March 25, 20223 yr LC has now filed a lawsuit in federal court against the city of Worthington. Developer sues Worthington over Methodist Children's property “Lifestyle argues that the city showed no willingness to seriously consider the plan the developer eventually proposed for the site in 2020. Instead, the suit argues, members of the city's Municipal Planning Commission and Architectural Review Board told Lifestyle to rework the plan to incorporate vague features such as "unspecified 'childish' elements so that the development conveys Worthington’s story through 'poetry.' " Lifestyle's most recent proposal for the site, submitted in September, called for about 600 apartments, townhomes and single-family homes, along with commercial uses on High Street. That plan was rejected by the council in December. Lifestyle claims objections to its plan were not anchored in objective criteria that Lifestyle could realistically address. The suit claims "the city has arbitrarily and capriciously singled Lifestyle out, deprived it of any legitimate process, and subjugated Lifestyle’s private property rights to the unfettered discretion of city officials’ arbitrary whims and fancies."’ https://eu.dispatch.com/story/business/2022/03/25/worthington-sued-over-methodist-childrens-property/7164880001/
March 25, 20223 yr Good for LC. It has seemed from an outsider's perspective that nothing was ever good enough for the City of Worthington. And some of these allegations certainly indicate such, especially the quote that "the development conveys Worthington’s story through 'poetry.' " Hopefully a win by LC could set a precedent for other developers to not have to bend to every frivolous whim of a design/neighborhood/city review board. Edited March 25, 20223 yr by CMHOhio
March 29, 20223 yr Lifestyle Communities sues Worthington over stalled United Methodist Children's Home project Columbus developer Lifestyle Communities is taking its fight with the city of Worthington over the United Methodist Children's Home property to court. The developer is seeking damages to be determined by a jury, as well as multiple declarations that the city's actions related to the project were unconstitutional, unlawful and unreasonable, according to the suit, which was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The developer is also seeking an injunction to stop the city from acting in any way to prevent it from developing the 37.7-acre site at 1033 N. High St. consistent with its applications. The suit alleges the resistance to the project is part of a "not-in-my-backyard" effort of officials and residents, led by Council President David Robinson, who want to turn the majority of the property — one of the largest undeveloped parcels in Worthington — into a city-owned public park. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/03/29/lifestyle-sues-worthington-over-umch-dispute.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 29, 20223 yr 21 minutes ago, ColDayMan said: Lifestyle Communities sues Worthington over stalled United Methodist Children's Home project Columbus developer Lifestyle Communities is taking its fight with the city of Worthington over the United Methodist Children's Home property to court. The developer is seeking damages to be determined by a jury, as well as multiple declarations that the city's actions related to the project were unconstitutional, unlawful and unreasonable, according to the suit, which was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The developer is also seeking an injunction to stop the city from acting in any way to prevent it from developing the 37.7-acre site at 1033 N. High St. consistent with its applications. The suit alleges the resistance to the project is part of a "not-in-my-backyard" effort of officials and residents, led by Council President David Robinson, who want to turn the majority of the property — one of the largest undeveloped parcels in Worthington — into a city-owned public park. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/03/29/lifestyle-sues-worthington-over-umch-dispute.html Gosh I hope they win this, and then build an insane amount of density.
June 12, 20223 yr Worthington City Council: High North plan gets boost through grant, TIF deal “After little movement since receiving initial approvals roughly a year ago, Worthington City Council has approved an economic-development grant and tax-increment-financing package to facilitate the eventual start of work on the High North project proposal. Council on June 6 earmarked a $2.5 million grant to help developer Direct Retail Partners with construction of a portion of the High North proposal, which aims to rebrand and redevelop the Shops at Worthington Place mall at 7227 N. High St. into a mixed-use commercial space. Although the rezoning already is in place, McCorkle said, developers are looking to make alterations to sequencing of the project in the coming months. Originally slated to begin work on the north side of the site, developers are opting to begin construction on the south side of the site surrounding the south office building instead, he said.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/worthington/2022/06/10/high-north-project-worthington-ohio-grant-tif-package/10001640002/?itm_medium=recirc&itm_source=taboola&itm_campaign=internal&itm_content=MobileBelowHomepageFeed-FeedRedesign
June 13, 20223 yr On 6/11/2022 at 10:17 PM, amped91 said: Worthington City Council: High North plan gets boost through grant, TIF deal “After little movement since receiving initial approvals roughly a year ago, Worthington City Council has approved an economic-development grant and tax-increment-financing package to facilitate the eventual start of work on the High North project proposal. Council on June 6 earmarked a $2.5 million grant to help developer Direct Retail Partners with construction of a portion of the High North proposal, which aims to rebrand and redevelop the Shops at Worthington Place mall at 7227 N. High St. into a mixed-use commercial space. Although the rezoning already is in place, McCorkle said, developers are looking to make alterations to sequencing of the project in the coming months. Originally slated to begin work on the north side of the site, developers are opting to begin construction on the south side of the site surrounding the south office building instead, he said.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/worthington/2022/06/10/high-north-project-worthington-ohio-grant-tif-package/10001640002/?itm_medium=recirc&itm_source=taboola&itm_campaign=internal&itm_content=MobileBelowHomepageFeed-FeedRedesign Some of the businesses that used to be next to that Kroger have began closing due to the impending construction. A family member of mine used to use the salon that was in there, but it closed about three months ago. She said they told her it was because of this upcoming project. Edited June 13, 20223 yr by Luvcbus
November 7, 20222 yr Worthington's Wilson Bridge Road corridor is poised for redevelopment. Here's what's on the table. A Worthington corridor is poised for redevelopment, with multiple players eager to transform the suburban stretch. The Worthington Community Improvement Corp. received six proposals for the redevelopment of 3.25 acres along the south side of East Wilson Bridge Road. The CIC sought the proposals after purchasing four homes located at 127, 133, 139 and 145 E. Wilson Bridge Road, which were demolished in the summer. The stretch was rezoned from low-density residential to professional office in December 2021, a move designed to align with the city's Wilson Bridge Road study recommendations. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/11/07/worthington-wilson-bridge-road-redevelopment.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
November 7, 20222 yr 44 minutes ago, amped91 said: ^That rendering is very uninspiring 😬 It is basically the exact same thing that exists on the north side of E. Wilson Bridge- tons of surface parking surrounding some office outlots. The article acts like they're moving away from low-density suburban development, but it's the height of it, arguably far worse than what they demolished. Edited November 7, 20222 yr by jonoh81
November 8, 20222 yr 1 hour ago, NW24HX said: There's a very optimistic number of pedestrians in that rendering What do you mean? That is a super walkable and pedestrian friendly design?? Haha
November 25, 20222 yr Construction tours even on Thanksgiving?! Thank you for your updates, @CbusOrBust, they’re much appreciated!
November 25, 20222 yr 1 minute ago, amped91 said: Construction tours even on Thanksgiving?! Thank you for your updates, @CbusOrBust, they’re much appreciated! No problem! I have some family that lives near Worthington. It gave me a chance to get away from them for an hour or so today! 🤣😂
December 14, 20222 yr Worthington approves final piece of $140M High North development, seeks anchor tenant to move project forward “The $140 million transformation of a Worthington mall has secured final approval from the city, but an anchor tenant is needed for the project to move forward. The Worthington Architectural Review Board and Municipal Planning Commission voted to approve two items related to the High North project at its most recent meeting, setting the stage for the Shops at Worthington Place redevelopment to forge ahead. The approvals were for the northern office component of the mixed-use development, which is a main focal point of the project. The city previously approved the southern office building, and with the north office receiving the OK, the project now has all necessary approvals in place, according to Worthington Economic Development Director David McCorkle. Zoning, architecture, incentives and other items were among the components of the project the city authorized at previous meetings. "We are still in a little bit of a holding pattern on the project until office tenant(s) are secured for the space, as the redevelopment will not happen speculatively," said McCorkle, who is Worthington's assistant city manager in addition to his role as economic development director. But if anchor tenants are secured and the project gets off the ground, McCorkle said it would be a huge boost for the city.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/12/13/worthington-high-north-project-final-approval.html
December 14, 20222 yr 14 minutes ago, amped91 said: Worthington approves final piece of $140M High North development, seeks anchor tenant to move project forward “The $140 million transformation of a Worthington mall has secured final approval from the city, but an anchor tenant is needed for the project to move forward. The Worthington Architectural Review Board and Municipal Planning Commission voted to approve two items related to the High North project at its most recent meeting, setting the stage for the Shops at Worthington Place redevelopment to forge ahead. The approvals were for the northern office component of the mixed-use development, which is a main focal point of the project. The city previously approved the southern office building, and with the north office receiving the OK, the project now has all necessary approvals in place, according to Worthington Economic Development Director David McCorkle. Zoning, architecture, incentives and other items were among the components of the project the city authorized at previous meetings. "We are still in a little bit of a holding pattern on the project until office tenant(s) are secured for the space, as the redevelopment will not happen speculatively," said McCorkle, who is Worthington's assistant city manager in addition to his role as economic development director. But if anchor tenants are secured and the project gets off the ground, McCorkle said it would be a huge boost for the city.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/12/13/worthington-high-north-project-final-approval.html Does this have any residential? I think it’s going to be hard for them to land an anchor, but hopefully not.
December 14, 20222 yr 21 minutes ago, VintageLife said: Does this have any residential? I think it’s going to be hard for them to land an anchor, but hopefully not. I don’t think any residential. This is from the article: ”Here's a summary of what's been proposed on the 15.7-acre site, which will total 326,000 square feet: - A 128,420-square-foot office building - A 75,000-square-foot office building - 123,000 square feet of retail/dining and entertainment space - 512-space parking garage for the larger office building - 300-space parking garage for the smaller office building - Updated landscaping and gateway features” Seems like a big missed opportunity to not include residential. One of the office buildings should be swapped for condos and/or apartments, and I think the developer would have more success. From what I’ve read on here and news sites, though, Worthington leadership sounds pretty backwards, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they wouldn’t allow residential.
December 14, 20222 yr 28 minutes ago, amped91 said: Worthington leadership sounds pretty backwards, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they wouldn’t allow residential. Bingo, bango. High density housing south of 270 would bring alot of neighborhood opposition. Even there. Look at the cluster that is the old Methodist property. I might guess the developer went for ease of approval. Also, I believe Worthington leadership is acutely aware of the need diversify and expand their tax base. From what I've been hearing, they, like UA, are going to look to expand that tax base where they can and perhaps push for more office and retail where possible.
December 14, 20222 yr Something needs to be done with the mall but I think it's a shame to just rip off the roof and call it a day. The 'after' renderings of the mall portion leave a lot to be desired and I'd rather they just build the new anchor buildings and keep the rest as is. The glass dome and fountain especially make for a really nice interior space
December 14, 20222 yr 12 hours ago, amped91 said: I don’t think any residential. This is from the article: ”Here's a summary of what's been proposed on the 15.7-acre site, which will total 326,000 square feet: - A 128,420-square-foot office building - A 75,000-square-foot office building - 123,000 square feet of retail/dining and entertainment space - 512-space parking garage for the larger office building - 300-space parking garage for the smaller office building - Updated landscaping and gateway features” Seems like a big missed opportunity to not include residential. One of the office buildings should be swapped for condos and/or apartments, and I think the developer would have more success. From what I’ve read on here and news sites, though, Worthington leadership sounds pretty backwards, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they wouldn’t allow residential. I'm pretty sure I remember reading tons of opposition to proposals that did include a lot of high density housing. Such a shame because Worthington is a nice little town but they're going to get left in the dust if they aren't willing to approve high density housing such as townhouses, condos and apartments. Hell, if they had brand new for sale townhouses or condos, I'd strongly consider looking to purchase one.
January 17, 20232 yr Not sure where to put Crosswoods content but figured Worthington might be closest... Few from Allston Pointe:
January 17, 20232 yr Feel like developers should lean into more residential development in crosswords because it’s so central and has quick access to so many highways
January 18, 20232 yr I really hope all the new residential in the area can also help sustain the restaurant cluster and movie theater at Crosswoods I love going to the Marcus cinema and would hate to see it close ... and judging by this recent reddit thread I'm not alone - Edited January 18, 20232 yr by NW24HX
January 18, 20232 yr ^I remember there was a proposal recently to replace an old office building with a 500+ unit apartment building nearby on Campus View. Haven’t seen anything recently but hopefully that still happens, since that should help support too. Marcus is too far out of the way for me now, but I went there often in high school and always had a good time. Glad to hear it’s still a quality theater.
February 22, 20232 yr National Church Residences' $25M senior housing redevelopment project nears completion in Worthington “The redevelopment of a Worthington senior living community is heading toward completion after nearly a decade of work. Stafford Village, a former multi-building apartment complex built in the 1970s, is set to reopen this spring. Now called The Hartford at Stafford Village, the site is being transformed into a new single-building development featuring 86 one- and two-bedroom units for seniors aged 55 and over. Located at 84-104 Stafford Ave. in the Worthington Historic District, all structures previously housed on the property were demolished aside from one single-family home that will be converted into an apartment. Leading the $25 million project is National Church Residences, a senior living company headquartered in Upper Arlington, as well as Elford, which is the general contractor. NCR acquired the land from Worthington Presbyterian Church in 2015, and since then it has been working to redevelop the site into a more modern and accessible senior housing complex.“ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/02/22/the-hartford-at-stafford-village-worthington.html
June 16, 20231 yr Worthington to consider forming joint economic development district with Orange Township The city of Worthington may form a joint economic development district with Orange Township — a move officials say will benefit both jurisdictions. Worthington City Council will consider a resolution for the JEDD at a meeting Tuesday. This follows a public hearing held on June 5. Ethan Barnhardt, management assistant and special projects coordinator for the city of Worthington, laid out the primary benefits for both parties in a staff memorandum submitted to Acting City Manager Robyn Stewart and Economic Development Director David McCorkle. According to Barnhardt's memo, the partnership would mean Orange Township would not have to annex land, so the locality would not miss out on property tax revenue. The township would also begin collecting a portion of the income tax revenues it otherwise would not have collected in the unincorporated area. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/06/16/worthington-orange-township-jedd.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 4, 20231 yr Progress continues on the new Thomas Worthington High School And the new TWHS Sports Complex building is finished and open as well
December 25, 20231 yr What’s the deal with all the recent and ongoing high school rebuilds in the area? In addition to this one, I can think of Gahanna, UA, Groveport, and Lancaster just off the top of my head. Was there new state funding made available recently? Just seems odd that so many would happen simultaneously.
December 25, 20231 yr 6 minutes ago, cbussoccer said: What’s the deal with all the recent and ongoing high school rebuilds in the area? In addition to this one, I can think of Gahanna, UA, Groveport, and Lancaster just off the top of my head. Was there new state funding made available recently? Just seems odd that so many would happen simultaneously. The area is growing so they need to rebuild, update or build more schools all over the place.
December 25, 20231 yr 9 hours ago, cbussoccer said: What’s the deal with all the recent and ongoing high school rebuilds in the area? In addition to this one, I can think of Gahanna, UA, Groveport, and Lancaster just off the top of my head. Was there new state funding made available recently? Just seems odd that so many would happen simultaneously. Olentangy Schools will build a fifth High School soon too! https://www.reddit.com/r/Columbus/comments/186r3r6/more_information_on_olentangy_local_school/ Edited December 25, 20231 yr by Luvcbus
December 26, 20231 yr 10 hours ago, VintageLife said: The area is growing so they need to rebuild, update or build more schools all over the place. Worthington’s population is lower than it was in 1970. UA’s population is also lower than it was in 1970. Gahanna’s population hasn’t changed a ton since about 2000. I’m thinking it probably had more to do with the age of the buildings than population growth in these districts. I just found it interesting that so many local districts have gone through such a large project at around the same time.
December 26, 20231 yr 11 hours ago, cbussoccer said: Worthington’s population is lower than it was in 1970. UA’s population is also lower than it was in 1970. Gahanna’s population hasn’t changed a ton since about 2000. I’m thinking it probably had more to do with the age of the buildings than population growth in these districts. I just found it interesting that so many local districts have gone through such a large project at around the same time. The total enrollment for Worthington City School District was 6,920 in 1981. It was 10,621 in 2021.
December 26, 20231 yr 14 hours ago, cbussoccer said: Worthington’s population is lower than it was in 1970. UA’s population is also lower than it was in 1970. Gahanna’s population hasn’t changed a ton since about 2000. I’m thinking it probably had more to do with the age of the buildings than population growth in these districts. I just found it interesting that so many local districts have gone through such a large project at around the same time. Just an FYI, I'm sure you know you can be in parts of the city of Columbus and attend those schools. I live in the city of Columbus and I pay Hilliard schools. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 26, 20231 yr The Appalachian and other rural schools got their state money for new schools in the 2000s/early 2010s. In that time a lot of the suburban schools started to "age" so state money started to flow for those later on. Some probably had to pass levies but others did not. With the rural schools the chances of passing levies was low in most cases and so much land is only on CAUV or even wooded land taxes a levy might not even help much. It really changes the math for these rural school districts that have little to no property tax base from being mostly farmland or in the case of Appalachia, wooded hillsides, flood plains and inexpensive houses.
December 26, 20231 yr There's probably also a certain amount of keeping up with the joneses at play. One suburb sees what another now has in their fancy brand new school, and suddenly their current one feels a lot more outdated and inadequate by comparison
December 26, 20231 yr 8 hours ago, aderwent said: The total enrollment for Worthington City School District was 6,920 in 1981. It was 10,621 in 2021. How many schools have been built in the district since then? Kilbourne wasn’t built until 1991.
December 26, 20231 yr 6 hours ago, ColDayMan said: Just an FYI, I'm sure you know you can be in parts of the city of Columbus and attend those schools. I live in the city of Columbus and I pay Hilliard schools. Yea this definitely muddies the waters for sure. A large part of the Groveport school district is outside of the city of Groveport.
April 1, 20241 yr The new Crosswoods Sheetz looks like it isn't too far from opening From Campus View
May 28, 20241 yr Worthington housing study suggests demand for 2000 more residences "A study of Worthington's housing suggests there is demand for 2,000 more residences and prescribes adding smaller, closer together and more affordable options in strategic areas. Worthington, a landlocked suburb surrounded by Columbus, currently has nearly 15,000 residents and about 6,150 housing units. Its 5 ½ square miles are already mostly developed. Strategies to diversify housing that Camoin suggests in the report include allowing duplexes, accessory dwelling units, mixed-use development, rowhomes along the boundaries between commercial districts and neighborhoods, patio houses and village-style development with smaller homes on smaller lots. The report also suggests strategies to support existing apartment buildings to maintain affordable housing that's already in the suburb. O'Brien also cautioned in his presentation against allowing citizens with strong opinions to have a disproportionate say in opposing a development, saying it's a problem every community in America faces. Camoin suggests in its report setting clear protocols for project approval to avoid uncertainty for developers that could keep them away from Worthington." https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2024/05/27/worthington-housing-study-2000-units-needed-affordable-housing-apartments-duplexes-rowhomes/73733397007/
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