The previous design was much better.

^Agreed, but I don't hate this design.

I like this version

I kind of the like this latest version too.  The ground floor portion is more interesting then previous versions and the top glass portion is handled well.  But that middle blank portion seems a non-starter.  If they would either clad that differently or glaze it, like in the previous designs, it would probably be okay.  Because the proportions in this version are otherwise pleasing.

 

For some context, here are some images of the existing Grandview Mercantile site at 1st & High and the three designs submitted so far for the site:

 

Existing Grand Merc site:

 

Version #1: 12-story

 

Version #2: 10-story

 

Version #3: 10-story

^ I don't know, I'm getting an Easton sort of vibe from first two stories on the latest rendering. The earlier examples look more welcoming and less corporation-like from the street level. 

I like the direction the new version is heading if the retail now actually is 2-stories (or 1 with an upper level mezzanine).

 

That kind of space is still rare in the SN, but where it does exist I think it's incredibly successful (Wood Cos Winders building - Homage, Tigertree, Anthropologie, Samson/T. David).

 

 

Wow...my old gym is now a grocery store. I recognized it right away just from the interior colors. It doesn't look like they even had to remodel it, except for the hardwood floors.

 

Glad to see "Breathe Fitness" go. They thought they were slick and tried to scam me out of a lot of money. I was set up for automatic month-to-month payments and they over-charged me by almost 200 dollars with payments leaving my bank account weekly. They blamed it on "a glitch in the system" which I WOULD believe except I had to go in there about 5 times over the course of a month and complain and ask where the hell my money was and it wasn't until I went in there and threatened to get the police in there (because I found out it was happening to a bunch of others at the gym) that they wrote me a check on the spot.

A slightly taller version of the building originally proposed for the UDF site has been approved for construction:

 

- Original version: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,2062.msg810895.html#msg810895

 

- Approved version: http://www.columbusunderground.com/four-story-building-approved-for-udf-site-in-short-north-bw1

 

 

 

More renderings at http://www.columbusunderground.com/four-story-building-approved-for-udf-site-in-short-north-bw1

Meh, but it's better than the dirt lot.

Yeah, it's kind of lackluster given what other developers are proposing and putting up in the SN these days.

 

Wood/Schiff, Borror, Kaufman, Pizzuti, Crawford Hoying, etc are all doing larger/denser projects, and often on smaller lots than this UDF site.

 

It seems like Elford is uncomfortable developing at a bigger scale than this, which is very similar to both their Donatos and Fireproof projects.

Yeah, it's kind of lackluster given what other developers are proposing and putting up in the SN these days.

 

Wood/Schiff, Borror, Kaufman, Pizzuti, Crawford Hoying, etc are all doing larger/denser projects, and often on smaller lots than this UDF site.

 

It seems like Elford is uncomfortable developing at a bigger scale than this, which is very similar to both their Donatos and Fireproof projects.

 

REALLY!?  This fits with the fabric of the neighborhood perfectly and people are still complaining.  Look at the detail in the corner and red part of the building.  It has modern aspects as well in the center of the building, so really what more do you want?

High-end apartments opening above Forno in the Short North

 

 

A pair of Columbus developers are ready to debut the latest upscale apartments in the Short North.

 

Wood Cos. and Schiff Capital Group have begun leasing the Diplomat building at 9 Buttles Ave. as their joint venture completes renovation work above Forno Kitchen and Bar, which anchors the prominent corner at High Street and Buttles.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2016/09/high-end-apartments-opening-above-forno-in-the.html

Developers ready to start on 9-story Short North office tower with rooftop restaurant

 

 

A pair of Columbus developers are ready to break ground on what’s to become the Short North’s tallest office building.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/09/30/renderings-developers-ready-to-start-on-9-story.html

Short North streetscape upgrades planned as city sets High Street overhaul

 

 

Columbus is planning to improve the streetscape along High Street from north of downtown to the Ohio State campus area, including the length of the Short North.

 

The project is expected to begin next spring, focusing first on High Street across from the Greater Columbus Convention Center and between Seventh and Ninth avenues, just south of the South Campus Gateway.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/09/30/short-north-streetscape-upgrades-planned-as-city.html

I commute to work on High St from Clintonville to the Arena District - there's a lot of activity to check out every day spanning several threads so I wasn't sure where to post this. What I saw today, north to south:

 

Wellington: Sheet piling is in and excavation is underway for the lower level parking.

15th and High: Longs and Hennicks are long gone and the basements are being filled.

Taco Bell: Closed for about 6 months now - wonder when this will move forward?

9th and High Rehab: This project is complete and looks great.

Highline and Nine: The north and south ends have reached full height giving a real sense of how the scale of the street is changing.

North Side Library: Coming together nicely - looks like the windows will be installed on the 2nd floor soon. I didn't realize the building had white brick - looks good.

7th and High: Dollar Tree and the laundry are gone, the site is fenced off awaiting demolition.

Stonehenge 3rd and High: Footings are poured, should see something vertical soon.

White Castle: Tower crane base is in and first level columns are being poured.

Brunner Building: Basement foundations are poured, looks like it may go vertical soon.

UDF 1st and High: Two drill rigs were working this morning performing subsurface investigations.

 

Renderings Unveiled for Proposed Hotel on Haiku Site

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/renderings-unveiled-for-proposed-hotel-on-haiku-site-bw1

 

edit/updated link, http://www.columbusunderground.com/new-visuals-unveiled-for-proposed-hotel-on-haiku-site-bw1

 

 

Fits in with the new developments and will add more 24/7 to the neighborhood.  I like it.

I'm good with the renderings.  It's non-offensive, looks like decent material, and I'm fine with the height.

Crawford Hoying releases new renderings for 10-story Moxy hotel complex on Haiku site in the Short North

 

 

We're getting an updated look at what's planned for the site of the Haiku restaurant in the heart of the Short North.

 

Crawford Hoying Development Partners LLC is proposing a 10-story hotel and office complex on the site at High Street and Hubbard Avenue.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/11/16/crawford-hoying-releases-new-renderings-for-10.html

Noticed a drill rig performing a subsurface investigation at Starr and High. Could this be the next suburban outparcel to bite the dust in the Short North?

 

<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1480603162375!6m8!1m7!1sC8_CPRpOAPuZcH37JlZSjw!2m2!1d39.9829337632378!2d-83.0047404428445!3f309.01015095581806!4f-6.64182482847734!5f0.7820865974627469" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" style="border:0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

GOD I hope so!

Noticed a drill rig performing a subsurface investigation at Starr and High. Could this be the next suburban outparcel to bite the dust in the Short North?

 

<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1480603162375!6m8!1m7!1sC8_CPRpOAPuZcH37JlZSjw!2m2!1d39.9829337632378!2d-83.0047404428445!3f309.01015095581806!4f-6.64182482847734!5f0.7820865974627469" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" style="border:0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

There was some talk about development coming to this lot some months back, though there haven't been any official announcements yet. 

The White Castle project tower crane was erected over the weekend.

 

Short North parking fix? Columbus wants developers to pay for lack of spaces

 

 

Columbus officials are hoping to have a solution for parking problems in the Short North.

 

With an influx of six- to 10-story buildings in some stage of design or construction, the city is planning to hold developers financially responsible for any shortfalls in parking spaces attached to those projects.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/01/05/short-north-parking-fix-columbus-wants-developers.html

Thank goodness we don't have (and seemingly won't ever have) any form of transit that would help w the parking crunch!

The Pizzuti proposal has been significantly re-worked. It now includes the Grandview Mercantile building and the large, 1-story building behind that across Wall St.

 

No renderings yet, although I'd imagine CU and Biz1st will have them momentarily...

 

873 N High St and 40 W First Ave

Conceptual Review

 

- Demolish two (2) existing commercial buildings (Grandview Mercantile and ImproveIt!) and redevelop the site into a mixed-use commercial, office, and residential development.

- Construct new four (4) story building on the N High St site containing offices and retail uses and a surface parking lot for 8 spaces.

- Construct new six (6) story building on the W First Ave site containing 100-110 dwelling units and approximately 122 space below grade parking structure.

 

My first reaction is that the heights should be switched. Put the taller structure on High, and the smaller one behind to buffer the neighborhood. Of course, with commercial floor heights being larger than residential, they could be roughly the same height already... Really looking forward to seeing the plans/images for this.

 

The Pizzuti proposal has been significantly re-worked. It now includes the Grandview Mercantile building and the large, 1-story building behind that across Wall St.

 

No renderings yet, although I'd imagine CU and Biz1st will have them momentarily...

 

873 N High St and 40 W First Ave

Conceptual Review

 

- Demolish two (2) existing commercial buildings (Grandview Mercantile and ImproveIt!) and redevelop the site into a mixed-use commercial, office, and residential development.

- Construct new four (4) story building on the N High St site containing offices and retail uses and a surface parking lot for 8 spaces.

- Construct new six (6) story building on the W First Ave site containing 100-110 dwelling units and approximately 122 space below grade parking structure.

 

My first reaction is that the heights should be switched. Put the taller structure on High, and the smaller one behind to buffer the neighborhood. Of course, with commercial floor heights being larger than residential, they could be roughly the same height already... Really looking forward to seeing the plans/images for this.

 

So it's now gone from 12 stories down to 6? That kind of sucks...

So it's now gone from 12 stories down to 6? That kind of sucks...

 

Kind of, ... In the most recent previous iteration it was 10 stories, but almost half of that was parking above ground. Now they've added a residential component in a second building and moved all the parking underground. So, they've lost height, (and likely reduced the amount of office space somewhat), but the overall form/programming could still be an improvement. Fronting High St with a parking garage was always going to be problematic.

We have people constantly arguing that Columbus' urban core doesn't need height or residents.  I am always more shocked when a project ISN'T being reduced in size.  I hate to say it, but the city continues to act like it's about 10x smaller... a cowtown.  Parking over walkability, mediocrity over creativity, suburban over urban, cars over transit, low over high density.  SSDD.

I hate to add to that parking over walkability thing but...

 

Whit's Frozen Custard closes in the Short North, citing high costs and parking woes

 

..."He also said customers were increasingly complaining about parking.

 

The Short North has changed a lot since Whit's opened in 2012. Gallery Hops on the first Saturday of the month were a huge deal, Wells said, but “now Gallery Hop’s just become a bar hop” and not what it used to be.

...

Wells would like to open another, possibly in Grandview Heights or Grove City and preferably with a drive-thru."

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/01/10/whits-frozen-custard-closes-in-the-short-north.html

I hate to add to that parking over walkability thing but...

 

Whit's Frozen Custard closes in the Short North, citing high costs and parking woes

 

..."He also said customers were increasingly complaining about parking.

 

The Short North has changed a lot since Whit's opened in 2012. Gallery Hops on the first Saturday of the month were a huge deal, Wells said, but “now Gallery Hop’s just become a bar hop” and not what it used to be.

...

Wells would like to open another, possibly in Grandview Heights or Grove City and preferably with a drive-thru."

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/01/10/whits-frozen-custard-closes-in-the-short-north.html

 

I continue to find the parking complaints ironic.  Downtown, where there are at least 40,000 parking spots and 40% of the land is used for parking, retail consistently struggles outside of maybe a small section of Gay Street.  When the Short North had tons more parking, its retail corridor was full of holes and population in the area was falling. 

Complaining about a lack of parking for Gallery Hop is like complaining that you can't find a spot close to a store at Easton on Black Friday.  99% of the time, it's relatively easy to find a spot in the Short North, especially after the new garages were built.  God forbid anyone have to walk more than 100 feet- or *gasp* a few blocks- to find a spot off High. 

I'm not sure what people think is going to happen with the SN parking situation.  There is only so much room for parking, and all of the new development projects have included parking, so they're not really adding to that problem.  You either tear stuff down for more garages/lots and lose some of the vibrancy/popularity of the area and therefore decrease demand for the parking you just built, or you accept that this is an urban neighborhood with limited space.  If your business plan needs a drive-thru, the SN is probably not going to work out for you.  If you need to park 10 feet from the entrance to a restaurant, maybe you should stay in Hilliard.  This is just how urban neighborhoods work.

 

Simply put, there is never again going to be a time when parking is cheap and abundant in the Short North.  Can't handle it, stay away. 

 

I hate to add to that parking over walkability thing but...

 

Whit's Frozen Custard closes in the Short North, citing high costs and parking woes

 

..."He also said customers were increasingly complaining about parking.

 

The Short North has changed a lot since Whit's opened in 2012. Gallery Hops on the first Saturday of the month were a huge deal, Wells said, but “now Gallery Hop’s just become a bar hop” and not what it used to be.

...

Wells would like to open another, possibly in Grandview Heights or Grove City and preferably with a drive-thru."

 

 

I continue to find the parking complaints ironic.  Downtown, where there are at least 40,000 parking spots and 40% of the land is used for parking, retail consistently struggles outside of maybe a small section of Gay Street.  When the Short North had tons more parking, its retail corridor was full of holes and population in the area was falling. 

Complaining about a lack of parking for Gallery Hop is like complaining that you can't find a spot close to a store at Easton on Black Friday.  99% of the time, it's relatively easy to find a spot in the Short North, especially after the new garages were built.  God forbid anyone have to walk more than 100 feet- or *gasp* a few blocks- to find a spot off High. 

I'm not sure what people think is going to happen with the SN parking situation.  There is only so much room for parking, and all of the new development projects have included parking, so they're not really adding to that problem.  You either tear stuff down for more garages/lots and lose some of the vibrancy/popularity of the area and therefore decrease demand for the parking you just built, or you accept that this is an urban neighborhood with limited space.  If your business plan needs a drive-thru, the SN is probably not going to work out for you.  If you need to park 10 feet from the entrance to a restaurant, maybe you should stay in Hilliard.  This is just how urban neighborhoods work.

 

Simply put, there is never again going to be a time when parking is cheap and abundant in the Short North.  Can't handle it, stay away. 

 

 

I'm willing to say that Whit's didn't survive because it doesn't have the name that Jeni's does, and people are willing to stand in that line. Parking is like building onto a road, people will fill to the capacity that it provides. However, to say that parking is an easy task any Friday or Saturday is a joke. Non-residence of the Short North are unable to park on the majority of the side streets, the garages fill up quickly and valet zones take up valuable space on High Street. I've never been unable to find a spot, but I have looked for a spot for close to an hour at times. Unfortunately parking is something that Columbus has to have, it has to be built into new developments, because adding 100+ new residents to the neighborhood makes it that much harder for non-residence to find a place to park and patronize the restaurants, bars, and shops in the community.

I hate to add to that parking over walkability thing but...

 

Whit's Frozen Custard closes in the Short North, citing high costs and parking woes

 

..."He also said customers were increasingly complaining about parking.

 

The Short North has changed a lot since Whit's opened in 2012. Gallery Hops on the first Saturday of the month were a huge deal, Wells said, but “now Gallery Hop’s just become a bar hop” and not what it used to be.

...

Wells would like to open another, possibly in Grandview Heights or Grove City and preferably with a drive-thru."

 

 

I continue to find the parking complaints ironic.  Downtown, where there are at least 40,000 parking spots and 40% of the land is used for parking, retail consistently struggles outside of maybe a small section of Gay Street.  When the Short North had tons more parking, its retail corridor was full of holes and population in the area was falling. 

Complaining about a lack of parking for Gallery Hop is like complaining that you can't find a spot close to a store at Easton on Black Friday.  99% of the time, it's relatively easy to find a spot in the Short North, especially after the new garages were built.  God forbid anyone have to walk more than 100 feet- or *gasp* a few blocks- to find a spot off High. 

I'm not sure what people think is going to happen with the SN parking situation.  There is only so much room for parking, and all of the new development projects have included parking, so they're not really adding to that problem.  You either tear stuff down for more garages/lots and lose some of the vibrancy/popularity of the area and therefore decrease demand for the parking you just built, or you accept that this is an urban neighborhood with limited space.  If your business plan needs a drive-thru, the SN is probably not going to work out for you.  If you need to park 10 feet from the entrance to a restaurant, maybe you should stay in Hilliard.  This is just how urban neighborhoods work.

 

Simply put, there is never again going to be a time when parking is cheap and abundant in the Short North.  Can't handle it, stay away. 

 

 

I'm willing to say that Whit's didn't survive because it doesn't have the name that Jeni's does, and people are willing to stand in that line. Parking is like building onto a road, people will fill to the capacity that it provides. However, to say that parking is an easy task any Friday or Saturday is a joke. Non-residence of the Short North are unable to park on the majority of the side streets, the garages fill up quickly and valet zones take up valuable space on High Street. I've never been unable to find a spot, but I have looked for a spot for close to an hour at times. Unfortunately parking is something that Columbus has to have, it has to be built into new developments, because adding 100+ new residents to the neighborhood makes it that much harder for non-residence to find a place to park and patronize the restaurants, bars, and shops in the community.

 

I was there for Gallery Hop in November and at 6:30pm found the new garage off of Goodale mostly empty.  It wasn't super warm out or anything, but it was still busy.  I've never had trouble finding a spot relatively close to where I wanted to be.  At worst, I'll park Downtown and take the C-Bus... which is free.  I have no idea why more people don't do that.  Or use Uber, or the bike-share.  The point is that there are options for urban and suburban residents alike to be able to enjoy the neighborhood without stressing about parking. 

Parking IS being built for new development.  New residents in apartment buildings aren't taking extra spots, as new development often includes more spots than the lots they're replacing.  It's not the new projects or their residents that are the issue.  The issue is that you're just not going to have enough in the exact spot everyone who comes into the neighborhood from elsewhere wants it to be. It's literally impossible without destroying the fabric of the neighborhood.  And we have plenty of historic proof that parking has nothing to do with vibrancy.  Cities tried that before, in the 1950s and 1960s, and it failed spectacularly. 

Yes, the city should get better transit, but even without it, there are still options for people.  They just don't want to walk or get out of their cars.

Pizzuti scales back Grandview Mercantile plan in the Short North, adds tower next door

 

 

Pizzuti Cos. has again shortened its redevelopment proposal for the Grandview Mercantile site in the Short North, while planning to make up for the reduction in height by incorporating the neighboring property into the project.

 

The Columbus developer's revised plan calls for a four-story mix of offices and retail at the corner of High Street and First Avenue, replacing the Grandview Mercantile furniture store.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/01/11/pizzuti-scales-back-grandview-mercantile-plan-with.html

^I was never against the higher density/taller proposals, but I have to say that I like that design much better.

^I was never against the higher density/taller proposals, but I have to say that I like that design much better.

 

Agreed. However, why can't the Grandview Mercantile site also have underground parking? That'd allow for more density. The CU article says this is more than 70' tall. It certainly doesn't appear so. That'd be almost 18' per floor.

I also like the High St piece of this proposal more than the previous versions, but wish it were maybe just one or two floors taller still.

 

The residential part on the other hand is a bit of a mess right now. It looks really strange and hodgepodge with all of the different setbacks and material changes. I hope that continues to be refined...

 

Pizzuti scales back Grandview Mercantile plan in the Short North, adds tower next door

 

Biz1st needs to get a grip on reality. This squat, 6-story building by no means fits any conceivable definition of the word "tower."

 

The CU article says this is more than 70' tall. It certainly doesn't appear so. That'd be almost 18' per floor.

 

If you look at the other rendering you can see mechanical systems for the office building on its roof which are hidden from view in the main image.

The new Grandview Mercantile design is best described as generica. The prior design needed refinement but not completely thrown out.

Pizzuti confident revised plan for the Short North 'fits with the neighborhood'

 

 

Pizzuti Cos. has a new plan for mixed-use redevelopment at High Street and First Avenue in the heart of the Short North neighborhood.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/01/12/pizzuti-confident-revised-plan-for-the-short-north.html

They could push the height of the building off of High Street.

Five-Story Building Proposed for Yoga on High Site in Short North

 

 

"A proposal to build a five-story mixed-use development on the current site of Yoga on High in the Short North was submitted to the city today.

 

The plans, which will be reviewed by the Victorian Village Commission on February 9th, call for about 9,500 square feet of ground-floor retail with 116 apartments above. About 140 parking spaces would be provided in a parking garage with a both a first-floor and basement level."

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/five-story-building-proposed-for-yoga-on-high-site-in-short-north-bw1

The Yoga on High used to be a Kroger and the Dollar store was a Big Bear. Two groceries right next to each other.

 

http://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/ohio/id/18880/rec/5

If they ever renovate that Family Dollar (or change uses to, say, a Trader Joe's), it'd help that block tremendously.

This may sound crazy, but I've actually always really liked the Family Dollar building. It has kind of a mid-century look with the neon sign, is a rare remaining example of the early supermarket typology, and once everything gets built up more around it I think it would stand out in a nice way. It's not listed as contributing so probably will eventually be demoed, but I agree with ColDay that if it were fixed up a bit or changed to a TJs, etc, it would really be an asset to the district.

I bet the aisles were 3 feet wide like the pre-ADA grocery stores in the movies Cobra and They Live.

I wonder if that odd vacant lot in between the Krogers and Big Bear buildings will be included in the Yoga redevelopment.

I don't think they even let people park there.

Preferred Living planning 5-story apartment complex in the Short North

 

Another residential development is being planned for High Street in the Short North.

 

Preferred Living wants to build a five-story apartment complex on the northwest corner of High Street and West Third Avenue, requiring demolition of a single-story building that houses the Yoga on High studio and a day care.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/02/07/preferred-living-planning-5-story-apartment.html

The Garden building replacement proposal - three options will be presented to the IV Commission tonight.

“We want the building to appear transparent,” said James Brennan, Design Principal with the architecture firm Gresham, Smith and Partners. “Our client is committed to building a high quality building, which seems lacking in Columbus at the moment… making things look the same with new materials doesn’t usually create the desired aesthetic.”

 

 

 

The three options:

 

 

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/three-options-for-replacing-short-north-building-to-be-presented-bw1

Woah. Scheme A! Scheme A!