Posted March 21, 200520 yr Casto pitching project with Whole Foods store Brian R. Ball Business First The Casto development group is shopping plans for a retail and residential development north of Nationwide Arena, anchored by a 51,000-square-foot Whole Foods market, Business First has learned. Casto has been quietly showing its development proposal around City Hall and to some North Market officials in a bid to gain support for a 6-acre to 8-acre project that would straddle Vine Street from Neil Avenue to North Front Street, ending at the North Market. The prospects of a Whole Foods specialty grocery store downtown has spooked supporters of the North Market, which is operated by a nonprofit corporation with some financial backing from the city of Columbus. Casto partner Bill Riat confirmed the developer's plans call for a Whole Foods store at Vine Street and Neil Avenue, on a site held primarily by the owners of Hamilton-Parker Co. The site, which housed a brick-and-tile sales business until five years ago, now includes parking lots and a few buildings leased to bars and restaurants. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/03/21/story2.html?page=1
March 24, 200520 yr Interesting. Looks like a lot of parking lots, though. I guess at least that Vine St. would mostly have buildings fronting it.
March 24, 200520 yr Author Interesting. Looks like a lot of parking lots, though. I guess at least that Vine St. would mostly have buildings fronting it. The areas that are shown in the proposal as designated for parking are currently just big gravel parking lots (it's where I always park for Blue Jackets games), so there wouldn't be an increase in the amount of land that parking takes up. I don't know if the proposals are calling for surface lots or parking garages, but either way it looks like most of them would be hidden from sight so that will help give the area a more genuine urban feel.
March 29, 200520 yr If the developers can fulfill the promises made in their entirety, I think this development could be a great addition to the city. Having a grocer like Whole Foods in the North Market area I think would bring more people to the area in general, bringing more traffic to the North Market, especially from places like Grandview Height and Marble Cliff. The idea of having farmer stands and other kiosks running down Vine from the market down to the Whole Foods store would be great. Given the success of the caps over I-670, I think the ground floor retail that would be built would fill up quickly also, and the housing market is very healthy in the area. I hope it comes to fruition.
March 30, 200520 yr If the developers can fulfill the promises made in their entirety, I think this development could be a great addition to the city. Having a grocer like Whole Foods in the North Market area I think would bring more people to the area in general, bringing more traffic to the North Market, especially from places like Grandview Height and Marble Cliff. The idea of having farmer stands and other kiosks running down Vine from the market down to the Whole Foods store would be great. Given the success of the caps over I-670, I think the ground floor retail that would be built would fill up quickly also, and the housing market is very healthy in the area. I hope it comes to fruition. Somehow I don't see farmer stands/kiosks meshing well with the clubs/bars along Vine St. Just seems like two different crowds. Plus that map shows more buildings along the northside of Vine St. than I recall seeing just this last week (unless Casto is proposing more buildings along Vine St)
March 30, 200520 yr as i understand it, casto wants to develop all of the things shown on the map... in the little pictures, the first one is the current photo, and the one below it is the rendering
April 26, 200520 yr Columbus Business First printed a follow-up article concerning local merchants' positions on the planned Whole Foods downtown and the study being done to see if the project would be feasible: Market anxiety high over grocery study Kathy Showalter Business First Read at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/daily31/2005/03/25/.html
November 11, 200519 yr The study is complete. North Market wary of proposal Rival Whole Foods would anchor development Friday, November 11, 2005 Mike Pramik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
November 11, 200519 yr i wish they would knock down city center or half of it and do that plan there instead.
November 22, 200519 yr This interesting piece appeared in ThisWeek Northland, 11/17/05: PHOTO: The original North Market, circa 1888 Columbus Metro Library AS IT WERE North Market: A reminder of the past Thursday, November 17, 2005 Ed Lentz A city has many centers. And a capital city such as Columbus has more than most. Some of the centers are governmental, such as the Statehouse or Columbus City Hall. Some are cultural, such as the Ohio, Palace and Southern Theatres or the Franklin Park Conservatory. And some are just plain fun, such as Ohio Stadium, Nationwide Arena or the Columbus Zoo. But there is one other place that is as much a center as all of these, and in its own way, is more of a symbolic center than any. It is a place called North Market. North Market is the last public markethouse left in the city of Columbus. Read more at http://thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=common&story=thisweeknews/111705/Northland/News/111705-News-48591.html
November 28, 200519 yr From The Other Paper, 11/24/05: "If the market shifts and we don't, we'll be in trouble" Rick Ziliak of Pastaria PHOTO: Jordan Gentile Half-hearted about Whole Foods North Market merchants ponder the arrival of a giant By Jordan Gentile / November 24, 2005 Food trends may come and go, but a good slice of authentic New-York-style pastrami is always the same: streaked with fat, sheared thick as a barber's comb and lousy with peppercorns. This is Larry Rosenthal's passion. Most of the time, the perfect cut of meat is all he's got on the brain. In the past few months, however, the owner of Barry's New York Style Deli has been preoccupied with less mouthwatering issues—like how his small business will survive in an era of massive corporate expansion. With a Whole Foods supermarket poised to move into their north Downtown neighborhood, Rosenthal and other North Market merchants—artisans and foodies whose first love is selling quality eats, not counting dollars and cents—can't help but consider the impact the Texas-based specialty-foods giant will have on their businesses. Hence, Rosenthal said, the mood at the market has become edgier of late. Personally, he doesn't like the Whole Foods proposal one bit. Read more at http://www.theotherpaper.com/substory1.html
December 3, 200519 yr I remember at one time Mike White had some sort of panel of experts make recomondations about modernizing and turning the West Side Market into more of a tourist attraction. Their recomondation was simple, do nothing! I am glad White listened. I know the WSM and the NM are not exactly the same, but it should not try to change to compete with Whole Foods, it has to keep a unique character, or it will lose to Whole Foods
December 3, 200519 yr I don't know that they should change thier format of doing business, but maybe they can change how they draw people in. They do very little marketing, and I think the concept of paying to park turns people off. I think it would be a great idea for them to work with a local news station to tell the stories of the individual vendors. Many of them are immigrants and entrepreneurs, so I'm sure they have some interesting stories to tell. It would help them with free advertising and develop a sense of community. Hmmm...I think I'm gonna go send some emails to program directors. :)
May 15, 200817 yr The Dispatch is reporting that Giant Eagle is considering relocating their Victorian Village Store to an undeveloped section of the Arena District off Spruce Street. In addition, Nationwide Realty Investments would construct 200+ apartments on an adjacent undeveloped parcel. Both developments would essentially fill in all the undeveloped land in the Arena District.
May 15, 200817 yr Plans percolating for Arena District Giant Eagle, apartment complex could fill in the blanks Thursday, May 15, 2008 7:09 AM By Mike Pramik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The final development phase of the Arena District is in the works, a $280 million expansion that would make the Downtown neighborhood a billion-dollar venture. Nationwide Realty Investors, the district’s developer, wants to build a 220-unit apartment complex north of Nationwide Arena, just south of a site that could become an 85,000-squarefoot Giant Eagle store. More development would follow, including additional offices and stores, said Brian Ellis, president of Nationwide Realty. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/05/15/arena.html?sid=101
May 16, 200817 yr YAYAYAYAYAYAY!!! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 10, 200916 yr Giant Eagle for Arena District falls prey to economy Friday, January 9, 2009 - 3:09 AM By Mike Pramik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Giant Eagle has postponed plans to build a supermarket in the Arena District because of the down economy, its local developer said. The supermarket chain indicated last year that it planned to build a two-story supermarket at the northeast corner of Neil Avenue and Vine Street. The supermarket would have replaced Giant Eagle's Victorian Village store at 777 Neil Ave. Giant Eagle went so far as to apply to the Ohio Division of Liquor Control for a permit to sell beer and wine at the site, which is owned by an affiliate of the former Hamilton Parker Company. Whole Foods once considered the same location for a supermarket. But the Giant Eagle deal is off, at least for now. "We are not actively pursuing development at this location currently but continue to be open to future discussions and possibilities," Giant Eagle spokesman Mike Duffey said. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/01/09/Arena_District_Giant_Eagle.ART_ART_01-09-09_C8_69CG1M8.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101&title=Giant+Eagle+for+Arena+District+falls+prey+to+economy
January 10, 200916 yr Ugh. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 11, 200916 yr Sounds like the more important development of more residential and office space is still going through. The Grocery Store can wait. There's one 2 blocks north of here, so it's not like most people in this immediate area are lacking in grocery options between it and the North Market.
January 12, 200916 yr I'm glad the rest will go through, that'd be a bummer if it put the rest of the development on hold. At the same time, this development is moving further away from Downtown without encouraging continuity into the core. Doesn't help when the narrow strip of land to the south is filled with an office park, parking garages, and government buildings.
January 12, 200916 yr Well, it looks like the Giant Eagle proposal is in a coma for the near future. Whole Foods bit the dust previously. Given that this is the second grocery store proposal to make a run at this downtown location - and that a downtown grocery store is still an on-going goal for the downtown area - I changed the subject title to reflect this.
January 17, 200916 yr Eh, North Market is right there. Let's just get more residents in here so we can get a retail option or two.
April 8, 200916 yr Another alternative.... <b>The Express Aisle is Now Open For Business</b> By Anne | April 2, 2009 12:00pm <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/expressaisle.png"> One of the biggest issues usually cited for keeping people from moving to Downtown is the lack of grocery stores. Add to that, people don’t like to go grocery shopping in general. We have had quite a few conversations about grocery stores and personal shoppers on Columbus Underground. A new business venture hopes to help fill that void while saving you time and money. The Express Aisle is an online grocery delivery service that opened for business yesterday. They are based in Italian Village and will deliver your groceries the next day to anywhere in Central Ohio. Or you can schedule your deliveries to fit your schedule. MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/the-express-aisle-is-now-open-for-business
June 22, 200915 yr Not a full-size grocery store, like some of the previous concepts, but it sounds encouraging. Downtown market could encourage other retail growth Thursday, June 18, 2009 By Tracy Turner, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Nearly every time small-business owner Sam Shalash opens the doors to the corner store that he's getting ready to unveil Downtown, he gets the same question from someone passing by. "Hey, when are you going to open?" Called CTown Market and Deli, the full-service convenience store is slated to open next month at 152 E. State Street. Downtown officials hope the store will be the start of a new breed of smaller stores that will help fill the needs of Downtown workers and residents. Envisioned as a New York-style market, the store plans to offer a full-service deli with indoor and patio seating, free Wi-Fi, fresh fruits and salads, artisan breads, fresh-ground coffee, beer, wine, snacks, toiletries and assorted grocery items such as milk, cheese and eggs. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/06/18/ctown_market.ART_ART_06-18-09_A12_PRE78DQ.html?sid=101
June 23, 200915 yr More on CTown from here: http://www.columbusunderground.com/downtown-market-opening-this-summer#more-7592 <b>Downtown Market Opening This Summer</b> By Walker | June 7, 2009 12:42pm <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/ctowndeli.jpg"> http://www.columbustowndeli.com One of the main amenities missing from the heart of Downtown is a convenient market option for quick on-the-go food shopping. Sam Shalash hopes to fill some of that demand later this summer when he opens up the C-Town Market and Deli at the corner of State and Fourth Streets. The new convenience store will sell everything from deli sandwiches to snacks to aspirin to beer and wine. Shalash is optimistic that the store could be open as early as mid-July, but said that it may not actually open until early-August. “I’m an entrepreneur and businessman, and own a chain of beer and wine drive-thrus in Columbus,” said Shalash. “The owner of the building approached me with the idea of putting some sort of retail store in there. We went down there to check it out, and I liked the space the the location.” To help determine the demand for products and services to provide, Shalash conducted his own study sampling of the downtown market. “Nothing fancy… just got out there and started asking some questions,” he said. “A theme came about really quickly; a lot of people said there wasn’t a place to get a good healthy bite to eat.” Shalash toyed with the idea of building a chain restaurant franchise in the spot, and several companies showed an interest in moving into the Downtown Columbus market, but he said that he wanted to keep the food offerings more wholesome, as well as offer more than just food. “Why just do a deli? Lets do a little market to go along with it.” The store hours are still being finalized, but Shalash plans to start out by keeping the business open until 8pm on weekdays. “It won’t take much at all to get my hours to kick in until the wee hours of the night,” he added. “To be honest with you, we’ve already had people knocking on the door until 11pm. We’ll be open later as soon as the demand is there.” Shalash said that he could be ready to open within two to three weeks, but is still going through the last of the build out and inspection phases. “I really wanted to be open for Red White & Boom, and the ridiculous amount of people that would be around, but the biggest thing is having to deal with inspections,” he explained. “They come in and find something that needs changed, and then you’ve got to get your contractors back in to fix it, and then they’ve got to come back to reinspect. Basically this is what’s dragging things on.” Many downtown workers and residents are already watching the location closely and looking for signs of when the grand opening might occur. Until then, we’ll keep everyone updated on the progress and share more information just as soon as we get it.
October 21, 201113 yr Downtown Columbus will be getting a new grocery store on Grant Ave. and a new 5-story apartment/condo building will be built off of Spring. It will include 102 units with 71 underground parking spaces. Both are referenced in the link. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2011/10/21/grocerys-plan-seen-as-another-step-for-downtown.html
October 21, 201113 yr This really is awesome news! With this + North Market + Brewery District Kroger + VV Giant Eagle = FOUR full-service grocery stores in greater downtown! Hills Market coming downtown, taking Wilson's Auto space The expanding housing market in downtown Columbus has prompted Hills Market to add a second store on North Grant Avenue, fulfilling a goal of planning officials to expand grocery options for center-city dwellers. Real estate investor Randy Walker plans to redevelop the former Wilson’s Auto Service shop at 95 N. Grant Ave. in a partnership with Eclipse Real Estate Group, a division of Edwards Cos. that is leading the development of the Neighborhood Launch condominium project along East Gay Street and just west of the planned Hills Market site. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/10/21/downtown-getting-grocery-as-hills.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 21, 201113 yr First Look: Downtown's newest grocer – Hills Market Backers of downtown's residential revitalization have long longed for a more-convenient grocery store option for those calling the central city home. If all goes as planned, they'll get that wish next year when Hills Market opens a store at Grant Avenue and Gay Street, in the former Wilson's Auto Service shop. The 12,000-square-foot store is scheduled to open next spring. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2011/10/first-look-downtowns-newest-grocer--.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 21, 201113 yr Oh, and for reference. This is the Hills Market website: http://www.thehillsmarket.com/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 21, 201113 yr Looks like a great location and just the type of market needed. Hope to see further posts and photos!
October 22, 201113 yr The best part is that it's taking over a space that catered only to cars and instead will be very useful for the human beings that live Downtown. This is one area where Columbus beat Minneapolis: they're also about to get their first full-service grocery store (Lund's) Downtown, but only after they reached more than double the number of current residents in Downtown Columbus.
October 23, 201113 yr The best part is that it's taking over a space that catered only to cars and instead will be very useful for the human beings that live Downtown. This is one area where Columbus beat Minneapolis: they're also about to get their first full-service grocery store (Lund's) Downtown, but only after they reached more than double the number of current residents in Downtown Columbus. You have to give Columbus credit for really trying to get rid of surface lots. I also read yesterday that the large surface lot just north of the Atlas Building (where Nationwide does their giant ads) was purchased by the same people converting that building to residential and that they plan on developing the lot into a brand new building with ground floor retail and several floors of residential.
October 25, 201113 yr A couple more reports about the new Hills Market downtown grocery store proposal. One is from Columbus Underground; the other is from a more business focused offshoot of CU - The Metropreneur: Columbus Underground: The Hills Market to Open Downtown Grocery Store in Spring 2012 The Metropreneur: Local grocery retailer identifies need for store in downtown Columbus
October 25, 201113 yr This really is awesome news! With this + North Market + Brewery District Kroger + VV Giant Eagle = FOUR full-service grocery stores in greater downtown! Couldn't agree more strongly CDM. There have been a number of grocery store proposals for the downtown proper within the past five years. But this Hills Market proposal is the best one yet. It has alot going for it, such as: 1) This is an offshoot of an already successful local retailer. The existing Hills Market in Worthington has found a niche to compete successfully with the major grocery chains. That should give everyone more confidence in this project because any downtown grocer would be competing with the brand new Short North/Weinland Park Kroger and the still relatively new Brewery District Kroger, as well as the older VV Giant Eagle. 2) One of the project's backers is the Edwards Company through the Eclipse Real Estate Group. Edwards is the company developing the very successful multi-block Neighborhood Launch Condo project on Gay Street. Edwards has also developed multiple successful residential projects in the Brewery District. Edwards/Eclipse built up that track record by knowing what Columbus urban residents want. And that makes their involvement in this a very good sign. 3) The 95 N. Grant Avenue location looks excellent for a smaller grocer like what is being planned by Hills Market. As mentioned above, Neighborhood Launch is a on-going residential project that is working its way down Gay Street toward Grant Avenue. The 95 N. Grant property is also within one block of the recently built 5-story CCAD residence hall and the recently opened 6-story Abigail Apartment Building at Gay and Grant. 4) They're using an existing building. A building that, despite previously being used for an auto repair business, looks well suited to its new use as a grocery market. This kind of renovation even has a successful history in the downtown. Remember the former Byers Chrysler dealership building at Broad & Cleveland. CCAD bought it and renovated it into one of their campus studio buildings.
November 1, 201113 yr Technically this isn't an update about the Hills Market project at 95 N. Grant Avenue - but it is about the building adjacent at 105 N. Grant Avenue. Columbus Underground posted an announcement from Liz Lessner and partners about a new venue "The Grass Skirt Tiki Bar & Restaurant" to be located next to the Hills Market. The building at 105 N. Grant Avenue formerly housed MadLab Theatre until it relocated to 227 N. Third Street in 2010. Lessner and partners are planning a complete interior and exterior renovation of the building at 105 N. Grant while the Hills Market is renovating the neighboring 95 N. Grant building. Although not under the same ownership, you can't help but see the food synergy between these two projects. More from Columbus Underground: The Grass Skirt Tiki Bar & Restaurant Opening Downtown in 2012 The Columbus Food League (previously known as The Betty’s Family of Restaurants) is expanding once again with the announcement of The Grass Skirt, slated to open Spring 2012 at 105 North Grant Street in Downtown Columbus. The Grass Skirt will be open for lunch, dinner and late night service. This new restaurant and bar will be owned by a five-person partnership that includes Carmen Owens (Surly Girl Co-Owner/GM), Amy Brennick (Columbus Food League COO), Tim Lessner (Tip Top Kitchen Co-owner/GM), Harold LaRue (Jury Room) and Elizabeth Lessner (Columbus Food League). MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/the-grass-skirt-tiki-bar-restaurant-opening-downtown-in-2012
November 1, 201113 yr Tiki, Tiki, Tiki! You can't frown when there's Tiki around. When I lived in Lancaster, the Tiki part of town was just around the corner with the Tiki pool, Tiki Lanes and Tiki movie theater.
November 3, 201113 yr If it's anything like the tiki bar down the street from me, Psycho Suzi's Motor Lounge, then I'm sure it'll be a hit. Lessner practically owns Downtown.
November 4, 201113 yr Really excited that the news is finally out on The Hills Market. First hear about it in December of 2010 and had to keep quiet a looooong time. ;) This new store is going to in the dead center between where I live and where I work. 10 minute walk from either one. Perfect! :D
November 30, 201113 yr Downtown Hills Market passes design regulator test By Brian R. Ball, Business First staff reporter Date: Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 2:51pm EST Plans for a Hills Market grocery store in urban Columbus advanced Tuesday, when the city’s Downtown Commission approved plans to turn the former Wilson’s Auto Service repair garage into an 11,600-square-foot store. Construction on the specialty market at 95 N. Grant Ave. is scheduled to begin in late December or early January with an expected opening in April. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2011/11/29/downtown-columbus-hills-store-passes.html
January 12, 201213 yr I am happy to see a new market on this side of downtown. We have the north market on the north side and now this on the east side. I think they can both compliment each other, as North Market focuses more on prepared foods. I really think smaller markets are the way to go downtown. The ongoing talk about how downtown proper doesnt have enough "grocery options" is slightly short sighted. Unlike many other cities the size of Columbus, Columbus has a downtown with a huge, highend Kroger just 1 block south of the downtown official border. Also, a medium sized Giant Eagle on the northern boundary. There really isn't a demand for a fullscale chain grocery store in between those two.
January 13, 201213 yr When I lived in the east end of Downtown I just got used to riding to Kroger, North Market, and Giant Eagle (Schumacher Place location). I'd more often than not hang out at Hi-Beck before heading off to pick up some things at Kroger on the way back if need be. I found that to be very agreeable, but I never could forgive the suburban layout. Which reminds me, The Hills gets extra kudos as a suburban business that invests in the city and respects the urban environment. If there was a Hills Market back when I lived there it would have been only a few blocks north and definitely my go to spot, despite being higher end. I'm sure residents will appreciate not having to travel several blocks for groceries, but it was never a huge setback at all, since many residents drive anyway, so the unpleasant pedestrian experience of walking over or under a highway out of and back into Downtown doesn't apply. The "I'd live Downtown, but there are no grocery stores" mantra will fall back on the ole trusty, "I'd live Downtown, but there's not enough parking" quip.
January 14, 201213 yr I am happy to see a new market on this side of downtown. We have the north market on the north side and now this on the east side. I think they can both compliment each other, as North Market focuses more on prepared foods. I really think smaller markets are the way to go downtown. The ongoing talk about how downtown proper doesnt have enough "grocery options" is slightly short sighted. Unlike many other cities the size of Columbus, Columbus has a downtown with a huge, highend Kroger just 1 block south of the downtown official border. Also, a medium sized Giant Eagle on the northern boundary. There really isn't a demand for a fullscale chain grocery store in between those two. Well said.
January 30, 201213 yr I am happy to see a new market on this side of downtown. We have the north market on the north side and now this on the east side. I think they can both compliment each other, as North Market focuses more on prepared foods. I really think smaller markets are the way to go downtown. The ongoing talk about how downtown proper doesnt have enough "grocery options" is slightly short sighted. Unlike many other cities the size of Columbus, Columbus has a downtown with a huge, highend Kroger just 1 block south of the downtown official border. Also, a medium sized Giant Eagle on the northern boundary. There really isn't a demand for a fullscale chain grocery store in between those two. Well said. Thanks :) Glad that someone finally agrees.
February 24, 201213 yr The Hills Market Downtown Grocery Store has a logo and a facebook page showing the progress of the Grant Avenue building renovation:
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