Despite the seeming finality of the former Lincoln Park West apartments demolition as reported in the previous post - and despite an agreement signed by the property owners to demolish these unsafe structures - the property owners are now fighting the demolition plans.  Below are two updates about this from Business First on 2/4/14 and 2/11/14:

 

Business First: Owner challenging demolition of 400+ apartments at former Lincoln Park West

 

Business First: Demolition of 408 Metro West apartment units still delayed

Yesterday, a federal judge refused to grant a temporary restraining order that was sought by the Metro West complex’s owner, Matrix Realty Group.  Apparently, the "you signed an agreement with the township to allow them to demolish the apartments" argument was persuasive to the judge.  The attorney for the apartment complex said he would consult with his clients to see what to do next, including a possible appeal to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

 

Full report on the ruling at http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/02/20/judge-allows-razing-of-vacant-apartments-at-metro-west.html

A little more about Wednesday's ruling by a federal judge to not grant a TRO on the Metro West demolitions from Business First:  http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/02/21/demolition-of-408-metro-west.html

Downtown panel to rule on garage demolition

By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch

Thursday, February 13, 2014 - 6:33 AM

 

The owner of a Downtown parking garage that city inspectors deemed unsafe and closed in September want to demolish the structure and replace it with a 107-space surface parking lot.

 

The owner has submitted an application to the city’s Downtown Commission, said Cynthia Rickman, a development department spokeswoman.  At its Feb. 25 meeting, the commission is scheduled to take up the proposal to demolish the garage at 56 E. Long St.

 

The city ordered the garage emptied on Sept. 17 because of falling concrete.  Inspectors found cracked concrete and evidence of concrete falling on cars and walkways.  The city erected barriers and placed red “danger” placards on the garage that has more than 500 spaces.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/02/13/panel-to-rule-on-garage-demolition.html

 

A couple of updates on the two properties mentioned earlier this year.  First, the downtown parking garage at 56 E. Long Street.

 

No news at all since the property owner applied to the City's Downtown Commission to demolish this garage structure and replace it with a surface lot in February.  And in this case, no news is likely good news.  If the Downtown Commission had approved the demolition, it would have been reported on.

 

Plus, the Downtown Zoning Code strongly discourages demolition of any vertical structure for a surface parking lot.  And a further strike against the demolition application is that new non-accessory parking lots (i.e. pay lots not associated with an adjacent building) are prohibited in this part of downtown.  So, it is likely the Downtown Commission explained this to the property owner, tabled the application and advised the property owner to go ahead with repairs to the garage.

Now, for an update on Franklin County's efforts to demolish about 400 units in the 1,700-unit apartment complex on the City's West Side formerly known as Lincoln Park West and Shannon Way (now known as Metro West).  After the court ruled in favor of the County and Praire Township (where the apartment complex is located), 313 of those units were demolished in March. 

 

After that, a very well-known name purchased the apartment complex with plans to renovate 856 townhomes and 72 flats in the apartment complex and to demolish another 328 units (in addition to the previous 313 units already demo'd).  As for the very well-known name, you'll need to go HERE in the 'Columbus: Random Developments' thread in the Central Ohio Projects & Construction section to find that out.

People often wonder why it takes a city so long to deal with abandoned or nuisance properties.  The two quick answers are property rights and the court system.  Even when Franklin County set up a special Environmental Court to streamline code enforcement ruling, it can still take time.  A good example of this is the Motel One property at 3190 E. Main Street on the city's east side:

 

- April 2012, the Environmental Court ordered the motel closed down: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/04/19/Judge-closes-East-Side-motel.html

 

- May 2013, the Environmental Court ordered the motel to be demolished within 180 days or sold within one year: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/05/10/Judge-orders-troubled-motel-sold-or-torn-down.html

 

- The owners appealed the decision and on February 10, 2014, the 10th District Court of Appeals sent the case back to the Environmental Court for further review: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/04/28/east-side-motel-sitting-in-limbo.html

 

- Now, the Environmental Court issued a further ruling that the Motel One owner has until July 31 to tear down the building: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/05/07/motel-building-to-be-razed-property-transferred.html

An update on a "worst of the worst" list of properties issued by the City of Columbus in 2012, originally posted HERE in this thread:

 

73% of ‘worst of worst’ houses in Columbus have been razed

By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch

Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - 10:39 AM

 

More than half of the 110 vacant and abandoned properties that were on Columbus’ “worst of the worst” list are now in the city’s land bank, and nearly three out of four of those houses have been demolished or are in the process of being torn down.

 

The city published the “list of shame” in December 2012 to try to humiliate owners into fixing up or selling their properties.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/05/05/city-updates-worst-properties.html

 

People often wonder why it takes a city so long to deal with abandoned or nuisance properties.  The two quick answers are property rights and the court system.  Even when Franklin County set up a special Environmental Court to streamline code enforcement ruling, it can still take time.  A good example of this is the Motel One property at 3190 E. Main Street on the city's east side:

 

- April 2012, the Environmental Court ordered the motel closed down: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/04/19/Judge-closes-East-Side-motel.html

 

- May 2013, the Environmental Court ordered the motel to be demolished within 180 days or sold within one year: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/05/10/Judge-orders-troubled-motel-sold-or-torn-down.html

 

- The owners appealed the decision and on February 10, 2014, the 10th District Court of Appeals sent the case back to the Environmental Court for further review: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/04/28/east-side-motel-sitting-in-limbo.html

 

- Now, the Environmental Court issued a further ruling that the Motel One owner has until July 31 to tear down the building: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/05/07/motel-building-to-be-razed-property-transferred.html

 

This east side nuisance motel was finally demolished in September 2014: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/09/10/Problematic-East-Side-motel-finally-comes-down.html and http://abc6onyourside.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/neighbors-cheer-demolition-begins-at-east-side-motel-35021.shtml

 

But not before the Environmental Court Judge had to send the property owner to jail in August for failing to meet his previous demolition order: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/08/01/motel-owner-jailed.html

This was encouraging to read about this downtown building: http://www.columbusunderground.com/owner-now-looking-to-sell-downtown-building-not-demolish-it-bw1

This is some more great news regarding downtown buildings that have been threatened with demolition.  Both the Madison's Building and the White-Haines Building at 72-84 N. High Street have been purchased by The Day Companies.  The below photo shows that workers are already removing the stucco panels from the Madison's Building.

 

Day Companies Purchases Long-Vacant Madison’s Building

By Brent Warren, Columbus Underground

November 12, 2014 - 4:07 pm

 

The vacant Madison’s Department Store building has long been an eyesore on High Street in the heart of Downtown, but that is expected to change soon.  The Day Companies confirmed today that they have purchased the buildings from the Tonti Organization, with plans to renovate the three historic buildings at 72-84 North High.

 

“I can confirm that we have bought the buildings with plans to redevelop them, but at this point we don’t have an exact idea as to what that redevelopment will look like,” explained Ricky Day, Principal at The Day Companies.

 

The three buildings — two six-story buildings with a four-story building in between — together make up approximately 80,000 square feet, and are flanked on the north and south sides by additional buildings owned by the Day Companies.  The nearby buildings that the firm has redeveloped include a mix of retail, residential and office space units.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/day-companies-purchases-long-vacant-madisons-building

City, county demolished record 1,294 vacant, blighted properties last year

By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch

Thursday, January 15, 2015 - 5:29 AM

 

The Columbus and Franklin County land banks demolished 1,294 blighted housing units in 2014, more than double the number of teardowns performed in 2013.  The cost of the demolitions in 2014 was $10.2 million.  The work was helped in part by $8.6 million in grants from the Ohio attorney general’s office to demolish vacant and blighted units in 2013 and 2014.  Franklin County and the city of Columbus provided matching funds.

 

In 2013, the land banks tore down 527 housing units, most of which were in Columbus’ central-city neighborhoods.  More demolitions are on the way.  Early last year, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency gave the two land banks a $5.9 million grant to tear down a total of 300 additional units through 2016.  And more demolitions will be funded by Columbus and the Central Ohio Community Improvement Corporation, which serves as the county’s land bank.

 

Curtiss Williams, vice president of the community improvement corporation, said the housing finance agency grant must be used in areas that are considered to be at the tipping point.  In this case, that will be parts of Franklinton, Linden, the South Side and the Near East Side, plus Whitehall and parts of Mifflin and Franklin townships.  Williams said these are residential neighborhoods that generally have many owner-occupied houses, with less than 20 percent of all houses considered to be blighted. ... “It’s important to remove a blighted property,” he said. “The market can come in and take care of that property.”

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/01/14/City-and-county-land-bank-demolish-record-number-of-vacant-properties.html

This was encouraging to read about this downtown building: http://www.columbusunderground.com/owner-now-looking-to-sell-downtown-building-not-demolish-it-bw1

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2015/03/26/apartment-building-to-rise-on-factory-site.html

 

From http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/330-e-oak-st-demolition/page/2/#post-1068575:

 

"Great proof of the effectiveness of the DT Commission! While demolition seems imminent at this point it’s still going to lead to a replacement building thanks to their persistence.

 

First hearing – Demolition request to turn the site into a parking lot – Denied

Second hearing – Demolition request to turn the site into green-space – Denied

Third hearing – Demolition request plus the addition of a developer who is proposing a 7 story apartment building"

Could the Longaberger Building be at risk of demolition?!

 

 

The basket-shaped Ohio building used by employees of The Longaberger Co. for two decades will be vacant by week's end as remaining staff move to another location, and officials still don't know what will happen to the unusual structure.

 

The Newark Advocate reports Longaberger still owes $577,660 in property taxes for the 180,000-square foot structure in Newark. Officials say the company hasn't paid taxes on the building since November 2014.

^ very sad.

While the Big Basket is in Newark and not Columbus, it is in Central Ohio - so it's close enough to let it stay here.  BTW, Longaberger leaving their Big Basket HQ building has also been posted in the Newark Developments thread:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,13184.msg792425.html#msg792425

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,13184.msg811767.html#msg811767

 

The last post had this video tour of the building from the Dispatch.  I don't know if demolition is in the future for the Big Basket.  It is high quality Class A office space that someone could use, at the right price.  The biggest detriment to re-leasing the building is it's location on the outskirts of Newark.  This was a good location for Longaberger because it was close to its other properties further east along SR 16.  But most other Class A tenants would want to either be in Downtown Newark or the Columbus/Franklin County area.  Some have speculated that the City of Newark might eventually move into the Big Basket.  But 180,000 sq. ft. seems like way too much building for the city's needs:

 

The idea keeping it Class A office space could work if different smaller tenants moved in, but I couldn't imagine any big companies wanting to take over an entire building that looks like a basket. I wonder if it would be feasible to re-clad it in some way.

Cross-posted in the Newark development thread: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,13184.msg820569.html#msg820569

 

---

Bloomberg News looks at the unique challenges of re-using the Longaberger Basket Building - "size, location, and fundamental basket-ness make it tough to sell, even at a steep discount":

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-07/selling-a-5-million-seven-story-basket-is-no-picnic

 

---

In another twist to re-using the Longaberger Basket Building, Licking County is close to foreclosing on the Big Basket for delinquent property taxes:

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2016/09/29/1-licking-county-may-foreclose-on-basket-building.html

Some abandoned property demolition news.  The City of Columbus fulfills Mayor Coleman's 2012 pledge to demolish 900 "Worst of the Worst" properties within city neighborhoods:

 

- Columbus Completes Demolition of 900 Abandoned Properties

 

- Columbus demolishes 900th abandoned house

Parcels to Places Wants to Transform Vacant Properties

By Walker Evans, Columbus Underground

February 5, 2016 - 1:58 pm

 

A new program called “Parcels to Places” will kick off next week, which aims to address the issue of infilling vacant land in city neighborhoods.

 

“The kickoff event is for a larger competition we’re hosting,” explained Lisa Snyder, an Architectural Designer with the Neighborhood Design Center, which is helping to organize the event along with partners at The Columbus Foundation, The City of Columbus and The Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing.

 

Snyder said that one of the biggest goals is to raise awareness not only about the number of vacant properties found in certain neighborhoods, but also to showcase properties that are owned by the City and County Land Banks and are available for redevelopment.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/parcels-to-places-wants-to-transform-vacant-properties

Plan to Demolish Historic Marble Cliff Building Meeting Resistance

 

 

A building in Marble Cliff that was designed by one of Columbus’ preeminent architects is once again being threatened with demolition. The latest plan calls for replacing the tudor-style mansion with a three-story, 67-unit apartment building.

 

The building, located on 1.25 acres at 2015 W. Fifth Ave., was designed by Frank Packard, architect of the Atlas Building, the Sells Mansion and many other landmarks in Columbus.

 

More below:

http://www.columbusunderground.com/plan-to-demolish-historic-marble-cliff-building-meeting-resistance-bw1

 

...for this:

 

Plan to Demolish Historic Marble Cliff Building Meeting Resistance

 

 

A building in Marble Cliff that was designed by one of Columbus’ preeminent architects is once again being threatened with demolition. The latest plan calls for replacing the tudor-style mansion with a three-story, 67-unit apartment building.

 

The building, located on 1.25 acres at 2015 W. Fifth Ave., was designed by Frank Packard, architect of the Atlas Building, the Sells Mansion and many other landmarks in Columbus.

 

More below:

http://www.columbusunderground.com/plan-to-demolish-historic-marble-cliff-building-meeting-resistance-bw1

 

...for this:

 

 

 

 

Noooooooooooooooo

^ Update on the apartment proposal that would demolish a Packard-designed mansion in the Village of Marble Cliff:

 

Marble Cliff apartment complex fails to gain council’s support

By ALAN FROMAN, THISWEEKNEWS.COM

Posted: April 17, 2018 at 10:33 AM

 

A revised concept for a proposed apartment complex project was rejected April 16 by Marble Cliff Village Council.

 

Although no formal vote was held on the plan presented by representatives of F2 Cos. and Elford Development, all six council members indicated they could not support it – even though it reduced from 67 to 55 the number of apartments for the proposed three-story building at 2015 W. Fifth Avenue.

( . . . )

But a major concern for residents was that the developer planned to demolish the 110-year-old mansion on the site.  Now a mostly vacant office building, it was designed by renowned architect Frank Packard.

 

MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180417/marble-cliff-apartment-complex-fails-to-gain-councils-support

Another update on the Packard-designed mansion in Marble Cliff that was threatened with demolition.  New proposal would save it as part of a redevelopment of the site.  Cross-posted at https://www.urbanohio.com/forum/index.php/topic,419.msg926649.html#msg926649 in the Columbus Random Development Thread with more discussion about this latest proposal:

 

---

Developer returns to Marble Cliff with downsized 5th Avenue project

 

A developer has reworked his plan to convert a historic 5th Avenue mansion into a new residential development.  The new plan for 2015 W. 5th Avenue proposes condos in front of the historic mansion, which would be preserved.

 

The latest iteration calls for 34 residential units: a set of nine townhome-style condominiums along 5th Avenue, the mansion itself with up to six apartments and an attached apartment building behind it with more apartment units.

 

Previous plans had included demolishing the mansion and replacing it with a four-story, 67-unit apartment development, but neighbors complained about the demolition as well as the development's height and effects on traffic.

 

MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/17/developer-returns-to-marble-cliff-with-downsized.html

 

Also cross-posted in the Columbus Random Development Thread at https://www.urbanohio.com/forum/index.php/topic,419.msg926779.html#msg926779

 

This does seem like a good compromise and this has actually been done several times in Marble Cliff.  Not only with the Prescott Bush mansion, but two others as well.

 

The Warlick mansion at 1599 Roxbury was converted to four apartments and has apartments built around it hiding it from street view (Roxbury Arms) - http://www.ghmchs.org/tour-pages/rox-arms.html and http://www.thisweeknews.com/article/20150825/NEWS/308259596.

 

There is also another mansion on roxbury called the Casparis Castle that while the house wasn't broken up into sub units, the carriage house and land around it was built on (10 Arlington Place).  It was built by marble cliff quarry owner, Sylvia Casparis, in 1908 and it's my understanding the reason for the five story carriage house was so he could keep an eye on his quarries by the river - http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20170425/moment-in-time?start=2

https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190211/residents-others-plead-with-columbus-diocese-to-spare-st-dominics-rectory-from-demolition

 

The 120-year-old church at 453 N. 20th in Olde Towne East looks to be demolished soon.  Columbus Diocese applied for the demolition permit in part because it was damaged (not structurally) in a nearby explosion last year and they don't have the money to maintain it.  The 1890s home next door is also in danger of demolition.  Ironically, churches have often been big culprits of the tear-down culture, not just of their old churches, but of historic housing and other buildings when they expand or buy up property.  This seems counterintuitive to being good neighbors, IMO.   They should attempt to sell the church, especially now when OTE is seeing an increase infill and renovation. 

 

Edited February 12, 20196 yr by jonoh81

Ugh.

Columbus Landmarks’ most endangered list for 2019:

 

https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20190509/groups-list-of-endangered-buildings-reflects-rapid-growth-in-central-city

More about the 2019 Columbus Landmarks list from CU (with photos):

 

https://www.columbusunderground.com/most-endangered-buildings-in-columbus-we1

Columbus Landmarks’ most endangered list for 2020:

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2020/05/14/columbus-most-endangered-historic-properties.html

On 7/18/2018 at 12:37 PM, Columbo said:

Another update on the Packard-designed mansion in Marble Cliff that was threatened with demolition.  New proposal would save it as part of a redevelopment of the site.  Cross-posted at https://www.urbanohio.com/forum/index.php/topic,419.msg926649.html#msg926649 in the Columbus Random Development Thread with more discussion about this latest proposal:

 

---

Developer returns to Marble Cliff with downsized 5th Avenue project

 

A developer has reworked his plan to convert a historic 5th Avenue mansion into a new residential development.  The new plan for 2015 W. 5th Avenue proposes condos in front of the historic mansion, which would be preserved.

 

The latest iteration calls for 34 residential units: a set of nine townhome-style condominiums along 5th Avenue, the mansion itself with up to six apartments and an attached apartment building behind it with more apartment units.

 

Previous plans had included demolishing the mansion and replacing it with a four-story, 67-unit apartment development, but neighbors complained about the demolition as well as the development's height and effects on traffic.

 

MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/17/developer-returns-to-marble-cliff-with-downsized.html

 

 

The preservation and renovation of this Marble Cliff mansion is a go.  The redevelopment received state historic tax credits to help make the project happen.  Below is an article about the project and a current rendering of the redevelopment:

 

Marble Cliff mansion redevelopment boosted by tax credits

 

The Marble Cliff Gateway Mansion has been approved for state historic tax credits, allowing the 112-year-old landmark on W. 5th Avenue to be redeveloped.  The owner, a group of developers called The Packard in Marble Cliff, is proposing a $13 million residential complex on the 1.25-acre site that would incorporate the renovated mansion.

 

The development would include 30 new condominiums behind the mansion, five carriage house condominiums in front and four apartments and community rooms in the 15,240-square-foot mansion itself.  The new buildings would continue the mansion's Tudor Revival style.

 

MORE:  https://www.thisweeknews.com/story/business/2020/12/17/marble-cliff-mansion-renovated-into-residential-complex/3931163001/

 

Columbus Landmarks most-endangered historic properties list for 2021:

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/05/14/columbus-landmarks-most-endangered-historic-prope.html

Columbus Landmarks Releases 9 Most Endangered Sites of 2022

 

Columbus Landmarks has released its annual Most Endangered Buildings list, highlighting nine buildings that are at risk of being demolished, redeveloped, or simply left to sit vacant and deteriorate.

 

This year’s list features two different buildings on East Livingston Avenue, one former neighborhood theater, and one city-owned building.

 

The oldest structure on the list was built sometime around 1825, while the youngest dates to 1950. Here’s the full list, with year built, address, owner, and why Columbus Landmarks believes it to be endangered:

 

...below!

https://columbusunderground.com/columbus-landmarks-releases-9-most-endangered-sites-of-2022-bw1/