Residential, retail projects fuel ongoing development of the Brewery District

Business First of Columbus - by Brian R. Ball, Business First

Friday, September 3, 2004

 

A walk down the central part of the Brewery District, along Front Street just south of Livingston Avenue, shows an evolution.  Gone is the Banana Joe's bar in the Worly Building.  In its place is an Italian-themed restaurant and nightclub called Bella's.  Also gone from Front Street is Howl at the Moon, a saloon-type entertainment venue that featured live piano music.  It closed earlier this year and is likely to be replaced by office space.

 

When redevelopment of the downtown's Brewery District began 17 years ago, the area quickly established itself as the entertainment hot spot for the region's young and restless.  But since then, the neighborhood has matured, especially during recent years.  And though its character has changed, it remains a steady development market.

 

MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2004/09/06/focus1.html

Sounds like a pretty sweet plan to me!

 

Planned alliance could help Audubon, COSI spread wings

By Debbie Gebolys

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

A partnership between the future Columbus Audubon Center and COSI Columbus could lead to glass-bottomed boats that would shuttle visitors between the two sites and allow them to study the Scioto River on the way.  The agreement could also enable COSI visitors to watch experts perform surgery on eagles or hawks at a remote bird sanctuary and ask questions about the procedure.  The Audubon Center is to open in 2008 at a 160-acre metro park on the Whittier Peninsula south of Downtown.  But the alliance, being announced today, will help the center begin educational programs as soon as next summer, said Jerome Tinianow, executive director of Audubon Ohio.

 

It is the first joint programming agreement for both science centers. Together, they can host programs at COSI and elsewhere throughout central Ohio.  COSI will provide information about the Audubon Center at COSI and in its publications and Web site; sell Audubon materials at the museum’s gift shop; and allow Audubon to use its movie theater and other facilities for promotional events.  When the Audubon Center opens, it will jointly publicize events with COSI and offer information about COSI at the center and in its publications.  COSI and Audubon each will sell discounted tickets to the other’s center and activities.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2004/11/29/20041129-B1-02.html

Awesome!

cool!

Nice...it's about time the river gets some use!

So...what are they going to see? Beer bottles and mud? oh wait...that's the Ohio! :lol:

So where did COSI get the money for this?

^ Good question, especially since they had to pare back the COSI operation recently.

I took my Kayak on the Scioto last summer. I found it quite muddy. I don't know what they expect to see with glass bottom boats.

 

Also, I hit an underwater concrete structure that I didn't see. It was a few inches below the surface, in the middle of the river. Watch out glass bottoms!

Liberty Place gets going with 132-unit initial phase

Brian R. Ball, Business First

 

The developer of the Liberty Place apartment project in Columbus' Brewery District has started construction on 132 units while it awaits final plans for the reconfiguration of Interstates 70 and 71 through downtown.  The future of another 178 apartments will become clearer when the Ohio Department of Transportation unveils its configuration of the I-70/71 corridor, likely in late 2005.  The $600 million-plus highway project has a 2008 target date for construction.

 

Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2004/12/03/story2.html

Any renderings or a link?  Thanks.

Brewery District growing around Lang Stone

Business First of Columbus - by Martha Leonard, Business First

Friday, January 14, 2005

 

As Lang Stone approaches its 150th year in Columbus, they face mounting pressure from nearby development and a growing customer base to move and expand its facilities.  The company's 4-acre stone yard, sandwiched between the dead end of Short Street and the eastern edge of the Whittier Peninsula, is a relic of an era when the Brewery District hummed with breweries, warehouses, manufacturing and transportation.

 

Though the area is zoned for manufacturing, office and residential developments have sprung up over the past 10 years, changing the face of the century-old landscape of the district.  Future development plans for the Short Street area will further change the area.  For example, Liberty Place Apartments is planned for Short Street, two blocks north, and a Kroger supermarket is targeted for Sycamore Street to the east.

 

MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/01/17/story2.html

 

WHITTIER PENINSULA

Warehouse demolition for park to start in April

Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Debbie Gebolys THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Work could begin in April on the park and nature sanctuary planned for the Whittier Peninsula, officials said yesterday.  Bolstered by a $742,500 grant from the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund, Franklin County Metro Parks is to begin environmental cleanup on about 12.6 acres between I-70 and the former Lazarus warehouse at 562 W. Whittier St. and 514 Furnace St., on the northern edge of the proposed redevelopment.

 

Metro Parks and Columbus are to provide an additional $438,389 for the first phase of the cleanup and are seeking additional grants to pay for reclamation of the rest of the site, Metro Parks Executive Director John O’Meara said.  Environmental work on the first phase of the park project is to include decontaminating soil as well as removing asbestos from and demolishing the warehouse and adjacent small buildings. Work is expected to be complete by fall.

 

Meanwhile, the city’s car impounding lot and several offices need to be moved off Whittier Street to make way for the park. No timeline has been set to relocate the city facilities.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/02/08/20050208-B1-03.html

Those underdeveloped Scioto bends seem to me to be a special peculiarity of Columbus geography...the pattern of development seems to avoid the river except right downtown.  Probably due to flooding, I'd guess.

^^ Sounds like a decent plan, CMH!

 

Glad they'll move that impound lot.  Too many bad memories.

January 5, 2005

 

Liberty Place Apartments Under Construction

 

Long-awaited construction of Liberty Place Apartments is underway. The 300-until complex is being built basically at the corner of Liberty and Short streets west of the Worly Building. The southern phase will be completed this year and the northern phase will follow.

 

“This is outstanding news and it’s good to see that the design is appropriate to the neighborhood,” said Jim Tinker, Brewery District Association director. “The savvy residents of Liberty Place will enhance the neighborhood and find an authentic, upscale urban district at their doorstep.”

 

Literally at their doorstep will be Cameron Mitchell’s Columbus Brewing Company Restaurant at 525 Short St., two blocks south of Miranova. Within walking distance are other restaurants, taverns, a drycleaner, coffee shops and wireless internet access.

 

The project is being led by Winther Investments Inc. of Houston. The luxury apartments will provide a range of amenities and allow pets as does Brewer’s Yard Apartments at 100 Frankfort St., which is 96 percent occupied. “It’s fantastic to see high-quality residential development at both ends of the Brewery District,” Tinker said.

 

http://www.brewerydistrict.org/dev/home_flash.asp

 

Damn, Columbus is busy!

things actually happen when casto isn't involved :)

ARTICLE DELETED

Work to begin on Downtown Kroger

Thursday, March 31, 2005

Mike Pramik

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

   

Kroger said it will break ground in May on a Brewery District supermarket, its first new Downtown store since the 1950s.  Kroger plans to build the 66,000-square-foot supermarket near the northwest corner of Front and Sycamore streets and open it in early 2006, said Ed Hudson, the company’s manager of real estate and capital.

 

The company expects the location to serve Downtown workers and residents, particularly those in the Brewery District and German Village.  "I think it dovetails nicely with the residential development that’s coming along there," said Jim Tinker, executive director of the Brewery District Association. "We’ve not really had any strong retail to speak of.  "It’s nice to have 66,000 square feet of it to start."

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/03/31/20050331-B1-00.html&rfr=nwsl&chck=t

Ok, if Columbus can have a downtown Kroger's, then Cincinnati should have one too.

I didn't realize that there were enough people in dt Cincy to support that large of a grocer.  More power to them. 

I am jealous...

Kudos to Kroger for making good on their word and going through with their new downtown store. Judging by the article, it sounds like the facade will mix nicely with existing structures and those under construction. With the first phase of Liberty Place now under construction along with Brewer's Gate, there should be pleanty more residents that will take advantage of the new store in addition to those already in the Brewery District, German Village, and RiverSouth and the Franklin Co. government complex. Now if only the planned Whole Foods is approved in the North Market/Arena District area, we'll have the entire downtown covered!

I am jealous...

 

Was that coment in reference to me.

I am jealous...

 

Was that coment in reference to me.

 

No, you read it wrong.  This Kroger is going into downtown Columbus, not Cincinnati.  Monte is saying he is jealous that downtown Columbus is getting a Kroger and not the CBD of Cincinnati (though OTR has one a couple blocks down...I doubt any of us would go there LOL).

There.  Confusion over.  :D

 

This is great news.  Hopefully it will serve as a template for more DT Krogers.

 

 

 

In a word, :clap:.

Yeah, I first read it as Cincinnati for some reason - then Sycamore seemed to confirm it, but I didn't remember any "Front Street" downtown...I looked at a map, couldn't find a Front Street anywhere in the city...then I finally went back to the article...

There was an intersection of Front Street and Sycamore Street in Cincinnati, once upon a time...

Did it become a numbered street, or get subsumed by FWW et al?

Well, it's not a numbered street, but someone else will have to say whether part of it became anything or just disappeared.  I've just seen Front Street on old maps; but not knowing the history, it's hard to tell if it matches any present streets on the riverfront.  (It is clear, though, that Front & Sycamore would be in what is now the middle of the baseball stadium, so obviously that part is gone.)

From this thread where rob_1412 posted a map of Cincinnati from 1900, I see that Front Street became Mehring Way for a short portion to the west, and the the rest of its route is covered by the stadiums, as you said, and ends at Sycamore, assuming Sycamore still dropped down all the way to Public Landing instead of stopping at East 3rd...

 

On the whole a bad spot for a Kroger.

Sorry people, I don't know why I read it like that.

I don't think anyone has posted pics of this proposal, so here ya go:

But I wanna see what it looks like UNDER the river!

You'll just have to wait, my friend....

But I wanna see what it looks like UNDER the river!

 

:lol:

 

Many thanks for the renderings, Grasscat. Great find!

^ There's more stuff there on the INFObase page, btw.  Don't know if you've seen it.

 

http://www.columbusinfobase.org/Topic/Whittier%20Reach/WhittierReach.htm

Grange Insurance considers adding to Brewery District headquarters

By Mike Pramik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Grange Insurance is considering expanding its Brewery District headquarters, perhaps incorporating the Salvation Army thrift store on Front Street.  Grange spokesman Patrick Flaherty said company executives have had discussions with city and state officials about expansion of its location at 650 S. Front St. Grange’s premiums have increased 70 percent in the past five years, and that growth is spurring the need for new space.

 

The insurer has 875 employees at its 10-story, 267,000-square-foot building in the Brewery District.  It also has 150 workers at a claims center in Gahanna and 45 at Grange Bank in the Brewery District.  Grange would like to consolidate its central Ohio employees. While that might mean constructing a building in the Brewery District, Flaherty said Grange is keeping its options open.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/06/25/20050525-C1-02.html

oi oi oi!

CITY WANTS GRANGE TO EXPAND LOCALLY

Incentives intended to land home-office building, 800 jobs

Published: Friday, July 29, 2005

By Mark Ferenchik and Mike Pramik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

City officials are working with Grange Insurance on its plan to build a $50 million headquarters building in the Brewery District that could add 800 jobs over the next two decades.  The city is looking at a new plan to use property taxes to pay for road and other improvements around Grange's current headquarters at 650 S. Front St. as well as throughout the Brewery District.

 

The city is thinking about creating two tax-increment-financing districts in the area. One would be at the Grange site to finance a $20 million parking garage for use by Grange and the public, and the other would be for general improvements in the Brewery District, said Gary Guglielmi, the city's economic-development manager.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/07/29/20050729-C1-02.html

The city of Columbus is saying that this might get going with the RFPs this fall and might select a developer in February 2006.  They have a page of their website devoted to it, with all of the plans and reports:

http://www.columbus.gov/whittier.asp

 

Here are a couple of images I pulled from there:

 

 

Also, there is now a much better map of the park.  The type was too small to see if I copied it and resized it, so I'll give the link.  It's a pretty big PDF:

http://columbus.gov/Asset/iu_files/Whittier/MasterPlan_071205b.pdf

 

From Columbus Business First, 9/5/05:

 

 

Designs on Whittier

Competition could offer glimpse into river bend's future

Brian R. Ball

Business First

 

A friendly design competition set to begin in late September could outline how commercial and residential development will interact with a planned wildlife center and park within a few years along a bend in the Scioto River just south of downtown Columbus. The city's Neighborhood Design Center and the Columbus chapter of the American Institute of Architects will sponsor the Whittier Challenge, an 11-day contest to gather ideas for about 63 acres of the Whittier Peninsula and an adjacent 40 acres in the Brewery District.

 

City officials expect the competition to spur creative development concepts ahead of a national search for a development team. A published book of ideas from the region's architects and would-be designers will become part of a package sent to developers interested in taking the lead on building projects west of the CSX tracks that split the competition site.  A request for qualifications sent to developers in September will get followed by a formal request for proposals from three to five developers later this year. The city expects to name a developer in mid-February.

 

Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/09/05/focus2.html?from_rss=1

WHITTIER PENINSULA

Work on Downtown park set to begin next month

Two old buildings will be razed to clear area for development

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Jodi Andes THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The old Lazarus distribution center on Whittier Street and the Maier warehouse on Maier Place are to be knocked down early next month to make way for a park as well as homes and businesses, said John O’Meara, executive director of Franklin County Metro Parks.  The 165 acres nestled between the Scioto River on the west and the Brewery District on the east are coveted by naturalists for the more than 200 bird species that visit there, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons, said Heather Starck, director of Audubon Ohio.  For years, the property has been known more for being home to the city’s vehicle impounding lot, abandoned warehouses and graffiti, O’Meara said.

 

The master plan leaves 80 acres on the western edge as a nature park that includes a bike path, boardwalk, five overlooks on the river, places to fish and picnic areas. It will also have a playground that will be nature oriented, Coffman said.  Audubon Ohio will have a building on the southern end of the peninsula. "It’s been called a sanctuary, but it’s more a nature center," Starck said.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/09/22/20050922-B1-02.html

at long last -- very cool! it looks great and is really going to help that area around the brewery district keep booming. i see they even included a 'trendy' traffic circle!  :lol:

Atleast something is going on over there!

Sweet.  Mixing high density urban with parks and recreation is a winning combo in my books.

With 61, they should be able to get something really great for the built portion.  From the 9/27/05 Columbus Business First:

 

 

61 teams take up Whittier Challenge

 

Sixty-one teams are scrambling to come up with the winning design for the Whittier Peninsula. The Whittier Challenge seeks ideas for developing a 63-acre piece of the Whittier Peninsula, a bend in the Scioto River in downtown Columbus.

 

Contestants are also seeking uses for an adjacent 40 acres in the Brewery District. The contest is sponsored by the city of Columbus' Neighborhood Design Center and the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects.  "I think we are going to get some very innovative, functional and exceptional entries," Keith Myers, president of the board of the Neighborhood Design Center and principal of landscape architecture firm MSI, said in a press release Tuesday.

 

Teams have until Wednesday to ask questions and submissions are due Oct. 4. The sponsors recruited a panel of experts from outside Columbus to judge the entries.

 

Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/09/26/daily8.html?from_rss=1

 

The Dispatch Sunday Edition will have a more in-depth look at the contest winners.

 

Judges salute five plans for peninsula

By Jim Weiker THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

In announcing the winners last night, a panel of four judges cited five entries in the Whittier Challenge for their inventive yet feasible approach to the largely vacant property on the southwestern edge of Downtown.  The winning entries mostly would create dense urban neighborhoods of apartments, condominiums, shops and restaurants.  They also would link the Brewery District and German Village on the east and the Scioto River on the west.

 

The winners

• A six-member team of representatives from Jonathan Barnes Architecture and Design and faculty members from the Knowlton School of Architecture at Ohio State University, Columbus

Comment: One of the most distinctive winners, featuring a wide canal through the peninsula lined with coolly modern condominiums.

 

• A seven-member team from the Design Group architectural firm, Columbus

Comment: The design, called ‘‘Eco-Scape,’’ promotes environmentally friendly ‘‘green’’ buildings and ecological education.

 

• A five-member team called Mid-Ohio Design, including students and faculty members from the Knowlton School, Columbus

Comment: Judges liked the way the design blended a wide variety of uses into an overall plan.

 

• A six-member team from John Reagan Architects, Columbus

Comment: The plan makes the boldest use of the riverfront, with four- and five-story buildings fronting the water on the southern end of the peninsula.

 

• A four-member team from Triad Architects, Columbus

Comment: An unconventional blend of urban and rural uses, with agricultural land and windmills next to commercial buildings. 

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/10/07/20051007-E1-02.html