In October 2004, Olde Gahanna's revitalization took a major leap forward with the beginning of the New Creekside Project redevelopment and park extension along Mill Street and Creekside Park. The next two years will witness the transformation of Olde Gahanna into a vibrant new heart that includes new public spaces, residences, offices, retail, and restaurants. From new covered public parking and park spaces to new places to live, work, and play, Olde Gahanna will be the anchor for Gahanna's vitality and growth.

 

This next major phase of Olde Gahanna's revitalization is the result of over a decade's worth of investments of time, money, and vision by the Gahanna, its leaders, its citizens, and its businesses in the Creekside Project.

 

 

This project broke ground in late November 2004.  Visit the following website to check out sketches, site plans, etc.:

http://www.gahanna.gov/government/development/creekside_home.asp

 

WHOA!

 

I LOVE Creekside!

Wow this looks perfect.

neat

Here is a Gahanna press release from April 4, 2005:

 

 

The wait is over ~ Creekside blooms this spring

 

The long awaited first glimpses of spring and the Creekside Phase II Project will both bloom in Olde Gahanna in the next few weeks.

 

Before demolition of the old post office and apartment building, the Mifflin Twp. Division of Fire and Gahanna Police Department will be using the vacant buildings for training. The fire department will use theatre smoke in the buildings to practice their search and rescue techniques.

 

But after the smoke, down they all come. Demolition will take about three weeks with excavation following in May. Then the long anticipated construction process continues through 2007.

 

A printed parking plan mapping available public lots and streets in the local area is being distributed later this week and will be outlined in the paper next week.

 

Gahanna based GGC Engineers, partnered with HR Gray, is the construction management team overseeing details from preliminary project drawings through to the Grand Opening. They plan to provide weekly updates and photos in the paper. You may also follow along through the city’s website – www.gahanna.gov/creeksideproject.

 

The Creekside Phase II project is an extension of Creekside Park from Big Walnut Creek with a new pond, waterfall, historic Mill and waterwheel. Also included in the plans will be 50 to 60 high-end condominium units, commercial and retail businesses, and public recreational space. Development plans also include an underground parking garage, which will contain over 300 spaces. The project is led by local developer Mo Dioun's Stonehenge Company.

 

http://www.gahanna.gov/pdf/Creekside_04-05-05.pdf

 

 

Here's the site plan:

 

 

From the 8/4/05 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

Meeting considered on Olde Gahanna parking shortage

Thursday, August 4, 2005

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

A "parking action session" is being planned to address concerns about parking problems in Olde Gahanna during construction in the city's Creekside area.  Gahanna development director Sadicka White and Deborah Graef, spokesman for the city's Creekside project management company, sent a letter to more than 85 businesses in the area asking for their participation.  A specific date has not yet been set for the session. But, Graef said, those receiving the letter were asked to indicate the time that best suits them.

 

Graef said more than a dozen businesses responded by the July 29 deadline and more are coming in daily.  Parking problems are the single most common complaint Graef said she receives about the construction project, expected to be completed in early 2007.

 

More at http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/080405/RockyFork/News/080405-News-629159.html

 

A related story from the 8/18/05 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

Olde Gahanna group backs special district

Thursday, August 18, 2005

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

A group of Olde Gahanna business and property owners say they would use money generated by a proposed special improvement district in Olde Gahanna and the city's west side for beautification projects, to promote the area and hire a downtown manager.  Efforts to establish a special improvement district, or SID, are being led by the OIde Gahanna Community Partnership (OGCP), a civic organization of Olde Gahanna business and property owners.

 

The OGCP board of directors is in the process of gauging support for a SID that includes properties on Mill Street, West Johnstown Road, U.S. Route 62, Agler Road, Stygler Road and Granville Street.  Establishment of a SID, which is not expected to be complete until at least mid-2006, would allow property owners within the district to assess themselves fees as a way to finance improvements to the area beyond the scope of normal city services.

 

More at http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/081805/RockyFork/News/081805-News-639297.html

 

From the 8/22/05 Columbus Business First:

 

Creekside promises good life for retirees

Wexner complex sets Oct. opening

Jeff Bell

Business First

 

Eloise Saslaw's wait for luxury living at Wexner Heritage Village is about to end.  Two years ago, the 83-year-old Bexley resident was the first to sign up to rent an apartment in the $17 million Creekside at the Village, an independent living complex on the Wexner Heritage campus south of Bexley.  Dubbed the Queen of Creekside by staff members, Saslaw is scheduled to be the first resident to move in when the 82-unit, five-story building opens Oct. 15.

 

Saslaw and other elderly tenants will get a taste of the good life daily in their new digs off College Avenue.  They will enjoy amenities ranging from valet parking and concierge service to meals prepared by an executive chef who worked at some of Columbus' finer restaurants.  "He's got a four-choice entree that sounds delightful," Saslaw said of a sample menu from Travis Kawasaki, a former chef at Strada World Cuisine, 55 on the Boulevard and Bexley Monk.

 

Full story at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/08/22/story4.html?from_rss=1

 

From Suburban News Publications, August 24-31:

 

Creekside Development excavation nearly half finished

By MIKE PRICE

 

About 40 percent of the excavation at the Creekside Project site has been completed.  Local developer Mo Dioun of the Stonehenge Company provided council with a progress report of the Creekside Project during Gahanna's City Council Finance Meeting Monday.  Dioun said overall the project is behind a couple of weeks but will make up for it by overlapping work in the next four to eight weeks.

 

More at http://www.snponline.com/NEWS8-24/8-24_ghcommwhole.htm

 

From the 9/22/05 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

CREEKSIDE

Ban may affect rents at project

Thursday, September 22, 2005

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

An indoor smoking ban proposed in the city of Gahanna could cost the city an unknown amount of revenue if adopted by voters on Nov. 8.  Passage of the ban could trigger a condition of the city's lease that allows the Creekside developer, The Stonehenge Co., to seek a reduction in rent should the city adopt any restrictions on alcohol or tobacco use.

 

Stonehenge is developing more than 200,000 square feet of new retail, commercial and luxury residential space on the west side of Mill Street in Olde Gahanna.  Stonehenge's lease with the city calls for the company, or future project owners, to pay the city between $2 and $3.60 for each square foot of retail and commercial space.

 

More at http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/092205/RockyFork/News/092205-News-16629.html

From the 10/6/05 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

City says Olde Gahanna no longer blighted

Thursday, October 6, 2005

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

Gahanna City Council this week adopted a measure ending Olde Gahanna's status as a blighted area.  City development director Sadicka White said enough progress has been made toward the area's economic revitalization that the change is warranted.  "What I had to do was look at what caused the blight in the first place and indicate if those influences had been reversed," White said.  "In my opinion, they have been reversed."

 

White said not including the Creekside area, there has been more than $20-million in public and private capital investments in Olde Gahanna since the blight designation was put on the area in 1987.  That work includes the first phase of the Creekside Park, buildings that now house The Pour House and Old Bag of Nails pubs, renovations to the historic Patton Buildings, reconstruction of the U.S. Route 62 bridge over the Big Walnut Creek and development of the Founders Plaza complex at the corner of Mill and Granville streets.

 

More at http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/100605/RockyFork/News/100605-News-22718.html

 

From the 10/27/05 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

Creekside tenants lining up

Stonehenge expects to have more than half of spaces filled by end of March

Thursday, October 27, 2005

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

Officials for The Stonehenge Co., the city's partner in redeveloping the Creekside area, said they expect to have more than 50 percent of the retail, commercial and luxury residential project leased by March.  That is well in advance of the Aug. 24, 2006, deadline set out in Stonehenge's partnership agreement with the city.

 

Stonehenge is building more than 200,000 square feet of retail, office and condominium space on the west side of Mill Street and along the banks of the Big Walnut Creek in Olde Gahanna.  The roughly $36-million project is scheduled for completion in mid-2007.  The city's portion of the project cost is about $11-million.  That money will finance a number of public improvements, including infrastructure upgrades, several new public plaza areas, a parking garage and an extension to Creekside Park.  The city owns much of the land on which the project sits.

 

More at http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/102705/RockyFork/News/102705-News-37052.html

 

From Suburban News Publications, 11/16/05:

 

Council postpones TIF vote

Council wants more time to discuss the Creekside TIFs

By KATRINA NIENBERG

 

Gahanna City Council agreed to postpone voting on two proposed ordinances dealing with the Creekside project during Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting.  Council held its first reading of two proposed Tax Increment Finance district ordinances for Creekside and Olde Gahanna during its Nov. 7 meeting.  On Monday, council agreed to postpone action on the proposed ordinances to allow for further committee discussion Nov. 28.

 

Both ordinances propose TIFs in the Creekside development area.  One of the ordinances would also encompass commercial properties in other areas needing redevelopment in the general vicinity of Olde Gahanna, including areas west of Stygler Road and east of Lincoln Circle, said Sadicka White, director of development for Gahanna.  The 30-year TIFs in the postponed ordinances would capture increased revenue from businesses benefiting from improvements the city has made, assuming the properties appreciate in value when the Creekside development is completed, White said.

 

More at http://www.snponline.com/NEWS11-16/11-16_ghcreekside.htm

 

From the Rocky Fork Enterprise, 11/24/05:

 

PHOTO: Workers from Dugan Meyer work on the Creekside project on Mill Street in Olde Gahanna on Nov. 18.  By K.F. Hawking/ThisWeek

 

Planning commission OKs eclectic Creekside design

Thursday, November 24, 2005

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer 

 

Visitors to the city's Creekside development, now under construction on Mill Street in Olde Gahanna, will be greeted by an eclectic mix of color, texture and style.  The $36-million, mixed-use project is being developed by The Stonehenge Co. in partnership with the city of Gahanna.  Plans call for the construction of about 200,000 square feet of new retail, office and luxury residential space.

 

The project, which will stretch more than three city blocks, is designed to look like a downtown area that evolved over a number of years, project architect Jerry Bird said.  To achieve that effect, the project's three buildings will share a total of 12 different facades representing architectural styles of several different decades, he said.  Construction on the project began last spring and is expected to be complete by mid-2007. Stonehenge president Mo Dioun said earlier that the project's first commercial tenants could begin moving in by May and residents of the 71 luxury condominiums planned for the project will start moving in during late 2006 or early 2007.

 

More at http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/112405/RockyFork/News/112405-News-51612.html

 

From the 12/15/05 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

Vote nears on Olde Gahanna TIFs

Thursday, December 15, 2005

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

Gahanna City Council is expected to wrap up a number of pending items at its last full meeting of 2005 on Monday, Dec. 19.  A vote is scheduled on two new tax-increment-financing districts encompassing parts of Olde Gahanna.  A TIF typically allows the taxes on the increased property value of land in a specific area to be diverted from the usual recipients -- such as county mental health agencies, public libraries and township fire departments -- and used to fund infrastructure improvements, such as roads and sewers, in that area.

 

Neither of the proposed TIFs would reduce the amount of tax money going to the Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools.  If approved, the first proposed TIF would include commercial property in Olde Gahanna, other than Creekside, and in West Gahanna, primarily along Stygler, Agler and West Johnstown roads.  The city has identified more than $10.7-million in infrastructure projects needed on Gahanna's west side, including street and sanitary sewer improvements, that TIF proceeds could fund.

 

More at http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/121505/RockyFork/News/121505-News-64374.html

 

From the Rocky Fork Enterprise, 12/22/05:

 

 

Creekside on track for August '07 finish

Thursday, December 22, 2005

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

The first year of work at the Creekside project site has put the development largely on schedule for completion in August 2007. The bulk of the work to date, project manager Brian Winkler said, has been in preparing the foundation for the underground portion of the public parking garage.

 

 

In October, Dioun said about 80 percent of the project's 50,000 square feet of retail space and half of the 50,000 square feet of office space already have been spoken for. Also, he said, about 110 people have put their names on a waiting list for the development's 71 luxury condominium units.

 

Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/122205/RockyFork/News/122205-News-68524.html

 

---

 

From same:

 

City struggles to adopt TIF plan

Thursday, December 22, 2005

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

This week's failed attempt by Gahanna City Council to create a tax-increment-financing district in Olde Gahanna and on the city's west side will force a vote at the 11th hour.  If the agreement, or TIF, isn't in place by Jan. 1, the city could lose a substantial portion of the potential proceeds because state laws governing TIFs will change.

 

Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/122205/RockyFork/News/122205-News-68529.html

 

From the 12/22/05 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

Gahanna gets OK to turn Bedford landfill into office park

Thursday, December 22, 2005

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

It's the beginning of the end for the former Bedford landfill.  Last week, Gahanna officials received word that more than five years of work to eliminate the environmental liability from the city's landscape finally had paid off.  On Dec. 14, the Clean Ohio Council approved the city's application for nearly $3-million to redevelop the 80-plus acre site, plus the more than 120 acres surrounding it, into an office park.

 

If the money becomes available in January or February, as expected, area residents can expect to see visible signs of improvement at the Claycraft Road site - including the removal of 10,000 cubic yards of waste brick and 500,000 to 1-million cubic yards of shale - by early March, Gahanna deputy director of development William Murdock said.  Eventually, Murdock said, the site could be developed to include more than 1-million square feet of office space, providing what are called about 4,000 high-paying jobs.

 

More immediate plans for the site call for the development of about 280,000 square feet of office space and a nine-hole golf course and training facility.  In partnership with the Central Ohio Community Investment Corp., the city has secured commitments from four central Ohio companies to relocate and grow their businesses at the site.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.snponline.com/NEWS12-28/12-28_ghgrant.htm

 

GAHANNA

Council approves special tax districts

Friday, December 30, 2005

THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

 

The Gahanna City Council has approved tax-increment financing districts for parts of Olde Gahanna and the city’s west side.  The special tax districts, known as TIFs, allow the city to divert funds away from recipients such as township fire departments and public libraries to infrastructure improvement projects.  The administration had pushed council to approve the emergency legislation before Jan. 1, when stricter state laws governing TIFs go into effect.  Such a vote would have required approval from six of seven council members.  The Council voted 5-2.  Because the legislation won’t go into effect for 30 days, it could cost the city up to half of the $7.4 million the TIF was expected to generate during its 30-year life, Development Director Sadicka White had told city officials.

 

Read more at http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/12/30/20051230-E8-04.html

From the 1/12/06 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

Bedford redevelopment site grows

Central Ohio Community Improvement Corp. close to purchasing additional 37 acres

Thursday, January 12, 2006

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

Redevelopment of the former Bedford landfill will include more than 200 acres of Gahanna industrial land after the Central Ohio Community Improvement Corp. closes on the purchase of an additional 37 acres Friday.  The COCIC is partnering with the city to turn the former landfill site off Claycraft Road, and much of the surrounding area, into a class-A office park and golf center.

 

The nonprofit COCIC will pay about $2.8-million for the latest addition to the project.  Central Park is the name that has been given to the redevelopment project.  The COCIC is acting as the project's developer.

 

"It's a very good deal for the development because of its proximity to Taylor Road, Taylor Station Road and also Science Boulevard," COCIC chairman Ed Leonard said.  "It will complete the east-west access for Central Park as well as the north-south access. It also ensures it's kind of a uniform development concept for Central Park."

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/011206/RockyFork/News/011206-News-78556.html

From the Rocky Fork Enterprise, 1/19/06:

 

Karst to leave future Central Park site

Thursday, January 19, 2006

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

A Gahanna-area business plans to move to Pataskala, which will make way for additional development at the former Bedford landfill site.  Karst & Sons Masonry recently bought 7.6 acres in Pataskala for its masonry contracting operations. 

 

Company president John Karst said the move will allow both the company's corporate offices and warehouse operations to be at the same location for the first time since locating in Gahanna in 1973.  Karst currently operates a warehouse on Taylor Station Road and offices on Taylor Road.

 

The company's roughly 16 acres on Taylor and Taylor Station roads was sold to Central Ohio Community Improvement Corp.  Karst declined to name the price, but the land represents nearly half of a 37-acre, $2.8-million COCIC purchase that closed last week.  The COCIC is the developer of the Central Park of Gahanna, a 200-acre, office park and golf center being developed on a site that includes the former Bedford landfill on Claycraft Road.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/011906/RockyFork/News/011906-News-81767.html

From the Rocky Fork Enterprise, 2/23/06:

 

 

Creekside garage work continuing

Thursday, February 23, 2006

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

The above-ground portions of the Creekside development should be under construction by May, developer Mo Dioun said last week.  Dioun was before the Gahanna Planning Commission last week to bring the board's newest members up to speed on the mixed-use development.

 

The project is a public-private partnership between Dioun's Stonehenge Co. and the city to develop nearly 40,000 square feet of new luxury residential, 50,000 square feet of office and 50,000 square feet of retail space in Olde Gahanna between the west side of Mill Street and the Big Walnut Creek.

 

Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/022306/RockyFork/News/022306-News-101330.html

 

From the 5/11/06 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

 

Tour of Creekside work postponed

Concerns from developer's insurer led to decision; June event called possible

Thursday, May 11, 2006

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

Gahanna residents will have to wait a little longer for their first glimpse inside the Creekside development construction site.  A "hard hat" tour of the site, originally scheduled for May 20, has been postponed indefinitely because of concerns from developer The Stonehenge Co.'s liability insurer.

 

Stonehenge is building about 200,000 square feet of new retail, office and luxury condominium space on the west side of Mill Street in Olde Gahanna.  The site overlooks the Big Walnut Creek and extends the city's Creekside Park.  The project is scheduled to open in mid- to late-2007.

 

Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/051106/RockyFork/News/051106-News-150820.html

 

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/05/15/daily15.html 

 

EPA gives Gahanna grant to redevelop landfill

Business First of Columbus - 3:34 PM EDT Tuesday

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is giving Central Ohio Community Improvement Corp. a $200,000 grant to redevelop a landfill in Gahanna.

 

The grant is part of a $2.6 million grant distributed among 11 communities in Ohio to redevelop brownfields, which are abandoned properties where environmental contamination has slowed redevelopment.

 

The Gahanna company will use the money to clean up soil and underground water pollution at the Bedford I Landfill Section A on Claycraft Road.

 

Other communities receiving funding include Akron, four sites in Cuyahoga County, three sites in Hamilton County Kent and Toledo. Nationally, the EPA is distributing $70 million in brownfields' redevelopment.

 

Central Ohio CIC acquired the Bedford landfill site in a joint effort with Franklin County and Gahanna to clean it up.

 

More on the grant from Gahanna News (SNP), 5/31/06:

 

 

City receives another grant for cleanup of old landfill

By KATRINA N. EWING

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $200,000 grant to be used toward the cleanup of the Bedford Landfill site, 870 Claycraft Road.  "This is our third year in a row for us getting a grant," said Gahanna Deputy Director of Development William Murdock at the May 22 meeting of Gahanna City Council.

 

Although being selected for the award is very exciting, $200,000 is just a small portion of the $1.4 million dollars requested in the original grant proposal submitted last winter, she said.  Cleanup and remediation costs could run upward of $6 million, Murdock previously said.

 

The EPA has previously granted $600,000 to the Central Ohio Community Improvement Corporation to use for brownfield assessment and cleanup in Gahanna.  About 10 million cubic yards of municipal, industrial and special waste and construction debris were accepted at the landfill from 1970 to 1995.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.snponline.com/NEWS5-31/5-31_ghepagrant.htm

 

From the Rocky Fork Enterprise, 6/29/06:

 

 

Council eyes proposal to aid ex-landfill's use

Thursday, June 29, 2006

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

Gahanna City Council is considering a $1.2-million measure to relieve stormwater flooding and runoff at the former Bedford landfill and allow its redevelopment.  At the same time, the city administration is seeking council approval for a $5-million grant application that could be used to buy additional land around the landfill site.

 

A year ago, the city announced a partnership with the Central Ohio Community Improvement Corp. (COCIC) to redevelop the roughly 80-acre landfill - as well as about 120 surrounding acres - in the city's industrial zone into a class-A office park and golf center, known as the Central Park of Gahanna.  Before that can happen, however, the landfill has to be officially closed and stormwater runoff problems corrected.

 

The city has been able to secure $3.2-million in Environmental Protection Agency and Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund (CORF) grants for the landfill cleanup.  Efforts to get state funding to solve stormwater problems have not been as successful, city deputy development director William Murdock told council this week.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/062906/RockyFork/News/062906-News-178481.html

From Gahanna News, 7/19/06:

 

 

City gears up for business roundtable, groundbreaking

The Gahanna Industrial Round table is Thursday and ground breaking for Central Park of Gahanna is scheduled July 27.

By KATRINA N. EWING

 

Bedford landfill construction is one of the topics to be discussed at an upcoming networking and informational forum for local businesses.  City development officials helped organize the Gahanna Industrial Roundtable, scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Thursday at Meritex Enterprises Inc., 861 Taylor Road Suite B.

 

The host business is sponsoring the event for businesspeople in the Gahanna industrial district and other interested businesses throughout Gahanna.  "Primarily, we focus on the industrial area, but businesses around the city are invited to participate," said Gahanna Deputy Director of Development William Murdock.  The area is generally bounded by Morrison Road to the west, Taylor Road to the north, the CSX railroad tracks to the south, and Reynoldsburg-New Albany Road to the east.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.snponline.com/NEWS7-19/7-19_ghcentralpark.htm

From the 8/3/06 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

PHOTO: The former Bedford landfill will be closed and capped in preparation for redevelopment as an office park and golf center. This aerial view shows I-270 at the top of the picture.  By Chris Parker/Enterprise

 

Work to create Central Park begins

Thursday, August 3, 2006

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer  

 

Shovels turned dirt last week to start the long-awaited transformation of the former Bedford landfill into a class-A business park.  It was a moment city, county and state officials have worked toward and anticipated for years.  "We're very excited about the fact that it really marks a new era for us," Gahanna deputy development director William Murdock said.  "It's the end of the Bedford landfill and the start of the Central Park."

 

The Central Ohio Community Investment Corp. (COCIC) owns the former 81-acre landfill, as well as more than 100 acres around the site, and has partnered with the city to redevelop the land into the Central Park of Gahanna.  When completed, the project is expected to include a 9-hole executive golf course, about 1.2-million square feet of high-end office space, an outdoor pavilion and walking paths along a wooded ravine.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/?edition=RockyFork&story=thisweeknews/080306/RockyFork/News/080306-News-200730.html

 

From the 8/22/06 Dispatch:

 

 

PHOTO: Flowers and an arch greet motorists and pedestrians as they head into Gahanna over Big Walnut Creek on Rt. 62. The project helped spur redevelopment at Rt. 62 and nearby Stygler Road, said Rita Smith, who once led a Gahanna citizens organization.  FRED SQUILLANTE DISPATCH PHOTOS 

 

PHOTO: This welcome sign along E. Main Street was installed as part of Reynoldsburg’s $10 million ongoing streetscape project. There are plans to build a bank, coffee shop and restaurant near the sign.

 

Cities tap coffers to create favorable first impressions

Inviting gateways boost development, local officials say

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Jim Woods THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

During the late 1990s, Gahanna officials decided to jazz up Rt. 62 coming into the city. A decorative arch with the letter G spans the Big Walnut Creek Bridge. A median strip with flowers dolled up Rt. 62 from west of the bridge to Stygler Road.  Rita Smith, who once led a citizens organization for west Gahanna residents, credits the project with spurring redevelopment of Rt. 62 and Stygler Road.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/08/22/20060822-D4-00.html

From the 8/31/06 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

 

Creekside developer stays mum on tenants

Thursday, August 31, 2006

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

Creekside retailers will include restaurants, an art gallery, a coffee house and an ice cream parlor.  Officials for Creekside developer The Stonehenge Co., however, are remaining tight-lipped about naming names.  Stonehenge president Mo Dioun said last week that all the names will be familiar in central Ohio and will represent both national chains and locally owned operations.

 

Stonehenge is partnering with the city to develop about 200,000 square feet of new office, retail and luxury residential space on the west side of Mill Street along the banks of the Big Walnut Creek.  The roughly $36-million project includes an $11-million investment by the city in a public parking garage and expansion of Creekside Park.

 

The development is scheduled to open in mid- to late 2007.

 

Read more at

http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=gahanna&story=sites/thisweeknews/083106/RockyFork/News/083106-News-214523.html

 

From the 10/26/06 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

 

Creekside work on target for '07

Thursday, October 26, 2006

By MIRIAM SEGALOFF

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

Construction on a mixed-use project in the city's Creekside redevelopment area in Olde Gahanna is on track to open in late 2007, the project developer said this week.  At the same time, work to relocate utilities underground along Mill Street and replace the sanitary sewer system there are progressing toward a late December 2006 completion date.

 

http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=gahanna&story=sites/thisweeknews/102606/RockyFork/News/102606-News-248791.html

 

From Columbus Dispatch, 3/3/06

 

Decision on fate of land now in hands of Gahanna

 

Gahanna must decide whether to pay up to $630,000 to add land to Gahanna Woods Park or let a developer buy it.  The 4.6 acres at 5979 and 5987 Havens Corners Rd. are bordered on three sides by the 100-acre Gahanna Woods Park.  About 50 acres of that is designated as a state nature preserve.  Developer Jeff Block has offered $630,000 for the land, Gahanna Mayor Becky Stinchcomb said.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/03/20060303-D4-04.html

Council approves zoning for more single family houses

Gahanna News, 3/8/06

 

A zoning decision by Gahanna City Council means more single family homes will likely be built in Gahanna.  The 40.42-acre Manor Homes development at Clark State and Reynoldsburg-New Albany roads would have up to 60 single-family homes.

 

MORE: http://www.snponline.com/NEWS3-8/3-8_ghallodium.html

From the 2/7/07 Dispatch:

 

Gahanna may approve condos on FOP property

Thursday,  February 7, 2007 3:44 AM

By Jim Woods THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The Fraternal Order of Police's lodge hall and land in Gahanna could be redeveloped into high-priced condominiums around a city park.  Dehlendorf & Co. of Gahanna has an option to buy the 10.5 acre site at 409 E. Johnstown Rd. from the FOP Capital City Lodge No. 9.  The development company's initial proposal last year received a cool reception from city officials. Gahanna's Planning Commission and the City Council must rezone the property before construction can start.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/06/07/gahfop.ART_ART_02-07-07_B4_7L6UNQK.html

Gahanna to host '08 Parade of Homes

Thursday, April 5, 2007

By TARA STUBBS-FIGURSKI

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

The city of Gahanna's Manor Homes development will be the site of the Building Industry Association's 2008 Parade of Homes.  Developers are hoping to break ground on the 40.42-acre subdivision at Clark State and Reynoldsburg-New Albany roads in May. The Manor Homes development features 60 single-family homes valued at an average price of $500,000.

 

Mayor Becky Stinchcomb said she is excited Gahanna was chosen for the 2008 Parade of Homes. "It is really a good thing for the city," she said. "Essentially, you are inviting the region to your city."

 

Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/040507/RockyFork/News/040507-News-331982.html

From the 4/19/07 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

Council approves TIF plan for Manor Homes subdivision

Thursday, April 19, 2007

By TARA STUBBS-FIGURSKI

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

As an emergency measure, Gahanna City Council approved a tax-increment-financing agreement Monday night for the 40.42-acre Manor Homes development at Clark State and Reynoldsburg-New Albany roads.  The development features 60 single-family homes valued at an average of $500,000 each.  The initial TIF plan drafted last year included the city providing water and sewer services to the project.

 

Council member Nancy McGregor said she couldn't support the TIF.  "If it was water and sewer, maybe I could vote for it," she said.  "If it was a parkland purchase maybe. This amount is above that."

 

McGregor said the TIF takes taxes that would have been diverted to certain agencies to pay for public services, which eventually leads to those agencies asking for more money when they feel a loss from the TIF.  Although council member Nick Hogan supported the TIF, he said there were reasons he could've voted no, including the involvement of Jefferson Water and Sewer District.

 

MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/041907/RockyFork/News/041907-News-338899.html

 

I'm new to this site and thought this was exciting news.

 

 

Developer unveils tenants

An Irish pub, ice cream shop and candle store are a few of the business that will call Creekside home.

By NIKKI BORNHORST 

 

It's been years in the making, but Creekside Gahanna now has some firm restaurants and retailers who will be setting up shop at the site, its developers said.  The Brazenhead Irish Pub -- known for its authentic Irish atmosphere, good food and large selection of imported beers -- is one of the new tenants named last week.  The Brazenhead Creekside location will have two stories, occupy more than 8,000 square feet and feature a waterfront patio with views of the park.

 

Read more at http://www.snponline.com/NEWS6-13/6-13_ghcreekside.htm

 

 

From the 7/5/07 Rocky Fork Enterprise:

 

10.5-acre FOP site

Dehlendorf condo plan clears hurdle

Thursday, July 5, 2007

TARA STUBBS-FIGURSKI

Enterprise Staff Writer

 

Gahanna's planning commission on June 27 approved Dehlendorf & Co.'s request to rezone property at 409 E. Johnstown Road.  The company has an option to buy the 10.5-acre Fraternal Order of Police site and has been working with the city for more than a year to rezone the property.

 

Last year, the proposal was denied because the commission wanted lower density and shorter buildings.  New plans decrease the number of buildings from six to five, with four condominiums in each, and reduce the four-story condos to three stories.  On June 13, the commission sent the revised proposal to the planning commission workshop so the developer could resolve a few additional concerns.

 

More at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/070507/RockyFork/News/070507-News-381166.html

 

A new downtown for Gahanna?

Hoping for a hit: Several parts of long-anticipated Creekside project nearing their debut

Saturday, November 10, 2007 

By Jim Woods, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Gahanna hopes to revive its old heart when the curtain rises on the city's multimillion-dollar Creekside project.  Mill Street, off the banks of the Big Walnut Creek, was Gahanna's original downtown in the 19th century.  But as Gahanna evolved into a suburb during the 1960s, commerce migrated away.  Construction for Creekside started in 2005. 

 

The 240,000-square-foot development will be a mix of offices, restaurants, stores, condominiums and parks.  Offices, stores and restaurants will open gradually during the coming months.  The condominiums are selling at a slower rate.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/11/10/gahanna.ART_ART_11-10-07_B1_G1E7OF2.html?sid=101

http://www.creeksidegahanna.com/opening/press_release.pdf

 

Creekside Gahanna Dedication Weekend Set for May 1-4

 

A new heart for Olde Gahanna will officially start beating at the beginning of May when Creekside Gahanna celebrates its grand opening with a weekend of activities for all ages.  The mixed-use community, which represents one of the most significant developments in Gahanna’s more than 150-year history, features 100,000 square feet of office and retail space, along with 140,000 square feet of residential loft condos amid public plazas adjacent to the scenic Big Walnut Creek.

 

A four-day grand opening weekend will feature a public dedication Saturday, May 3 at 11:30 a.m.  Multiple public events are scheduled for the evenings of Thursday May 1 and Friday May 2, and throughout Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4.  Numerous activities for families, adults, teenagers and children will be held during the four days, such as musical performances, paddle boat rides, garden tours and face painting.  For a complete schedule of events, visit www.CreeksideGahanna.com.

 

“The revitalization of Olde Gahanna is a success that all our citizens can point to with great pride because it represents an investment in our future,” Mayor Stinchcomb said.  “Creekside has attracted new retailers, restaurants and businesses to our city, as well as bringing new residents who appreciate the comfortable sophistication of urban living in a natural setting.  We expect Creekside and the surrounding area to be a destination where Gahanna residents and visitors will spend an extended period of time enjoying the multi-faceted experience we have to offer them.”

 

A number of restaurants and retailers opened their doors as other parts of the project were being completed.  Specifically, Bread Basket Family Bakery, Buck Mulligan’s Irish Pub, Cold Stone Creamery, Koulian Jewelers, Mezzo Italian Kitchen and Wine, Seekers Coffee House & Café Gahanna, and The Shoppes of Portobello Row are all now open to the public.  Candle Lab, Golden Nails and Salon, and The Wine Guy Wine Shop, Wine Bar and Bistro are expected to open soon.

Long-awaited Creekside is open

Inaugural Parks and Recreation Foundation gala slated for Saturday

Thursday, May 1, 2008

By GAIL MARTINEAU, Enterprise Contributor

 

After a nearly five-year wait, Gahanna residents are able to reap the benefits of the Creekside development.  The new locale, which features 100,000 square feet of retail and office space, 71 condominiums and 35,000 square feet of public and parking space, will welcome patrons beginning today for live outdoor entertainment.

 

MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/gahanna/stories/2008/05/01/0501rfcreekside_ln.html

Downtown Gahanna reborn at Creekside

Suburb celebrating site's grand opening all weekend long

Saturday,  May 3, 2008 3:16 AM

By Gail Martineau

THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

 

Gahanna is celebrating the rebirth of its original downtown with the formal opening of the city's multimillion-dollar Creekside project.  The mixed-use development features 100,000 square feet of retail and office space, 71 loft condominiums and an underground parking garage.  Gahanna Development Director Sadicka White said she's ecstatic over the completion of the project, which also includes public plazas, waterfalls, a lagoon and an outdoor stage.

 

Read more at http://dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/05/03/Creekside.ART_ART_05-03-08_C8_BTA3K6K.html?sid=101

G-J working with Stonehenge to redevelop old Kroger site

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

By TARA STUBBS-FIGURSKI, ThisWeek Staff Writer

 

The Gahanna-Jefferson Board of Education is taking steps to enter into a public-private partnership to develop high school classroom space at the former Kroger store at 83-109 Hamilton Road.  At its May 8 meeting, the board approved a letter of intent with Stonehenge Land Co. for redevelopment of the store, which sits on a 6.9-acre site.

 

Stonehenge informed the board that it had entered into a purchase agreement with the property owners and proposed to develop the site, in cooperation with the school district, so that it could lease 50,000 square feet of classroom space.

 

MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/gahanna/stories/2008/05/14/0515rfgj_ln.html

 

Taylor Road hotel proposal revised, but stalled again

Wednesday,  July 2, 2008 

By TARA STUBBS-FIGURSKI, ThisWeek Staff Writer

 

For the second time, the Gahanna City Council's planning commission has sent back to its workshop a request to rezone 5.74 acres on Taylor Road from single-family to limited-overlay community service. Jill Tangeman, the attorney representing Metro Development, apologized for distributing a new plan at the last minute, saying development is a balancing act -- "balance what we can make economically work, what the property owner wants for the property and what's best for the city."

 

"Negotiations were not finalized until yesterday evening or this morning," she said. "We heard your comments loud and clear: The site was too dense." New plans, presented to the commission June 25, show a 24-percent reduction in the numbers of units to 124. Plans also include a deeper setback. Tangeman said the main building would be almost 300 feet from the north property line, with fencing and landscaping on the east property line and proposed mounding on the north line.

 

MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/gahanna/stories/2008/07/02/0703rftaylorrd_ln.html

Creekside gets costlier for Gahanna

Critics question oversight as project's tab goes $6 million over $10.5 million budget

Tuesday,  July 8, 2008 3:11 AM

By Jim Woods

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Gahanna's government will end up paying $16.5 million for its share of the Creekside development, $6 million more than originally planned.  Creekside is a public-private partnership with Stonehenge Company to build stores, offices, condominiums and a public park along Mill Street.  The project, which recently had its grand opening, has been winning raves and national awards.

 

 

http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/07/08/gahan8.ART_ART_07-08-08_B1_R9AMFND.html?sid=101

interesting.

 

i'd like to see some on the scene pictures of this when anyone can get to it.

From ThisWeekNews:

 

Slideshow of Creekside Grand Opening

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,16873.msg311679.html#msg311679

Creekside is finalist for national award

Wednesday,  August 6, 2008 2:38 PM

By TARA STUBBS-FIGURSKI

ThisWeek Staff Writer

 

Creekside is a finalist for a National League of Cities 2008 Award for Municipal Excellence, Mayor Becky Stinchcomb told city council Monday.  Creekside is one of eight finalists chosen from the 62 entries submitted for the city population category 50,000 and under.  Two projects will be recognized as national gold and silver winners during NLC's Congress of Cities Conference and Exposition in November.

 

In May 2007, the project won the National Showcase Award from the Council of Development Finance Agencies for finest and most successful tax-increment financing projects.  Gahanna competed against Kansas City, Kan., San Antonio and Washington, D.C.

 

The roughly 200,000-square-foot, mixed use development on Mill Street in Olde Gahanna is a partnership between the city and private developer The Stonehenge Co.  It includes 100,000 square feet of new retail and office space, 71 luxury condominiums, 35,000 square feet of new public plazas and an underground parking garage.

 

MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/gahanna/stories/2008/08/06/0807rfcreekside_ln.html

Council takes 11-stop tour of Central Park

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

By TARA STUBBS-FIGURSKI

ThisWeek Staff Writer

 

Gahanna City Council members took an 11-stop tour of the Central Park project on Aug. 11.  Representatives of Value Recovery Group hosted the tour to highlight the progress being made on Tech Center Drive and Tartan Academy Golf Course.

 

The former Bedford 1 landfill is being developed into a 65-acre golf-training facility called Tartan Golf Academy at Central Park.  More than 100 acres surrounding the golf academy is being developed into an office and technology park.  The entire area -- 88 acres of former landfill and about 125 acres surrounding it -- will be known as Central Park.

 

MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/gahanna/stories/2008/08/13/0814rfcounciltour_ln.html

City leaders, GGC share details on 'brand-new heart for Olde Gahanna'

Wednesday,  August 27, 2008 2:32 PM

By TARA STUBBS-FIGURSKI

ThisWeek Staff Writer

 

The Gahanna development and finance departments and GGC Engineers shared with the finance committee Monday night their final report on the Creekside project.  "The pictures say it all," development director Sadicka White said. "We wanted a brand-new heart for Olde Gahanna."  White said the purpose of the project was to create a destination point, enhance economic development, create a sense of place and bring the east and west sides together.

 

Creekside presented a lot of challenges, she said, including unused resources and undesirable business.  The city had to acquire $3.5-million in land for the project.  The next step was to issue a request for proposals. Developers submitted proposals. The process was guided by the Community Improvement Corporation and approved by the city. 

 

Another goal was to maximize the Big Walnut Creek as a water resource. White said the city wanted visitors to be able to view the creek. The city also wanted to expand and enhance Creekside Park.

 

MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/gahanna/stories/2008/08/27/0828rfggc_ln.html