April 6, 20187 yr YESSSS!!! to a Goodale apartment/condo/mixed use tower of at least 20 floors!!!!!!!
April 6, 20187 yr Looking at this map, I got to thinking that with Market Tower going up near by, and assuming momentum continues in the future based on projections, the surface parking lot at Vine Street where Front St and Park St merge would be a potentially good site for another condo/apartment tower. (Across the street from Brothers and next to Arena Crossing Apts) I could only imagine how all that would look from 670. Just a thought though.
April 6, 20187 yr Looking at this map, I got to thinking that with Market Tower going up near by, and assuming momentum continues in the future based on projections, the surface parking lot at Vine Street where Front St and Park St merge would be a potentially good site for another condo/apartment tower. (Across the street from Brothers and next to Arena Crossing Apts) I could only imagine how all that would look from 670. Just a thought though. Never thought of that before but that could be a very cool spot for an 8-10 story building.
April 6, 20187 yr ^^ put together those sites would make for a good 16-20 story building. We need to go taller to accommodate the rapidly growing population of the city lol you know, being that we should be near 880,000 when the city estimates are released in May (screw the trolls who got my thread closed). In fact, every thing between Vine and Spruce west of Park all the way to Neil should be a minimum of six floor tall, preferably higher. Parking can go on that block bounded by School, Vine, and Convention Center Drive where that nasty loking electrical place or whatever it is sits. Looks like they could get a long narrow parking deck along the south end of that block, just like the one immediately across the tracks. Something on the west side of that block too. With the city growing so fast, we have to think big. :)
April 17, 20187 yr Business First report on Columbus' $1 billion capital improvements budget. Water and sewer improvements make up more than half ($557 million) of the capital budget, and $39 million is set aside for street repaving: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/04/04/columbus-1b-capital-budget-focuses-on-water-sewer.html
April 21, 20187 yr Neighbors wary of Ohio State plan to sell 58 acres of Northwest Side farmland By Jennifer Smola, The Columbus Dispatch Posted: April 18, 2018 at 5:18 PM Nearly 60 acres of Ohio State University land near its airport on the Northwest Side are poised to change hands soon. The question is, who will own the property next? Though Ohio State trustees approved selling its sheep farm in June 2016, the details of what will become of it are still being decided. The 57.7 acres of land on West Case Road were previously used by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental sciences but are being sold as part of the college’s consolidation and reorganization efforts. Because the property, near Ohio State’s Don Scott Field, is titled to the state of Ohio, the sale required approval from the state legislature. Legislation passed in March states that the city of Columbus may enter into a real estate purchase agreement with Ohio State until July 31. If the university and the city don’t make a deal by then, the property can then be sold to another purchaser or purchasers, as determined by the Ohio State Board of Trustees. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180418/neighbors-wary-of-ohio-state-plan-to-sell-58-acres-of-northwest-side-farmland
April 23, 20187 yr Located among the skyscrapers in Downtown Columbus is the six-story Columbus Athletic Club, which opened in 1912 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011: https://www.columbusunderground.com/the-athletic-club-of-columbus-added-to-national-register-of-historic-places Business First has a video and slideshow of a $2.8 million renovation the Columbus Athletic Club just completed: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/04/20/first-look-columbus-athletic-club-renovates-its.html The renovation redid the dining and lounge areas on the first floor of the historic building. A previous renovation redid a basement bowling alley and fourth floor swimming pool in the building:
April 23, 20187 yr Located among the skyscrapers in Downtown Columbus is the six-story Columbus Athletic Club, which opened in 1912 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011: https://www.columbusunderground.com/the-athletic-club-of-columbus-added-to-national-register-of-historic-places Business First has a video and slideshow of a $2.8 million renovation the Columbus Athletic Club just completed: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/04/20/first-look-columbus-athletic-club-renovates-its.html The renovation redid the dining and lounge areas on the first floor of the historic building. A previous renovation redid a basement bowling alley and fourth floor swimming pool in the building: They did an AMAZING job!
May 5, 20187 yr Columbus' warehouse frenzy showing little sign of letting up By Tristan Navera – Staff Reporter, Columbus Business First Posted: May 3, 2018, 3:10pm Industrial real estate has been roaring in Columbus, with the steady pace of new construction not taking a bite out of substantial demand. In separate reports, commercial real estate firms JLL and Lee & Associates painted a strongly optimistic view of the Columbus market for the first few months of the year, as big deals have continued to secure users for the millions of square feet of new warehouse space in development around Central Ohio. ( . . . ) JLL data show 60 percent of the leasing activity in the first quarter was to bulk warehouses over half a million square feet. In some cases, when a company moves out, a building is almost immediately backfilled. For example, Stonecrop Technologies taking 527,000 square feet at 3500 Southwest Blvd. just a few months after Pier One moved out. Big space is being taken as quickly as it can be completed, JLL noted, including Crane Logistics filling the last 324,000 square feet of the Groveport Park 2 building. In total, there's about 4.12 million square feet of warehouse space under construction, about 2.85 million of it speculative, or without an end user in mind. Still, the local vacancy rate has gone down to 3.6 percent, even as the market absorbed 2.49 million square feet, according to Lee & Associates data. ( . . . ) JLL noted a concern about the scarcity of easy-to-develop land. That, in turn, could make more sites attractive, like the 70-acre Columbus Castings site, where a developer has been looking to land warehouse users. MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/05/03/columbus-warehouse-frenzy-showing-little-sign-of.html
May 7, 20187 yr Mount Carmel East is in the midst of a $310 million renovation project that started in 2015. A remodeled lobby at the hospital opened May 4 and a 5-story tower with 128 rooms and a surgical suite with 13 operating rooms is scheduled to open in June. The work on the facility at 6001 E. Broad Street is part of a $700 million project to expand and modernize three hospitals in the Mount Carmel Health System – Mount Carmel East, Mount Carmel Grove City and Mount Carmel West: http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180503/mount-carmel-east-new-lobby-ready-tower-opens-in-june
May 14, 20187 yr Franklin County, Columbus consider merging sewer systems By Kimball Perry, The Columbus Dispatch Posted: May 13, 2018 - 6:46 PM Franklin County officials definitely want it, as do — probably — Columbus officials. They’re talking about water and sewer services and the possibility of an agreement to have the city of Columbus, with 275,000 customers, take over Franklin County’s system and its 6,400 customers spread across the county in small, unconnected pockets. Franklin County and Columbus officially agreed last week to split the $1 million cost of a yearlong study to determine whether the city should take over the county’s systems. Issues will have to be worked out, though. Chief among them from some townships’ perspective is the city’s current policy of requiring areas receiving water and sewer services directly from Columbus to be annexed into the city. ... Although some parts of the county, such as Prairie Township, do receive water and sewer services provided by Columbus but are billed a surcharge of up to 80 percent through Franklin County. That surcharge is used to maintain and repair the county’s systems. ( . . . ) However, a 2014 report indicated $100 million in capital improvements are needed to the current county system, many dictated by federal laws aimed at improving the environment. That whopping number is a major reason Franklin County asked Columbus to consider assuming its water and sewer systems. Neither the county nor its customers could afford the rate hikes required to pay for those improvements. It would be far easier for that $100 million to be paid by the city’s 275,000 customers than the county’s 6,400 customers. Columbus could benefit from such a consolidation by making the region more attractive for new residents and businesses by providing water and sewer services to areas currently without it. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180513/franklin-county-columbus-consider-merging-sewer-systems
May 30, 20187 yr A view of the High Street corridor from South Campus to Downtown. From an airplane photo from Instagram.
June 10, 20187 yr Google maps has updated their satellite imagery for Columbus. It's now very recent, and many more projects are visible/underway/complete. Pretty neat to pan around! https://www.google.com/maps/?force=canvas
June 13, 20187 yr Google maps has updated their satellite imagery for Columbus. It's now very recent, and many more projects are visible/underway/complete. Pretty neat to pan around! https://www.google.com/maps/?force=canvas Unfortunately they haven't updated their 3D imagery for downtown, the Short North, or the campus area yet.
June 15, 20186 yr City Developing New Process for Neighborhood Plans The City of Columbus is developing a new approach to how it works with residents and community groups to update neighborhood plans. As part of that process, it will be adopting a new set of standardized policies meant to guide development citywide. The new initiative – called the Columbus Citywide Planning Policies (or C2P2 for short) – marks the first major change in the city’s planning process since 1992, when the city adopted a Comprehensive Plan and subsequently established a pattern of crafting distinct plans for individual neighborhoods. Those plans document the priorities of a community and are used to guide future decisions on rezoning or variance requests (if a developer wants to build a commercial building on a lot that is zoned for residential, for example, the plan will be consulted before a recommendation is made or the rezoning is granted). More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/city-developing-new-process-for-neighborhood-plans-bw1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 17, 20186 yr This photo of the Marconi Garage demo was posted in this reddit thread: This might take a while! Looks like it took about six months for the condemned Marconi Parking Garage to be demo'd. Hopefully, NRI's redevelopment plans for the site don't linger. It would be nice to cover up those parking garage backs that were previously covered up - as seen in this late May photo from https://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-may-2018-we1
July 4, 20186 yr Came across this video of the 'State of Downtown Columbus forum' held by the Columbus Metropolitan Club on 2/21/18:
August 1, 20186 yr Update on this proposed land sale posted previously in this thread at https://www.urbanohio.com/forum/index.php/topic,419.msg908829.html#msg908829 City intends to buy Ohio State University sheep farm, turn it into a park The city wants to purchase a 58-acre sheep farm near Ohio State University's Don Scott Field in northwest Columbus and turn it into a park. Ohio State has wanted to sell the land located at 2400 W. Case Road since 2016. William Lane and Arla Lane donated the property to the university in 1954. Ohio State uses the land for its sheep program and to produce forage for its beef cattle. The sale would move farm animals off the property and the city would develop it into public park space Community members in the area have been after the city for years to purchase the land. "Myself and number of members in the community have been advocating the city buy the sheep farm and turn it into a community hub," said Roy Wentzel of the Columbus Northwest Blues, a neighborhood grassroots group in the area. "We’d like to see a library or rec center." MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/25/city-intends-to-buy-ohio-state-university-sheep.html
August 21, 20186 yr http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180802/columbus-osu-enter-into-contract-regarding-sheep-farm-site OSU and the City of Columbus have entered into a contract to purchase the sheep farm property and turn it into a city park.
August 21, 20186 yr Little Turtle's $100M revival includes golf course upgrades, condos and apartments (slideshow) By Tristan Navera – Staff Reporter, Columbus Business First Updated: August 7, 2018 - 12:10pm The updates going in and around the Golf Club at Little Turtle has expanded to a $100 million transformation. Hundreds of apartments and condos and new amenities and upgrades to the golf course itself are in the works or are underway. Stonehenge Co. bought the private club in April 2015 and quickly committed to some upgrades of its clubhouse. But the Columbus developer has been busy ever since at the golf course, which was built in 1969. The developer is making significant upgrades on the course. A driving range and tennis court have been removed and several of the holes have been completely rebuilt. The club is planning a pool and workout facility with construction to start this fall. Housing is a key component, too, and soon several holes will be lined with residences. Plans in the 1970s called for 5,000 residences in the 225-acre Little Turtle area. The development, however, remains about 400 units short of that goal. Stonehenge plans to build 170 condos and 204 apartments along the golf course. The first Highpointe Condos building already is underway and totally pre-sold. MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/08/06/little-turtles-100m-revival-includes-golf-course.html
August 23, 20186 yr Mount Carmel East is in the midst of a $310 million renovation project that started in 2015. A remodeled lobby at the hospital opened May 4 and a 5-story tower with 128 rooms and a surgical suite with 13 operating rooms is scheduled to open in June. The work on the facility at 6001 E. Broad Street is part of a $700 million project to expand and modernize three hospitals in the Mount Carmel Health System – Mount Carmel East, Mount Carmel Grove City and Mount Carmel West: http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180503/mount-carmel-east-new-lobby-ready-tower-opens-in-june In addition to all of above, a new trauma center opened at Mount Carmel East in early August: https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/with-new-trauma-center-mount-carmel-east-can-treat-patients-with-serious-condition-more-quickly/1354504629
August 23, 20186 yr Another bit of Far East Side news: Construction to begin on long-awaited fire station on Far East Side The wait for a new fire station on the Far East Side is almost over, with the Columbus City Council recently approving construction after additional safety features were added to the building plans. The decision to add those features, which are intended to limit firefighters’ exposure to chemicals that could cause cancer, came in early January and led to the delay of a project 10 years in the making. Construction on the $10.5 million station at 711 N. Waggoner Road is set to begin in September and conclude in November 2019. The station is expected to open in spring or early summer of 2020, according to council documents. Plans for Fire Station No. 35 were first hatched a decade ago as calls to the Far East Side area increased. But the Great Recession derailed the project. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180804/construction-to-begin-on-long-awaited-fire-station-on-far-east-side
August 25, 20186 yr Follow-up from this March post - https://www.urbanohio.com/forum/index.php/topic,419.msg899656.html#msg899656 - about the new Franklin County Jail project. The previous post has the renderings for this $175 million, 870-bed, 429,000 square-foot jail that will replace a downtown lockup facility next to the Franklin County Courthouse and a lockup at the County's Jackson Pike facility. The County is also in design phase for an additional section to this new jail's footprint that would add about 1,300 beds and fully replace the Jackson Pike facility that opened in 1969. Below is an update from the Dispatch on the project's construction and this intriguing construction photo showing the downtown skyline in the background: http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180819/new-franklin-county-jail-designed-to-be-more-open-less-harsh The new Franklin County Jail isn't really as close to downtown as it appears in that photo. It's approximately three miles west of downtown at 2551 Fisher Road in what is turning into a "law enforcement district" within a light-industrial part of the city. The Columbus Police Academy and Columbus Police training facility are located within a 1/3 mile of the new county jail site:
August 27, 20186 yr ^Also part of the "law enforcement district" is Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare Hospital (hospital for the criminally insane) just south of I-70 from the new jail.
September 4, 20186 yr Franklin County building $37M forensic sciences center Franklin County is building a $37 million morgue and forensic science center on the South Side. The county formally broke ground on the new 56,000-square-foot facility, which is being constructed at 2090 Frank Rd. The new facility will open in the first quarter of 2020 and replace the current morgue, which opened in 1975 near Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center. The project is going up at the former Harmon Elementary School on a 15-acre site near the intersection of Frank Road and Harrisburg Pike. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/09/04/franklin-county-building-37m-forensic-sciences.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 5, 20186 yr That's going to be a nice looking morgue - sorry, forensic science center. Actually, the County really is doing some decent looking work for some typically unglamorous projects like this and the new county jail.
September 10, 20186 yr Columbus Landmarks has picked their five finalists for its 29th annual James B. Recchie Design Award: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/08/27/here-are-the-5-finalists-for-columbus-landmarks.html Dorrian Green (built atop the COSI underground parking garage) - 50 S. Belle Street Columbus Metropolitan Library Northside Branch - 1423 N. High Street Lifeline of Ohio Donor Memorial & Plaza - 770 Kinnear Road The Julian - 272 S. Front Street (northeast corner of Front & Main) LeVeque Tower - 50 W. Broad Street (northeast corner of Front & Broad)
September 19, 20186 yr Columbus to Invest $400 Million in Neighborhood Programs Some of the budgeted projects include: $48 million for street resurfacing, lighting and sidewalks. $20.6 million for the new interchange at North Broadway and SR-315. $20 million for a new Linden Community Recreation Center. $15.4 million for additional phases of streetscaping of High Street in the Short North. $7.5 million for fire department upgrades. $5 million for affordable housing development. More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/columbus-to-invest-400-million-in-neighborhood-programs-we1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 26, 20186 yr I'm not sure what thready this fits specifically but I stumbled across this earlier today... https://www2.colliers.com/en/properties/134-east-goodale-street/USA-134-goodale-street-columbus-ohio-43215/USA1047583 Anyone know anything about this? I walk by this daily and haven't paid enough attention I guess because I had no clue this was happening.
September 26, 20186 yr I'm not sure what thready this fits specifically but I stumbled across this earlier today... https://www2.colliers.com/en/properties/134-east-goodale-street/USA-134-goodale-street-columbus-ohio-43215/USA1047583 Anyone know anything about this? I walk by this daily and haven't paid enough attention I guess because I had no clue this was happening. I moved this from the Italian Village thread into this Random Developments thread. 134 E. Goodale is located just south of the Italian Village boundaries and is technically within the Downtown District boundaries. It sits in one of those "pockets" created by I-670 and the on and off-ramps associated with 670. Here are two aerials of this area - one further out showing the surrounding neighborhoods and one closer view of the 134 E. Goodale building: I haven't heard anything about this project, but would suspect that this Colliers listing is highly speculative (despite the nifty rendering). As you can see from the close-in aerial, this pocket contains mostly uses like Capital City Awning and two light industrial type buildings across the street from 134 E. Goodale. The one gem in this pocket is the magnificent Smith Bros building across N. 4th Street - which basically functions as a destination island of its own. When Colliers calls this property "Centrally located and walking distance to the Short North and Italian Village" - they're not wrong - if you don't mind walking under freeway overpasses and dodging cars coming from all the on and off ramps! Despite the encouraging rendering and features listed by Colliers, 134 E. Goodale Street is not an extension of Italian Village or the Short North where you would see this type of renovation happen. It's in an isolated pocket of space that likely isn't ripe for this kind of development. Unless the Cap City Awning building or that larger parcel south of Goodale is part of a redevelopment plan here, we likely won't see anything happening here.
September 26, 20186 yr Epcon plans first housing project in Columbus in a decade Epcon Communities is about to start on its first housing project in Columbus in a decade. The Dublin-based developer has clearance to proceed on an 81-unit condominium community called The Courtyards at Riverside Drive. Epcon plans to build the condos on the eastern edge of Riverside Drive on the city’s border with Perry Township. The property, which would include an open space, a retention pond and a clubhouse, would go up on a narrow, 20-acre strip of land at 5586 Riverside Dr., south of Cranston Drive. There are five houses on the property that would come down and some land would be annexed into Columbus. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/09/26/epcon-plans-first-housingproject-in-columbus-in-a.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 27, 20186 yr Mixed-use development proposed in Jefferson Township A mixed-use development is in the works in northeast Franklin County is hoped to "kick-start" a comprehensive plan recently passed in Jefferson Township. Dublin-based Metro Development LLC has submitted plans to the county for a triangular 12-acre parcel of land at 712-726 Reynoldsburg-New Albany Road. The plans for Kenmore Place call for 36,000 square feet for commercial use, 240 rental units, parking, a clubhouse, fitness center and pool. “What we tried to do was submit a development request that fit to the letter their newly-adopted compressive plan, and I believe we did that,” said David Hodge, a real estate attorney with Underhill & Hodge and legal counsel for Metro Development. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/09/27/mixed-use-development-proposed-in-jefferson.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 1, 20186 yr Despite the encouraging rendering and features listed by Colliers, 134 E. Goodale Street is not an extension of Italian Village or the Short North where you would see this type of renovation happen. It's in an isolated pocket of space that likely isn't ripe for this kind of development. Unless the Cap City Awning building or that larger parcel south of Goodale is part of a redevelopment plan here, we likely won't see anything happening here. So after reading your post I kind of agreed because honestly yeah, it's a super tough spot however on my way in this morning it looks as if Colliers has removed the "Arena Storage" sign on the Goodale face of the building and now has put of a "Redevelopment Coming Soon" banner. I think this may actually be happening despite even my greatest hesitation because this weekend there were numerous trucks hauling parked along Goodale that appears to be clearing out the structure. Ill snag a picture tomorrow morning for you all on my way in.... Crossing my fingers.
October 2, 20186 yr Despite the encouraging rendering and features listed by Colliers, 134 E. Goodale Street is not an extension of Italian Village or the Short North where you would see this type of renovation happen. It's in an isolated pocket of space that likely isn't ripe for this kind of development. Unless the Cap City Awning building or that larger parcel south of Goodale is part of a redevelopment plan here, we likely won't see anything happening here. So after reading your post I kind of agreed because honestly yeah, it's a super tough spot however on my way in this morning it looks as if Colliers has removed the "Arena Storage" sign on the Goodale face of the building and now has put of a "Redevelopment Coming Soon" banner. I think this may actually be happening despite even my greatest hesitation because this weekend there were numerous trucks hauling parked along Goodale that appears to be clearing out the structure. Ill snag a picture tomorrow morning for you all on my way in.... Crossing my fingers. 134 E. Goodale is a nice enough building. But it still seems like a difficult location for a Short North-type redevelopment. But if they want to give it go, I'll be rooting for them!
October 3, 20186 yr Update on this proposed land sale posted previously in this thread at https://www.urbanohio.com/forum/index.php/topic,419.msg908829.html#msg908829 City intends to buy Ohio State University sheep farm, turn it into a park The city wants to purchase a 58-acre sheep farm near Ohio State University's Don Scott Field in northwest Columbus and turn it into a park. Ohio State has wanted to sell the land located at 2400 W. Case Road since 2016. William Lane and Arla Lane donated the property to the university in 1954. Ohio State uses the land for its sheep program and to produce forage for its beef cattle. The sale would move farm animals off the property and the city would develop it into public park space Community members in the area have been after the city for years to purchase the land. "Myself and number of members in the community have been advocating the city buy the sheep farm and turn it into a community hub," said Roy Wentzel of the Columbus Northwest Blues, a neighborhood grassroots group in the area. "We’d like to see a library or rec center." MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/25/city-intends-to-buy-ohio-state-university-sheep.html Just when you think there's a happy ending to the City of Columbus purchasing Ohio State's 57.7-acre sheep farm property, there's a hitch. Last week there was news that Columbus might sell off all but 8.7 acres of the sheep farm property to Upper Arlington and Dublin City Schools: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20180926/columbus-plan-to-sell-off-most-of-its-sheep-farm-purchase-upsets-neighbors According to the above linked Dispatch article, Columbus might sell off 34 acres of the sheep farm property to the City of Upper Arlington to build an athletics field complex on the property that would give first priority for their use to its residents. Another 15 acres would go to Dublin City Schools to be used to expand its schools. Selling off 49 of the 57.7 acreage would help Columbus pay for the property acquisition and help pay for parkland improvements, including a proposed shelter house, on the remaining 8.7 acres. But the northwest side neighbors are upset because they thought the entire 57.7 acres would be used as a larger Columbus park, instead of just a 8.7-acre portion. The ordinance to purchase to sheep farm property from Ohio State was approved by Columbus City Council on Monday. But the deal has not yet closed, and the proposed sales to Upper Arlington and Dublin City Schools have not been finalized: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20181001/northwest-side-residents-say-columbus-plan-to-sell-most-of-sheep-farm-b-a-a-ad-idea
October 5, 20186 yr I take issue with the article headline below - it is really about three cities (Columbus, Akron & Barberton) challenging a new state law allowing private property owners to cut down trees and remake the city-owned buffer land surrounding city-owned reservoirs. The State of Ohio recently passed this law - because freedom? Despite the headline, its an otherwise fine rundown of the issue: Property owners fight city restrictions on buffer land around reservoirs By Beth Burger, The Columbus Dispatch Updated: Sept 24, 2018 - 6:26 AM The shorelines of Columbus’ three drinking water reservoirs have changed dramatically in the past 20 years. In many cases, neatly cut grass used to go to the water’s edge. There was no distinction between private property owners’ lawns and the small portion of the city’s land bordering the water that ranges from 5 to 250 feet . In places where the city’s rules are being followed, now wildflowers and young sapling trees are growing. The small strip of property serves as a vegetative buffer and natural filtration system to help keep the water safe from fertilizers and other pollutants in the city’s three reservoirs — Griggs, Hoover and O’Shaughnessy — that provide drinking water to 1.2 million people in Central Ohio. But how that small portion of city property should look and what should be growing on it has been at the center of litigation in Franklin County Common Pleas Court for the past three years. On Sept. 14, Common Pleas Judge Michael J. Holbrook said he would be rendering a decision in the case involving the cities of Columbus, Akron and Barberton and the defendant, the State of Ohio. “This case, no matter what I decide, will be going to the court of appeals and Ohio Supreme Court,” he said. A few years ago Ohio’s Republican controlled assembly included a provision in the state budget allowing landowners whose properties abut the cities’ property near the city-owned reservoirs to mow grass, cut down trees and other vegetation. Some landowners wanted an access to the water to install docks or create a waterfront view. The law would prevent cities from taking any action against the private landowners if they make changes to the city’s property. The cities jointly filed a lawsuit which halted the law from going into effect. In Columbus, the issue affects about 900 private property owners along the reservoirs. MORE: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20180923/property-owners-fight-city-restrictions-on-buffer-land-around-reservoirs
October 5, 20186 yr Update on the Microliving at Long & Front project. Photo below shows the three handsome older buildings along Long Street that are currently being renovated for this 37-unit apartment project with ground-floor office/retail. (There is also a one-story facing Front Street that was renovated and houses Cravings Cafe.) The Dispatch article talks about the project and also contains an interesting slideshow of "The Rooming House" four-story building located at 35 W. Long Street when it was a slum-like flop house in 2002: Downtown micro-unit apartments tout minimalist living By Megan Henry, The Columbus Dispatch Updated: Oct. 4, 2018 - 9:21 AM At Microliving at Long & Front, it’s all about the little things. The smallest apartment in the building will be 307 square feet, and about half of the 37 apartments are less than 400 square feet. “It’s a minimalist way of living,” said Brad DeHays, project developer of Connect Real Estate. ( . . . ) The apartments may be small, but the project wasn’t. Microliving at Long & Front is housed in four old buildings DeHays acquired four years ago on the southeast corner of Long and Front streets — the Ohio Finance building, the Gaetz Music House, Cravings Cafe and the Rooming House. ... Microliving at Long & Front will be completed in May 2019 and pre-leasing will start in December 2018. The buildings will have offices and retail on the first floor, but none of the commercial tenants have been finalized. ( . . . ) This will be Connect Real Estate’s second micro-apartment complex. Microliving at 260 S. 4th opened about two years ago with 52 units. The complex is full, but DeHays said it took longer to lease than he expected. MORE: https://www.dispatch.com/business/20181004/downtown-micro-unit-apartments-tout-minimalist-living
October 11, 20186 yr On 5/7/2018 at 1:40 PM, Columbo said: Mount Carmel East is in the midst of a $310 million renovation project that started in 2015. A remodeled lobby at the hospital opened May 4 and a 5-story tower with 128 rooms and a surgical suite with 13 operating rooms is scheduled to open in June. The work on the facility at 6001 E. Broad Street is part of a $700 million project to expand and modernize three hospitals in the Mount Carmel Health System – Mount Carmel East, Mount Carmel Grove City and Mount Carmel West: http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180503/mount-carmel-east-new-lobby-ready-tower-opens-in-june Business First had a slideshow of the new 5-story patient tower built at Mount Carmel East and an update about the renovation work being done in the rest of the hospital: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/10/08/mount-carmel-sets-record-revenue-widens-margin-in.html Mount Carmel East's patient tower opened in June, right before the end of the fiscal year. The first phase in the hospital's $310 million transformation features sunlit, spacious, private rooms. Construction started immediately on the next stage - gutting and rebuilding rooms in the 1972 tower - making a total of 381 private rooms when the project is complete next year. The new 5-story patient section is at the extreme left in the above image next to the original 1972 section of Mount Carmel East that is currently being renovated. The below image shows a closer view of the new 5-story patient wing that was completed earlier this year:
October 19, 20186 yr New Plan Calls for Aviation Hall of Fame at Historic Terminal The latest plan for the original Port Columbus Air Terminal calls for the historic building to serve as the home of a new entity, the Ohio Air & Space Hall of Fame. The building, located at 4920 E. Fifth Ave, boasts a long and interesting history. It was used as the main terminal for the airport from 1929 to 1958, hosted early aviation pioneers like Charles Lindberg and Amelia Earhart, and served as the initial transfer point in the nation’s first transcontinental air service. There have been multiple efforts through the years to restore the building and find a suitable tenant for it. Heartland Bank was interested in using the building and an adjacent hangar for its headquarters, but abandoned those plans in late 2015 after it became clear that retrofitting the hangar building would be too expensive. More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/new-plan-calls-for-aviation-hall-of-fame-at-historic-terminal-bw1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 20, 20186 yr Dayton already has the National Aviation Hall Of Fame. I'm okay with Columbus, the state capital, to have it. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 22, 20186 yr They could make this one more Columbus-centric with some TAT and Eddie Rickenbacker action.
October 31, 20186 yr On 8/1/2018 at 1:51 PM, Columbo said: Update on this proposed land sale posted previously in this thread at https://www.urbanohio.com/forum/index.php/topic,419.msg908829.html#msg908829 City intends to buy Ohio State University sheep farm, turn it into a park The city wants to purchase a 58-acre sheep farm near Ohio State University's Don Scott Field in northwest Columbus and turn it into a park. Ohio State has wanted to sell the land located at 2400 W. Case Road since 2016. William Lane and Arla Lane donated the property to the university in 1954. Ohio State uses the land for its sheep program and to produce forage for its beef cattle. The sale would move farm animals off the property and the city would develop it into public park space Community members in the area have been after the city for years to purchase the land. "Myself and number of members in the community have been advocating the city buy the sheep farm and turn it into a community hub," said Roy Wentzel of the Columbus Northwest Blues, a neighborhood grassroots group in the area. "We’d like to see a library or rec center." MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/25/city-intends-to-buy-ohio-state-university-sheep.html On 10/3/2018 at 3:51 PM, Columbo said: Just when you think there's a happy ending to the City of Columbus purchasing Ohio State's 57.7-acre sheep farm property, there's a hitch. Last week there was news that Columbus might sell off all but 8.7 acres of the sheep farm property to Upper Arlington and Dublin City Schools: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20180926/columbus-plan-to-sell-off-most-of-its-sheep-farm-purchase-upsets-neighbors According to the above linked Dispatch article, Columbus might sell off 34 acres of the sheep farm property to the City of Upper Arlington to build an athletics field complex on the property that would give first priority for their use to its residents. Another 15 acres would go to Dublin City Schools to be used to expand its schools. Selling off 49 of the 57.7 acreage would help Columbus pay for the property acquisition and help pay for parkland improvements, including a proposed shelter house, on the remaining 8.7 acres. But the northwest side neighbors are upset because they thought the entire 57.7 acres would be used as a larger Columbus park, instead of just a 8.7-acre portion. The ordinance to purchase to sheep farm property from Ohio State was approved by Columbus City Council on Monday. But the deal has not yet closed, and the proposed sales to Upper Arlington and Dublin City Schools have not been finalized: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20181001/northwest-side-residents-say-columbus-plan-to-sell-most-of-sheep-farm-b-a-a-ad-idea https://www.dispatch.com/news/20181023/columbus-wont-be-selling-portion-of-sheep-farm-to-upper-arlington Like the headline says, Columbus won't be selling off a 34-acre portion of the Sheep Farm property to Upper Arlington after all. After much neighborhood neighborhood opposition, the City of Columbus is dropping plans to sell off a majority of the 57.7-acre OSU Sheep Farm property to UA - who had plans to develop an athletic complex for use by UA residents. Plans to sell 15 acres of the site to Dublin City Schools are still in the works however. Dublin City Schools would like to expand on this property next to the Wright Elementary School, which is an existing Dublin City School building adjacent to the Sheep Farm property.
November 21, 20186 yr Work begins on long-delayed, state-of-the-art Far East Side fire station A long-awaited Columbus fire station for the fast-growing Far East Side should be finished by the end of 2019. Columbus city officials and other local leaders officially turned shovels of dirt on the site of the future Station No. 35, at 711 N. Waggoner Road, during a ceremony Wednesday, but construction crews started clearing trees and brush and leveling the property weeks ago. Station No. 35 has been in the city’s plans since before the Great Recession, but construction was delayed amid that financial turmoil and then a second time for a redesign that should limit firefighters’ exposure to cancer-causing carcinogens. MORE: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20181017/work-begins-on-long-delayed-state-of-the-art-far-east-side-fire-station
December 12, 20186 yr https://www.columbusunderground.com/historic-broad-street-buildings-among-projects-awarded-tax-credits-bw1
December 24, 20186 yr https://www.columbusunderground.com/touch-screen-kiosks-coming-to-downtown-bw1 https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/12/18/columbus-likes-ike-orange-barrels-giant-digital.html According to the above two articles, we might see a total of 40 eight-foot tall touch screen kiosks installed in Downtown, the Short North, German Village and the University District during 2019. Above is a photo of the first touch screen kiosk installed at High & Poplar in the Short North this month. Experience Columbus, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), Smart Columbus and the two Downtown Special Improvement Districts have all been involved in developing and planning for the kiosks. These large touch screen kiosks have been developed by Columbus-based Orange Barrel Media - using a design that the company unveiled in Denver and is also installing in other cities.
January 4, 20196 yr On 2/25/2018 at 7:01 PM, casey said: I know we've seen a real uptick in Downtown projects especially over the last year or so, but these are some pretty cool stats to read that help put it all in perspective - Downtown sees flood of new apartment buildings Four buildings that opened between November and January are welcoming their first tenants. They will be followed by roughly one new building a month for the next two years. This year alone, nine more apartment and condominium buildings are expected to open, adding almost 1,200 new residences to the city’s core. More than two dozen additional projects are on the drawing board featuring 2,000 apartments and about 100 condominiums — not including residences proposed in nearby areas such as the Short North and Franklinton. About 18 percent of all apartments set to open in central Ohio this year are Downtown, according to YardMatrix, an apartment research firm. http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180225/downtown-sees-flood-of-new-apartment-buildings The article also included this nice drone video going over a few of the soon-to-open projects - An update to this. 600 apartments set to open this year after 500 opened last year. That will bring us to over 9,900 residents downtown.
January 6, 20196 yr A look back at 42 urban development projects completed in 2018 from CU: https://www.columbusunderground.com/42-urban-development-projects-completed-in-2018-bw1
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