A trio of updates on ground floor retail projects in the High to Third block of Gay Street.  The first is an update on 51-53 E. Gay Street, previously posted below:

 

Meanwhile the 51 E. Gay Street storefront reconstruction keeps getting better and better.

 

Photo update from http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/51-e-gay-st/page/2

 

 

According to Columbus Alive in their July 10 blog post - Two new independent record stores set to open in Columbus this summer: "On the other end of the simplicity-complexity spectrum is Vinyl Frontier.  The shop, located near Tip Top at 53 E. Gay St., is tentatively scheduled to be open by mid-August with a grand opening on Friday before Labor Day."

The next update is little closer to High Street on the same side of Gay Street as The Vinyl Frontier record store.  A frozen yogurt shop is currently renovating the interior of 39 E. Gay Street.  The shop is to be called '39 Below FroYo' and will be moving in the eastern-most ground floor retail space in the five-story stone building next to Pearl Alley.  Below is an older photo of the building from the five-story building's leasing site.

 

 

The frozen yogurt shop will in the ground floor retail space furthest left in the photo (aka the former Sign-a-Rama space where the blue neon is).  39 Below FroYo has some photos of their interior work to date at their facebook page.  And one of downtown's Special Improvement District's, the Capital Crossroads SID, interviewed the owner at Inside 43215: Screamin' Delish.

The final update is further west on Gay Street - at the ground floor of the four story brick building across Pearl Alley from the previously mentioned five-story stone building.  At long last, the downtown location for ZenCha Tea Salon is ready to open at 19 E. Gay Street.

 

Columbus Underground has a preview of the ZenCha space in advance of their official grand opening.  Below is an interior and exterior photo from CU at First Look: ZenCha Tea Salon on Gay Street.

 

 

That was quick, I walked by there on Monday and it looked like it still needed a bunch of work.

Best downtown street in Cbus bar none.

Updates from Columbus Underground about when two major parts of the Neighborhood Launch downtown residential development might break ground from 'Neighborhood Launch to Break Ground on New Apartments and Condos in 2012'.

 

 

According to the Columbus Underground report, Jeff Edwards, President of Edwards Companies, believes they will be ready to start digging on the first of the two Long Street apartment buildings shown above by the end of July.  The apartment building to the east - between Sixth Street and Normandy Street -  would be built first with an estimated 12 month construction time.  Edwards anticipates that the second apartment building - located between Normandy Street and Fifth Street - would start within 60 to 90 days of the finish of the first building.

 

 

Edwards was less certain on the construction start for the proposed five-story condo building at corner of Sixth Street and Gay Street (shown above).  But he did say they would like to begin construction before the end of 2012.  He also announced that the condo building would have eight more units then originally announced.  More of the units would be one bedroom, since those have been the best-selling units in the previous phases of Neighborhood Launch.  The five-story building will now have a total of 33 units.

 

Edwards also announced that once this five-story condo building at Sixth & Gay is completed, the next phase of Neighborhood Launch would be the development of a second Bishop’s Walk building that would mirror the first and extend down Gay Street.

Get that part of downtown goin'!

I really like Bishop's Walk, but that condo building design is one of the best I've seen out of all the recent or ongoing projects in the city.  There are very very few modern style buildings going up, and even fewer that look good.

Over the weekend, two granite lion statues were moved from front entrance of the current Police Headquarters Building to the front entrance of old Police HQ Building next door.  The old Police HQ building is being renovated for city administrative office space.  The two lions originally flanked the entrance to this circa 1929 building.  When the new police headquarters building was finished next door in 1991, the two lions were moved to flank the new building's entrance.

 

Although restoring the two granite lion statues to their original location was always part of this project (and a well-excepted tenet of historic preservation), someone must have left the Police Department out of the loop.  The removal of the two lions from the current police building shocked and surprised the Police and their FOP.  Below is a photo of the lions at their new/old/original location and an article from the Dispatch about it:

 

 

Dispatch: Granite lions’ exit outrages police

 

According to the article, it appears that the city will be keeping the 1929 lions at their original 1929 location.  But also that new sculptures are planned for the current police headquarters entrance.  Which, according to the mayor's spokesman, will either be lions or something else of the Police Department's choosing.

The City of Columbus' downtown campus plan was also in the news this week for more than moving two granite lion statues.  Last month, Columbus City Council approved funds for demolishing the four-story city office building at 109 N. Front Street.  Below is photo of 109 N. Front Street and a recent article in the Dispatch about it:

 

 

Dispatch: Columbus wants to consolidate city offices

 

As you can see from the renderings posted on this thread's previous page, the demolition of 109 N. Front Street was always part of this downtown campus plan.  The city offices in the four-story 109 Building will be moved into the five-story Old Police Headquarters Building, which is currently being renovated.  The renovated Old Police HQ Building is scheduled to open in Spring 2013.  After that, the City is planning to approve a contract in Summer 2013 for asbestos removal and demolition of the 109 Building.  According to the article, the City has a long-term plan to rebuild at the 109 location.  Although it is unclear what the replacement construction would ultimately be.  In the short-term, the 109 location will be green space - along with the existing parking lot immediately south of 109.

Pretty aerial view of the former Police HQ Building and its surroundings from the LeVeque parking garage across Front Street by Columbus Underground.  The former Police HQ Building is being renovated for city office space.  That renovation includes a full height glass addition to the north and east sides of the building, which is visible in this view looking to the northwest from the parking garage. 

 

The red brick building to the right currently contains some of the city offices that will relocate into the renovated building.  As was mentioned in the previous post, this building is slated for demolition.  That building footprint and the remaining surface parking lot next to it would be converted into green space.  The building in the middle is the current Police Headquarters Building.

 

Some unexpectedly good news regarding the Faith Mission located next to the 260-unit Long Street Apartments phase of the Neighborhood Launch Development shown in the below rendering - the Faith Mission church is the brick building to the extreme left in the rendering.  Below the rendering is a photo of the church located at 315 E. Long Street:

 

 

 

 

COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Property swap gives Faith Mission more space

 

BUSINESS FIRST: Faith Mission swaps sites with Edwards Cos. along Long Street

 

According to the above two articles, the Faith Mission is trading its headquarters - the historic church at 315 E. Long Street - to the Edwards Companies in exchange for a warehouse building two blocks north at 245 N. Grant Avenue owned by Edwards. 

 

The 245 N. Grant Avenue building will provide new offices for the Faith Mission and a new home for the mission's meal service - which is now located in its men's shelter at 121 N. 6th Street.  The men's shelter building will continue to be owned by Faith Mission.  Otherwise, the Faith Mission would be moving from the 6,800 sq. ft. church building valued by the Franklin County Auditor at $467,000 into a 19,120 sq. ft. warehouse building valued at $800,000.

 

The Edwards development company will take over the soon-to-be former Faith Mission headquarters at 315 E. Long Street - which was built in 1889 as the Welsh Presbyterian Church and is on the National Register of Historic Places.  Unfortunately, due to its many years of use as a homeless shelter and clinic, the building's interior has few traces of its former religious use.  The Edwards Companies plans to use the church as a sales office and community center for the soon-to-be-built 260-unit Long Street Apartments phase of its Neighborhood Launch Development.

Good to hear. Sucks that the new location is a bit more out of the way, but I can't say I'd want to live across from Faith Mission in its current state.

Sucks that the new location is a bit more out of the way,

 

Two blocks north is not exactly "out of the way".  Especially when the trade-off is a newer, bigger and more usable building for the Faith Mission - which is a quality organization. 

Ground breaking has begun in the Neighborhood Launch development for the first of two five-story apartment buildings facing Long Street.  More information about this at Columbus Underground in the Two New Five-Story Apartment Buildings at Neighborhood Launch thread and the Neighborhood Launch to Build 260 New Downtown Apartment Units thread. 

 

Here are a couple of photos of the asphalt getting peeled off the existing parking lot where the apartment building will be built.  Both views are looking north from a mid-block alley toward Long Street:

 

 

 

^More about the first of two five-story apartment buildings being built along Long Street as part of the Neighborhood Launch development from Columbus Underground's Construction Roundup - October 2012.  This photo is viewing the construction site looking west toward the central part of downtown:

 

Another photo of the Neighborhood Launch construction site facing Long Street from the MyUrbanhood twitter feed.  Excavation going below-grade for the underground parking that will be part of this apartment building.

 

Neighborhood Launch expansion detailed in filing

Business First by Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Date: Tuesday, December 4, 2012, 2:40pm EST

 

Edwards Cos.’ plans for its Neighborhood Launch development in downtown Columbus are expanding with more high-density rental housing along East Long Street, the developer has confirmed.

 

The company's One Neighborhood New Community Authority originally contemplated developing 300 apartments, when the Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority in October 2010 sold nearly $2.5 million in tax-exempt bonds in support of the project.  President Jeff Edwards last week told IRR Corporate & Public Finance LLC, a consulting firm monitoring the tax-free bonds, that he now expects to build 450 units.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2012/12/neighborhood-launch-expanding.html

Along the same lines of the above article about the Neighborhood Launch development growing and evolving.  The Neighborhood Launch website has a 2012 Fall/Winter Newsletter for the development available online here.  An interesting part of the newsletter was an illustrative map of the development.  A copy of which is posted below:

 

 

With so many phases featuring different architectural styles, its sometimes difficult to know which Neighborhood Launch style/phase goes where.  The illustrative map shows the four built phases along Gay Street - starting with the blue townhouses at Fourth & Gay - to the courtyard building between Fourth & Fifth - to the Modern-styled building at Fifth & Gay - to the Bishop's Walk townhomes from Fifth to Sixth.  The map also shows the Long Street Apartment Building which recently began construction and the Loft Building at Sixth & Gay which has not begun construction yet.  The map also includes the new retail establishments along Grant Avenue next to Neighborhood Launch and the Faith Mission church that the development recently acquired for future use as a sales office and community center.

Last Sunday's Dispatch had a really nice profile of Gay Street.  The piece focused on the smaller retail businesses that have moved into the Gay Street corridor, with interviews of many of the business owners.  From one of the oldest "new" businesses - Cafe Brioso which opened in 2000.  To the newest "new" business - Vinyl Frontier record shop which opened in October 2012.

 

Below is the link to the article from the Dispatch.  Also below is a map showing the new development that has occurred in the Gay Street corridor over the past decade - and a photo of Gay Street taken from High Street looking eastward:

 

Gay Street: 'Ground zero' of Downtown comeback

 

 

 

 

^Nice article. I am hopeful that the success of Gay Street will help drive redevelopment of the Madisons and White-Haines buildings at the corner of Gay and High.

Had my wedding reception on Gay St, shout out to the Vault.

Had my wedding reception on Gay St, shout out to the Vault.

As did I. Its amazing how much has changed even in the 3 years that it has been since my wedding.

The State of Ohio awarded another round of Historic Preservation Tax Credits earlier this week.  The renovation of the historic church formerly used by The Faith Mission received an award.  This church was acquired by the Edwards Companies for its Neighborhood Launch development as part of a property swap with The Faith Mission earlier this year - previous post about this.

 

Below is the project description from the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Round 9 Award Announcement Press Release:

 

Welsh Presbyterian Church (Columbus, Franklin County)

 

Total Project Cost: $17,741,350

Total Tax Credit: $346,250

Address: 315 East Long Street, 43215

 

The former Welsh Presbyterian Church is being rehabilitated as part of a larger project by the Edwards Companies that includes the construction of an 129 unit apartment building along East Long Street in downtown Columbus.  Erected in 1888, the church will house two apartment units, rental offices, resident amenity space and an estimated 15 permanent jobs.

Quick question, and I'm sure it has already been mentioned in this thread, but I didn't find anything so....

 

Is this going to fill in a lot of the surface parking lots over/behind by those now brick rowhouse-like condos along Gay Street?  If so, this is great news.  I was impressed with those when in the general area, and is a better version (in my opinion) of what has gone in over at RiverSouth.  Keep filling in those lots, Columbus.

^ I'm assuming you are referring to these brick rowhouse condos along Gay Street (pictured below)...

 

 

The parking lots behind and to the east of those condos will be filled with future phases of this development.  All the parking lots between Fifth Street, Long Street, Sixth Street and Gay Street are now controlled by the Neighborhood Launch developer.  A large version of the Neighborhood Launch Master Plan is located here and an updated progress version is located here.  Also there's a bunch more photos of those beautifully done rowhouse condos called "Bishop's Walk" at the Neighborhood Launch facebook page.

More construction photos of the first of two five-story apartment buildings being built along Long Street as part of the Neighborhood Launch development from Columbus Underground's Construction Roundup - December 2012.  The photos show the Neighborhood Launch Long Street construction site looking west, north and east:

 

Looking west toward the CBD downtown core

 

 

Looking north toward Long Street

 

 

Looking east toward the Welsh Presbyterian Church acquired by Neighborhood Launch from the VOA

for future use as community space and sales office for the NL development

ZenCha has been a great addition to downtown.

Last Sunday's Dispatch had a really nice profile of Gay Street.  The piece focused on the smaller retail businesses that have moved into the Gay Street corridor, with interviews of many of the business owners.  From one of the oldest "new" businesses - Cafe Brioso which opened in 2000.  To the newest "new" business - Vinyl Frontier record shop which opened in October 2012.

 

Below is the link to the article from the Dispatch.  Also below is a map showing the new development that has occurred in the Gay Street corridor over the past decade - and a photo of Gay Street taken from High Street looking eastward:

 

Gay Street: 'Ground zero' of Downtown comeback

 

 

 

 

 

The Dispatch article was great, though I felt like it was targeted at people who haven't been Downtown in over a decade (Brioso celebrated 10 years last summer, they're not exactly newbies to the street).

 

One thing the article didn't mention is the great mix of businesses and organizations that call Gay Street home in the offices above the retailers. There are graphic design firms, advertising agencies, law offices of all sizes, social media consultants, urban planners, and more. Oh, and ColumbusUnderground's offices are on Gay Street too. ;)

A Walker Ninja post!

Another construction update on the City's downtown campus plan and renovation of the former Police HQ Building into city office space from the Construction Roundup - December 2012 at Columbus Underground.  These two photos arguably hi-light the best and worst ascepts of this project.

 

The worst ascept: The glass addition to the former Police HQ Building.  As has been said before, an ugly and unnecessary addition to an historic building whose exterior was previously restored to its original appearance.

 

The best ascept: Returning Gay Street to two-way traffic.  Previously, Gay Street between Front Street and Marconi Boulevard was one-way and restricted to the public.  A guard shack used to be in the middle of the street to make sure you were there "for city business".  Now the shack is gone and the street will be open to two-way traffic.  Just like the rest of Gay Street east of Front.

The campus idea seems reasonable, but that addition is just weird. 

Hahaha, it looks like Cobra Commander!

 

The good news is definitely good news, though. I always thought it was weird that they just closed down the street there for "srs bizness". When was that, like, '90? I felt like that part of Columbus was the by the Congressional Office Buildings or something.

Finance authority issues $2.1M of bonds for Edwards’ downtown housing project

By Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Business First - Jan 16, 2013, 2:02pm EST

 

Edwards Cos. has secured a second round of public financing for improvements around its Neighborhood Launch housing development in downtown Columbus.  The Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority has issued $2.1 million in revenue bonds to pay for public infrastructure for the second phase of Edwards’ condominium and apartment project between East Gay and East Long at North Fourth streets.

 

The public projects, including sidewalks and landscaping along the streets, will leverage Edwards’ $32 million in construction of 262 apartments with 170-slot parking garage and a 33-condo project. ... Development currently underway is expected to ready for residents by late 2014 as the project continues toward its goal of 450 housing units by late 2016.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/01/15/finance-authority-issues-21m-of.html

More construction photos of the first of two five-story apartment buildings being built along Long Street as part of the Neighborhood Launch development:

 

Late March photo from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-march-2013

 

Late April photo from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-april-2013-part-2

 

Late May photo from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-may-2013-part-1

 

Late June photo from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-june-2013

 

Edwards is also moving ahead with a second phase of their Bishop's Walk condo units along Gay Street.  More about this in reports from Business First and Columbus Underground at the posts below:

 

Next stretch of Bishop’s Walk condos set for city’s Downtown Commission review

By Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Business First - July 18, 2013, 4:36pm EDT

 

The second phase of 25 condos set for the Bishop’s Walk section of Edwards Cos.’ residential neighborhood on East Gay Street will get a public airing before the city’s Downtown Commission on Tuesday.  The developer has the $6.1 million project on the July 23 agenda seeking approval for the 13 townhouses, 12 garden unit and one “bridge” unit, according to an agenda sent out this afternoon by the downtown panel.

 

Edwards Cos. unveiled plans for the first phase of Bishop's Walk (26 units between North Fifth Street and Normandy Avenue) five years ago.  All but one of those units have sold.  The second phase of Bishop’s Walk will stretch from Normandy to North Sixth Street.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/07/18/next-stretch-of-bishops-walk-condos.html

 

 

More Neighborhood Launch Condos Approved

By: Brent Warren, Columbus Underground

Published on July 23, 2013 - 3:55 pm

 

The Edward Companies is taking the next step towards filling in the nine-block footprint of their Neighborhood Launch development.  They received approval at this week’s Downtown Development Commission to start construction on another block of the Bishop’s Walk condominiums on Gay Street.

 

The new condos will include 13 two-story townhomes, with 12 garden units on the ground floor and one bridge unit.  They will stretch from Normandy Avenue to Sixth Street, and will feature identical exteriors to the first phase of Bishop’s Walk, which was completed in 2010 and extends from Fifth Street to Normandy.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/more-neighborhood-launch-condos-approved-bw1

 

More reposting of news lost due to the server crash.  In April 2013, the City of Columbus starting moving personnel into the renovated former police HQ building.  Below is a link to an article about this from the Dispatch:

 

City workers moving into renovated police headquarters

 

The renovated former police HQ building's appearance is unchanged from Marconi Blvd. and the riverfront to the west

 

The glass addition dramatically changes the building's apparance facing Front Street to the east.  This is a view of that addition from the new plaza in front of the building looking south toward City Hall.

 

This is a view of the addition from the new plaza in front of the building looking north - facing the current Police HQ Building and the existing city office building at 109 N. Front Street.

 

Interior view from the glass addition looking toward the current Police HQ Building to the north.

Then, some reporting on the next phase of the City's downtown campus.  In May, local media reported that the City's Downtown Commission granted approval to demolish the existing four-story city office building at 109 N. Front Street.  The stated plan was the City would relocate its personnel from the 109 Building into the newly renovated old police building and the existing Beacon Building at Front & Gay.  Once vacated, the 109 Building would be demolished later this year.

 

After the 109 Building is demolished, a new four- to five-story, 100,000 square foot building that could also accommodate 200 parking spaces would be built in its place.  The existing parking lot just north of the 109 Building would be retained for use by the demolition and construction contractors.  When the new office building is finished, the remainder of the parking lot would be removed and converted into green space.  Below is a site plan and aerial view of the proposed campus area.

 

 

 

More about this next phase of the City's downtown campus plan in reports from Business First and Columbus Underground, linked below:

 

Business First: Columbus office consolidation along Front coming together

 

Columbus Underground: Plans Advancing for City Campus, New Building on Front Street

 

Then, Business First followed up with a report about the architecture firms expressing interest in designing the proposed four- to five-story, 100,000 square foot building that could also accommodate 200 parking spaces that would replace the existing 109 N. Front Street building:

 

Architecture firms piling in to vie for 109 N. Front St. office project

Much of this thread has dealt with progress on the City's downtown campus plan, the re-use of the old Police HQ Building and a proposed new building for that campus.  Now, one of the existing buildings, the current Police HQ Building, has a project to report on.  Below is an excerpt from a Friday Dispatch article reporting on the project.  It involves removing all the exterior stone on the 9-story building and reinstalling insulation that was improperly installed behind the stone during its original construction in 1991.  Then the exterior stone will be reinstalled.  Below is also a photo showing the exterior work on the Police HQ Building.

 

 

Case closed on cold police HQ?

By Oliver Ortega, The Columbus Dispatch

Friday, August 9, 2013 - 7:29 AM

 

Columbus is spending $6.2 million to add insulation to the Columbus Division of Police headquarters that was lacking in the original construction more than 20 years ago.  This is the city’s second attempt to fix the insulation problem in the building, which was plagued by controversy and mechanical problems after it opened in 1991 near the end of Mayor Dana G. “Buck” Rinehart’s administration.  Employees have long complained about cold drafts in the winter and pipes froze and broke after the $27.7 million building first opened.

 

The city decided to try again to fix the problems after receiving a $7.4 million federal stimulus grant in 2009 to improve energy efficiency throughout Columbus, said Dave Bush, assistant director of the city’s Department of Finance and Management.  The construction company that built the headquarters at 120 Marconi Blvd., just north of City Hall, added insulation in 1994 at no cost to the city, but it was improperly installed, a study last year found.

(. . .)

Current work began in May.  Workers are taking off all of the nine-story building’s stone outside walls to install a proper thermal wrap and cover spaces that leak air. ... The renovation is slated for completion by the end of the year.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/08/09/case-closed-on-cold-police-hq.html

I remember when the place flooded. Water was cascading down the steps inside and out the front doors.

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

 

The first of two five-story apartment buildings being built along Long Street is really starting to take shape:

 

Late July photo from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-july-2013

 

Late August photo from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-august-2013

 

 

Now the Long Street building is really starting to take shape.  Two views of the new five-story apartment building from Long Street:

 

View from Long Street looking eastward, or away from the downtown CBD core.  The next brick building after the new apartment building is the former church/VOA shelter that the Neighborhood Launch developer purchased for future use as a project community center and sales office.  From late September 2013 - http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-september-2013-part-1:

 

View from Long Street looking westward, or toward the downtown CBD core.  From late September 2013 - http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-september-2013-part-1:

 

More late September construction photos of the Long Street apartment building at http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-september-2013-part-1

^ Sort of an update about the 8-story building at the southwest corner of Gay & High purchased by the Edwards Companies in June 2013.  News from Columbus Underground about the ground floor tenant moving because of the Edwards purchase.  Edwards asked them to vacate the space due to "a project they're not ready to comment on".  (My wording not their's.)  But it is likely a top-to-bottom renovation of the building.  Below the article excerpt is a close-up photo of the ground floor retail space at the 51 North High Street building.

 

Square One Salon Relocates from Gay Street to Hartman Building

By: Walker Evans, Columbus Underground

Published on October 25, 2013 - 1:55 pm

 

If all goes according to plan, Square One Salon will be packing up this Saturday evening and relocating their Downtown business from 51 North High Street to 275 South Fourth Street with a reopening scheduled for Monday.  The quick move isn’t exactly by choice, but has ended up becoming a serendipitous opportunity for continued business growth.

 

“Our building was sold in July and we were basically handed an eviction letter saying that we had to vacate by a certain time,” explains Doug Henderson, Co-Owner and Stylist at Square One.  “It typically takes us 12 to 18 months to build out a new store, but fortunately the space in the Hartman Building became available the same week we found out we had to move.”

(. . .)

As for the empty retail space that Square One is leaving behind on Gay Street, there are no immediate plans to refill it.  In June it was reported that the Edwards Cos. purchased the building for a possible condo conversion, though a source at Edwards told us that they’re not ready to comment on the project as of last week.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/square-one-salon-relocates-from-gay-street-to-hartman-building

 

Two more views of the new five-story Long Street apartment building from late October 2013:

 

Back side of the building - http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-october-2013

 

View from a side street - http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-october-2013

This is not exactly a development update for Gay Street.  But it does cover part of the Gay Street corridor and might assist with future development, so it's close enough for this thread. 

 

A state and national historic district has been proposed at the corner of Gay and High streets in downtown.  The proposed district has 18 commercial buildings which are described as "a smorgasbord of architectural styles ranging from the 1870s to 1960s - ranging from two to 10 stories, including several architectural styles: Italianate, Classical Revival and Art Moderne".  The proposal went to the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board on Friday and was approved by the state board for recommendation to the National Register of Historic Places.  The Feds will make the final decision on the state's recommendation next year.

 

These buildings are already under the jurisdiction of a special downtown zoning district governed by a city commission that reviews new construction, exterior design changes to existing buildings and demolition requests.  So this state and national historic district doesn't bring much extra design review or demolition protection to the table.  But it would bring a 20 percent federal income-tax credit and a 25 percent state income-tax credit that owners can apply for work done to their properties within this proposed district. 

 

Among the buildings in the district are the 1917 Citizens Building at 47-53 N. High St.; the 1914-1920 White-Haines Building at 80-82 N. High St.; the 1895 Ruggery at 20-24 E. Gay St.; the 1905 First National Bank Building (now COTA HQ offices) at 33 N. High St.; and the 1910 Beaux Arts style former home of the Dispatch Printing Company at 66 N. High Street (and current home to Columbus Underground offices on the top floor).  Below are two Dispatch articles about this and a location map of the nominated area at Gay & High:

 

Historic status sought for Downtown district

 

Historic status for Downtown district approved for nomination

 

 

These buildings are already under the jurisdiction of a special downtown zoning district governed by a city commission that reviews new construction, exterior design changes to existing buildings and demolition requests.  So this state and national historic district doesn't bring much extra design review or demolition protection to the table.

 

The downtown commission does not even consider historic preservation (per their establishment).

The downtown commission does not even consider historic preservation (per their establishment).

Really? Below are portions of the updated 2013 enabling legislation for the Downtown Commission, which was begun in 1997.  From the City's Downtown Commission at http://columbus.gov/commission.aspx?id=16484 and the 2013 legislation at http://columbus.gov/uploadedFiles/Development/Planning_Division/Current_Projects/Downtown_Design_Guidelines/1532%202013%20Legislation.pdf

 

Chapter 3359 DOWNTOWN DISTRICT

3359.01 Purpose

 

The Downtown District is intended to foster a better downtown through excellence in urban design.  The district encourages investment in the downtown by providing a high level of development flexibility consistent with the eclectic nature of the City’s, mixed-use, high-density center.  The regulatory framework for new development is augmented by Design Guidelines and related development plans.  The following principles inform this code and associated guidelines:

 

A) Downtown is the region’s neighborhood, serving as the center of government, corporate business, professional sports, the arts, museums and entertainment - a variety of regional facilities are supported in the Downtown to meet these needs.

B) Downtown is also evolving into its own neighborhood, with a growing amount of housing with supporting retail, personal services restaurants and parks in a walkable environment.

C) Downtown is the place for regional scale public open spaces focusing on the Scioto River and integrating a variety of cultural and recreational facilities.

D) Downtown’s built environment will continue to be enhanced and energized with new buildings, additions to existing structures, rehabilitation/conservation of historic and contributing buildings and improvements in the public realm that together promote quality design, long lasting building construction and materials, and attention to detail - especially at the street level.

E) Adaptive reuse of existing buildings is generally preferable to demolition and new construction.

F) Downtown will support a multi-modal transportation system that embraces walking, biking and transit as successful, efficient and safe alternatives to the automobile.

G) Downtown’s environment and character will promote visual energy and excitement.

H) Downtown will serve as an example of environmentally sustainable design and construction methods.

I) The downtown commission will serve as a public forum regarding issues impacting the built environment in downtown.

3359.23 Demolition

 

Except in cases of public emergency as determined by the city’s chief building official or by court order, no permit for the demolition of a structure in the downtown district shall be granted without the approval of the commission via a certificate of appropriateness.  No certificate of appropriateness will be issued unless:

 

1) a replacement use has been reviewed and approved by the downtown commission, and historic resources commission if applicable; or

2) if no replacement structure or use is proposed, a plan detailing how the property will be maintained has been reviewed and approved by the downtown commission, and historic resources commission if applicable.

 

In instances where buildings proposed for demolition are of historic significance the commission may condition issuance of a certificate of appropriateness for demolition upon the filing of a completed building permit application for a replacement use or structure.  Historic significance is demonstrated by listing on the Columbus or national registers of historic properties/places or eligibility for such listing as determined by the city’s historic preservation officer.

3359.29 Historic Properties and Districts

 

A number of historic properties and districts listed on the Columbus Register of Historic Places (Chapter 3117) are located within the downtown.  In addition to being subject to the provisions of the downtown district, these sites fall under the jurisdiction of the historic resources commission (Chapter 3117).  In such cases, downtown commission action, including administrative review of an application, shall take place after review and action by the historic resources commission or historic preservation office in instances of administrative review.  Such action shall be conveyed to the downtown commission in writing by staff.  This section is not intended to prohibit coordinated and parallel consideration of proposals, particularly conceptual review.

 

So, the Downtown Commission's mission statement says that "Downtown’s built environment will continue to be enhanced and energized with rehabilitation/conservation of historic and contributing buildings" ... and ... "Adaptive reuse of existing buildings is generally preferable to demolition and new construction."  Which sounds like they are saying that the rehabilitation/conservation of existing buildings (historic or otherwise) is one part of an overall goal of - in their words - "a better downtown through excellence in urban design".

 

Which backs up my earlier statement:

 

These buildings are already under the jurisdiction of a special downtown zoning district governed by a city commission that reviews new construction, exterior design changes to existing buildings and demolition requests.  So this state and national historic district doesn't bring much extra design review or demolition protection to the table. 

Which is correct because this is a state/federal historic district being proposed.  Only if state/federal monies are being used would the buildings in that historic district be reviewed in any way.  Something that was mentioned in the two Dispatch articles, as follows: "Being listed on the National Register of Historic Places does not prevent owners from remodeling or even demolishing properties."  However, the Downtown Commission does a design review for every property within its jurisdiction, no matter the funding source.

 

But it would bring a 20 percent federal income-tax credit and a 25 percent state income-tax credit that owners can apply for work done to their properties within this proposed district. 

And this is a good benefit attached to a state/federal historic district that may assist in the rehabilitation/conservation of some buildings within this district.  As such, it is a positive addition to the design review process that the City's Downtown Commission already provides.