdoor seating and drinks and all of that and would probably bring in more people. Thinking of like the historic market in Charleston or even magnolia market in Texas

Edited July 23, 20213 yr by smjjms
Spelling

Dispatch: COTA board approves purchase of Greyhound station Downtown for nearly $9.5 million

 

“Pinkerton said COTA will talk with the city, the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation and the Federal Transit Administration before demolishing the Greyhound station, which dates to 1969.

 

Terry Foegler, COTA's chief development officer, said officials want the redevelopment to make a significant impact on the surrounding Downtown area.”

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/07/28/greyhound-station-demolished-make-way-cota-development/8091987002/?fbclid=IwAR1Q82Cly3xZMxIuxJqb9kJoJwMc_s7B9RtpRHUI8A5urkdeJKyNOSCrPlk

1 hour ago, amped91 said:

Dispatch: COTA board approves purchase of Greyhound station Downtown for nearly $9.5 million

 

“Pinkerton said COTA will talk with the city, the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation and the Federal Transit Administration before demolishing the Greyhound station, which dates to 1969.

 

Terry Foegler, COTA's chief development officer, said officials want the redevelopment to make a significant impact on the surrounding Downtown area.”

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/07/28/greyhound-station-demolished-make-way-cota-development/8091987002/?fbclid=IwAR1Q82Cly3xZMxIuxJqb9kJoJwMc_s7B9RtpRHUI8A5urkdeJKyNOSCrPlk

Boy do I hope "significant" means tall!

1 hour ago, amped91 said:

Dispatch: COTA board approves purchase of Greyhound station Downtown for nearly $9.5 million

 

“Pinkerton said COTA will talk with the city, the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation and the Federal Transit Administration before demolishing the Greyhound station, which dates to 1969.

 

Terry Foegler, COTA's chief development officer, said officials want the redevelopment to make a significant impact on the surrounding Downtown area.”

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/07/28/greyhound-station-demolished-make-way-cota-development/8091987002/?fbclid=IwAR1Q82Cly3xZMxIuxJqb9kJoJwMc_s7B9RtpRHUI8A5urkdeJKyNOSCrPlk

It's interesting how much that article talks about the East-West rapid transit corridor and work happening on it starting in 2022.  I didn't think we were that close.  Also, I thought the Northwest corridor was further along in the process, so work should be imminent on that corridor?

17 minutes ago, TH3BUDDHA said:

It's interesting how much that article talks about the East-West rapid transit corridor and work happening on it starting in 2022.  I didn't think we were that close.  Also, I thought the Northwest corridor was further along in the process, so work should be imminent on that corridor?

I never understood why the NW corridor got the green light first.  Don't get me wrong I'm excited for it and like that we are doing it, but prioritization of the order I find interesting.  The NWC goes through very affluent and rather wealthy locations that are by no means "underserved".  I mean really, do you think the posh residents of Dublin, UA etc....will ride a COTA bus on the regular for work?

 

In my opinion the East/West route should have been priority number 1 from the get go.  This span goes through very underserved areas of Columbus, much of which are residents that can't afford cars, that can actually utilize and find value in this investment, let alone the spinoff development it could use as well as in areas where there is still a chance of truly "affordable" housing.

 

Again, that's just me, but we know wealthy area's always get what they want first, they're generally in the ears and pockets of local "leaders" and counsel.  That's just me though.  Either way, the investments are great, I just would have put the order of execution a bit different.

1 minute ago, Gnoraa said:

I never understood why the NW corridor got the green light first.  Don't get me wrong I'm excited for it and like that we are doing it, but prioritization of the order I find interesting.  The NWC goes through very affluent and rather wealthy locations that are by no means "underserved".  I mean really, do you think the posh residents of Dublin, UA etc....will ride a COTA bus on the regular for work?

 

In my opinion the East/West route should have been priority number 1 from the get go.  This span goes through very underserved areas of Columbus, much of which are residents that can't afford cars, that can actually utilize and find value in this investment, let alone the spinoff development it could use as well as in areas where there is still a chance of truly "affordable" housing.

 

Again, that's just me, but we know wealthy area's always get what they want first, they're generally in the ears and pockets of local "leaders" and counsel.  That's just me though.  Either way, the investments are great, I just would have put the order of execution a bit different.

I use to drive through UA every day when I had to go to an office and there were people waiting at all the bus stops. Not really cool to just decide anyone from a wealthy suburb is a "posh" person who would never ride public transit. That's a massive over generalization and an undeserved assumption.

5 minutes ago, TIm said:

I use to drive through UA every day when I had to go to an office and there were people waiting at all the bus stops. Not really cool to just decide anyone from a wealthy suburb is a "posh" person who would never ride public transit. That's a massive over generalization and an undeserved assumption.

Probably so, and I apologize for that generalization, but I do feel they are already very well served in the COTA services and are able to utilize/afford auto on their own too.  I'd still prefer an area that truly could use the help get it first.  At least these areas feel safe being at their bus stops.

1 minute ago, Gnoraa said:

Probably so, and I apologize for that generalization, but I do feel they are already very well served in the COTA services and are able to utilize/afford auto on their own too.  I'd still prefer an area that truly could use the help get it first.  At least these areas feel safe being at their bus stops.

 

The West Broad/East Main corridor is already extremely well served as well. The 2 and 10 lines are two of the most used routes in the entire city. Aside from High Street, public transit doesn't get much better than those two routes in this city currently. 

 

Also, assuming your theory that people along those routes don't feel safe at their bus stops, simply building a BRT line isn't going to change that one bit. 

 

And let's not act like COTA isn't prioritizing this route. They are planning to spend half a billion dollars over the next five years, and are hoping to have this BRT up and running in the next 7 years. It's definitely a high priority and profile project for them. 

Ironically, I was just thinking the other day that it has been quite some time since I last saw the CBUS circulator. I honestly did not know that they stopped running that but I can understand why. 

 

With all that talk about an Arena District "east-west" circulator pre-covid (the "DBUS" if i remember correctly?) I am now curious if that idea has been canned or not.

 

 

EDIT: Apologies, I am thinking out loud and this may not be appropriate for this thread.

Edited July 29, 20213 yr by NightNectar

21 minutes ago, cbussoccer said:

 

The West Broad/East Main corridor is already extremely well served as well. The 2 and 10 lines are two of the most used routes in the entire city. Aside from High Street, public transit doesn't get much better than those two routes in this city currently. 

 

Also, assuming your theory that people along those routes don't feel safe at their bus stops, simply building a BRT line isn't going to change that one bit. 

 

And let's not act like COTA isn't prioritizing this route. They are planning to spend half a billion dollars over the next five years, and are hoping to have this BRT up and running in the next 7 years. It's definitely a high priority and profile project for them. 

Agreed.  I'm hoping with this acquisition of the Greyhound property they may put in a decent "hub" with regards to their new enhanced routes. 

1 hour ago, Gnoraa said:

I never understood why the NW corridor got the green light first.  Don't get me wrong I'm excited for it and like that we are doing it, but prioritization of the order I find interesting.  The NWC goes through very affluent and rather wealthy locations that are by no means "underserved".  I mean really, do you think the posh residents of Dublin, UA etc....will ride a COTA bus on the regular for work?

 

In my opinion the East/West route should have been priority number 1 from the get go.  This span goes through very underserved areas of Columbus, much of which are residents that can't afford cars, that can actually utilize and find value in this investment, let alone the spinoff development it could use as well as in areas where there is still a chance of truly "affordable" housing.

 

Again, that's just me, but we know wealthy area's always get what they want first, they're generally in the ears and pockets of local "leaders" and counsel.  That's just me though.  Either way, the investments are great, I just would have put the order of execution a bit different.

It's probably because this corridor includes Ohio State's new Innovation District and rapidly expanding medical campus, as well as OhioHealth's campus.  It also goes south and connects to CoverMyMeds.  It's also important to note that the Olentangy/Henderson/Bethel area has a lot of apartments where people commute to Ohio State from.  More apartments will be coming to that area pending infrastructure improvements.

Edited July 29, 20213 yr by TH3BUDDHA

1 hour ago, NightNectar said:

Ironically, I was just thinking the other day that it has been quite some time since I last saw the CBUS circulator. I honestly did not know that they stopped running that but I can understand why. 

 

With all that talk about an Arena District "east-west" circulator pre-covid (the "DBUS" if i remember correctly?) I am now curious if that idea has been canned or not.

 

 

EDIT: Apologies, I am thinking out loud and this may not be appropriate for this thread.

I did not know the cirulator was canned. Why?  Covid? They really need something like that running along the "High Five" and eventually they should have one connecting OTE with East Franklinton. Why would they not want these when wanting to densify the existing corridors without making massive investments in structured parking in the corridors that these circulator would would serve?

 

I hope this is not a permanent thing. smh.

21 minutes ago, Toddguy said:

I did not know the cirulator was canned. Why?  Covid? They really need something like that running along the "High Five" and eventually they should have one connecting OTE with East Franklinton. Why would they not want these when wanting to densify the existing corridors without making massive investments in structured parking in the corridors that these circulator would would serve?

 

I hope this is not a permanent thing. smh.

 

Yea I think it was Covid, which makes sense. Hopefully by next summer they bring it back.

Over in the Lower.com Field/Astor Park thread, someone posted that the new Crew downtown stadium won the 2021 James B. Recchie Design Award (congrats, well deserved).

 

When I went over to the Columbus Landmarks site, I noticed that the renovation of the four-story building at 134 E. Long Street for Rise Brands was one of the five finalists for the award.  Although it didn't win, the Rise Brands HQ project is a really well-done project.  Here's a bit more about it from https://www.columbuslandmarks.org/recchie-award/

 

Rise Brands HQ

ADDRESS: 134 E Long St., Columbus, OH 43215
DESIGNER: Archall
OWNER: Schottenstein Property Group
Rise Brands is the parent company of bar and entertainment venues, including Pins Mechanical and 16 BIT Bar & Arcade.  Its new headquarters are located downtown in a c1875, four-story commercial building that had been vacant for more than a decade.  The rehabilitation project is a mix of restored original features and creatively installed new industrial-style elements.  The dropped ceiling was removed from the top floor to expose the original trusses, and beams were sandblasted and reinforced with iron hardware at the joints.  The facade was painted black, vintage lights were installed, and the transparent storefronts expose a vibrant interior that is the work home for approximately 40 Rise Brands staff members.

 

134 E. Long Street - 2014 streetview before renovation:

 

134 E. Long Street - 2020 streetview after renovation:

 

Glamour photo of 134 E. Long Street after the renovation:

 

Northwest corner of Fourth & Long - before renovation:

 

Northwest corner of Fourth & Long - after renovation (Rise Brands also renovated the former tire shop at the corner into a Pins Mechanical location:

 

Same view after renovation, but with the trees in foliage:

7 hours ago, Columbo said:

Over in the Lower.com Field/Astor Park thread, someone posted that the new Crew downtown stadium won the 2021 James B. Recchie Design Award (congrats, well deserved).

 

When I went over to the Columbus Landmarks site, I noticed that the renovation of the four-story building at 134 E. Long Street for Rise Brands was one of the five finalists for the award.  Although it didn't win, the Rise Brands HQ project is a really well-done project.  Here's a bit more about it from https://www.columbuslandmarks.org/recchie-award/

 

Rise Brands HQ

ADDRESS: 134 E Long St., Columbus, OH 43215
DESIGNER: Archall
OWNER: Schottenstein Property Group
Rise Brands is the parent company of bar and entertainment venues, including Pins Mechanical and 16 BIT Bar & Arcade.  Its new headquarters are located downtown in a c1875, four-story commercial building that had been vacant for more than a decade.  The rehabilitation project is a mix of restored original features and creatively installed new industrial-style elements.  The dropped ceiling was removed from the top floor to expose the original trusses, and beams were sandblasted and reinforced with iron hardware at the joints.  The facade was painted black, vintage lights were installed, and the transparent storefronts expose a vibrant interior that is the work home for approximately 40 Rise Brands staff members.

 

134 E. Long Street - 2014 streetview before renovation:

 

134 E. Long Street - 2020 streetview after renovation:

 

Glamour photo of 134 E. Long Street after the renovation:

 

Northwest corner of Fourth & Long - before renovation:

 

Northwest corner of Fourth & Long - after renovation (Rise Brands also renovated the former tire shop at the corner into a Pins Mechanical location:

 

Same view after renovation, but with the trees in foliage:

Yeah that building looks great. I wonder if they will add the raised patio they proposed, or if they decided not to do it. 

Any update on that Jackie Os expansion. I think out of all the projects around the city that one is one of the most important as far as how much I can bring to that area of downtown. The renderings looked amazing so I hope it gets approved and they can get it built asap.

The 150 North Third Street mixed-use residential project received a Merit Award in the 2021 Architecture Awards by the Columbus chapter of the American Institute of Architects.  It is immediately adjacent to the East Long Street corridor (you can see the 'blue side' of the building in the Rise HQ photos recently posted):

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/10/07/aia-columbus-architecture-awards-here-are-the-hon.html

 

 

Noticed crews working while I was walking past last week. Found an article about the renovation work being done. 
 

"High-end hotel feel" for offices: Fifth Third tower in Downtown Columbus getting makeover

 

“The building's owner, ValStone Partners of Birmingham, Michigan, has launched a top-to-bottom makeover of the property, on the southeast corner of South High and East State streets on Capitol Square.

 

Among the changes underway: a new lobby; a comprehensive renovation of the ground-floor retail space; the creation of a penthouse tenant lounge and outdoor patio; a renovated fitness center; and upgrades to the building's mechanical systems including all eight of its elevators.

 

The lobby renovations are expected to be complete in March, followed by renovations to the building’s storefront and entrance in the spring. Remaining renovations are expected to be finished by the end of next year.”

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2021/10/20/downtown-columbus-fifth-third-tower-getting-renovations/8524282002/?fbclid=IwAR2goj-r10T4poDdRZamxwqadqfxrlqEnSN6Fbog6UHrQzgz759Vpjpcsq8

18 hours ago, amped91 said:

Noticed crews working while I was walking past last week. Found an article about the renovation work being done. 
 

"High-end hotel feel" for offices: Fifth Third tower in Downtown Columbus getting makeover

 

 

“The building's owner, ValStone Partners of Birmingham, Michigan, has launched a top-to-bottom makeover of the property, on the southeast corner of South High and East State streets on Capitol Square.

 

Among the changes underway: a new lobby; a comprehensive renovation of the ground-floor retail space; the creation of a penthouse tenant lounge and outdoor patio; a renovated fitness center; and upgrades to the building's mechanical systems including all eight of its elevators.

 

The lobby renovations are expected to be complete in March, followed by renovations to the building’s storefront and entrance in the spring. Remaining renovations are expected to be finished by the end of next year.”

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2021/10/20/downtown-columbus-fifth-third-tower-getting-renovations/8524282002/?fbclid=IwAR2goj-r10T4poDdRZamxwqadqfxrlqEnSN6Fbog6UHrQzgz759Vpjpcsq8

Much better than the first iteration for the facade changes. This is a wonderful building - glad to see the owner recognizes that and decided to sink some serious cash into a renovation.

Not any recent development news unfortunately, but an interesting historical fact about 10 W. Broad, the current One Columbus Center.  Apparently, back in 1968-1969, the original plan was for a 50-story, 603-ft tower that would've had a hotel, offices and first-floor commercial space.  The current tower is only 26 stories at 366 feet.  Additionally, a 2,000-car garage was planned to be built immediately west of the former Veteran's Memorial.  Connecting them both was a planned monorail system (or something similar), that would've eventually been expanded around the entirety of the Downtown area.  Apparently, this was why the Deshler Hotel was originally demolished.  However, the project ended up falling through and it wasn't until the mid-1980s the One Columbus began construction.  Had the building been built, it would've been the 2nd tallest in the city after Rhodes and only the 2nd taller than 600 feet.

The only rendering I could find was this one.  

Looks like a cross between the old (pre-tornado) One Indiana Square and, well, the Rhodes Tower.

On 11/27/2021 at 8:04 PM, jonoh81 said:

Not any recent development news unfortunately, but an interesting historical fact about 10 W. Broad, the current One Columbus Center.  Apparently, back in 1968-1969, the original plan was for a 50-story, 603-ft tower that would've had a hotel, offices and first-floor commercial space.  The current tower is only 26 stories at 366 feet.  Additionally, a 2,000-car garage was planned to be built immediately west of the former Veteran's Memorial.  Connecting them both was a planned monorail system (or something similar), that would've eventually been expanded around the entirety of the Downtown area.  Apparently, this was why the Deshler Hotel was originally demolished.  However, the project ended up falling through and it wasn't until the mid-1980s the One Columbus began construction.  Had the building been built, it would've been the 2nd tallest in the city after Rhodes and only the 2nd taller than 600 feet.

The only rendering I could find was this one.  

Then there's this proposal from 1970 for a 700' tower on the same site. I wonder if it's the same project.

 

 

 

United Way to Sell Downtown Office Building

Brent Warren - Columbus Underground - Dec. 6, 2021

 

 

"United Way of Central Ohio announced this morning a plan to sell its Downtown office building. The organization issued a Request for Proposals that lays out the criteria it will consider in selling the site, including a stated preference for redevelopment plans that include affordable housing. The one-acre parcel, located at 360 S. Third St., holds a three-story office building and an adjacent parking lot. It has served as the UWCO headquarters since 1978, when the site was donated by the Battelle Memorial Institute Foundation. ... The building will be 'vacated and available for redevelopment no later than December 31, 2022,' according to the RFP."

1 hour ago, NorthShore647 said:

United Way to Sell Downtown Office Building

Brent Warren - Columbus Underground - Dec. 6, 2021

 

 

"United Way of Central Ohio announced this morning a plan to sell its Downtown office building. The organization issued a Request for Proposals that lays out the criteria it will consider in selling the site, including a stated preference for redevelopment plans that include affordable housing. The one-acre parcel, located at 360 S. Third St., holds a three-story office building and an adjacent parking lot. It has served as the UWCO headquarters since 1978, when the site was donated by the Battelle Memorial Institute Foundation. ... The building will be 'vacated and available for redevelopment no later than December 31, 2022,' according to the RFP."

First, we have a Red Brick District?

 

And second, pretty badass of them to make that affordable housing stipulation in the terms of sale. I'd like to see more of that as some of these older shorter buildings around downtown that don't have any historic significance start getting sold off to be redeveloped into taller mixed uses.

2 hours ago, TIm said:

First, we have a Red Brick District?

I was thinking of posting CBF’s version of the article in this thread instead of the random dev thread, but I wasn’t sure what the Red Brick boundaries are. 
 

Also, if this gets developed, along with the ODP HQ up the road, this will be a nice little addition in the affordable housing market downtown. 

This proposal for a hanging fabric sculpture over Gay & High was included with the Edwards Companies early plans for their building projects in the area - The Citizens Building, The Nicholas development.  But nothing ever came of it, so it was assumed that it got dropped from the plans.

 

Well it is back, and is being presented to the Downtown Commission:

 

 

 

Massive hanging sculpture proposed for Downtown

 

The Columbus development firm Edwards Cos. is proposing to hang a sculpture nearly 200 feet long over North High and Gay streets Downtown.

 

The blue-and-red fabric sculpture, by the artist Janet Echelman, would be suspended about 35 feet above ground at its lowest point.  Overall, the sculpture, a cloud-like abstraction, would stretch about 180 feet long, 60 feet high and 50 feet across.  Echelman's sculpture would float above Gay Street, straddling North High Street and anchored by cables.

 

The sculpture would be the latest of several steps the Edwards Cos. has taken to change the intersection of High and Gay.  The company redeveloped the former Citizens Bank building on the southwest corner of Gay and High into apartments and retail space, and built the Nicholas apartment and retail building on the west side of High Street north of Gay.

 

MORE:  https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2021/12/09/janet-echelmans-columbus-sculpture-would-hang-over-high-street/6438970001/

14 minutes ago, Columbo said:

This proposal for a hanging fabric sculpture over Gay & High was included with the Edwards Companies early plans for their building projects in the area - The Citizens Building, The Nicholas development.  But nothing ever came of it, so it was assumed that it got dropped from the plans.

 

Well it is back, and is being presented to the Downtown Commission:

 

 

 

Massive hanging sculpture proposed for Downtown

 

The Columbus development firm Edwards Cos. is proposing to hang a sculpture nearly 200 feet long over North High and Gay streets Downtown.

 

The blue-and-red fabric sculpture, by the artist Janet Echelman, would be suspended about 35 feet above ground at its lowest point.  Overall, the sculpture, a cloud-like abstraction, would stretch about 180 feet long, 60 feet high and 50 feet across.  Echelman's sculpture would float above Gay Street, straddling North High Street and anchored by cables.

 

The sculpture would be the latest of several steps the Edwards Cos. has taken to change the intersection of High and Gay.  The company redeveloped the former Citizens Bank building on the southwest corner of Gay and High into apartments and retail space, and built the Nicholas apartment and retail building on the west side of High Street north of Gay.

 

MORE:  https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2021/12/09/janet-echelmans-columbus-sculpture-would-hang-over-high-street/6438970001/

This could look amazing. Hopefully it goes through smoothly and ends up better than the convention center garage 

I'm all for more public art installations anywhere in the city!

Much of the lower level of this building has been boarded up since last year’s protests. Glad to hear about plans to bring the building back to life. 
 

New Continental Centre owners plan to redevelop building into residential space
 

 

“Downtown Columbus' Continental Centre will be converted from offices to residential space. 

 

It's the type of project the building's new owner excels at, said Phil Aftuck, director of investments for Washington, D.C.-based Bernstein Cos. An affiliate of Bernstein and Toledo-based Welltower bought the 26-story building for nearly $12 million about a year ago, according to the Franklin County Auditor.

 

The Continental Centre, located at 150 E. Gay St., will be converted into a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units, along with some lower level or ground-floor retail, an amenity area on the top floor and some coworking space. 
 

The building was about 40% occupied when it sold, Aftuck said, and tenants are in the process of moving out.

 

Aftuck said there is not a final budget for the project yet as it is still in the planning and design phase. The timeline for the project is also fluid, he said, in part because the firm is hoping to land state tax credits to help finance it. 
 

The building's owners applied for Ohio's new transformational mixed-use development tax credit. The $6.5 million credit they're seeking would "fill in the gaps," Aftuck said, and make sure the complicated project happens as planned. 

 

The state will announce which projects will be awarded the TMUD at the beginning of next year. 

 

Aftuck told Business First that Columbus can expect to see high-quality units in the building, with in-unit washers and dryers, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops and downtown views.”

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/12/10/continental-centre.html

9 minutes ago, amped91 said:

Much of the lower level of this building has been boarded up since last year’s protests. Glad to hear about plans to bring the building back to life. 
 

New Continental Centre owners plan to redevelop building into residential space
 

 

“Downtown Columbus' Continental Centre will be converted from offices to residential space. 

 

It's the type of project the building's new owner excels at, said Phil Aftuck, director of investments for Washington, D.C.-based Bernstein Cos. An affiliate of Bernstein and Toledo-based Welltower bought the 26-story building for nearly $12 million about a year ago, according to the Franklin County Auditor.

 

The Continental Centre, located at 150 E. Gay St., will be converted into a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units, along with some lower level or ground-floor retail, an amenity area on the top floor and some coworking space. 
 

The building was about 40% occupied when it sold, Aftuck said, and tenants are in the process of moving out.

 

Aftuck said there is not a final budget for the project yet as it is still in the planning and design phase. The timeline for the project is also fluid, he said, in part because the firm is hoping to land state tax credits to help finance it. 
 

The building's owners applied for Ohio's new transformational mixed-use development tax credit. The $6.5 million credit they're seeking would "fill in the gaps," Aftuck said, and make sure the complicated project happens as planned. 

 

The state will announce which projects will be awarded the TMUD at the beginning of next year. 

 

Aftuck told Business First that Columbus can expect to see high-quality units in the building, with in-unit washers and dryers, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops and downtown views.”

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/12/10/continental-centre.html

Absolutely love this plan. 

14 minutes ago, amped91 said:

Much of the lower level of this building has been boarded up since last year’s protests. Glad to hear about plans to bring the building back to life. 
 

New Continental Centre owners plan to redevelop building into residential space
 

 

“Downtown Columbus' Continental Centre will be converted from offices to residential space. 

 

It's the type of project the building's new owner excels at, said Phil Aftuck, director of investments for Washington, D.C.-based Bernstein Cos. An affiliate of Bernstein and Toledo-based Welltower bought the 26-story building for nearly $12 million about a year ago, according to the Franklin County Auditor.

 

The Continental Centre, located at 150 E. Gay St., will be converted into a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units, along with some lower level or ground-floor retail, an amenity area on the top floor and some coworking space. 
 

The building was about 40% occupied when it sold, Aftuck said, and tenants are in the process of moving out.

 

Aftuck said there is not a final budget for the project yet as it is still in the planning and design phase. The timeline for the project is also fluid, he said, in part because the firm is hoping to land state tax credits to help finance it. 
 

The building's owners applied for Ohio's new transformational mixed-use development tax credit. The $6.5 million credit they're seeking would "fill in the gaps," Aftuck said, and make sure the complicated project happens as planned. 

 

The state will announce which projects will be awarded the TMUD at the beginning of next year. 

 

Aftuck told Business First that Columbus can expect to see high-quality units in the building, with in-unit washers and dryers, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops and downtown views.”

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/12/10/continental-centre.html

I hope it has condo units, downtown desperately needs more condo units. 

7 minutes ago, VintageLife said:

I hope it has condo units, downtown desperately needs more condo units. 

The final Parks Edge condo tower is officially sold out. The demand is there - we need more condo units in the core to meet the demand.

Edited December 10, 20213 yr by NightNectar

This is awesome news. I pass that building often and can’t wait for it to be developed. Hopefully we see more and more of this to bring residents to the downtown core.
 

Pretty random thought but I was recently in Dallas and visited a condo tower that that gave each condo a pretty spacious outdoor turf patio surrounded by a glass wall (like the glass you’d see at a rooftop bar). Obviously not an option here, but as we see more housing emerge downtown I think it would be awesome to see a building do this. I have no idea how feasible this kind of concept even is, but for me, one of the biggest drawbacks of buying a condo downtown is the lack of patio/yard space. The person who bought the condo I visited loved it for his dog. 

18 minutes ago, NightNectar said:

The final Parks Edge condo tower is officially sold out. The demand is there - we need more condo units in the core to meet the demand.

Around the time of the LDC Field opening, the NRE CEO teased the possibility of another Parks Edge-esque tower in the AD. Would be great to see that coming up in the next few years as well. 

13 minutes ago, amped91 said:

Around the time of the LDC Field opening, the NRE CEO teased the possibility of another Parks Edge-esque tower in the AD. Would be great to see that coming up in the next few years as well. 

 

I think he said North Bank-esque, meaning 20 stories (or more).

1 hour ago, amped91 said:

Much of the lower level of this building has been boarded up since last year’s protests. Glad to hear about plans to bring the building back to life. 
 

New Continental Centre owners plan to redevelop building into residential space
 

 

“Downtown Columbus' Continental Centre will be converted from offices to residential space. 

 

It's the type of project the building's new owner excels at, said Phil Aftuck, director of investments for Washington, D.C.-based Bernstein Cos. An affiliate of Bernstein and Toledo-based Welltower bought the 26-story building for nearly $12 million about a year ago, according to the Franklin County Auditor.

 

Glad this is happening for a multitude of reasons. More residential is certainly needed in the downtown core. This should also help with the glut of office vacancies by taking the building out of inventory. I wonder just how much this conversion is dependent on TMUD money. A $12 mil purchase price seems like of a hell of a bargain - that should allow them to plunk quite a bit of money on the conversion. But then again, if the funds are there, might as well throw one's hat in the ring.

The little bump outs on the East wall would be amazing as little shops for businesses. I would set up in one of them.