17 hours ago, amped91 said:

Any guesses for where this might get built? I think somewhere near the Arena District would be a good fit, but it’ll probably just end up somewhere in the burbs…

 

Gaming startup Glytch names Columbus area as second location for pro esports arena

 

 

“The Columbus region has jumped ahead of locations including Chicago and Atlanta for the second professional esports stadium from a startup founded by video game developer and former GameWorks owner Michael Williams.

 

Glytch Inc. plans to open the more than 100,000-square-foot venue within three years, following its first location in Los Angeles. Overall it plans 32 locations over the next seven years, each home to a pro gaming team.

 

Besides the 2,000-seat competition arena (which can double as a theater for things like Ted Talks), the stadium will feature entertainment including arcade games and multi-level laser tag, an esports team training studio and tournament center, a broadcast studio, and several dining and beverage options, according to a promotional video on the Glytch website. LA will have a neon-filled nightclub and very analog-looking old-school Irish pub. Each location will cost about $54 million to build, according to the website.

 

Columbus was not on the list of the first four locations the company announced in April. The company said it will specify the precise Central Ohio location when construction starts in the spring.

 

Williams cited an active esports and gaming community in metro Columbus – including game publishers, developers, producers and collegiate organizations – in a written response to Columbus Business First questions. Local support and esports market size are among site selection factors.”

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/12/14/glytch-esports-columbus-arena.html

One thing they mentioned as a major factor in why Columbus got chosen was because of interest and a possible partnership with a professional sports team. We only have two of those and they both have land in the Arena District. If they are partnered with the Jackets for example, maybe they can coordinate with Nationwide to build this on one of the surface parking lots they own down in the Arena District. This would be way better suited for downtown than somewhere like Easton or Polaris, let's not make it normal to bring large events to shopping malls as far away from our urban core as possible.

4 minutes ago, TIm said:

One thing they mentioned as a major factor in why Columbus got chosen was because of interest and a possible partnership with a professional sports team. We only have two of those and they both have land in the Arena District. If they are partnered with the Jackets for example, maybe they can coordinate with Nationwide to build this on one of the surface parking lots they own down in the Arena District. This would be way better suited for downtown than somewhere like Easton or Polaris, let's not make it normal to bring large events to shopping malls as far away from our urban core as possible.

Maybe the triangle could finally get another shot at development! Would be nice if this arena brought another hotel in as well. 
 

14 minutes ago, amped91 said:

Maybe the triangle could finally get another shot at development! Would be nice if this arena brought another hotel in as well. 
 

 

I know it's not set in stone, but as part of the Downtown Strategic Plan, City Council has the triangle marked as recreation fields.  

 

 

1 minute ago, Luvcbus said:

 

I know it's not set in stone, but as part of the Downtown Strategic Plan, City Council has the triangle marked as recreation fields.  

 

 

I guess, in a way, you could call it a recreation field! Jk. I was half joking with the triangle suggestion, tbh. I would rather, as @TImsuggested, see some surface lots get eaten up if this were, by some miracle, able to land downtown. 

At 100,000 SF, (up to 120,000sf according to Glytch's website), it's a significant build for a single purpose. You're looking at the equivalent of a big box store, aka Target. Based on their promotional video, it's mostly on a single level. So unless they are going revamp and perhaps partner with a developer, you're talking about a single level venue that takes up half a city block or more, not including parking.

 

Now, if they could just build it on top of an existing parking garage, perfect. Otherwise, there would need to be a cost benefit analysis of something like this taking up any potential valuable urban real estate. 

Edited December 15, 20222 yr by DTCL11

Honestly, I couldn't picture something like that in the Arena District/Downtown either, especially as a brownfield development. But I wouldn't want it going at the topmost extremity of the city either.
 

18 hours ago, DTCL11 said:

Most of us will be dead before Easton could come close to being accused of being a walkable neighborhood. 

17 hours ago, VintageLife said:

Most of Easton would be horrendous to walk around. Outside of the main mall sections, I would never want to walk for things I needed.

I feel like we're talking about the Easton mall section like it's some negligible fraction of the area like downtown New Albany, and we're forgetting the extension bounded by Brighton Rose, Worth and Stelzer which is very much walkable and the adjacent large plots of land bordering it that can be developed the same way. It's larger than Bridge Park, Italian Village, Grandview Yard & Crossing, and even Franklinton east of 315. And this doesn't include the area between Stelzer and 270 or the southern extremities which could be little nodes in their own.

 

It's unfortunate that Easton is probably not going to attract a walkable grocer and maybe some more walkable practical needs--but for the sheer mass of commercial and shopping/dining/entertainment choices solely WITHIN the mall area, for Columbus -- you can't really beat it and it's not like most of the anchors on the perimeter would really adapt an urban model. As I've said before, my main gripe with many of the up-and-coming areas in this city, is that it is still mostly residential with a sprinkling of bars or restaurants here and there, but very little else unless you're directly anchored to (North) High Street.

1 hour ago, DTCL11 said:

At 100,000 SF, (up to 120,000sf according to Glytch's website), it's a significant build for a single purpose. You're looking at the equivalent of a big box store, aka Target. Based on their promotional video, it's mostly on a single level. So unless they are going revamp and perhaps partner with a developer, you're talking about a single level venue that takes up half a city block or more, not including parking.

 

Now, if they could just build it on top of an existing parking garage, perfect. Otherwise, there would need to be a cost benefit analysis of something like this taking up any potential valuable urban real estate. 

 

Brice Road

45 minutes ago, GCrites80s said:

Brice Road

 

Is that a guess or confirmation??

2 hours ago, DTCL11 said:

At 100,000 SF, (up to 120,000sf according to Glytch's website), it's a significant build for a single purpose. You're looking at the equivalent of a big box store, aka Target. Based on their promotional video, it's mostly on a single level. So unless they are going revamp and perhaps partner with a developer, you're talking about a single level venue that takes up half a city block or more, not including parking.

 

Now, if they could just build it on top of an existing parking garage, perfect. Otherwise, there would need to be a cost benefit analysis of something like this taking up any potential valuable urban real estate. 

It won't be for a single purpose though. It was stated in the article while the main focus of these facilities is for professional gaming events, they'll be open for other events such as Ted Talks and various other types of acts and events that can draw crowds of up to 2,000 people.

2 hours ago, PrestoKinetic said:

Honestly, I couldn't picture something like that in the Arena District/Downtown either, especially as a brownfield development. But I wouldn't want it going at the topmost extremity of the city either.
 

I feel like we're talking about the Easton mall section like it's some negligible fraction of the area like downtown New Albany, and we're forgetting the extension bounded by Brighton Rose, Worth and Stelzer which is very much walkable and the adjacent large plots of land bordering it that can be developed the same way. It's larger than Bridge Park, Italian Village, Grandview Yard & Crossing, and even Franklinton east of 315. And this doesn't include the area between Stelzer and 270 or the southern extremities which could be little nodes in their own.

 

It's unfortunate that Easton is probably not going to attract a walkable grocer and maybe some more walkable practical needs--but for the sheer mass of commercial and shopping/dining/entertainment choices solely WITHIN the mall area, for Columbus -- you can't really beat it and it's not like most of the anchors on the perimeter would really adapt an urban model. As I've said before, my main gripe with many of the up-and-coming areas in this city, is that it is still mostly residential with a sprinkling of bars or restaurants here and there, but very little else unless you're directly anchored to (North) High Street.

Nothing about this image appears to be walkable. It's like 70% parking lots, I'm not too keen on getting run over while walking from parking lot A, across parking lot B, C, D, E, F and G to get to where I'm going. A major aspect of something being walkable is safety, it's right in the definition of the term walkable. Just because you can walk on something does not necessarily means it's technically walkable.

Edited December 15, 20222 yr by TIm

21 minutes ago, PrestoKinetic said:

 

Is that a guess or confirmation??

 

More of a guess, but Brice Road does have a lot of suitable spaces available. 

4 minutes ago, TIm said:

It won't be for a single purpose though. It was stated in the article while the main focus of these facilities is for professional gaming events, they'll be open for other events such as Ted Talks and various other types of acts and events that can draw crowds of up to 2,000 people.

 

And they have arcades, and multiple restaurants, and laser tag, etc. By saying it's single purpose, it's less about what's contained in the building and the overall building. It's an entertainment venue that takes up a large amount of space. Having a theater with the occasional non-gaming event doesnt necessarily make it much more than that. IMO, Throwing out Ted Talk kind of shows their cards in that they want it to sound more marketable than it is. They seem to have been using the Ted Talk line for awhile. How many Ted Talks take place a non-university or scientific institutions etc. The last official Ted Talk in Columbus was 2011 at COSI. I doubt the lack of am appropriate space is what's prevented more (that aren't independently organized).

 

It's still very niche.  Like a Top Golf. Massive land use for entertainment. And the longevity of the business model is not yet known. I wouldn't necessarily be begging to have Dave and Buster, etc etc downtown as a stand alone entity, even if they had a side theater.

 

I think it looks cool. But I still think, like a indoor Waterpark, maybe it's better for a non-urban setting. 

 

Also. We should take this all with a grain of salt. They are still raising money and building it from the ground up. They haven't even disclosed the location of their first arena or broken ground on it.  It's being held as a 'secret'... since March. Like any good sports arena, they also sought bond agreements from Atlanta and Chicago to help fund arenas there and will continue to seek public funding where possible.  

 

I'll put this in the early days of SPARC category. There's promise, but there's some odd stuff as well. 

 

https://dot.la/glytch-esports-arena-2657620195.html

 

 

https://vimeo.com/641756413/0d459c84d7

 

5 hours ago, TIm said:

Columbus got chosen was because of interest and a possible partnership with a professional sports team.

I don’t know why, but my brain told me they meant a professional e gaming team and not a sport team. 

Maybe a bit off base, and I'm not really all that familiar with this industry or what they actually do, but perhaps this could be an additional feature with the casino??

1 hour ago, TIm said:

Nothing about this image appears to be walkable. It's like 70% parking lots, I'm not too keen on getting run over while walking from parking lot A, across parking lot B, C, D, E, F and G to get to where I'm going. A major aspect of something being walkable is safety, it's right in the definition of the term walkable. Just because you can walk on something does not necessarily means it's technically walkable.

So would you say that corridors in the area like The Strand, Worth, or Townsfair aren't safe or walkable?

1 hour ago, TIm said:

Nothing about this image appears to be walkable. It's like 70% parking lots, I'm not too keen on getting run over while walking from parking lot A, across parking lot B, C, D, E, F and G to get to where I'm going. A major aspect of something being walkable is safety, it's right in the definition of the term walkable. Just because you can walk on something does not necessarily means it's technically walkable.

My wife and I risked our lives walking from Whole Foods to REI the other day (a cliché, I know). The buildings are near one another but there's no sidewalk. Yes, walking inside of Easton is fine, but walking anywhere else can be risky.

 

City Nerd (I like his sarcastic presentation style) just released a video about lifestyle centers: 

 

19 minutes ago, VintageLife said:

I don’t know why, but my brain told me they meant a professional e gaming team and not a sport team. 

That was my thought too, but I really don’t know. 

1 hour ago, Gnoraa said:

Maybe a bit off base, and I'm not really all that familiar with this industry or what they actually do, but perhaps this could be an additional feature with the casino??

 

I mean, if they were smart...

46 minutes ago, TIm said:

Nothing about this image appears to be walkable. It's like 70% parking lots, I'm not too keen on getting run over while walking from parking lot A, across parking lot B, C, D, E, F and G to get to where I'm going.

 

1 hour ago, PrestoKinetic said:

So would you say that corridors in the area like The Strand, Worth, or Townsfair aren't safe or walkable?

Not going to lie, I literally have no idea what any of those places are haha.

2 hours ago, DTCL11 said:

 

And they have arcades, and multiple restaurants, and laser tag, etc. By saying it's single purpose, it's less about what's contained in the building and the overall building. It's an entertainment venue that takes up a large amount of space. Having a theater with the occasional non-gaming event doesnt necessarily make it much more than that. IMO, Throwing out Ted Talk kind of shows their cards in that they want it to sound more marketable than it is. They seem to have been using the Ted Talk line for awhile. How many Ted Talks take place a non-university or scientific institutions etc. The last official Ted Talk in Columbus was 2011 at COSI. I doubt the lack of am appropriate space is what's prevented more (that aren't independently organized).

 

It's still very niche.  Like a Top Golf. Massive land use for entertainment. And the longevity of the business model is not yet known. I wouldn't necessarily be begging to have Dave and Buster, etc etc downtown as a stand alone entity, even if they had a side theater.

 

I think it looks cool. But I still think, like a indoor Waterpark, maybe it's better for a non-urban setting. 

 

Also. We should take this all with a grain of salt. They are still raising money and building it from the ground up. They haven't even disclosed the location of their first arena or broken ground on it.  It's being held as a 'secret'... since March. Like any good sports arena, they also sought bond agreements from Atlanta and Chicago to help fund arenas there and will continue to seek public funding where possible.  

 

I'll put this in the early days of SPARC category. There's promise, but there's some odd stuff as well. 

 

https://dot.la/glytch-esports-arena-2657620195.html

 

 

https://vimeo.com/641756413/0d459c84d7

 

I just don't see it that way. Video gaming isn't some unique industry that requires a ton of specialized equipment that can't be used for other things. It's going to have seats, a stage, a nice sound system and probably a bunch of screen. Sounds like it could be an excellent spot for concerts, plays, corporate events etc. etc. It certainly is not going to be restricted to such a narrow focus of only for gaming, there is no reason to limit the space to these types of uses. You aren't going to not allow speaking events or concerts just because you only want video games there. If the people are willing to pay the money to rent the space out, it'll be used for other purposes. I'd rather see something that versatile be in a walkable urban area where people can make a day out of it as opposed to driving out into the burbs to go to the event and then drive right back home.

 

You mention Top Golf but that is such a specific business model that I don't even see the comparison. Trying to compare a specialized multi-tier sporting recreation facility to what will end up being a large modern arena (the use of the area not really mattering) just makes absolutely no sense to me. It's going to be a versatile space so might as well use it for a variety of things and that seems to be their plan anyways.

16 hours ago, TIm said:

 

Not going to lie, I literally have no idea what any of those places are haha.

Haha okay.

Townsfair: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0490662,-82.9156647,3a,75y,135.85h,78.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stiEdyR4vYOF4r4RbJK6o2w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Strand: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0535826,-82.9151159,3a,75y,35.83h,84.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3se6Tphcuyx1kkxVq3w_GA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0522316,-82.9149229,3a,75y,29.42h,81.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQAmlOTQLQRATnp2r3hxPAg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Worth: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0543119,-82.9134849,3a,75y,73.09h,86.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3pIZu4gecfwfh93BTJKo1g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

That whole Worth section was built within the last 3-4 years. These areas can all be found within the bounded area I drew in the aerial screenshot.

All I'm saying is: if we developed the blank spaces in the screenshot(with residential and mixed-use) and patterned it the same way as those corridors, then Easton--even just the "mall" section bounded area--would be on-par with many Columbus neighborhoods as far as size, and would be a strong contender in terms of shopping & entertainment.

Easton is a nice place, walkable in the core, but it's private property. It's a sanitized safe space designed to encourage spending. It's not a substitution for the public realm. Unlike a public street, you can get kicked out for any number of violations including running or swearing. I can go for a jog down High St. with no issues but I cannot run through Easton. I'd have to stick to the sidewalks along massive stroads - not very pleasant. 

https://eastontowncenter.com/guest-services/policies/ 

 

 

Ohio regulators approve second solar project in Franklin County

 

"Ohio regulators this week approved a solar farm to be built in southwest Franklin and southeast Madison County, the second solar farm in Franklin County to be approved in two months.

 

Springwater Solar is planned to be a 155-megawatt solar farm in Pleasant Township in Franklin County and Fairfield Township in Madison County, according to the Ohio Power Siting Board, the state agency that must sign off on new sources of power in the state. The project includes a 75-megawatt battery energy storage system that holds electricity until there is demand.

 

The project is the latest solar farm to be approved in Ohio, where about 50 farms are under some stage of development.

 

Construction of Springwater Solar, to be developed by Apex Clean Energy Holdings of Charlottesville, Virginia, is expected to start in the spring and take about 16 months to complete.

 

The project will take up about 770 acres in a 1,085-acre project area."

 

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/energy-resource/2022/12/16/construction-of-franklinmadison-county-solar-farm-to-start-in-spring/69732046007/

 

On 12/15/2022 at 2:04 PM, DTCL11 said:

Also. We should take this all with a grain of salt. They are still raising money and building it from the ground up. They haven't even disclosed the location of their first arena or broken ground on it.  It's being held as a 'secret'... since March. Like any good sports arena, they also sought bond agreements from Atlanta and Chicago to help fund arenas there and will continue to seek public funding where possible.

 

I read a couple articles, including the CBF article I originally linked, that said the LA arena broke ground this past spring, but I still can’t find anything mentioning a specific location 🧐 

Good for new housing in the ‘Bus, but that’s one ugly house rendering 😅 Also, the article misspells “Brice,” just FYI. 

 

D.R. Horton plans $215M residential development in southeast Columbus
 

 

“The housing development, dubbed Landsdowne Farms, will be located at the southwest corner of Bryce and Shannon roads. Its cost is expected to exceed $215 million. 

 

D.R. plans to build 94 two-story for-sale duplexes, 320 for-sale townhomes and 502 traditional single-family homes. Of the single-family homes, 338 will be on 50-foot lots and range from 1,500 square feet to 2,800 square feet. The remainder will be narrower, built on 40-foot lots and ranging from 1,500 square feet to 2,600 square feet.

 

The community will include two pools, two clubhouses, a basketball court and walking paths throughout. The first phase of development will include152 single-family homes on the west side of Bryce Road and 80 townhomes on the east side of Bryce Road.

 

Construction on the amenities and other site work is planned to start late summer or early fall 2023. Construction on the first homes is planned to start in 2024. The development will sit on about 250 acres, about 100 of which will be held for open space, Mautino said.”

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/12/16/d-r-horton-housing-development-southeast-columbus.html

5 hours ago, Luvcbus said:

 

 

Ohio regulators approve second solar project in Franklin County

 

"Ohio regulators this week approved a solar farm to be built in southwest Franklin and southeast Madison County, the second solar farm in Franklin County to be approved in two months.

 

Springwater Solar is planned to be a 155-megawatt solar farm in Pleasant Township in Franklin County and Fairfield Township in Madison County, according to the Ohio Power Siting Board, the state agency that must sign off on new sources of power in the state. The project includes a 75-megawatt battery energy storage system that holds electricity until there is demand.

 

The project is the latest solar farm to be approved in Ohio, where about 50 farms are under some stage of development.

 

Construction of Springwater Solar, to be developed by Apex Clean Energy Holdings of Charlottesville, Virginia, is expected to start in the spring and take about 16 months to complete.

 

The project will take up about 770 acres in a 1,085-acre project area."

 

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/energy-resource/2022/12/16/construction-of-franklinmadison-county-solar-farm-to-start-in-spring/69732046007/

Just a horrific waste of land. Building solar farms anywhere, but especially in one of the cloudiest cities in America...lol

 

4 minutes ago, amped91 said:

I read a couple articles, including the CBF article I originally linked, that said the LA arena broke ground this past spring, but I still can’t find anything mentioning a specific location 🧐 

 

I've been doing some digging. They didn't break ground. They SAID they did. Then in later articles they said they haven't.

 

It all smells very Harold Hill. Perhaps they can finally sell us the bridge from North Bank to Peninsula the city has been trying to sell for 20 years. 

 

The list of red flags include:

 

 - their own social media hasn't been updated since January or March depending on the platform. Their headline on social media still says 'opening Q2 2022'

 - at least one link in their web page is a bad hyperlink

 - their web page is basic stuff. And the photos of their staff and board barely seem serious IMO

  - They have yet to make public comments other than in writing it seems.

  - they announce a partnership, then disappear. Announce a partnership, then disappear

  - they have declined to release any of their fundraising numbers 

  - Again, they intend to seek public funding for arenas... sus...

  - no land disclosures for any location, including the Los Angeles location they announced almost 3 years ago now, and 2 quarters past its promised date with no reply updates. Distract the LA location and market by announcing all this other stuff. 

  - If fully realized, he's looking to spend $2.5 billion on these stadiums construction alone

  - the LA location is targeting 16 or more non gaming events per month with an average ticket cost of $80. 

 

I think it's another reason I'm ok to cede a potential W to an Easton or Polaris on it.  I worry for a SPARCC debacle. Imagine a half finished arena or a highly specialized facility abandoned after a few years in a prime location. Let the burbs deal with the professor.

 

 

These Sheetz go up so fast...

 

This is the one at Bethel and Godown.  Roughly two weeks ago they only had the gas pump section started.

 

 

 

 

Columbus region touts record growth in 2022, prepares for new projects in emerging industries

 

"Central Ohio leaders are touting a record year for economic growth, which started at the beginning of 2022 with the announcement of Intel Corp.'s $20 billion semiconductor manufacturing project.

 

Year-to-date, economic development projects across 11 counties in the Columbus region yielded 47 company expansions and new locations, nearly 8,000 new jobs and just under $772 million in new payroll. Central Ohio also saw $21.3 billion in capital investment, though the majority of those dollars came from Intel.

 

As Central Ohio wraps up a record year of growth, discussions among local leaders shift to where the region is going.

 

Looking ahead, the region has a strong pipeline of potential projects in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, semiconductors, electric vehicles and life sciences, according to local economic development group One Columbus. Central Ohio also is seeing strong international activity from Japan and South Korea.

 

Of 127 current active projects, 60% are in the manufacturing sector, 44% are international, 25% are semiconductor-related and 21% will generate more than 500 jobs and/or $500 million investment, according to One Columbus."

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/12/27/columbus-region-touts-record-growth-in-2022.html

 

Since I have a feeling dev news will be pretty slow for at least the next week or so, I was wondering which projects in 2023 are you all most looking forward to breaking ground, wrapping up, and continuing to see progress on? And which property would you like to see redevelopment proposals for?

 

Ground breaking: The Merchant Building

I’m excited for the addition to the North Market, and it’ll be fun to watch this rise up into the skyline over the next few years. 
 

Wrapping up: Peninsula Phase One

Continued progress: Peninsula Two

 I’m hoping the tower portion doesn’t get pared down. I kinda have a feeling it won’t get built until/if it gets TMUD funding, though. I think we’ll likely see build out on the southern end until that happens. 
 

Redevelopment property: the vacant Family Dollar building in the Short North. 

17 hours ago, amped91 said:

Since I have a feeling dev news will be pretty slow for at least the next week or so, I was wondering which projects in 2023 are you all most looking forward to breaking ground, wrapping up, and continuing to see progress on? And which property would you like to see redevelopment proposals for?

 

Ground breaking: The Merchant Building

I’m excited for the addition to the North Market, and it’ll be fun to watch this rise up into the skyline over the next few years. 
 

Wrapping up: Peninsula Phase One

Continued progress: Peninsula Two

 I’m hoping the tower portion doesn’t get pared down. I kinda have a feeling it won’t get built until/if it gets TMUD funding, though. I think we’ll likely see build out on the southern end until that happens. 
 

Redevelopment property: the vacant Family Dollar building in the Short North. 

 

Here's a few projects I'm looking forward to seeing how they evolve in 2023

 

• Downtown Greyhound Station redevelopment

• Jaycees Arms Downtown 

• Broad and Hamilton

• Intel & vicinity

• Scioto Peninsula buildout

• Quarry Trails buildout

• Kroger Bakery redev

• Merchant Building 

• Buckstone in Obetz (opposite corner from Buckstone Flats site)

• OSU Starlab & vicinity

• Steelton Village

• Cleanup & redevelopment of Buckeye AP site at 2474 McKinley

• Cleanup & redevelopment of Wirthman Bros site at 3515 E Main

 

15 minutes ago, CbusOrBust said:

 

Here's a few projects I'm looking forward to seeing how they evolve in 2023

 

• Downtown Greyhound Station redevelopment

• Jaycees Arms Downtown 

• Broad and Hamilton

• Intel & vicinity

• Scioto Peninsula buildout

• Quarry Trails buildout

• Kroger Bakery redev

• Merchant Building 

• Buckstone in Obetz (opposite corner from Buckstone Flats site)

• OSU Starlab & vicinity

• Steelton Village

• Cleanup & redevelopment of Buckeye AP site at 2474 McKinley

• Cleanup & redevelopment of Wirthman Bros site at 3515 E Main

 

I’d forgotten about some of those! Definitely looking forward to Steelton Village and Kroger Bakery too. A few others I’m hoping to see start up in the new year are the two South Side projects from Schiff: the BD Copious redev and the Livingston Ave Shane’s Corner redev; and the Parsons Ave project from CD4AP. 
 

I saw closer to this past summer COTA was allocating some budget money for a study to determine best land use at the Greyhound site, and just recently I saw engineering apps for the Jaycee Arms apartments, so I’m hopeful we’ll see movement on both of those in 2023 as well. 

33 minutes ago, amped91 said:

I’d forgotten about some of those!

 

There's so many projects across Franklin County, it's definitely easy to forget some! 😉

 

I think the old Greyhound site might be on the more disappointing developments. Included in the now tabled levy was $145 mil for 2 transit oriented developments. One being the old Greyhound site. Without the levy or funds, it too may get tabled or come out wildly disappointing. Anything COTA related should be taken with a grain of salt or cautiously optimistic until they can get that levy approved. 

 

If anything, I'm mentally preparing for a long process not dissimilar to the merchant building filled with ups and downs and many changes. 

Edited December 28, 20222 yr by DTCL11

City Zoning Reform Efforts to Focus on Mixed-Use Districts First

 

Don’t expect the city’s zoning code to be overhauled in one fell swoop. The plan is to tackle the undertaking one step at a time, and the first element of the code to be examined will be mixed-use districts.

 

The focus will be on crafting new rules for development located along the city’s major corridors – High Street, Broad Street, Main Street, Morse Road, Sawmill Road, and others – places that may have developed in vastly different ways but that have certain elements in common, like access to transit and the potential to absorb lots of new housing.

 

A series of public meetings and other engagement opportunities will be held over the next year, with a goal of unveiling a new draft code for mixed-use districts throughout the city in early 2024.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/city-zoning-reform-efforts-to-focus-on-mixed-use-districts-first-bw1/

 

Columbus creates tax incentives to spur affordable housing on Northwest Side
 

 

“The city of Columbus has created a new Riverside Community Reinvestment Area north of West Henderson Road and west of Sawmill Road with the goal, officials say, of developing more affordable housing.

 

The Northwest Side area is also the location of an apartment development proposed on the site of the former Premier of Sawmill Athletic Club on Hayden Road, now demolished, with the site weed-filled and surrounded by a chain-link fence.

 

Columbus City Councilmember Shayla Favor, who leads the council housing committee, said the idea for a community reinvestment area for that neighborhood came about when the owner of the Premier at Sawmill property approached the city about the apartment development.

 

"I think that there is a perception that area does not need any abatement," Favor said. "When thinking about housing equity, different types of employment opportunities, we cannot limit ourselves to areas of our city that should only have 'affordable housing.'"’

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2023/01/17/columbus-creates-reinvestment-area-tax-abatements-near-sawmill-road/69786009007/

3 hours ago, amped91 said:

Columbus creates tax incentives to spur affordable housing on Northwest Side
 

 

“The city of Columbus has created a new Riverside Community Reinvestment Area north of West Henderson Road and west of Sawmill Road with the goal, officials say, of developing more affordable housing.

 

The Northwest Side area is also the location of an apartment development proposed on the site of the former Premier of Sawmill Athletic Club on Hayden Road, now demolished, with the site weed-filled and surrounded by a chain-link fence.

 

Columbus City Councilmember Shayla Favor, who leads the council housing committee, said the idea for a community reinvestment area for that neighborhood came about when the owner of the Premier at Sawmill property approached the city about the apartment development.

 

"I think that there is a perception that area does not need any abatement," Favor said. "When thinking about housing equity, different types of employment opportunities, we cannot limit ourselves to areas of our city that should only have 'affordable housing.'"’

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2023/01/17/columbus-creates-reinvestment-area-tax-abatements-near-sawmill-road/69786009007/

What other parts of that tract outlined has parcels that could be used for affordable housing? Are there other non-residential properties that could be redone-maybe like what was done with the old Kroger strip mall off Ackerman and Olentangy?

 

48 minutes ago, Toddguy said:

What other parts of that tract outlined has parcels that could be used for affordable housing? Are there other non-residential properties that could be redone-maybe like what was done with the old Kroger strip mall off Ackerman and Olentangy?

 

The article mentions the city surveyed the area late last year and identified parcels that could be redeveloped. I’m sure there’s a way to find the results of their survey. I’m not super familiar with this area of the city, though. 

The northern end of that area includes run down apartments that could stand to be redeveloped in a more efficient way. These were crappy 25 years ago.

 

I know we've discussed it here before, but that eSports gaming arena is a sure thing now it seems. Will be the second one of theirs in the country after their Los Angeles facility of an intended 32 facilities total. Expected groundbreaking later in 2023 with an estimated completion go 2024-2025. No specific location announced yet. Not much other information about it, but it's cool it's official.

 

All I have to say is.... please don't put it in Polaris. Maybe put this gaming arena in that district named for arenas?

 

https://614now.com/2023/explore-columbus/100000-square-foot-esports-arena-coming-to-columbus

Edited January 17, 20232 yr by TIm

What makes it a sure thing? The 614 articles seems like a paired down late print of the news from December. Even the quote is identical to the one from December. 

 

No new information has been published by Glytch or any other entity since. 614 never published the original story. 

 

Glytch didn't even have their own booth at CES this year. All they did was promote that another business was using their gaming station. 

 

Still on the skeptical side of this one. 

4 hours ago, amped91 said:

The article mentions the city surveyed the area late last year and identified parcels that could be redeveloped. I’m sure there’s a way to find the results of their survey. I’m not super familiar with this area of the city, though. 

Thanks. I am not that familiar with the area either. It sounds like a good idea that should be adopted in more areas of the city.

 

 

9 hours ago, amped91 said:

Columbus creates tax incentives to spur affordable housing on Northwest Side
 

 

“The city of Columbus has created a new Riverside Community Reinvestment Area north of West Henderson Road and west of Sawmill Road with the goal, officials say, of developing more affordable housing.

 

The Northwest Side area is also the location of an apartment development proposed on the site of the former Premier of Sawmill Athletic Club on Hayden Road, now demolished, with the site weed-filled and surrounded by a chain-link fence.

 

Columbus City Councilmember Shayla Favor, who leads the council housing committee, said the idea for a community reinvestment area for that neighborhood came about when the owner of the Premier at Sawmill property approached the city about the apartment development.

 

"I think that there is a perception that area does not need any abatement," Favor said. "When thinking about housing equity, different types of employment opportunities, we cannot limit ourselves to areas of our city that should only have 'affordable housing.'"’

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2023/01/17/columbus-creates-reinvestment-area-tax-abatements-near-sawmill-road/69786009007/

Hopefully this leads to denser redevelopment of some dated apartments. But really hoping it doesn't lead to Strader's being pushed out because overall there doesn't seem to be a ton of empty or underutilized parcels in that area. Seems like a handout to the developer of the premier property. 

2 hours ago, DTCL11 said:

What makes it a sure thing? The 614 articles seems like a paired down late print of the news from December. Even the quote is identical to the one from December. 

 

No new information has been published by Glytch or any other entity since. 614 never published the original story. 

 

Glytch didn't even have their own booth at CES this year. All they did was promote that another business was using their gaming station. 

 

Still on the skeptical side of this one. 

 

I thought pretty much all gaming stuff moved out of CES in favor of E3 a long time ago? Could be wrong though-- that wasn't my side of the industry. 

10 minutes ago, GCrites80s said:

 

I thought pretty much all gaming stuff moved out of CES in favor of E3 a long time ago? Could be wrong though-- that wasn't my side of the industry. 

 

Not sure. Glytch appears to have had a booth and put alot of time and effort into CES last year and this year it's an afterthought. For me it's more consistent with what feeds my skepticism.  I'll have to look in to E3 to see how they've treated it. 

16 hours ago, DTCL11 said:

What makes it a sure thing? The 614 articles seems like a paired down late print of the news from December. Even the quote is identical to the one from December. 

 

No new information has been published by Glytch or any other entity since. 614 never published the original story. 

 

Glytch didn't even have their own booth at CES this year. All they did was promote that another business was using their gaming station. 

 

Still on the skeptical side of this one. 

 

I would go even further than just skeptical and put this in the same category of vaporware development like "planet oasis" and "millennial tower" 

 

They're making their "official announcements" in the hope it will drum up publicity and interest from investors. So far that appears to not be working ...

 

Glytch has 813 followers on instagram and 80 on twitter. Your kid's softball coach likely has a bigger online following than this company which is supposedly opening 32 massive multi-million dollar gaming arena complexes across the country in the next year ...

 

When you google even "glytch gaming" the first hit is an unrelated entity that makes preworkout

 

Translation: it's not happening. But I'd be happy to be proven wrong!

 

Edited January 18, 20232 yr by NW24HX

20 hours ago, Pablo said:

The northern end of that area includes run down apartments that could stand to be redeveloped in a more efficient way. These were crappy 25 years ago.

 

My God, that complex looks like one of my first attempts at SimCity 4 with a res zone too large.

7 minutes ago, Airsup said:

My God, that complex looks like one of my first attempts at SimCity 4 with a res zone too large.

Needs more redundant driveways

9 minutes ago, Pablo said:

Needs more redundant driveways

Look under your seat! YOU get a driveway! And YOU get a driveway! Everyone is going to DRIIIIIIIIIIIVEWAAAAAAAY!

We’ve already known Intel construction is going to make an already tight construction labor market even tighter, but today’s feature from the Dispatch on the impact on local projects is still an interesting read:

 

With Intel and central Ohio growth, comes charges of construction worker poaching

 

“Intel and other major Columbus-area construction projects are bringing more than jobs. They're amplifying charges of construction-worker poaching.

 

"We've got unions all over the country, people with Kentucky and Indiana license plates, crashing onto our job sites and trying to get workers; that's getting really bad," said Don Clemens, a Columbus homebuilder for nearly 50 years. "They go after plumbers and electricians mostly. They steal the workers and our contractors are in a mess."

 

Central Ohio economist Bill Lafayette projects construction employment to grow 4.8% this year in the Columbus area, the biggest jump of all employment sectors. The 2,300 new construction workers Lafayette is predicting accounts for one out of four new jobs expected to be created this year in the Columbus area.

 

"Construction's going to be a bright spot this year," Lafayette said in a recent economic forecast for central Ohio. "Keep in mind that 7,000 construction workers (at Intel) is about 15% of all construction workers currently in central Ohio and those folks are doing other things."’

 

This was a little fun fact too:

 

”Hager said the last time he saw such a shortage of construction workers in central Ohio was from about 1998 to 2002, when several major construction projects — including the renovation of Ohio Stadium — drained the labor pool. "I thought, 'We’ll never see something like this in central Ohio again. Now, everything we’re seeing just dwarfs that."’

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2023/01/26/will-intel-construction-workers-come-from-other-job-sites/69818030007/