^Agreed. Fortunately, the two proposed projects in that article appear to be high quality.

 

The Joseph Project is really moving along.  The retail/office/garage portion on the west side of High Street has its first tenant.  Anthropologie opened its two-story, 5,000 sq. ft. store at 625 N. High Street today.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/10/08/eclectic-women-s-apparel-retailer-anthropologie.html

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/anthropologie-opens-in-the-short-north-mm1

Speaking of the Joseph Project - here are some late September photo updates of both sides of High Street from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-september-2014

 

Office and retail portion - west side of High Street

 

Parking garage behind the High Street buildings

 

Another view of the parking garage

from http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/pizzuti-hotel-updates/page/35/#post-1043035

 

The Joseph Hotel on the east side of High Street

 

Ground floor of the Joseph Hotel along High Street

looks great - hope other developers take note.

Yeah, it actually looks better than the rendering.

Pizzuti is a quality developer.  But even by their standards, this is outstanding work.  They have a personal stake in this one.  They are moving the Pizzuti offices into it.  Ron Pizzuti's art collection is being displayed in the renovated UCT building.  And the project is named after Ron Pizzuti's father, Joseph.

:-o

 

Short North’s White Castle site targeted for apartments

 

 

Two longstanding family businesses in Columbus have tentative plans to jointly redevelop a site in the middle of the Short North.

 

Borror Properties CEO Doug Borror and White Castle President Lisa Ingram have pending plans for a residential and retail redevelopment of the White Castle site at 965 N. High St. and its oversized parking lot.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/10/23/short-north-s-white-castle-site-targeted-for.html

I'm glad the White Castle Lofts are finally happening

I'm glad the White Castle Lofts are finally happening

 

Yeah, I mean CU reported this back on April 1st: http://www.columbusunderground.com/new-mixed-use-development-proposed-for-white-castle-site-in-short-north-bw1

 

What is taking so long?!?!?

 

Foundation work has started on the 4-story Prescott apartment development. I think this really shows how hot the Short North has become. Who would have expected to see such a development on a lot that is facing what is essentially two alleys.

The Joseph parking structure is now open.

 

 

Hmmm...I'll have to go up there and check out the views.

Hmmm...I'll have to go up there and check out the views.

That's why I went up there. Although the sun was getting in the way.

 

Cleaning out some saved links from August and September that I don't think were previously posted here.  These were reported as conceptual projects at the time and I haven't seen any updates since.  Here's the first one from August:

 

- Proposal from the Stonehenge Company to build a six-story, 32-unit apartment building on the current site of the one-story Ibel Building at the corner of W. Third Avenue and High Street:  http://www.columbusunderground.com/ibel-building-at-third-and-high-next-up-for-redevelopment-bw1

Here's a second conceptual proposal.  This one is from September for the site of the existing Donatos Building at 920 N. High Street:

 

- Proposal from Elford Development to demolish the existing one-story 1990′s-era Donatos building at 920 N. High Street and replace it with a two-story building featuring a redesigned Donatos plus space for additional retail or office tenants:  http://www.columbusunderground.com/proposal-calls-for-replacing-donatos-building-in-short-north-bw1

And one more conceptual proposal.  This one is from the Wood Companies for 940 N. High Street:

 

- Conceptual proposal from the Wood Companies for a five-story mixed-use building at 940 N. High Street.  This projuect calls for the demolition of two existing single-story buildings on the site - both setback from High Street with parking lots in front.  The new building would feature three full floors of apartments above first floor retail – plus a fifth floor would hold a rooftop terrace over-looking High Street with two penthouse units in the rear - for 26 total residential units:  http://www.columbusunderground.com/wood-companies-proposal-calls-for-five-story-building-across-from-northstar-bw1

Some updates on the outstanding Fireproof project.  This project involves the renovation of the landmark Fireproof Building at 1028 N. High Street and construction of a four-story addition extending south from the Fireproof Building to the corner of Second & High on a former parking lot.  Construction photos from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-october-2014-part-1

 

 

Here's the schedule for some of the retail openings at the Fireproof project:

 

- Pies & Pints announced late 2014/early 2015: http://www.columbusunderground.com/pies-pints-expanding-to-the-short-north

 

- Chipotle announced late fall 2014: http://www.columbusunderground.com/chipotle-coming-soon-to-the-short-north-aw1

 

Chipotle is getting very close to opening at the corner of High & Second - with the easy to remember address of 1000 N. High Street:

Photo of the neon sign from the building's days as a fireproof storage warehouse from http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/whats-happening-at-e-2nd-high/page/12/#post-1052147.  Looks beautiful!

 

I feel bad for the residents with windows that look out onto that bright neon sign at night LOL!

I feel bad for the residents with windows that look out onto that bright neon sign at night LOL!

Hopefully the residents of those expensive units have at least one alternate window!  Otherwise it might be like the Seinfeld episode where a Kenny Rogers Chicken Roasters moved in across from Jerry's apartment building.  The red neon light from the Roasters sign beamed right into Kramer's apartment, driving him crazy(er).  Credit to heresthecasey for first posting this at http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/whats-happening-at-e-2nd-high/page/12/#post-1052155

CU posted an excellent conversation with Doug Borror, CEO of Borror Properties - a company that we have become familiar with over the course of the last year since they've aggressively jumped into the Short North real estate market.  Borror currently has the following projects either under-construction or proposed within the last 12 months:

 

- Prescott and Pearl

- 40-42 West Third Avenue

- The Jerome

- Truberry on Second

- Truberry on Summit

- A proposed six-story Pearl Street condo building

- A future mixed-use project replacing the Short North White Castle

- Plus a recently-announced partnership with the City of Columbus to develop part of Arena District West

 

Those who have been following development in Columbus for the past few decades, though, will know Borror for his work with Dominion Homes - the dominant suburban home builder in the region for many years.  This CU interview with Doug Borror looks at his transformation from suburban housing developer into an empty-nester that moved from Dublin to the Short North into an active urban developer:

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/doug-borror-on-living-the-dream-in-the-short-north-bw1

Donatos pizza shop/bar to anchor new development in the Short North

 

A new bar is bringing craft beer and live music to the Short North, but with a twist – it'll be a Donatos.

 

The Columbus-based chain will rebuild its pizza shop at 920 N. High St. as a nightspot more befitting the neighborhood, while adding space for two new tenants, including another restaurant.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/01/22/donatos-pizza-shop-bar-to-anchor-new-development.html

Donatos pizza shop/bar to anchor new development in the Short North

 

A new bar is bringing craft beer and live music to the Short North, but with a twist – it'll be a Donatos.

 

The Columbus-based chain will rebuild its pizza shop at 920 N. High St. as a nightspot more befitting the neighborhood, while adding space for two new tenants, including another restaurant.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/01/22/donatos-pizza-shop-bar-to-anchor-new-development.html

 

Interesting how the project will be done in 2 phases with a new Donatos being built next door so there is no period where the restaurant is closed.

 

Interesting how the project will be done in 2 phases with a new Donatos being built next door so there is no period where the restaurant is closed.

 

Clever.  CU had something about this construction phasing in the below article.  As well as some more information about new restaurants going into this new building.

 

From http://www.columbusunderground.com/donatos-black-brick-bar:

 

-- "Phase one of the project will see the construction of a new Donatos location next door to the existing one, so that the existing store can remain open throughout construction.  When the new store is completed, phase two of the project will begin, which will see the demolition of the older building, replaced by a connected two-story building on the corner of High and First that will house the first Donatos “Black Brick Bar” in addition to another restaurant tenant and additional retail space."

 

-- "The Black Brick Bar will be a first for Donatos, which will be interconnected to the pizzeria and will feature a selection of craft beers and a stage for live music performances.  The University District location at 2084 North High St. also serves beer and hosts music events in the basement, but the Short North location will be the first to carry the new moniker."

 

-- “(Donatos) expects construction of the new location to begin in June 2015 with a quick completion planned for October 2015.  The second phase would begin immediately afterward with completion planned for 2016.  The combined Donatos and Black Brick Bar will take up approximately 3,000 square feet of the building with a small sidewalk patio on High Street."

 

-- "Some of the site plans submitted to the Italian Village Commission include storage tanks on the exterior of the building, lending some to speculate that the additional restaurant tenant on the corner will be a brewery or brewpub of some sort.  “Within a short amount of time we’ll be able to announce who that tenant is,” said (Donatos).  “It will be a restaurant.”  That yet-to-be-named restaurant will also feature a roof-top patio space on top of the new Donatos building."

Now, more about the Pizzuti's mixed-use Joseph Project.  Much more.  

 

First, the retail/office/parking garage portion that is on the west side of High Street, pictured below:

 

It is now completed, with Anthropologie opening last October in the High Street retail space and the 313-space parking garage opening last November behind it.  Now the upper story office portion of the High Street building has filled up.

 

New York City-based Industrious Ltd. and Sweden-based Klarna Group (the european PayPal competitor that is looking to make inroads within the U.S.) signed leases to occupy the remaining office space in this part of the Joseph development.  Those two tenants will join Joseph developer Pizzuti Companies, the high-profile Drive Capital LLC venture capital firm and QIC Global Infrastructure (the parent company of OSU's parking operator CampusParc) in sharing 50,000 square feet of office space.

 

Below are three articles from Business First with more detail about these office tenants for The Joseph:

 

-- Offices at the Joseph fully leased with 2 new tenant signings:  http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/01/21/offices-at-the-joseph-fully-leased-with-2-new.html

 

-- Industrious picked Offices at the Joseph to attract clients who don’t want run-of-the-mill shared space:  http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2015/01/industrious-picked-offices-at-the-joseph-to.html

 

-- Klarna’s office choice came down to liking the ‘hustle and bustle of the city’:  http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2015/01/klarna-s-office-choice-came-down-to-liking-the.html

The second part of the Pizzuti's mixed-use Joseph Project.  This is the hotel portion that is on the east side of High Street.  The hotel is a Le Meridien brand, to be known as the Le Meridien Columbus/The Joseph.  The 10-story, 135-room boutique hotel at 620 N. High Street officially opened last week.  It is pictured below at an arty angle befitting its location in the Short North arts & entertainment district:

 

 

The Joseph hotel includes the following:

 

- Cameron Mitchell’s new Guild House restaurant on the ground floor next to High Street;

- Lobby bar that serves illy-brand coffee from Italy and pastries from Pistacia Vera in German Village;

- The second floor has four meeting rooms, including the Michael B. Coleman Ballroom;

- A third floor fitness center, two spa suites on the fourth floor and a 1,141-square-foot Presidential Suite on the 10th floor costs $1,600 a night;

- Standard rooms range in price from $249 to $499; plus 10 executive suites that range from $349 to $599 a night.

 

More about it from Business First and the Dispatch:

 

-- Pizzuti’s new boutique hotel, the Joseph, opens in Short North:  http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2015/01/20/destination-hotel-pizzutis-the-joseph-opens-in-short-north.html

 

-- First Look: Le Meridien/The Joseph Hotel focuses on arts, luxurious living:  http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2015/01/first-look-le-meridien-the-joseph-hotel-focuses-on.html

Some photos of The Joseph, the 10-story, 135-room boutique hotel at 620 N. High Street in the Short North.  More photos at  http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2015/01/20/destination-hotel-pizzutis-the-joseph-opens-in-short-north.html and at  http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2015/01/first-look-le-meridien-the-joseph-hotel-focuses-on.html:

 

View of the hotel from High Street and new Guild House restaurant on the ground floor next to High Street:

 

View of the hotel lobby:

 

Second story of the hotel lobby and staircase from the lobby:

 

Ron and Joel Pizzuti of the Pizzuti Companies in the second story art gallery in the hotel lobby:

 

Portion of the second story art gallery in the hotel lobby that overlooks High Street:

Best addition to the Short North in years.

Best addition to the Short North in years.

I'd go as far to say 'best addition ever'.  The hotel and the retail/office/parking garage (plus the art gallery building renovation) of the whole Joseph Project is just outstanding.

Below is a link to an older (11/7/14) Business First piece on the Short North.  It was orginally subscriber-only but is now viewable to everyone.  And as with many of their subscriber-only articles vs. the web-only articles, this subscriber-only piece takes a deeper dive into its subject:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2014/11/07/long-view-of-the-short-north-taller-tonier-more.html

 

It looks at the Short North's troubled Flytown past, its gradual revitalization over the last 30 years, its weathering of the recent "Great Recession" and its current transformation coming out of that recession with a new wave of mixed-use development and housing projects.  The article also looks toward the future of the Short North - which will likely include denser and more vertical infill developments among the historic buildings along High Street, more infill developments within the surrounding Victorian Village and Italian Village neighborhoods, more redevelopment of the Weinland Park neighborhood located to the north, and a general infilling of the less dense development gap between the Short North and the Ohio State University along High Street.

 

Here are a few quotes from the article:

 

"But there is more powering the Short North nowadays.  Specifically, housing.  The building wave of residential development is changing the nature of the area from its bohemian roots.  National retailers such as Anthropologie have joined the independent merchants that gave the area its hip cachet, and some of the region's biggest developers have chosen to make a mark there – witness Pizzuti Cos.' $65 million investment that includes a high-end Le Meridien hotel and a companion office complex just north of the Cap at Union Station."

 

"About 850 housing units built in the neighborhood since 2005.  About 460 more are under construction, with at least 1,800 additional apartments and condos in the pipeline.  "The Short North has matured," said Mark Wood, president of Wood Cos., a real estate development and investment firm that dates to the days when the Short North was a gritty commercial district with plenty of vacant storefronts and not enough upper-level residents to catch anyone's interest."

Now that the Fireproof project is pretty much done I took some pictures. I like the detail work they did with this building.

 

Better than I thought it was going to turn out.

^Agreed.

 

I like the blue brick.

I really appreciate how this project broke up the massing, and did so in chunks that replicated the original structure that was incorporated. This should become textbook design standards for massing in the Short North moving forward... similar to the Dakota, Joseph, Jackson, basically all other major developments..except The Hub.

This did turn out pretty well. Eridony[/member], I especially like how in your second picture you captured some pedestrians, a CBUS circulator, and a Car2Go together. Great shots as always!

This did turn out pretty well. Eridony[/member], I especially like how in your second picture you captured some pedestrians, a CBUS circulator, and a Car2Go together. Great shots as always!

 

Too bad both are relatively worthless toward improving transit in Columbus...

So I was driving through VV today and the sign for Aston Row said "Only 2 Units Left." That makes me hopeful the second row will happen soon.

 

Drove past again today and the sign now says "Sold Out"

 

This did turn out pretty well. Eridony[/member], I especially like how in your second picture you captured some pedestrians, a CBUS circulator, and a Car2Go together. Great shots as always!

 

Thanks casey! It was no mistake that I chose that shot to post.

 

 

Too bad both are relatively worthless toward improving transit in Columbus...

 

Why do you think that?

Just from experience of actually trying to live in downtown Columbus without a car.

 

I have two more months left on this year-long pledge, and I don't know if I'm going to make it... buying a car is too tempting. Next time a planner/architect/designer/(anyone in the community planning process) gets the urge for a dash of urbanist bravado, I recommend trying something else.

 

Sadly, too few people in Columbus are really cognizant of what car-less living entails, to the point that this community has deluded itself into thinking that we've solved the problem with CoGo, Car2Go, CBus, COTA, etc.

 

Nothing will bring transit to Columbus besides real transit, period. For being the #1 issue in Columbus, it's not really getting any attention in the mayoral/council races, either. That tells me to expect more lip service to continue through a Ginther term.

The problem is that it takes so longggg to get anywhere with those options. In a dense transit-oriented city, transit is often faster than driving. Right now according to Google Maps, a trip to the Lennox Target would take me 6 min by car and 25 minutes by bus... assuming it sticks to the schedules.

Sadly, too few people in Columbus are really cognizant of what car-less living entails, to the point that this community has deluded itself into thinking that we've solved the problem with CoGo, Car2Go, CBus, COTA, etc.

 

Nothing will bring transit to Columbus besides real transit, period. For being the #1 issue in Columbus, it's not really getting any attention in the mayoral/council races, either. That tells me to expect more lip service to continue through a Ginther term.

 

I haven't deluded myself into thinking that we've solved the problem (or even come close), but I do believe in the short term that things like CoGo, Car2Go, COTA's system review, et al are beneficial and practical moves which improve transit in the city.

 

I agree that it's the number one issue in Columbus. And that it's flying under the radar at the moment. But, I'm actually glad that it's is not a major topic in the current campaign.

 

Rail shouldn't be a political issue in my opinion. When used as a wedge, it can be very divisive and gives opportunistic office-seekers (Kasich, Cranley, etc) a way to rally opposition using an anti-rail position as a major campaign plank. In a city like Columbus, where a large proportion of people live in post-1950 car-dependent neighborhoods, that could be employed all too well as a disastrously successful strategy.

 

Instead, once the new mayor (Ginther) is in office, a united and well-funded coalition of city government, businesses, MORPC, and COTA can coalesce around a transit plan and push for its adoption/implementation. Listening to the political dog whistles going out, there are signs that wheels are already in motion on this (Insight 2050, Connect Columbus, COTA NextGen), and I'd be surprised if a major initiative which includes rail doesn't emerge as a result in the next year or two. The Establishment seems to finally recognize this as a major issue for the city and is likely to play ball.

Borror Properties has officially submitted plans to the Victorian Village Commission for the White Castle site at the northwest corner of High Street and Second Avenue in the Short North.  The submitted plans call for the following:

 

- Seven-story building on the majority of the site with an 11-story tower setback from High Street;

- 140 to 150 apartments;

- 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space (including a 3,200 square-foot White Castle);

- 12,000 square feet of second-floor office space;

- Four-level, 266-space parking garage incorporated into the building.

 

The footprint of the new building would encompass the current White Castle location and the 42-space, city-owned parking lot that sits just north of the restaurant.  As part of the agreement to build on the city-owned lot, Borror Properties would reserve 126 spaces in the new garage to the public, leaving 140 spaces that would be reserved for residents.

 

Below is a view of the proposal as seen from High Street looking north.  The Wood Cos. recently finished upper-story addition to their Northstar restaurant building is visible to the left.  It is located across Second Avenue from the proposed White Caste project:

 

 

More renderings and a site plan for the White Caste project:  http://www.columbusunderground.com/11-story-development-plan-revealed-for-short-north-white-castle-site-bw1

More about the proposed new development for the White Caste site from Business First:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/04/02/first-look-multi-story-tower-proposed-for-short.html

 

I like it well enough. The Victorian Village Commission will probably have something to say, however.

Wow this would really be a huge shot in the arm for the urban fabric of the Short North.  I always thought that White Castle was a scourge on an otherwise dynamic block, so it would be fantastic to see infill of this size take its place. The mostly white facade gives me pause, but it could be a nice departure from the ubiquitous Cbus brick.

 

*PS please send some of your developers down to Cincy.  You all seem to get much better quality infill than we do...

One night I twisted my ankle and collapsed on the sidewalk while jogging in front of that white castle.  I suppose I was so enticed by the rich odor that in my stupor I jogged right onto the joint between a planter grate and the sidewalk.  The planter grate was raised at least an inch above the sidewalk, and down I went.  I limped back to my apartment on Lane, then drank three beers in an attempt to dull the pain.  At 3am I awoke to relieve myself, but had to crawl on all fours to the bathroom because my angle was so swollen.

 

Ever since I have had a Pavlovian response whenever that White Castle comes into view. 

I'm hoping the tower behind it gets built...but I'm with Ink, the Victorian Village Commission will have something (negatively) to say.

Wow. I think this is a great proposal from Borror and White Castle. I'm hoping that the exterior material shown is the porcelain steel paneling WC is so famous for. This could really be a unique and even landmark building for the neighborhood. I agree that the VVC is likely to want at least the tower portion to be reduced, and possibly the main building to set back more on its upper floors. Should be interesting to see how it comes together.

 

Also, here's a larger version of the main rendering than the one posted above. The drive-thru off of 2nd seems like a clever solution, and I especially like that there are full balconies (vs 'Juliet'),

 

LOL!!!

More about the proposed new development for the White Caste site from Business First:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/04/02/first-look-multi-story-tower-proposed-for-short.html

 

 

Wasn't this an April Fool's joke last year on CU???

 

Glad to see it may come true!

 

Found it

http://www.columbusunderground.com/new-mixed-use-development-proposed-for-white-castle-site-in-short-north-bw1