What I am saying is that the commission does not have parallel controls for historic preservation such as HRC or the neighborhood commissions do. If downtown overlaps with an HRC district (e.g. the block that includes the Great Southern), HRC provides for the protection of the historic resource.

 

If a building downtown is outside of an HRC district or not individually designated as a landmark by the city, it is only subject to the downtown commission. Although I do believe that they are not against rehabilitation of existing structures, they have a more comprehensive mandate and do not consider historic preservation. This is why any historic claims were irrelevent in the Trautman discussion.

 

There are some definite pros with the downtown commission model (balancing economics, urban environment, design, etc. with one another), but preservation does not get representation through the process.

 

I agree with your statements about the National Register district. It brings no additional regulation with the benefit of tax credits, which will likely boost the Citizens Building rehab and--hopefully--other projects.

 

 

To some extent we're looking at a technical definition of "historic preservation" vs. "rehabilitation/conservation of existing buildings".  But I see your point. 

 

We might look at this way:  The Downtown District/Downtown Commission considers its mission to be the overall downtown urban condition - broadly defined as urban design - in which the rehabilitation/conservation of existing buildings is an important part of that mission, but within an overall context.

An interesting new wrinkle for the Neighborhood Launch development.  Conceptual review for now, but Homeport (aka Columbus Housing Partnership) usually makes these projects happen.

 

 

Nonprofit aims for affordable apartments Downtown

By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch

Wednesday, December 18, 2013 - 7:46 AM

 

A nonprofit developer plans to build more-affordable Downtown apartments.  The Columbus Housing Partnership, doing business as Homeport, wants to build a five-story, 50-unit building at one of two sites along E. Long Street that are parking lots.

 

The lots are controlled by limited-liability companies connected to Edwards Cos., which is building 260 apartments along Long as part of a development called Neighborhood Launch.  Homeport is negotiating with Edwards to buy the sites and also will approach other property owners, said George Tabit, Homeport’s vice president of real-estate development.

(. . .)

Homeport will apply to the city for federal money to help finance the project; the deadline is Jan. 6.  It also will apply for low-income-housing tax credits in February.  If the project is awarded the credits, the $8 million project would break ground in 2015, Tabit said.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/12/18/nonprofit-aims-for-affordable-apartments-downtown.html

Another interesting new wrinkle for the Neighborhood Launch development.  Columbus Underground reported this yesterday:

 

Brioso Coffee Expanding to Neighborhood Launch

By: Walker Evans, Columbus Underground

Published on December 20, 2013 - 11:45 am

 

After 12 years in business, Café Brioso has outgrown their popular spot at the busy corner of Gay and High Streets Downtown.  The small on-site roaster isn’t enough to keep up anymore, so a new larger roasting facility is planned to open next year in a portion of the old Faith Mission (properties on East Long Street), now owned as a part of the Neighborhood Launch development.

 

“Our roasting operations have grown quite a bit, fueled by business-to-business sales,” explains Café Brioso President & Roastmaster Jeff Davis.  “Plus we do around 400 to 500 pounds per week through customer retail sales in the cafe with our little five-kilo roaster, so we sense there’s potential to grow and we’re excited about that.

 

The new roasting facility will have enough space to triple the capacity for production with new state-of-the-art roasting equipment that Davis has already acquired.  The (new 333 East Long Street) location will also have retail sales and a coffee bar with a slightly different name: Brioso Coffee. ... Davis says that they expect to begin working on the new space in April 2014 with a planned build out of 10-12 weeks to have the coffee bar and roasting operations up and running.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/brioso-coffee-expanding-to-neighborhood-launch

 

The above photo - from the CU report - shows the building where Brioso Coffee will be moving in - the ground floor of a three-story building at 333 E. Long Street.  This is located next to a three-story building at 329 E. Long Street, which is also located next to the historic church at 315 E. Long Street that the Faith Mission was previously using as a homeless shelter. 

 

In 2012, Edwards Companies - the developer of Neighborhood Launch - swapped a nearby larger warehouse building with the Faith Mission for this historic church - previously posted here in this thread.  According to the County Auditor's property records, Edwards Companies also purchased the adjacent three-story buildings at 329 & 333 E. Long Street at the same time.

 

This marks the second retail venture near the Neighborhood Launch development that Edwards Companies has helped make happen.  The first was the Hills Market downtown grocery store - previously reported here in 2011 in the Downtown Grocery Store development thread.  The new Brioso Coffee retail store and roasting facility will also be located within the same block as the Hills Market, which opened earlier this year.  This block also contains the Grass Skirt Tiki Room, a Columbus Food League restaurant venture that renovated a building next to the Hills Market and opened in 2012.

Reposting a rumored residential project in the works for the southwest corner of Gay & High.  Edwards Companies, the developer of the Neighborhood Launch development (aka Gay Street condos), purchased the 8-story building built in 1918 and added on to in 1959 for a future residential conversion of the upper floors:

 

Edwards Cos. buys North High, West Gay property

By Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Business First - June 10, 2013, 12:56pm EDT

 

A leading developer of downtown condos during the last five years may have the conversion of a downtown Columbus office building in its housing plans.  Sources have hinted for months that Edwards Cos. had the eight-story, 91,000-square-foot property at 49-53 N. High St. in a sales contract with plans to convert it into housing, most likely apartments.  Ownership of the building transferred May 30 to 51 North High Street LLC for $3 million. 

 

A spokeswoman for Edwards Cos. declined to talk about the transaction.  Sources, who did not want to be identified in print, confirmed the buyer was Edwards Cos., the developer of the wildly successful Neighborhood Launch condominiuim project along East Gay east of North Fourth streets.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/06/10/edwards-cos-buys-north-high-west-gay.html

 

 

Of the six projects in Central Ohio awarded state historic preservation tax credits on Friday.  This one is the headline project - see Business First's report at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/12/20/edwards-51-n-high-st-project-tops.html

 

Above is the previous notice from Business First about the Edwards Companies purchase of the former Citizens Savings and Trust Company Building at the southwest corner of Gay & High Streets in downtown Columbus.  The full news release from the Ohio Development Services Agency is at http://development.ohio.gov/files/media/pressrelease/12.20.13%20-%20Release%20-%20Ten%20Ohio%20Communities%20will%20benefit%20from%20the%20Restoration%20of%20Historic%20Buildings.pdf --- Below is the tax credit award notice for the renovation of a eight-story Citizens Building:

 

Citizens Building (Columbus, Franklin County)

- Total Project Cost: $34,862,319

- Total Tax Credit: $3,126,600

- Address: 51 North High Street, 43215

 

Seated at the bustling intersection of High and Gay Streets in downtown Columbus, the Citizens Building was constructed by the Citizens Savings and Trust Company in 1918.  Additional floors were added to the structure in 1960 with growth of Citizen's successor, Ohio National Bank.  Now mostly vacant, the antiquated office building will become 65 high-quality apartments under plans from the Edwards Company.  As part of the project, an adjacent surface parking lot will be developed into connected parking and additional residential units.

Reposting a rumored residential project in the works for the southwest corner of Gay & High.  Edwards Companies, the developer of the Neighborhood Launch development (aka Gay Street condos), purchased the 8-story building built in 1918 and added on to in 1959 for a future residential conversion of the upper floors:

 

Edwards Cos. buys North High, West Gay property

By Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Business First - June 10, 2013, 12:56pm EDT

 

A leading developer of downtown condos during the last five years may have the conversion of a downtown Columbus office building in its housing plans.  Sources have hinted for months that Edwards Cos. had the eight-story, 91,000-square-foot property at 49-53 N. High St. in a sales contract with plans to convert it into housing, most likely apartments.  Ownership of the building transferred May 30 to 51 North High Street LLC for $3 million. 

 

A spokeswoman for Edwards Cos. declined to talk about the transaction.  Sources, who did not want to be identified in print, confirmed the buyer was Edwards Cos., the developer of the wildly successful Neighborhood Launch condominiuim project along East Gay east of North Fourth streets.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/06/10/edwards-cos-buys-north-high-west-gay.html

 

 

Of the six projects in Central Ohio awarded state historic preservation tax credits on Friday.  This one is the headline project - see Business First's report at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/12/20/edwards-51-n-high-st-project-tops.html

 

Above is the previous notice from Business First about the Edwards Companies purchase of the former Citizens Savings and Trust Company Building at the southwest corner of Gay & High Streets in downtown Columbus.  The full news release from the Ohio Development Services Agency is at http://development.ohio.gov/files/media/pressrelease/12.20.13%20-%20Release%20-%20Ten%20Ohio%20Communities%20will%20benefit%20from%20the%20Restoration%20of%20Historic%20Buildings.pdf --- Below is the tax credit award notice for the renovation of a eight-story Citizens Building:

 

Citizens Building (Columbus, Franklin County)

- Total Project Cost: $34,862,319

- Total Tax Credit: $3,126,600

- Address: 51 North High Street, 43215

 

Seated at the bustling intersection of High and Gay Streets in downtown Columbus, the Citizens Building was constructed by the Citizens Savings and Trust Company in 1918.  Additional floors were added to the structure in 1960 with growth of Citizen's successor, Ohio National Bank.  Now mostly vacant, the antiquated office building will become 65 high-quality apartments under plans from the Edwards Company.  As part of the project, an adjacent surface parking lot will be developed into connected parking and additional residential units.

 

The adjacent lot will have a parking garage with 89 more units above.  The new building will only take up about half the lot, so the height will likely be fairly good, on the order of 250 High's 12 stories. 

The adjacent lot will have a parking garage with 89 more units above.  The new building will only take up about half the lot, so the height will likely be fairly good, on the order of 250 High's 12 stories. 

 

Yea!  This announcement was a real surprise.  Until the press release about state historic tax credits being awarded to the Citizens Building, there was nothing in the news about Edwards Companies planning something for the neighboring parking lot.  Here's the Dispatch report about the project(s):

 

Apartments planned for empty Downtown bank building

By Jim Weiker, The Columbus Dispatch

Saturday, December 21, 2013 - 5:17 AM

 

A Columbus developer plans to build 154 apartments in a project that would reuse a 95-year-old Downtown bank building.  Under the plan, the Edwards Co. would convert the former Citizens Savings and Trust Co. building at the southwest corner of High and Gay streets into 65 apartments.  An additional 89 apartments and a parking garage would be built on the northwest corner of High and Gay.

 

The buildings would be connected by a tunnel under Gay Street, according to the developer’s application for state historic tax credits.  The estimated cost of the project is $35 million.  The Ohio Development Services Agency yesterday approved $3.1 million in historic tax credits for the development. ... “We were excited by the project,” said Stephanie Gostomski, spokeswoman for the Ohio Development Services Agency.  “This will have a high economic-development impact, it will have a great return on investment, and it is a fully financed project.”

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2013/12/21/apartments-planned-for-empty-bank-building.html

Below is the location map that was included in the previous report about the renovation of the historic 8-story Citizens Building at the southwest corner of Gay & High for 65 apartments and for an additional 89 apartments plus a parking garage planned to be built at the northwest corner of Gay & High on an existing surface parking lot:

 

 

Below is GIS map from the Franklin County Auditor's website showing the same area at Gay & High.  I've highlighted the two project areas, as follows:

RED:  The historic 8-story Citizens Building to be renovated for 65 apartments.

BLUE: The existing surface parking lot where an additional 89 apartments plus a parking garage are planned to be built.

 

I'm estimating where the new construction for the 89 apartments plus parking garage would go at this northwest corner of Gay & High.  But, based on the map in the Dispatch and the property ownership recorded by the County Auditor, this looks accurate.  The property ownership on the quarter-block at the NW corner of Gay & High is as follows:

- Blue area is owned by Gay & High LLC, which was purchased in 2006 by an owner with a Columbus mailing address;

- Brown area is owned by CEM LP, which was purchased in 1996 by APCOA/Standard Parking Inc. with a Chicago mailing address;

- There is one existing building on this quarter-block - 22 W. Gay Street - a 3-story commercial building purchased in 2005 by the Diamond Exchange, which has operated its business there since 2005;

- The quarter-block north of the mid-block Elm Street is owned by Park National Bank, was purchased in 2011 and has a Columbus mailing address.

 

Here are a few photos of the Gay & High area.  Below is a 2005 photo of the Diamond Exchange Building at 22 W. Gay Street.  The surface parking lot where the 89 apartments and parking garage are planned is to the right (east) of this building.  This building is bordered to the east and north by a narrow 10' alley that is still recorded as being a public right-of-way and not under private ownership.  Because this photo is from 2005, the two-way conversion of Gay Street had not yet been done.  The head-in parking shown in the 2005 photo was part of the former one-way configuration.  The current two-way configuration of Gay Street eliminated that head-in parking for parallel parking.  As part of that work, the streetlight in front of the building was updated and a nicely landscaped median was installed in front of 22 W. Gay Street.

 

Below is a Google streetview image from June 2011 of the northwest corner of Gay & High.  High Street is to the right and Gay Street is to the left.  The Diamond Exchange Building at 22 W. Gay Street is located immediately west of the surface parking lot.  The city-owned 6-story Beacon Building is located further west at Gay & Front.  At the extreme left of this image is the landscaped median installed as part of Gay Street's conversion to two-way traffic.

 

Below is a Google streetview image from June 2012 of Gay & High.  This view is looking west down Gay Street past High Street.  The 8-story Citizens Building at the southwest corner is to the left.  The existing surface lot at the northwest corner is to the right.

I believe the new building will stretch to Elm.

Is there anything yet that actually shows whether the new building stretches to Elm? Nothing I've read has suggested that to be true.

Nothing you've read suggests anything else either.

The graphic in reply #116 shows an outline of a box that only extends part of the way towards Elm. 

 

Columbo also shows a map that designates north of that area to be owned by a different entity.

Elizabeth Lessner's debut restaurant in Columbus - Betty’s Fine Food and Spirits - is moving from its Short North location to Gay Street in Downtown.  Betty's will be closing its Short North location at the end of January after operating there since 2001.  The new location at 340 E. Gay Street is a suburban-style holdover property in this rapidly transforming part of downtown. 

 

The single-story building they will be occupying is roughly the same square footage as the Short North Betty's, but with a different shape that will allow for some upgrades.  One of those upgrades is a conversion of the surface parking lot in front of the building into an outdoor dining patio.  That outdoor patio will be connected to the interior with glazed garage doors that will open up during warm weather. -- Below is a photo of the existing building at 340 E. Gay Street -- a Google Map for the area is at http://goo.gl/maps/rM7Eg:

 

 

This new Betty's location will be in between the growing Neighborhood Launch residential neighborhood being developed by the Edwards Companies to the west and the evolving Columbus College of Art & Design campus to the east.  This location at the northwest corner of Gay & Grant is opposite the southeast corner of Gay & Grant, where the 7-story Abigail Apartment Building was recently built, and one block north of Broad & Grant, where the historic Seneca Hotel was recently renovated into the Seneca Apartments.

 

This location is also within an emerging retail block in this area.  It is immediately south of the newly opened Hills Market and another Lessner/Columbus Food League owned restaurant, the Grass Skirt Tiki Room.  A second Café Brioso location announced it would be locating within this block - previously posted here in the Neighborhood Launch thread - to be located next to the historic church being renovated by Edwards and the first of two five-story apartment buildings being built on E. Long Street.

 

Below are two local media reports about Betty's moving from the Short North into Downtown:

 

Columbus Underground: Betty’s Moving from Short North to Gay Street

 

Columbus Dispatch: Betty’s to leave Short North location

Was that one of the 8 million tire stores downtown?

It might have been - the sign on the property advertised "high ceilings".  Although its listing said the previous use was office space.

 

Incidentially, one of reasons given by Lessner for moving out of the Short North was high rent.  That and some costly HVAC upgrades needed to continue operating at that location.  I seem to remember you asking in another thread about why more businesses don't seek lower rent locations away from High Street in the Short North. 

 

Here's more about the high rent situation being a factor in this move from Business First and a follow-up story in today's Dispatch:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2014/01/bettys-moving-from-short-north-to-gay.html

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2014/01/03/high-rent-ventilation-woes-spur-move-of-bettys-restaurant.html

I am glad to see Betty's staying in business and locating in an emerging corner of downtown, but I was hoping that building would disappear sooner than later. The form will not be too much different from a suburban restaurant.

More news about the building at 340 E. Gay Street (northwest corner of Gay & Grant) that a week ago Betty's announced it was moving into from its Short North location.  The building will also be getting a new format Domino's pizza store in a half of the interior.  More about this from the Dispatch below:

 

Domino’s to provide ‘pizza theater’ at new Downtown store

By Mary Vanac, The Columbus Dispatch

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 - 1:44 AM

 

Get used to watching your Domino’s pizza being made.  The chain is rolling out its “pizza theater” format stores, and a local Domino’s Pizza franchisee plans to open his chain’s second such restaurant in the Columbus area by the end of June.

 

Glen Stroud, who owns a dozen Domino’s locations in and around Columbus, chose the building on the northwest corner of E. Gay Street and N. Grant Avenue for his new-concept restaurant because of its proximity to Downtown. ... The Domino’s franchisee also picked the spot because it offers parking for his company’s new Smart cars, which will be used to deliver pizzas in an area from German Village to the Arena District, starting this summer.

 

Stroud’s latest restaurant will go into the building next to the Hills Market Downtown, which opened early last year, and just west of the Columbus College of Art & Design. ... A week ago, Columbus restaurant entrepreneur Elizabeth Lessner said she will move her Betty’s Fine Food & Spirits from its Short North site to the other half of the building that Domino’s will occupy, probably this summer.

 

Domino’s new format offers in-store seating, an open kitchen so customers can watch the pizza-making process. ... Expect to see the new format chainwide. ... The first new-concept Domino’s in the Columbus area opened in Powell in December.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2014/01/08/new-style-dominos-planned-downtown.html

Some news about another Columbus Food League restaurant - Tip Top at 73 E. Gay Street.  It looks like some facade work to the Tip Top might be in its future.

 

 

Lessners buy Tip Top building on Gay Street

By Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Business First - Jan. 17, 2014, 3:44pm EST

 

Liz Lessner and her brother Tim Lessner of the Columbus Food League have bought the 73 E. Gay St. property where they have operated the Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails since May 2007.

(. . .)

Liz Lessner said in a voice mail that her lease with a Schottenstein Property Group affiliate allowed for a purchase of the property. “The good news is now that we own the building, we can put some money into leasehold improvements,” she said, such as renovations to the restaurant’s facade.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2014/01/lessners-buy-tip-top-building-on-gay.html

Late December 2013 construction photos of the Long Street Apartment Building from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-december-2013

 

Front & side view from Long Street

 

Side & rear view from Normandy Avenue

More about the Police HQ Building.  That $6.2 million project to remove the building's exterior stone, add insulation, and then reinstall the stone exterior was completed last year.  This is after water pipes froze and broke when the building opened in 1991 ... and extra insulation was added in 1994 ... and a study in 2012 found that the new insulation was improperly installed.

 

So the building should be well prepared for this winter brutally cold temperatures, right?  Wrong.  On January 8, 2014, another water pipe burst - this time flooding the Chief of Police's office, among others.  So the city is authorizing another $1.47 million for another plumbing fix to the building. 

 

After this, one might conclude that last year insulation project was a failure.  Not so!  According to a deputy director in the city's building management division, that work might have prevented more burst pipes this winter.  From the below linked article: “If that work hadn’t been done, with the severe cold, it would have been far worse,” he said. --- Well that's comforting!!! --- It's looking like no amount of money can salvage this Buck Rinehart era dog-of-a-building.

 

Dispatch: Plumbing problems at police HQ to get $1.47 million fix

More about the Police HQ Building.  That $6.2 million project to remove the building's exterior stone, add insulation, and then reinstall the stone exterior was completed last year.  This is after water pipes froze and broke when the building opened in 1991 ... and extra insulation was added in 1994 ... and a study in 2012 found that the new insulation was improperly installed.

 

So the building should be well prepared for this winter brutally cold temperatures, right?  Wrong.  On January 8, 2014, another water pipe burst - this time flooding the Chief of Police's office, among others.  So the city is authorizing another $1.47 million for another plumbing fix to the building. 

 

After this, one might conclude that last year insulation project was a failure.  Not so!  According to a deputy director in the city's building management division, that work might have prevented more burst pipes this winter.  From the below linked article: “If that work hadn’t been done, with the severe cold, it would have been far worse,” he said. --- Well that's comforting!!! --- It's looking like no amount of money can salvage this Buck Rinehart era dog-of-a-building.

 

Dispatch: Plumbing problems at police HQ to get $1.47 million fix

 

It seems clear that Coleman would love for the building to be torn down and replaced, and it might make financial sense to do so.  It's been nothing but an expensive hassle since it was constructed.  I wouldn't be surprised if longer-term plans include that very scenario.  In fact, the building at 109 N. Front is going to be torn down and replaced within the next year or so.  I wonder if that can serve as a temporary home until the HQ is replaced.

Moonlight Market, Gay Street's monthly Saturday night retail event is returning for a second year, starting on April 12.  The event is Gay Street's version of the Short North's long-running Gallery Hop.  Gay Street's Moonlight Market began in April 2013 and operated on the second Saturday of each month until December 2013.  It generally operates on the portion of Gay Street between High Street and Third Street.

 

I believe I posted something about last year's inaugural Moonlight Market here - but it probably got deleted during the Great UO Server Crash of 2013.  More about Gay Street's Moonlight Market from the Dispatch at below link:

 

Dispatch: Moonlight Market returns to Gay Street on April 12

More about the 2014 Moonlight Market on Gay Street from CU at http://www.columbusunderground.com/the-moonlight-market-returns-to-gay-street-for-2014-season

Late March 2014 construction photos of the Long Street Apartment Building from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-march-2014-part-1

 

Front & side view from Long Street

 

Side & rear view from Sixth Street

The building at the SE corner of Gay Stret at High Street is surrounded by fire trucks. It smells like fire around the neighborhood, but I couldn't tell if there was any damage to the building. (11 East Gay)

Fire crews were just arriving as I was walking home from work. Somewhat heavy smoke came out of Sugar Daddy's for about 20 minutes, but I imagine there was more smoke damage than building damage.

The Dispatch had a little about the fire at http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/04/16/sugardaddys-bake-shop-suffers-smoke-damage.html

 

CU had more at http://www.columbusunderground.com/gay-street-fire-damages-three-retail-businesses

 

According to both sources, a fire broke out in the basement of the four-story building at 11 E. Gay Street last night.  Columbus firefighters contained the fire, but not before it had spread into the ground floor of the building.  All three retail businesses located on the ground floor (Sugardaddy’s Sumptuous Sweeties, Robert Mason Co, and Sprint Preferred Wireless) are closed indefinitely pending cleanup and restoration work.  From the photos at CU, it appears that smoke and water damage are the main damage on the ground floor.

After that fire at the southeast corner of Gay & High, we could use some good news.  And CU has provided us with some at http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/edwards-co-planning-apartments-at-gay-high/page/5 involving the northwest corner of Gay & High, opposite the fire location.  This is the corner that Edwards Cos. said they would build a new building on an existing parking lot - and was previously posted here earlier in this thread.

 

In that CU thread, someone found architectural renderings for that proposed project at http://www.kephart.com/kephart-gallery/on-the-boards/85-n-hig.  Below are two of those renderings of the building - called 85 N High on the Kephart site.  The first is a view of the building from High Street.  The second is a view of the building from the corner of Gay & High.

The Kephart site at http://www.kephart.com/kephart-gallery/on-the-boards/85-n-hig has two other renderings showing street level views of the ground floor retail in the project.  According to the Kephart site, the project has 96 units, 178 parking spaces and 4,300 sq. ft. of ground floor retail.  It also looks like it might extend along High Street to the mid-block alley called Elm Street (as ink thought it might earlier).  However, since the developer has yet to release these renderings under its own name or present any official presentation to the Downtown Commission, these renderings should be regarded as conceptual for now.

I would like a more complete street-wall but whatever.

Cool that it's adding something, but for such a good location it underwhelms.

Columbus Underground has some more about the 85 N High project in a formal report at http://www.columbusunderground.com/edwards-communities-contemplates-infill-at-gay-and-high.  The only comment from Edwards in the report was the following:

 

"While no official plans have gone in front of the Downtown Commission for review, preliminary compliance drawings have been submitted to the city.  CU Urban Development Staff Writer Brent Warren reached out to representatives at Edwards for comment, but was only told that the company is still studying their intent and design, and that the compliance meeting was to get feedback for that purpose."

 

It is likely the "preliminary compliance drawings" they refer to are related to building code permits - which focuses mostly on the internal aspects of the project.  The exterior aspects of the project - particularly the architectural appearance - is likely a work in progress at this point.  Furthermore, Kephart has pulled the website page with the 85 N High renderings and project stats - bolstering the idea that they are preliminary and likely to change.

The Dispatch had more about last week's fire at Gay & High at http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2014/04/19/its-like-a-death.html.  In it, the building's owner said the fire was sparked by old electrical wiring running thru floor joists in the basement.  The article also assessed the futures of the three businesses operating in the first floor of the building.

 

- Robert Mason Co. stationery shop suffered the worst damage.  All their inventory was in the basement and was lost.

 

- Sugardaddy's Sumptutous Sweeties came out a little better - but still estimates a 7 to 9 month recovery to relocate into the building.  Fortunately for them, they had an additional retail location in the Polaris area and an online store which are still operating.  Sugardaddy's even renamed one of their brownies "the Firehouse" in honor of the firefighters who saved what could be saved last week.

 

- Sprint Wireless suffered the least damage and might reopen in 60 days.  Plus they have dozens of other locations to direct customers to.

2nd phase of Edwards’ Bishop’s Walk condos priced as construction nears

 

 

The next phase of the Bishop’s Walk condominium development in downtown Columbus is attracting early interest.

 

Developer Edwards Cos. released pricing late Sunday for 15 of the 26 townhouses and flats planned for the Bishop’s Walk II project that were approved by the Downtown Commission nearly 10 months ago. The units on East Gay Street east of Normandy Avenue already have attracted buyers.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2014/05/2nd-phase-of-edwards-bishop-s-walk-condos-priced.html

Columbus Underground is reporting that 7 of 15 units on the market for the 2nd phase of the Bishop's Walk condos have been pre-sold.  Also, construction could start in June, which would push completion to March or April of 2015. 

 

Plus - at the CU link below - there's a really cool before-and-after GIF showing the existing parking lot at Normandy and Gay transforming into the new condos.

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/new-bishops-walk-condos-downtown-going-fast-bw1

Renovation Planned for 34-38 W. Gay Street

 

 

Included in Dispatch article "Downtown upgrades attract retailers".  Below is an excerpt from the article (which gives the erroneous address of 34-38 E. Gay Street):

 

Architects Sara Purcell and John Reagan know one way to keep busy is to buy and renovate your own buildings.  The duo behind Reagan Purcell Architects just bought its fifth investment property, and plans to move to the E. Gay Street building from its Short North building in the spring.

 

Through their Mohawk Properties, the pair bought 34-38 W. Gay St. for $550,000 at the end of August, according to property records.  They now plan to invest $250,000 in a renovation of the three-story brick building that was originally built as a hotel in 1905.  “We’re kind of excited about what the city’s been doing Downtown,” Reagan said.  “We really like what’s been done on Gay Street and along the riverfront, and this is right in the heart of that whole area.”

 

Reagan and Purcell plan to go before the Downtown Commission on Tuesday to present their plans for the exterior, which include the addition of large windows and a canopy.  The building has sat empty for a few years.  Reagan says that as they’ve done with other properties, the plan is for the 25-year-old architecture firm to occupy the upper floors and lease out the ground floor, possibly to local retailers.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2011/09/25/downtown-upgrades-attract-retailers.html

 

The four-story stone building with the red awnings (i.e. The Legal Aid Building) next to 34-38 W. Gay Street was purchased and featured in a recent Business First article.  That article has a photo of the both of these buildings.  In the photo below, it looks like renovation work is being done to 34-38 W. Gay Street.  The blue awnings have been removed from the ground floor storefront.  And on the upper two floors, the previous inoperable fixed pane windows have been replaced with operable double hung windows.

 

And now, here's the Business First article about the neighboring four-story building at 40 W. Gay Street being purchased.  I was surprised to learn about its Hustler history.  I've always known it as The Legal Aid Building, which apparantly it has been since they purchased the building from Larry Flynt in 1981, and operated there until they moved to another location in 2007.

 

Former “Hustler” offices in downtown Columbus set for medical spa, residence

By Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Columbus Business First - May 30, 2014, 4:12pm EDT

 

A physician has purchased the former Columbus headquarters of porn publisher Larry Flynt’s Hustler magazine.  Dr. Justin Harper’s affiliate, Harper Holdings LLC, paid $385,000 for the building at 40 W. Gay St. in late April and is renovating the ground floor for a medical spa. ... The Legal Aid Society of Columbus bought the building in 1981 after Flynt put it on the selling block years earlier.  The legal assistance group departed the property about seven years ago for 1108 City Park Ave.

(. . .)

Harper has moved his residence into the building’s fourth floor from Upper Arlington as he works toward opening the business within a couple of months. ... Harper plans to redevelop about half of the building’s ground level for the spa to start.  A middle floor may be leased to other startup businesses that need office space.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/05/30/former-hustler-offices-in-downtown-columbus-set.html

 

The four-story stone building with the red awnings (i.e. The Legal Aid Building) next to 34-38 W. Gay Street was purchased and featured in a recent Business First article.  That article has a photo of the both of these buildings.  In the photo below, it looks like renovation work is being done to 34-38 W. Gay Street.  The blue awnings have been removed from the ground floor storefront.  And on the upper two floors, the previous inoperable fixed pane windows have been replaced with operable double hung windows.

 

 

I don't know if any work is being done to the building now. I took this shot last summer and it looks to be in the same state as in that photo.

The four-story stone building with the red awnings (i.e. The Legal Aid Building) next to 34-38 W. Gay Street was purchased and featured in a recent Business First article.  That article has a photo of the both of these buildings.  In the photo below, it looks like renovation work is being done to 34-38 W. Gay Street.  The blue awnings have been removed from the ground floor storefront.  And on the upper two floors, the previous inoperable fixed pane windows have been replaced with operable double hung windows.

 

 

I don't know if any work is being done to the building now. I took this shot last summer and it looks to be in the same state as in that photo.

 

 

Thanks for the photo update, Eridony.  I was going to guess that the architecture firm that brought 36 W. Gay Street had finished their upper floor renovations and moved in.  But after a quick net search, I'm not so sure. 

 

The firm's website - http://www.johnreaganarchitects.com/ - still lists their Short North address not the Gay Street address.  And their facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Reagan-Purcell-Architects/180133688678472 - is blank.

 

According to the 2011 Business First article about their purchase of 36 W. Gay Street: "Architects Sara Purcell and John Reagan - the duo behind Reagan Purcell Architects - just bought its fifth investment property, and plans to move to the E. Gay Street building from its Short North building in the spring (of 2012)." 

 

Also according to that 2011 article: "The plan is for the 25-year-old architecture firm to occupy the upper floors and lease out the ground floor." --- Now apparently the leasing of the ground floor is occurring, according to a recent Business First article at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/06/13/boutique-bridal-shop-leases-space-in-downtown-s.html  (excerpt below)

Here's an excerpt of that recent Business First article about part of the ground floor of 36 W. Gay Street leasing to a boutique bridal shop...

 

Boutique bridal shop leases space in downtown’s Gay Street retail corridor

By Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Columbus Business First - Jun 13, 2014, 3:40pm EDT

 

Two sisters from Chicago plan to open their B. Loved Bridal shop this fall next to a planned medical spa (at 40 W. Gay St.) I wrote about a couple of weeks ago.

 

Jenny Bartosek and sister Lesley Bartosek will lease 1,800 square feet on the street-level of 36 W. Gay Street in September or early October to fill what they see as an opening for a boutique operation that’s also close to a Diamond Cellar jewelry store (at 22 W. Gay St.).

 

Jenny Bartosek told me she came to Columbus three years ago and works at the Ohio Department of Health while her sister stayed in Chicago and has worked as an event and meeting planner.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/06/13/boutique-bridal-shop-leases-space-in-downtown-s.html

Columbus Underground has some Neighborhood Launch updates and a brief photo-tour at http://www.columbusunderground.com/first-look-the-normandy-apartments-and-the-welsh-bw1

 

 

Above is a late June photo of The Normandy, a five-story building facing Long Street between Normandy Avenue and North 6th Street, that will house 130 apartment units.  According to the CU report, tenants are scheduled to begin moving in on August 1st. 

 

 

Above is a late June photo of The Welsh.  This is the historic church that the Edwards Companies purchased from Faith Mission.  This former church is being renovated into a community center for Neighborhood Launch residents.  The renovated church will have a community space in the first floor sanctuary space, a gym in the basement and - eventually - a swimming pool in the back of the property.  According to the CU report, also on track for completion this fall are street-level retail storefronts in the two historic buildings just to the east on Long Street - which will also a new Cafe Brioso roasting facility and coffee bar.

 

Interior photos for both the Normandy and the Welsh are at http://www.columbusunderground.com/first-look-the-normandy-apartments-and-the-welsh-bw1

In a separate posting from Walker Evans at CU over at http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/what-is-up-next-at-neighborhood-launch/page/4 there are more Neighborhood Launch updates.  Below is an image posted by Walker of an updated site map for Neighborhood Launch hanging inside their leasing office.

 

 

- This updated site map shows The Normandy apartment building and The Welch community center/retail storefronts described in the previous post.  Also shown is The Neilston - a yet-to-be-built apartment building clone of The Normandy along Long Street - that has previously been discussed in this thread. 

 

- The two "future development" areas facing Gay Street have also previously been discussed in this thread.  The one between Normandy Avenue and Sixth Street is the 2nd phase of the Bishop's Walk condo rowhouses.  The second is a taller loft condo building east of Sixth Street. 

 

- Also shown on the updated site map are the retail developments along Grant Avenue.  The Hills Downtown Market and Grass Skirt Tiki Bar north of Hills has been completed since 2012.  A relocated Betty's restaurant and a Domino's Pizza are going into the building south of the Hills Market. (This was discussed HERE and HERE in the Gay Street Development thread.)

 

However, one building that is completely new on this updated map is a smaller building across Long Street from The Normandy apartment building.  This location at the northeast corner of Neilston & Long is currently a surface parking lot purchased by the Edwards Companies that is being used for construction equipment and parking.  Walker also posted a rendering of a two-story building for this site that is hanging inside the Neighborhood Launch leasing office.  No word on possible uses or construction date for this one yet:

 

It begins

 

This has been a slow demo.

Moonlight Market, Gay Street's monthly Saturday night retail event is returning for a second year, starting on April 12.  The event is Gay Street's version of the Short North's long-running Gallery Hop.  Gay Street's Moonlight Market began in April 2013 and operated on the second Saturday of each month until December 2013.  It generally operates on the portion of Gay Street between High Street and Third Street.

 

I'm the main event organizer for the Moonlight Market and I just wanted to say that it's gone really really well this year. We've been fortunate enough to have great weather every second Saturday so far, and the community has turned out in droves to support the sidewalk vendors, the retail trucks, and the brick-and-mortar businesses. Many of the businesses have told us that they're doing record sales days during the Moonlight Market now, and anticipate it as a great business day, just like shops in the Short North look forward to Gallery Hop.

 

Further, we've been able to expand our boundaries a bit to stretch across Third to have vendors by Cafe Rendezvous and Latitude 41, and for July's MM we wrapped around High Street (in front of Cafe Napolitana and Phatt Taco) and into the pedestrian alley in front of the new Oliver's restaurant. Great stuff!

 

Here's a few photo galleries from this year. Come check it out next month (August 9th) or any second Saturday if you haven't been in awhile. ;)

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/photos-moonlight-market-april-2014

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/photos-moonlight-market-may-2014

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/photos-moonlight-market-june-2014

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/moonlight-market-april-2014-19.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/moonlight-market-april-2014-12.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/moonlight-market-april-2014-16.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/themes/patterns/timthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.columbusunderground.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F05%2Fmay-moonlight-market-2014-23.jpg&q=90&w=650&zc=1&">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/may-moonlight-market-2014-31.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/may-moonlight-market-2014-09.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/may-moonlight-market-2014-06.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/may-moonlight-market-2014-04.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/may-moonlight-market-2014-01.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/themes/patterns/timthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.columbusunderground.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F06%2Fmoonlight-market.jpg&q=90&w=650&zc=1&">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/moonlight-market-04.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/moonlight-market-07.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/moonlight-market-42.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/moonlight-market-23.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/moonlight-market-31.jpg">

 

 

Love the concept.

This has been a slow demo.

 

It seems like they did 70% of it very quickly in a week or two and then…. STAAAAAP!!

 

The above photo - from the CU report - shows the building where Brioso Coffee will be moving in - the ground floor of a three-story building at 333 E. Long Street.  This is located next to a three-story building at 329 E. Long Street, which is also located next to the historic church at 315 E. Long Street that the Faith Mission was previously using as a homeless shelter. 

 

In 2012, Edwards Companies - the developer of Neighborhood Launch - swapped a nearby larger warehouse building with the Faith Mission for this historic church - previously posted here in this thread.  According to the County Auditor's property records, Edwards Companies also purchased the adjacent three-story buildings at 329 & 333 E. Long Street at the same time.

 

This marks the second retail venture near the Neighborhood Launch development that Edwards Companies has helped make happen.  The first was the Hills Market downtown grocery store - previously reported here in 2011 in the Downtown Grocery Store development thread.  The new Brioso Coffee retail store and roasting facility will also be located within the same block as the Hills Market, which opened earlier this year.  This block also contains the Grass Skirt Tiki Room, a Columbus Food League restaurant venture that renovated a building next to the Hills Market and opened in 2012.

 

An update on the Cafe Brioso/Brioso Coffee venture that is planned to open at the above location next to Neighborhood Launch:

 

Cafe Brioso begins crowdfunding campaign for new Discovery District coffee shop

By Evan Weese, Staff Reporter

Columbus Business First - August 20, 2014, 3:37pm EDT

 

Cafe Brioso is raising money from crowdfunding backers to open a second shop just west of the Columbus College of Art & Design in the Discovery District.  The independent coffee shop – at Gay and High streets downtown – wants to pull in $20,000 on Fundable.com as it awaits approval for a $190,000 Small Business Administration-backed bank loan, President Jeff Davis told me.  “This helps to cover design fees, down payment for contractor, security deposit ... so I can move this project along,” Davis said.

(. . .)

The company late last year signed a lease for the ground floor space of the Edwards Cos. development at 329 E. Long St., the former Faith Mission building being converted to apartments, and Davis said they spent $80,000 on roasting equipment. ... The company’s second shop is pegged for an early 2015 opening.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/08/18/cafe-brioso-begins-crowdfunding-campaign-for-new.html

New restaurant opened at 51 E. Gay Street: http://www.columbusunderground.com/first-look-the-carvery-aw1

 

 

More about the restaurants moving into 340 E. Gay Street.  It was previously reported HERE that Betty's was going to relocate from the Short North into this building.  This was followed by an anouncement HERE that Domino's Pizza was going to join's Betty's in the building.

 

Now it's being reported that Betty's will not longer relocate into 340 E. Gay Street.  Instead Lomonico’s, which opened its first restaurant in last October in Pickerington, will take over that space in the building.  Domino's is still planning to open there.  So they'll now be a pizza place next to another pizza place in the building! 

 

More about Lomonico's located at 340 E. Gay Street from CU and an article from Business First about why Betty's choose not to relocate there at the link below:

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/lomonicos-restaurant-opening-downtown-location

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2014/08/betty-s-by-osu-open-24-7-liz-lessner-keeping-open.html