January 30, 20187 yr Well that's....odd. Is it possible to get the historic status removed from the garage? There is absolutely no reason for that hideous garage to be recognized as a historic landmark.
January 30, 20187 yr I'm not sure if it would still apply today or not if there was a proposal made for the site... My guess is no but the current owners of the building probably do appreciate having that attached parking Still, I'd love to see a condo tower built there or on top of it, or at the very least have a restaurant open in that space on the Town St end
January 30, 20187 yr Yea, I definitely think a parking structure needs to remain, but I think it's still possible to tear down the current structure and build parking and a condo tower (or something) in its spot. I doubt anything could be built on top of the current parking structure because I highly doubt it was designed with that in mind.
January 30, 20187 yr Yea, I definitely think a parking structure needs to remain, but I think it's still possible to tear down the current structure and build parking and a condo tower (or something) in its spot. I doubt anything could be built on top of the current parking structure because I highly doubt it was designed with that in mind. It's weird how despite being only a few stories, the "historic" parking structure is the dominant visual aspect from that vantage point.
January 30, 20187 yr I thought I had remembered something about it not being able to be torn down. But if it does not have any protected status today (or even if it does) the very least they could do is spruce the thing up. It is very prominent and uh...not exactly the belle of the ball and all.
February 2, 20187 yr Article in today's Dispatch about the Matan project under construction at the northwest corner of Front & Main and the circa-1875 three-story Brick Commercial Building remaining on the block that is part of the project: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180201/main-street-apartment-retail-project-to-incorporate-venerable-brick-commercial-building Aerial photo of the Matan project block: Rendering of the Matan project:
February 2, 20187 yr ^ I"m so happy they preserved that building and are using it as part of the development. There are many other lonely historic buildings very much like this one in the downtown area that could easily be saved and developed in a similar way. I hope this project is a success and will set a new standard.
February 8, 20187 yr Above is the iconic former Lazarus department store (shown in much better weather than our current Ohio winter) whose renovation more than a decade ago by the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation set the stage for all the previous and current RiverSouth development projects. Columbus Business First is reporting 23,000+ square feet has been listed for lease in the Lazarus Building. This is notable because in the 10+ years since its renovation, very little office space has changed hands. The majority of the 700,000 sq. ft. office space in the Lazarus Building is occupied by local governmental agencies like the City of Columbus and Franklin County economic development departments, quasi-governmental groups like Columbus 2020 - the regional economic development agency - and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, or state offices like the Ohio EPA, Department of Medicaid and Department of Insurance. The 23,000+ sq. ft for lease was formerly the offices of DXC Technology, but that company was acquired by Hewlett Packard and has since vacated the space: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/02/06/want-to-work-in-the-downtown-lazarus-building-now.html
February 8, 20187 yr There are some empty retail spaces in the Lazarus building along High, Front, and Town that I'd love to see filled. Also, I believe the entire other half of the complex across Chapel St (to the left of the main building in the photo) is vacant as well...
February 8, 20187 yr There are some empty retail spaces in the Lazarus building along High, Front, and Town that I'd love to see filled. Also, I believe the entire other half of the complex across Chapel St (to the left of the main building in the photo) is vacant as well... That's true about the street level retail space. Although there's been some turnover in the High Street retail spaces - such as a new restaurant going into the former Chintz Room spot: https://www.columbusnavigator.com/burgerim-columbus-locations/. That other part of the Lazarus complex you mentioned is highlighted in the aerial below. I think this was a bargain/annex portion of the department store and I don't believe this space was ever renovated along with the larger Lazarus department store portion of the complex:
March 1, 20187 yr A nice overview of the neighborhood. Multiple projects underway, including the LC Matan. Will be nice to see Millennial Tower rise from here:
March 1, 20187 yr Hey, you got Great Seal State Park in the distance in that photo. Well done. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 1, 20187 yr And the secret mountain range that runs from Canal Winchester to Lancaster in the upper left
March 1, 20187 yr Hey, you got Great Seal State Park in the distance in that photo. Well done. Thanks! It's crazy to see the changes since you were up there in 2004. I thought about doing side-by-sides, but I don't have a good program to do that so I posted some of the photos I took in the project threads. BTW, did you ever get around to "Part II"? That would have been the south-facing photos, including City Center.
March 1, 20187 yr Unfortunately, I did not. Great memory! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 3, 20187 yr This recent Dispatch article about the downtown apartment boom also had a video showing drone views of some recently completed projects: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180225/downtown-sees-flood-of-new-apartment-buildings Here is their drone view of the 303 S. Front Street project completed at the southwest corner of Front & Main: The article also had an interior view and a balcony views from the 303 building looking out toward the rest of the RiverSouth area of downtown:
March 3, 20187 yr The Dispatch drone also caught this view of the two LC RiverSouth projects at High & Rich: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180225/downtown-sees-flood-of-new-apartment-buildings
March 13, 20187 yr Well, it's not a restaurant, but the vacant space on the end of 200 Civic Center's parking garage will have a new tenant in June - the "Smart Columbus Experience Center" Smart Columbus plans $1M HQ – with electric vehicle test driving – along Scioto Mile Visitors to the Scioto Mile this summer can test-drive an electric car – hopefully before they run through the Bicentennial Park fountains – in a $1 million Smart Columbus headquarters with an interactive education center. The Columbus Partnership has put out a request for companies to donate electric cars and populate the 3,000-square-foot showroom with exhibits on connected vehicles, renewable energy, smart lighting, internet of things and other technologies that would reduce carbon emissions. Smart Columbus plans to move its office from leased space at Idea Foundry in Franklinton, saving on rent that the Partnership has been paying. Staff would be on hand to interact with the public and answer questions. https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/03/13/smart-columbus-plans-1m-hq-with-electric-vehicle.html
March 14, 20187 yr ^ Here's a couple of graphics from that Business First article showing the proposed layout of the Smart Columbus Experience Center in the ground floor of the parking garage:
March 20, 20187 yr Smart Columbus Launching Experience Center Downtown Last week, representatives from the Smart Columbus program unveiled plans to open the Smart Columbus Experience Center along the Scioto Mile this summer, showcasing the program’s tech-centric transportation initiatives. “Our future is going to be big in ways that have yet to be imagined,” stated Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther. “Technology and innovation in transportation will grow our economy and put our people on ladders of opportunity toward a better life.” The new 3,000 square foot showroom at 170 Civic Center Drive will be open to the public six days per week, and serve as a place where residents can view how the various programs will work, test drive new vehicles, and can sign up to be involved in other participatory programs. Over the past year, nearly 1,500 residents have already participated in a mobile version of the program. More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/smart-columbus-launching-experience-center-downtown-we1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 3, 20187 yr Late-March CU Construction Roundup takes a tour around some RiverSouth construction projects: https://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-march-2018-pt1-we1 View from Rich Street looking eastward toward High Street. Kind of an interesting look at recently built and on-going projects in the area. Lined up in this view we have a 3.5-story apartment building built in the mid-2000's, then the 8-story LC Trautman Building under construction, then across High Street is the 6-story Highpoint at the Commons completed in 2014, then further on is the 12-story '80 on the Commons' under construction: Close-up of 8-story LC Trautman Building at Rich & High: The second LC building under construction across Rich Street from the LC Trautman Building, the 9-story Beatty Building: The 5-story Matan Building under construction at the northwest corner of Front & Main. It is being built around the circa-1875 three-story building on the site:
May 30, 20187 yr ^ Literally making progress brick.....by......brick..... According to this article... https://allsteelmidrise.com/portfolio/beatty-building ...it won't be complete until Fall of 2019!
May 30, 20187 yr OMG... Hopefully we won't have to wait until then for Crawford Hoying to get started next door. Seeing as how LC is finally almost topped out, I wonder if they could get started this summer?
June 18, 20186 yr View of the upper portion of the Trautman Building that faces High Street from http://www.dispatch.com/business/20180523/as-apartment-complexes-pop-up-in-downtown-columbus-so-do-rents Aerial overview of the Trautman Building at the northwest corner of Rich & High from a neighboring high-rise. A portion of the Beatty Building under construction at the southwest corner of Rich & High is also visible: https://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-may-2018-we1 View of the Beatty Building (SW corner of Rich & High) along High Street from the recently completed high-rise across the street: https://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-may-2018-we1
June 28, 20186 yr I haven't been down that way in a while to check on progress, but the "Smart Columbus Experience Center" is opening this Saturday. They're holding a block party and featuring lots of different mobility options (I'm still bitter about car2go though...) SMART MOBILITY BLOCK PARTY Saturday, June 30th 9:00AM - 2:00PM To celebrate the Grand Opening, we’re surrounding the Smart Columbus Experience Center with all the mobility options Columbus has to offer in a Smart Mobility Block Party! Come take a spin in a new electric vehicle, climb aboard a COTA bus, learn bike safety tips and discover new ways of getting around, and stay for food, fun and prizes! https://smartcbus.com/experiencecenter/ Also, here's a rendering,
June 29, 20186 yr Photo-tour of the inside of Smart Columbus Experience Center at CU: https://www.columbusunderground.com/first-look-smart-columbus-experience-center-bw1
June 29, 20186 yr ^ I love this location and what they are doing with it. But I wish they wouldn't use SMRT as shorthand for Smart. It reminds me of Homer Simpson!
July 20, 20186 yr Swan Cleaners downtown set for demolition in March to make way for 11-story apartment tower A Dublin developer is preparing to raze a Swan Cleaners in downtown Columbus to make way for an 11-story apartment high-rise. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/02/27/swan-cleaners-downtown-set-for-demolition-to-make.html Welp, :( Pair of proposals would add 300 apartments Downtown Crawford Hoying Development Partners is proposing a six-story building with 70 apartments, including 25 “micro” apartments, on the former site of Swan Cleaners, 255 S. High St. The proposal replaces an earlier Crawford Hoying plan for a 10-story apartment building on the site. edit: link - http://www.thisweeknews.com/business/20180719/pair-of-proposals-would-add-300-apartments
July 20, 20186 yr ^ Is there a link? Six stories is absolutely unacceptable at this location. Sorry forgot to include it - http://www.thisweeknews.com/business/20180719/pair-of-proposals-would-add-300-apartments I agree this is a huge downgrade. The previous proposal was perfect for this spot
July 20, 20186 yr ^ Is there a link? Six stories is absolutely unacceptable at this location. Sorry forgot to include it - http://www.thisweeknews.com/business/20180719/pair-of-proposals-would-add-300-apartments I agree this is a huge downgrade. The previous proposal was perfect for this spot Thanks for the link! Yea, this updated proposal is totally unacceptable. I hope the commission pushes back on this update. I can understand why the Highpointe development was only 6 stories because it was so massive, and the same goes for the Edwards development at High and Gay. This development has no excuse for going below 8 stories. It would be a huge missed opportunity. Also, I will say that although LC has taken forever to finally complete their 8-story building, it is actually looking really good. Perhaps the almost 4 year wait was somewhat worth it.
July 20, 20186 yr That new design is terrible. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 20, 20186 yr Absolutely no, thats garbage. Not only is this an absurd height for High St, but the amount of proposed units is a joke for that spot. Just no.
July 20, 20186 yr ^ Is there a link? Six stories is absolutely unacceptable at this location. Sorry forgot to include it - http://www.thisweeknews.com/business/20180719/pair-of-proposals-would-add-300-apartments I agree this is a huge downgrade. The previous proposal was perfect for this spot Thanks for the link! Yea, this updated proposal is totally unacceptable. I hope the commission pushes back on this update. I can understand why the Highpointe development was only 6 stories because it was so massive, and the same goes for the Edwards development at High and Gay. This development has no excuse for going below 8 stories. It would be a huge missed opportunity. Also, I will say that although LC has taken forever to finally complete their 8-story building, it is actually looking really good. Perhaps the almost 4 year wait was somewhat worth it. It is also ridiculous considering the second LC building planned for having a tall development right beside it and didn't put windows on the south side. With this short of a building next door they could have included windows to the top few floors. They should at least match the height of the building directly adjacent!
July 20, 20186 yr ^ Is there a link? Six stories is absolutely unacceptable at this location. Sorry forgot to include it - http://www.thisweeknews.com/business/20180719/pair-of-proposals-would-add-300-apartments I agree this is a huge downgrade. The previous proposal was perfect for this spot Thanks for the link! Yea, this updated proposal is totally unacceptable. I hope the commission pushes back on this update. I can understand why the Highpointe development was only 6 stories because it was so massive, and the same goes for the Edwards development at High and Gay. This development has no excuse for going below 8 stories. It would be a huge missed opportunity. Also, I will say that although LC has taken forever to finally complete their 8-story building, it is actually looking really good. Perhaps the almost 4 year wait was somewhat worth it. It is also ridiculous considering the second LC building planned for having a tall development right beside it and didn't put windows on the south side. With this short of a building next door they could have included windows to the top few floors. They should at least match the height of the building directly adjacent! Something else... Didn't this project already get full approval, demo an existing building, and lead to the permanent closure of this section of West Cherry St? Honestly I hope the DT commission pushed hard on Crawford Hoying with this because it's just absurd. Didn't they put LC through the ringer for proposing a single story reduction? If I remember right they only granted it because LC promised it would remain the same structural height and still appear to be a 12 story build. I'm interested to see the reaction to a half building height reduction whats honestly a pretty cheap design.
July 20, 20186 yr The only reason that nobody should be upset is that they are more than likely going to be "affordable" apartments. However the design and height reduction is ridiculous for this location and inexcusable. But one thing I will say about Crawford-Hoying is they go to market very smart and there is a reason behind this, something none of us will probably ever know.
July 24, 20186 yr There's a serious steel pricing issue that may have affected this building. Some projects are carrying a 50% escalation for steel costs due to tariffs. A 5 or 6 story building can utilize wood construction greatly reducing the amount of steel. I wonder if cost increases will also delay or cancel the Millennial Tower, North Market Tower and convention center hotel. Even if they're concrete structures the cost increases will affect rebar and post-tension cables.
July 24, 20186 yr https://www.columbusunderground.com/highcherry-apartment-building-plan-drops-to-seven-stories-we1 According to CU they also axed the retail. 42% fewer apartments and no retail, but they increased parking by more than double? The previously approved project should be the only thing allowed here, with minor variances. They demolished an existing building for the approved 11-story building.
July 24, 20186 yr https://www.columbusunderground.com/highcherry-apartment-building-plan-drops-to-seven-stories-we1 According to CU they also axed the retail. 42% fewer apartments and no retail, but they increased parking by more than double? The previously approved project should be the only thing allowed here, with minor variances. They demolished an existing building for the approved 11-story building. Seems they also reduced bike parking to less than 1/3, extending the buildings 2nd floor over the sidewalk to create a covered walkway, and rescinding the request to make this section of Cherry pedestrian only to improve vehicular and truck access... Basically they have turned this development into a Bridge Park structure. The request should be rejected and asked to return to something more in-line with the original proposal that they already demo'd a structure for.
July 24, 20186 yr Crawford Hoying shrinking High Street tower downtown as costs rise Crawford Hoying is scaling back plans for a downtown residential tower as construction costs rise. The developer presented new plans for the proposed High and Cherry development at 247-255 S. High St. that show the building dropping four floors, from 11 stories to seven, while incorporating new materials to lower costs. The developer says what the Downtown Commission approved two years ago is no longer workable. The plan now calls for a total of 70 units, including 25 micro units, 35 one-bedroom units and 10 two-bedroom units. The site will have 47 parking spaces on the ground floors. A ground-floor retail component has been removed. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/24/crawford-hoying-shrinking-high-street-tower.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 25, 20186 yr Crawford Hoying shrinking High Street tower downtown as costs rise Crawford Hoying is scaling back plans for a downtown residential tower as construction costs rise. The developer presented new plans for the proposed High and Cherry development at 247-255 S. High St. that show the building dropping four floors, from 11 stories to seven, while incorporating new materials to lower costs. The developer says what the Downtown Commission approved two years ago is no longer workable. The plan now calls for a total of 70 units, including 25 micro units, 35 one-bedroom units and 10 two-bedroom units. The site will have 47 parking spaces on the ground floors. A ground-floor retail component has been removed. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/24/crawford-hoying-shrinking-high-street-tower.html So... why does this have to be affordable again? Was that a requirement for the site or something? It seems they are saying that increased costs have made the affordable apartments for the project too cost-ineffective. Okay, so while I recognize the need for affordable housing, building tiny buildings in prime real estate sites doesn't really help market demand for anything, affordable or market-rate. In fact, building this way will likely just lead to higher rents for Downtown housing overall, making affordable components even less likely in future projects. And it still doesn't explain why they increased parking for 50 fewer apartments or abandoned the retail element. It's a sh** project.
September 13, 20186 yr Taking so long to finish, but I'm glad the Beatty Building has some slight differences from the other one to set it apart. I don't like how either building has inoperable windows, but otherwise they look good. The NBBJ designed buildings are more my taste, but it's good to see a new building with some fine grain details going up. It's pretty uncommon these days. The density! The Matan building going up quickly. The Millennial Tower site is in the foreground. No permits have been applied for so I highly doubt this project will be breaking ground this year, if at all.
September 13, 20186 yr Thank you for these and welcome to UO!!! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 13, 20186 yr There is a Hilton commitment posted on Elford's site and mentioned on this site. I wouldn't lose hope for that project just yet.
September 30, 20186 yr A couple more slighty out-of-date construction photos for RiverSouth from https://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-august-2018-part-1 Late August view of the LC Beatty Building under construction at the southwest corner of Rich & High: Late August view of the 5-story Matan Building under construction at the northwest corner of Front & Main:
October 9, 20186 yr The Trautman Building appears to have residents but is still under construction. It looks like the upper floors still need exterior finishes. The materials look good to me except for these piers and railing along Rich St. The piers are made of the cheapest garden wall pre-cast concrete blocks that you can find and look so out of place. The concrete wall below is still waiting for final finishes. I don't know how LC can make money on these buildings considering the construction duration.
October 9, 20186 yr 6 minutes ago, Pablo said: The Trautman Building appears to have residents but is still under construction. It looks like the upper floors still need exterior finishes. The materials look good to me except for these piers and railing along Rich St. The piers are made of the cheapest garden wall pre-cast concrete blocks that you can find and look so out of place. The concrete wall below is still waiting for final finishes. I don't know how LC can make money on these buildings considering the construction duration. Isn't there supposed to be a swimming pool in that courtyard?
October 9, 20186 yr 5 minutes ago, cbussoccer said: Isn't there supposed to be a swimming pool in that courtyard? Yes -- there was even supposed to be a waterfall element. I wonder if that railing is temporary until they build the pool (next year?)
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