I've heard rumors of this for a couple of years. Basically tearing down the University City strip mall and replacing it with a 6 story building (retail with 5 stories of residential). There's a 2 level parking garage. No commitment from Kroger if they will return to the center. Unfortunately the confusing mess of outparcels will remain.

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/major-redevelopment-planned-for-university-city-center-on-olentangy-river-road-bw1

 

The current Kroger is seriously OLLLLLD. It's like one you'd see in a small town in WV.

Well, THAT is great news!

Even with the outlots remaining, this is pretty good news. That Krogers is in serious need of a rebuild.

The $89 million OhioHealth office development has started construction.  Previous post with renderings at https://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,27407.msg850236.html#msg850236:

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/work-underway-on-new-ohiohealth-offices-off-olentangy-river-road-bw1

Now that the OhioHealth office development has started construction, the so-called "pinball" exit ramp from 315 to North Broadway has closed.  This aerial view from http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20170724/route-315-to-north-broadway-city-excises-exit-before-work-begins shows the ramp section that has been closed:

 

Fate of Kroger's University City store is determined

 

The redevelopment of the University City shopping center will not include a Kroger Co. store.

 

The Cincinnati-based grocer Thursday said its 56-year-old store at 2913 Olentangy River Road and its nearby fuel center will close at 5 p.m. Oct. 16.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/09/14/fate-of-krogers-university-city-store-is.html

Fate of Kroger's University City store is determined

 

The redevelopment of the University City shopping center will not include a Kroger Co. store.

 

The Cincinnati-based grocer Thursday said its 56-year-old store at 2913 Olentangy River Road and its nearby fuel center will close at 5 p.m. Oct. 16.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/09/14/fate-of-krogers-university-city-store-is.html

 

That thing needed demolished when I moved here 11 years ago.  CU posted a picture of the "Kro-Ghetto" on their facebook post which I thought was kind of funny.

I knew it was old but didn't know it was from 1961.

The Dispatch ran an article today about the University City Shopping Center redevelopment that has previously been posted in this thread:

 

http://www.dispatch.com/news/20171005/university-city-shopping-center-getting-makeover

 

---

This article describes the University City Shopping Center project as "an estimated $75 million project that will include 266 one- and two-bedroom apartments on five floors above a grocery store larger than the current 33,000-square-foot Kroger and several other restaurant and retail spots."  Also, "the project, which will have both underground and surface parking, replaces the existing one-story strip center with a six-story development more in keeping with the drive to build more urban-style, dense projects in the university area."

 

The article also listed a number of new or under-construction projects along Olentangy River Road:

-

- New Marriott Hotel

- New Residence Inn by Marriott Hotel

- New Staybridge Suites

- OhioHealth headquarters project

- Still-developing plans to redevelop a 17-acre property anchored by a Kohl’s store that is owned by Crawford Hoying

Three visions: Designers eye new future for Olentangy River corridor

 

Tear out Route 315. Build a lane for autonomous cars through Olentangy River Road. Plan for a Hyperloop through downtown.

 

These are a few of the ideas architects envision to drive Columbus into the future.

 

Three teams or architectural firms worked with students from Ohio State University's Knowlton School of Architecture to envision how to develop the Olentangy River corridor between the school and downtown, a charette they hope will guide the future development of an area which has 23,000 residents, 59,000 students and 83,000 employees along five square miles.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/11/19/three-visions-designers-eye-new-future-for.html

Design Teams Present Grand Visions of a Transformed Olentangy River Corridor

 

The City of Columbus and Ohio State University are interested in strengthening the connections between downtown and campus. With North High Street developing at a rapid rate, both entities have turned their attention to the other primary connection – the Olentangy River corridor.

 

An event last night at the Knowlton School of Architecture was meant to jumpstart a conversation about that corridor and to get people thinking big about what it could look like in the future.

 

More below:

http://www.columbusunderground.com/design-teams-present-grand-visions-of-a-transformed-olentangy-river-corridor-bw1

 

 

City committee approves plans for mixed use at University City shopping center

 

The city's zoning committee has approved a plan to redevelop University City shopping center off of Olentangy River Road.

 

The committee approved requests Monday night to rezone about 12 acres of land, which will pave the way for the planned redevelopment by Robert Weiler Co.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/12/12/city-committee-approves-plans-for-mixed-use.html

City committee approves plans for mixed use at University City shopping center

 

The city's zoning committee has approved a plan to redevelop University City shopping center off of Olentangy River Road.

 

The committee approved requests Monday night to rezone about 12 acres of land, which will pave the way for the planned redevelopment by Robert Weiler Co.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/12/12/city-committee-approves-plans-for-mixed-use.html

 

A majority of this businesses are closed, including Kroger.

An update on the OhioHealth HQ from across 315 atop the Riverside parking garage.

 

University City (the redevelopment of the Kroger shopping center) has some updated plans and renderings via Casto (for the retail availability).

VIA http://www.castoinfo.com/retail/portfolio/ohio/university-city/

University City (the redevelopment of the Kroger shopping center) has some updated plans and renderings via Casto (for the retail availability).

VIA http://www.castoinfo.com/retail/portfolio/ohio/university-city/

 

For comparison, here is the current layout.  This is such a weird project.  On one hand they are adding a much larger, much more urban-designed building, but on the other, they're keeping just as much parking as before, and the way it's setup, it's just like a much larger strip mall than before.  There is zero street interaction with any of the nearby roads and is incredibly unfriendly to anything but cars.  There's nothing really that makes this attractive to the potential residents, IMO.  Where are they going to go?  I guess this is not surprising considering Don Casto Sr. was one of the original creators of the strip mall, so they're sticking with what they know.  I suppose they could build on some of that surface parking at a later date, but as it stands, it's another letdown for me personally.  Columbus desperately needs some serious urban developers.

I never expect much from things built on high-speed roads in this town.

I never expect much from things built on high-speed roads in this town.

 

True, the road is not exactly friendly to anything, but they did add that multi-use path not that long ago.  There's not even really a connection to that, and it's directly in front of the property.  I mean, come on.

University City (the redevelopment of the Kroger shopping center) has some updated plans and renderings via Casto (for the retail availability).

VIA http://www.castoinfo.com/retail/portfolio/ohio/university-city/

 

For comparison, here is the current layout.  This is such a weird project.  On one hand they are adding a much larger, much more urban-designed building, but on the other, they're keeping just as much parking as before, and the way it's setup, it's just like a much larger strip mall than before.  There is zero street interaction with any of the nearby roads and is incredibly unfriendly to anything but cars.  There's nothing really that makes this attractive to the potential residents, IMO.  Where are they going to go?  I guess this is not surprising considering Don Casto Sr. was one of the original creators of the strip mall, so they're sticking with what they know.  I suppose they could build on some of that surface parking at a later date, but as it stands, it's another letdown for me personally.  Columbus desperately needs some serious urban developers.

 

Another awkward development for an awkward part of town...

An update on the OhioHealth HQ from across 315 atop the Riverside parking garage.

 

 

Found these before and after aerial photos of the OhioHealth HQ construction site at http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180609/public-kept-in-dark-for-2-years-about-plans-to-demolish-rt-315-ramp

 

^The Dispatch version of this article mentions that in addition to the R/W parcel the City gave Ohio Health 5 acres of parkland to build the HQ. Talk about corporate welfare....

University City (the redevelopment of the Kroger shopping center) has some updated plans and renderings via Casto (for the retail availability).

VIA http://www.castoinfo.com/retail/portfolio/ohio/university-city/

 

For comparison, here is the current layout.  This is such a weird project.  On one hand they are adding a much larger, much more urban-designed building, but on the other, they're keeping just as much parking as before, and the way it's setup, it's just like a much larger strip mall than before.  There is zero street interaction with any of the nearby roads and is incredibly unfriendly to anything but cars.  There's nothing really that makes this attractive to the potential residents, IMO.  Where are they going to go?  I guess this is not surprising considering Don Casto Sr. was one of the original creators of the strip mall, so they're sticking with what they know.  I suppose they could build on some of that surface parking at a later date, but as it stands, it's another letdown for me personally.  Columbus desperately needs some serious urban developers.

 

This is how a lot of Cbus development on the West side of the Olentangy has gone. Urban looking building, completely car-oriented and suburban in actual nature. They are finally starting to figure out how to do it correctly on Fifth Ave.

New ramp for the Ohio Health HQ

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/06/25/route-315-ramp-from-clintonville-to-close-for-one.html

 

https://www.columbus.gov/Templates/Detail.aspx?id=2147497203

 

 

^ The Hospital Curve sure will be "interesting" over the next year.

 

Here's the phasing of the road construction from https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/06/25/route-315-ramp-from-clintonville-to-close-for-one.html

 

 

 

Demolition of University City Shopping Center Begins

 

Fencing is up and demolition work is starting at the University City Shopping Center, the retail strip at the corner of Olentangy River Road and Ackerman Road.

 

A plan to replace the one-story center with a six-story mixed-use development was approved last summer.

 

Skip Weiler of the Robert Weiler Company said that construction is scheduled to take about 18 months. He also provided new renderings that show some changes in the design of the project.

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/university-city-bw1

 

^ Project page and rendering for the Aloft/Element Hotel development at 1299 Olentangy River Road from http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/aloftelement-hotel-coming-to-olentangy-river-road#post-1076460

 

PROJECT PAGE: http://www.indushotels.com/StarwoodAloft.aspx

 

 

Over three years later this site is finally cleared and construction has begun! They're up three floors on the elevator cores. Cap City also got a nice renovation.

Over three years later this site is finally cleared and construction has begun!  They're up three floors on the elevator cores.  Cap City also got a nice renovation.

 

Couple of photo-tours of the Cap City diner renovation:

 

https://www.columbusunderground.com/first-look-23-year-old-cap-city-fine-diner-ls1

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/08/09/get-a-look-at-the-new-cap-city-diner-before-it.html

Over three years later this site is finally cleared and construction has begun! They're up three floors on the elevator cores. Cap City also got a nice renovation.

 

An updated rendering:

 

Over three years later this site is finally cleared and construction has begun! They're up three floors on the elevator cores. Cap City also got a nice renovation.

 

An updated rendering:

 

 

Yikes. This is a terrible rendering. I appreciate some of the light elements and such that they are trying to introduce but I really hope it meshes better than real life than this awful rendering suggests.

Over three years later this site is finally cleared and construction has begun! They're up three floors on the elevator cores. Cap City also got a nice renovation.

 

An updated rendering:

 

 

Yikes. This is a terrible rendering. I appreciate some of the light elements and such that they are trying to introduce but I really hope it meshes better than real life than this awful rendering suggests.

 

My guess is it will face 315 so the lighting will be used to "advertise" the hotel.  But overall it just looks like a hotel, wasn't really expecting something amazing.

Over three years later this site is finally cleared and construction has begun! They're up three floors on the elevator cores. Cap City also got a nice renovation.

 

An updated rendering:

 

 

Yikes. This is a terrible rendering. I appreciate some of the light elements and such that they are trying to introduce but I really hope it meshes better than real life than this awful rendering suggests.

 

Meh, I don't really care. I'm not sure we should be expecting too much in terms of architecture from a chain hotel on Olentangy River Rd. It's a good size and brings much needed hotel rooms to the area.

Reminds me of Soviet Bloc housing, but with functioning plumbing.

 

Reminds me of Soviet Bloc housing, but with functioning plumbing.

 

 

It will look no different than the Marriott right down the street; the rendering looks like it was just screen shot from an 3D render.

Reminds me of Soviet Bloc housing, but with functioning plumbing.

 

 

It may not be the best, but to compare it to Khrushchyovka is a bit of a stretch.

^I did mention the hotel will have functioning plumbing.  :)

OhioHealth to open wellness center for stroke, neurological rehabilitation in 2019

 

 

OhioHealth is building what it calls a first-of-its-kind fitness and wellness center tailored for patients with stroke, multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions.

 

Central Ohio's largest health system expects to wrap up a $10 million campaign by year's end for the $12.1 million OhioHealth Neuroscience Wellness Center, which is scheduled to open next year in a wooded area it owns along Olentangy River Road.

 

On Tuesday, OhioHealth released renderings of the design by the Chicago office of Gensler. It had first announced plans in February.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/09/05/first-look-ohiohealth-to-open-wellness-center-for.html

Slideshow and drone video of the $90 million Ohio Health headquarters being built at East North Broadway and Olentangy River Road:

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/09/05/first-look-ohiohealth-headquarters-designed-to.html

 

---

Some stills from the drone video at the above link:

 

 

 

 

The Aloft hotel is going to terminate this vista from King and Olentangy.

 

^Terminate or dominate?

 

Hmmm... "terminate or dominate..." "terminate or domiante..."

 

I think I'm onto something

Today's print Dispatch had this aerial photo showing the construction of the Aloft Hotel at 1295 Olentangy River Road.  SR315 and the Medical Campus at the Ohio State University are in the background.

I honestly think the only aloft hotel I have seen that doesn't look cheap is the Cleveland FEB location. The design, and even how the building is positioned on the property are just disappointing with the parking fronting Olentangy. 

8 minutes ago, DevolsDance said:

I honestly think the only aloft hotel I have seen that doesn't look cheap is the Cleveland FEB location. The design, and even how the building is positioned on the property are just disappointing with the parking fronting Olentangy. 

 

The one in Westerville looks pretty good:

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.1059,-82.926394,3a,60y,4.56h,88.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjD5dzJIkR87S9KsrzuBAZA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

But yes, this ORR Aloft and most others are quite ugly. The back of this fronts a railroad. Not sure why they wouldn't buffer the hotel with parking in the rear. My guess is because Cap City owns the land, and they wanted the parking to remain close to the restaurant.

 

This building looks huge when driving south on 315. I agree the positioning of the building is odd, but I never expected we would get an 8-story building plopped down on this spot. ORR is by no means an urban planning masterpiece, but it's nice to see something with a little height going up. 

Another photo of the Aloft Hotel under construction at 1295 Olentangy River Road from https://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-east-side-south-side-grandview-we1

 

 

OhioHealth completes 13-acre campus near Riverside Methodist Hospital

 

OhioHealth announced the completion of a new $90 million administrative campus on 13 acres near Riverside Methodist Hospital off Olentangy River Road the Northwest Side.  Move-in has begun at the site, where about 1,600 employees will be housed, the health system said.

 

The David P. Blom Administrative Campus, named for the OhioHealth president and CEO who will retire on June 30, is at 3430 OhioHealth Parkway.  This new public street runs though the campus from West North Broadway south to a retail area, which includes a Kohl’s department store.  The street was built with assistance from the City of Columbus, which had agreed to up to $40 million in road improvements to benefit the OhioHealth project and the gift of land upon which a now-closed Route 315 exit ramp sat.

( . . . )

The property had been owned by OhioHealth prior to construction and was used for a parking lot and distribution center. ... OhioHealth says the new facility will consolidate 22 locations in Central Ohio and has promised to add 900 new jobs to the Olentangy River Road area.

 

 

MORE:  https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190506/ohiohealth-completes-13-acre-campus-near-riverside-methodist-hospital

Business First has a slideshow of the newly opened OhioHealth administrative campus:  

 

Tour OhioHealth's new sunny riverfront headquarters:  https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/05/06/first-look-tour-ohiohealths-new-sunny-riverfront.html

Suburban style campus, built in the city, removing easy neighborhood access, and all keep under a thick veil of shady politics. 

I think I prefer to forget this development exists at this point. 

 

 

Hospitals do what dey want!

 

Considering everything that was provided to OhioHealth from the city and state on this deal, the least they can do it contribute toward finishing the bike path through their property and taking it off Milton.