April 1, 201114 yr ^If you count the spaces, it appears the rear garage extends all the way to the railroad tracks on the north side of those lots.
April 1, 201114 yr I really like the narrow yellow brick part of the structure at the corner. That caught my eye as well. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 1, 201114 yr So does this mean columbia is abandoning the tower they reside in right now? I understand they are leasing space but I wasn't sure if this was taking the place of the tower or if this would be in addition to?
April 1, 201114 yr Nevermind. Hopefully columbus will be able to find a tenent for the old building or will be able to convert it to residential.
April 3, 201114 yr So does this mean columbia is abandoning the tower they reside in right now? I understand they are leasing space but I wasn't sure if this was taking the place of the tower or if this would be in addition to? I was susprised to hear to that Columbia Gas only leased their riverfront building instead of owning it. I figured Columbia must have owned the building since they've been its sole occupant since it was built in 1983. Kind of like AEP, which does own its building.
April 3, 201114 yr Here's a rendering. I'm impressed. This might turn out to be the best looking office building in the Arena District.
April 7, 201114 yr Still room for offices near arena Developers consider building by Hilton convention hotel Thursday, April 7, 2011 - 03:09 AM By Marla Matzer Rose, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH There's a little more land to be developed in the Arena District after all. A week after announcing it will build Columbia Gas of Ohio's $50 million headquarters on the last large undeveloped parcel it controls in the Arena District, Nationwide Realty Investors confirmed that it is considering a possible office development on a parcel at the northeast corner of Nationwide and Front streets that is used for surface parking. Nationwide Realty officials discussed the office proposal with board members of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority yesterday in a private session. What might be seen first, though, is an expansion of the Greater Columbus Convention Center's 900-space west parking garage. The garage, being connected to the $140 million Hilton Columbus Downtown under construction across High Street from the convention center, could also serve the Nationwide development and replace the surface parking it would take away. READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/04/07/still-room-for-offices-near-arena.html?sid=101
May 10, 201114 yr Blue Jackets bailout: Arena purchase on ice for now Monday, May 9, 2011 By Doug Caruso, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Two years after the Columbus Blue Jackets floated the idea of a public purchase of Nationwide Arena, no one has agreed on a way to help the hockey team stem its financial losses. Key city and county officials haven't met about the issue since October, despite initial suggestions that a solution was urgently needed. "The dialogue is in a state of pause," said John Rosenberger, a lawyer hired by the city of Columbus and the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority in 2009 to negotiate a deal. That pause accompanies uncertainty about the state budget and whether tax revenue from a casino could be part of a solution. The casino developer has sued the city and county in a case that could decide how much tax revenue Columbus receives from the project. READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/05/09/arena-purchase-on-ice-for-now.html?sid=101
July 22, 201113 yr As part of final annexation settlement between the City and Penn National regarding the West Side Casino, Nationwide Realty Investors has agreed to purchase Penn National's original casino site in the Arena District for $11 million. Business First talked to the head of Nationwide Realty Investors about their future plans for the Arena District site: Arena District casino site likely to get residential complex, neighboring riverside park Business First - by Jeff Bell Friday, July 22, 2011, 10:35am EDT Stoves and refrigerators rather than blackjack tables and roulette wheels are likely be the order of the day now that Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. is prepared to buy Penn National Gaming Inc.’s original casino site in the Arena District. NRI will pay $11 million for the 25-acre tract at the west end of Nationwide Boulevard and is looking at turning it into a residential development, said Nationwide Realty President Brian Ellis. The company also plans to buy another 4.5 acres just west of the Penn National property from the city of Columbus at a fair market price still to be determined, Ellis said. The plan is turn the properties into high-quality housing similar to the apartment and condominium projects NRI has already done in the district. LOCATION MAP OF FORMER CASINO SITE IN ARENA DISTRICT READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2011/07/arena-district-casino-site-likely-to.html?page=all
July 25, 201113 yr Convention Center parking expansion would serve Hilton, enable new Nationwide offices Business First - by Brian R. Ball Friday, July 22, 2011, 6:00am EDT Plans are moving ahead to double the capacity of the Greater Columbus Convention Center’s west parking garage, a project that could presage office construction downtown by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority has asked the Downtown Commission to approve adding two decks to the five-level, 887-slot garage. The $14 million project would provide 916 additional spaces to the convention center and a Hilton hotel under construction on North High Street. But the bulk of the new parking likely would be reserved for Nationwide, which has interest in leasing up to 600 spots for offices it is considering building on 2.6 acres at Front Street and Nationwide Boulevard, across from its headquarters. READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/07/22/convention-center-parking-expansion.html The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority wants to add two decks to the convention center’s west parking garage.
July 26, 201113 yr Bizjournals is crap. I want the whole article. Thanks for sharing though! Anyways, so Nationwide wants to get some of those for more offices. That is really all you can get from this article. Hope this goes through.
July 26, 201113 yr Sympathies to vidgms and anyone else who doesn't have access to the full article on the Bizjournals (Columbus Business First) website. But this was such significant news, I felt it needed to be reported here. This was originally reported by Business First back in May 2009 (UO link here). I also looked at the Nationwide and Front site here and here at Urban Ohio. Walker Evans also posted some photos of the Nationwide and Front site (pre-Hilton Hotel construction) here at Urban Ohio. I do have access to the full article online and there really isn't much additional news beyond the parking garage expansion news in the excerpt. Nationwide didn't give a starting date or timeline for any construction at Nationwide and Front. However, the article did note that Nationwide will need additional downtown office to fulfill its agreement with the City of Columbus to move 1,400 workers from Dublin to Columbus that was part of a deal for city financial support for infrastructure improvements next to Grandview Yard, the mixed-use project under development by Nationwide Realty. Thus far only 400 of the promised 1,400 workers have moved to Columbus.
July 26, 201113 yr As part of final annexation settlement between the City and Penn National regarding the West Side Casino, Nationwide Realty Investors has agreed to purchase Penn National's original casino site in the Arena District for $11 million. Business First talked to the head of Nationwide Realty Investors about their future plans for the Arena District site: Arena District casino site likely to get residential complex, neighboring riverside park Business First - by Jeff Bell Friday, July 22, 2011, 10:35am EDT Stoves and refrigerators rather than blackjack tables and roulette wheels are likely be the order of the day now that Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. is prepared to buy Penn National Gaming Inc.’s original casino site in the Arena District. NRI will pay $11 million for the 25-acre tract at the west end of Nationwide Boulevard and is looking at turning it into a residential development, said Nationwide Realty President Brian Ellis. The company also plans to buy another 4.5 acres just west of the Penn National property from the city of Columbus at a fair market price still to be determined, Ellis said. The plan is turn the properties into high-quality housing similar to the apartment and condominium projects NRI has already done in the district. LOCATION MAP OF FORMER CASINO SITE IN ARENA DISTRICT READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2011/07/arena-district-casino-site-likely-to.html?page=all An update on this from this Dispatch article about yesterday's City Council meeting: Also as part of that (casino annexation) settlement, Nationwide Realty Investors has agreed to purchase Penn National's former casino site - 25 acres in the Arena District - for $11 million. For its part in that deal, the City Council agreed last night to sell the Nationwide partnership 4.5 acres that the city owns near that Arena District site for a price to be determined by appraisers chosen by both sides. Nationwide Realty president Brian Ellis said last week that the land likely will be developed with residences. The land now holds a city salt barn and a garage for the division that maintains city property. Those would be moved to other sites. "Our facilities aren't consistent with the development that Nationwide has put into the Arena District over the last several years," said Greg Davies, a deputy chief of staff for Mayor Michael B. Coleman. "We look at this as an opportunity to move out of there and allow the Arena District to develop in a better use." Nationwide has agreed to develop a park on 3 other acres that the city owns along the riverfront adjacent to North Bank Park, Davies said, and the city has agreed to make road and other improvements in the area.
July 27, 201113 yr Thank you for your condolences Rider. It is a tough life after all. Anyways... With 1400 employees moving to the Downtown area, I think that we can safely assume that not all of them will fit into the current arrangements but some space will be needed. So whatever space does get built, it probably isn't going to be as much or as big as some of us hope it will be. We are desperate though for any construction action, we'll take anything.
August 11, 201113 yr Two reports on a new restaurant going into Nationwide Arena. Tim Horton's is opening a new Cafe & Bake Shop version of their restaurant next to the arena's western entrance and the adjacent ice rink practice facility. The new Tim Horton's is replacing the former Cotter's Restaurant in that round section of the arena located across the street from the restored Union Station arch at McFerson Commons Park. Columbus Underground: Tim Hortons to open Cafe & Bake Shop in the Arena District Business First: Tim Hortons skating into Cotters' former Nationwide Arena space
August 11, 201113 yr Casino-tax money may help keep Jackets here By Aaron Portzline, Dispatch Sports Sunday, August 7, 2011 - 10:06 AM More than two years after going public with their financial problems, the Blue Jackets appear to be in substantive talks toward an agreement that would help offset staggering losses due in part to the club’s lease agreement with Nationwide Arena. It is likely, sources told The Dispatch, that a portion of the revenues generated by the Hollywood Casino Columbus on the West Side will be used to help the Blue Jackets. No exact dollar figures have been decided. Mayor Michael B. Coleman said he is “considering casino revenues. Having said that, there is no fix yet. That’s as far as I can go right now, but it’s high on my agenda to deal with it. There should be an urgency to this issue.” City Council President Andrew Ginther agreed that “failure is not an option. We will figure this out. We will find a resolution.” READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/08/07/future-looking-brighter-casino-tax-money-may-help-keep-jackets-here.html
August 22, 201113 yr Nationwide Realty going west in Arena District with FBI-anchored offices Business First - by Brian R. Ball Date: Friday, August 19, 2011, 6:00am EDT The FBI is closing in on the Arena District. The law enforcement agency has agreed to anchor the Columbus neighborhood’s latest addition – a three-story office building that will go up across from Huntington Park, extending Arena District developer Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd.’s push west of Neil Avenue. “It was originally designed as a speculative building,” said Nationwide Realty spokeswoman Tina Guegold, “but the (FBI) has come in as the anchor.” Nationwide Realty will seek approval for the $10 million project at 425 W. Nationwide Blvd. from the city’s Downtown Commission on Aug. 23. The FBI will occupy 44,926 square feet in the planned 51,300-square-foot building as it consolidates its regional operations. Its commitment will leave 6,300 square feet for retail or office tenants on the ground floor. The bureau will lease all 31 planned street-level parking spaces. READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/08/19/nationwide-realty-going-west-in-arena.html
August 23, 201113 yr Another article about the new "FBI" building on Nationwide Blvd. from The Dispatch: FBI moving to Arena District: 3-story building across from ballpark scheduled to open in October 2012 Rendering of the building and location map:
August 23, 201113 yr Does this mean that the FBI is vacating their location on High Street? I sometimes get the feeling that the Arena District is sucking commercial tenants from Downtown and the Brewery District rather than creating new office jobs.
August 23, 201113 yr According to the Business First article: The FBI will occupy 44,926 square feet in the planned 51,300-square-foot building as it consolidates its regional operations. Gail Montenegro, a spokeswoman for the U.S. General Services Administration, which handles real estate needs for federal agencies, said most of the FBI operations will be moved from 21,000 square feet at 500 S. Front St. in the Brewery District. “The FBI’s current lease is expiring and they were looking to consolidate some office functions and expand their space.”
August 24, 201113 yr Bah, the FBI gave us a lousy fortress/office building on the edge of Downtown. Your building actually looks OK (not great).
September 2, 201113 yr It's interesting that the design of the three-story FBI Building is either getting crushed or given an OK over at Columbus Underground. (Lots of good discussion there BTW) The main criticism being that the design isn't urban enough. Or at least not as densely urban as the rest of the Arena District. That's a valid criticism if you compare this proposal for 425 W. Nationwide versus say 125 W. Nationwide, which is directly across the street from Nationwide Arena. But the context of 425 is different. Although 425 is being described as being across the street from Huntington Park, it is actually directly across the street from the Buggyworks Buildings. Here is a rendering of the FBI Building at 425 W. Nationwide Blvd: And here is a photo of the Buggyworks Buildings across the street from it: The Buggyworks is a complex of three-story and four-story buildings that has been partially renovated into condos. The above photo shows the renovated four-story building with offices on the ground floor facing Nationwide Blvd. The 425/FBI site is across the street from a three-story section of the Buggyworks. Given the context, the 425/FBI Building blends in very well with the pre-existing, historical Buggyworks as well as the three-story section of Huntington Park on this particular section of Nationwide Blvd. Although this site is described as "the Arena District". It is actually west of the original Arena District planning boundaries from 1999. Technically, this area should be called the West Arena District - everything west of Neil Avenue. If the 425/FBI design is considered within the context of the West Arena District, I think its better than OK.
September 2, 201113 yr More about future development in the West Arena District from the Dispatch, Business First and Columbus Underground. I'm mulling over splitting this thread into an "Arena District" thread and a "West Arena District" thread because of this and some other proposed developments. If you've got some thoughts on this, please share: Residences likely west of Arena District By Marla Matzer Rose, The Columbus Dispatch Thursday, August 25, 2011 - 6:40 AM Nationwide Realty Investors is planning to expand to the west of the Arena District now that the $1 billion-plus development is almost completed, based on the original master plan for the area. New development, however, is likely to take on a slightly different look, with a greater emphasis on residential buildings and offices that are less-densely packed than the core Arena District. The first evidence of this is the $10 million office building that Nationwide unveiled to the Downtown Commission this week, which will be built at 425 Nationwide Blvd., west of Neil Avenue. “As we move west of Neil, I think you’ll see densities diminish,” said Brian Ellis, president of Nationwide Realty Investors. “There are nearly 2 million square feet of office space in the master-planned Arena District, all with (garage rather than surface) parking. “I don’t think this (west of Neil) area can sustain that density at this time. I think it will be predominantly residential.” READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2011/08/25/residences-likely-west-of-arena-district.html Housing to dominate Arena District Brian R. Ball, Staff Reporter - Business First Date: Friday, August 26, 2011, 6:00am EDT The final 40 acres of development in the westernmost reaches of the Arena District will be devoted largely to apartments and condominiums. Brian Ellis, president of Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd., the district’s developer, said he expects to put 600 to 800 residences west of Neil Avenue over the next seven to 10 years. Multifamily buildings would go up on the 25 acres the company bought Aug. 23 from Penn National Gaming Inc. for $11 million and 4.5 acres the city has agreed to eventually sell to the developer. More housing could be built between Neil Avenue and Fletcher Street, including redevelopment of a piece of the Buggyworks complex. The company’s plans essentially would double the number of residential units it has built in the Arena District. The development arm of Columbus-based Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. has put up 685 residential units in two apartment complexes and two condominium projects during the past decade. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/08/26/housing-to-dominate-arena-district.html?page=all CU: Arena District Grows Westward With Housing & Office Development
September 2, 201113 yr An outstanding update on the development site at the northeast corner of Nationwide and Front. It is currently a surface parking lot owned by Nationwide. It sits across Front Street from the entrance plaza to Nationwide Arena and sits across Nationwide Blvd. from the 40-story Nationwide HQ Building. Two articles - Dispatch and Business First. First the Dispatch article, which includes a location map: Nationwide to build more offices near arena Most of 1,000 who’ll work there will move from suburban sites By Marla Matzer Rose, The Columbus Dispatch Friday September 2, 2011 - 5:27 AM Nationwide said yesterday that it will build an office building near Nationwide Arena to house 1,000 employees it plans to relocate Downtown. The $26 million building - 10 W. Nationwide - is expected to be completed by the end of 2012. Most of the workers moving to the 200,000-square-foot building are employed by Nationwide Retirement Plans and work in Dublin. By the end of next year, Nationwide expects to have 8,600 workers Downtown. Last year, Nationwide said it planned to move 1,400 workers from satellite offices in Dublin and Grove City, but that number has grown to 1,900. (. . .) The building will go up on the site of a surface parking lot on the northeast corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Front Street. Those using the lot have been notified that it will close this weekend as the company prepares to start preliminary work on the project. Nationwide’s real-estate development arm, Nationwide Realty Investors, plans to present final plans for the five-story building to the Columbus Downtown Commission at its Sept. 27 meeting and begin “vertical” construction of the structure by November. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2011/09/02/nationwide-to-build-more-offices-near-arena.html
September 2, 201113 yr Now, the Business First article. Includes renderings of the five-story, 200,000 sq. ft. office building at the northeast corner of Nationwide and Front. Nationwide OKs downtown office building by HQ Brian Ball, Business First Date: Friday, September 2, 2011, 6:00am EDT Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. plans to build a 200,000-square-foot office building at the corner of North Front Street and West Nationwide Boulevard in downtown Columbus where it would put 1,000 employees relocated from Dublin. The $26 million project will make room for employees of Nationwide Financial Services retirement plans division now working out of the suburb’s Parkwood Place office complex. (. . .) Nationwide Insurance will have 8,600 workers downtown by late 2012, including 1,900 moved in from the suburbs. Word of the plan comes weeks after Columbus Business First reported the insurer was expected to take a daytime license securing at least 600 of 916 parking slots being added to a public garage on Vine Street. That $14 million project is set to be completed next fall. The relocation would seal a pledge the company made to move 1,400 workers from Dublin and Grove City to downtown. Mayor Michael Coleman made relocation of the 1,400 suburban jobs a condition of the city’s help with public infrastructure improvements along West Third Avenue, which marks a main thoroughfare serving Nationwide Realty’s Grandview Yard development. “In addition to the jobs, (the construction) just brings more life to that area of the downtown,” said Coleman spokesman Dan Williamson. “It’s great for the city.” MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/09/02/nationwide-oks-downtown-office.html This is a view of the building from Front Street. Predominately brick facing the entrance plaza to Nationwide Arena and the historic Moline Plow Building across the street. This is a view of the building from Nationwide Blvd. Predominately glass facing the Nationwide HQ Building and the rest of downtown Columbus. The green space is parkland owned by Nationwide - the remainder of the site is split by an active railroad line.
September 2, 201113 yr There is going to a lot of construction in the Arena District within the next few years. This new Nationwide building, the FBI building, the Columbia Gas building, and many more apartments on the site where the casino was going to be built. This will be very good.
September 15, 201113 yr Big news about Nationwide Arena and future of the Blue Jackets staying in Columbus and the Arena District! Proposed deal: Casino tax revenue would fund purchase of Nationwide Arena Blue Jackets would agree to stay in Columbus through 2039 By Doug Caruso, The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - 6:27 PM Casino tax revenues would finance the public purchase of Nationwide Arena, under a proposed deal announced this afternoon. Franklin County and Columbus would pledge up to a third of the tax revenue they collect from the Hollywood Casino on the West Side through 2039 to finance the $42.5 million purchase of the arena from Nationwide Realty Investors and pay to operate it, said John Rosenberger, a lawyer hired by Columbus and the county in 2009 to negotiate an arena deal. The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority would own the arena. Under the agreement, Nationwide would invest $52 million in the Blue Jackets and would take a 30 percent ownership interest in the team. It would also pay an additional $28.5 million to the Blue Jackets to purchase naming rights to the arena for 10 years. (. . . ) The deal is expected to save the team $9.5 million a year. The team would agree to remain in Columbus through at least 2039. READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/09/14/Proposal-to-keep-Blue-Jackets-in-town-to-be-released-today.html
September 16, 201113 yr The Jackets Cannon website has an excellent compilation of the Nationwide Arena/Blue Jackets news from this week. Jackets Cannon has links the Thursday's Dispatch articles, an article from Columbus Business First, as well as commentary from CBJ Blog, CBUS Cheap Seats, Pro Hockey Talk and Light The Lamp. Special praise went out to Jeff Little of the hockey website 'Ten Minute Misconduct' for his analysis on the arena/team deal. Jeff Little has written extensively on the Blue Jackets arena lease issue for The Hockey Writers website (which I posted links to earlier in this thread - lenghty but a good read). Below is the link to yesterday's article from TMM: Ten Minute Misconduct: Arena Framework Appears Solid
September 21, 201113 yr The Jackets Cannon website is continuing its excellent compilations of the Nationwide Arena/Blue Jackets news. Jackets Cannon has links to reports on endorsements from Columbus City Council, Franklin County Commissioners, the Mayor's office and Columbus Chamber of Commerce. The compliation also includes a statement of support from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and a link to a column from Dispatch sports writer Bob Hunter. Mr. Hunter reports that resolving the arena issue could put Columbus onto the fast track to host a NHL All-Star game - possibly as early as 2013.
September 21, 201113 yr More about the financial intricacies of the Arena deal from the Dispatch. Link to the full article below. The article included an excellent graphic that details how the arena deal would shift ownershhip of Nationwide Arena and the Blue Jackets. Below is the text from that graphic: Arena deal looks good to folks in high places ARENA CHANGING HANDS - How the arena deal would shift ownership of Nationwide Arena and the Columbus Blue Jackets: Current Ownership Arena - 90% Nationwide / 10% Dispatch Printing Co. Blue Jackets - 78% McConnell family / 10% Dispatch Printing Co. / 5% Ron Pizzuti / 5% Crane Plastics / 2% Horn Chen Future Ownership Arena - 100% Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (CFA) CFA will borrow $53.3 million to purchase the arena: $43.3 million from Nationwide - Loan would be used for the arena purchase and start-up operational and capital expenses - 4.875% interest rate - Payment would be from a percentage of the city and county casino tax revenue - Payments would begin in 2013 and end in 2039 $10 million from Ohio Department of Development - Loan would be used for the arena purchase - 1% interest rate - Payment would be from a percentage of the city and county casino tax revenue - Term would be 10 years Blue Jackets - 54.6% McConnell family / 30% Nationwide / 7% Dispatch Printing Co. / 3.5% Ron Pizzuti / 3.5% Crane Plastics / 1.4% Horn Chen - Nationwide would buy a 30 percent stake in the Blue Jackets for $52 million - Nationwide would pay the team $28.5 million over 10 years for arena naming rights - The Blue Jackets would agree to remain in Columbus until at least 2039 HOW THE LOANS WOULD BE PAID - The proposal would spend most of the casino money to subsidize operations and upkeep at the publicly owned arena. In 2014, for example, it’s estimated that $7.8 million in casino money would flow to the arena, with $5.4 million going toward operations and upkeep. Estimated Casino Taxes - City casino taxes ($18,875,960 total): $14,156,970 for other uses / $4,718,990 for arena uses - County casino taxes ($12,180,240 total): $9,135,183 for other uses / $3,045,061 for arena uses How The Arena Money Would Be Divided $7,764,051 total: $5,353,761 for operational and capital expenses / $2,320,290 for Nationwide loan payment / $90,000 for State loan payment
September 28, 201113 yr Blue Jackets exit would imperil other events, Sports Commission says By Jeff Bell, Business First Date: Monday, September 26, 2011, 1:16pm EDT The Greater Columbus Sports Commission believes there is an untold side to the story about the pending sale of privately owned Nationwide Arena to the public Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority. The deal, which is awaiting approval by Columbus City Council and Franklin County Commissioners, is designed to keep the Columbus Blue Jackets from leaving town and prevent the loss of Nationwide Arena’s anchor tenant. City and county officials have made much of the fact that the loss of the National Hockey League club would jeopardize the thousands of jobs and more than $1 billion in private investments that have been made in the Arena District over the past decade. But the folks at the Sports Commission told me a worst-case scenario in which the Jackets pull up stakes and Nationwide Arena goes dark, hurting their efforts to bring big-time hockey and other high-profile sports events – and the millions in visitor spending generated by them. GRAPHIC: FUTURE SPORTS OPPORTUNITES READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2011/09/blue-jackets-exit-would-imperil-other.html
September 28, 201113 yr Arena deal is on the agenda, but no vote yet By Rob Messinger, The Columbus Dispatch Monday, September 26, 2011 - 9:09 AM The proposed deal in which the city and county would pony up casino money to buy Nationwide Arena will have its first reading before the City Council tonight (September 26). But there won't be a vote. The legislation wasn't put forth with "emergency" status, so it won't be up for a vote until the second reading, expected next Monday (October 3). READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/the-city/2011/09/arena-deal-on-the-agenda.html
September 30, 201113 yr Pedestrian path in limbo at new Nationwide office project By Brian R. Ball, Business First Last Modified: Thursday, September 29, 2011, 12:10pm EDT Approval for a five-story building at West Nationwide Boulevard and North Front Street for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. proved a stroll in the park for the insurance giant’s real estate development arm even though the route a pedestrian path will take through the site remains somewhat unsettled. The city’s Downtown Commission on Tuesday morning approved the plans for the five-story, 214,000-square-foot office building slated for completion in late 2012 as well as two landscape plans presented to the downtown development panel by Brian Ellis, president of Nationwide Realty Investors. Ellis said the predominantly brick office property will have a “park setting” of sorts on the east side with a winding path for pedestrians. The path will connect Nationwide Boulevard to a pedestrian bridge to be built over a rail line. That bridge will connect to a parking garage the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority expects to expand in the next year. The parking garage expansion will serve employees working at the Nationwide office building during the day and visitors to the Hilton Columbus Downtown convention center hotel now under construction on North High Street between Vine and the rail line. The park “will preserve pedestrian movement throughout the site,” Ellis said. But a hoped-for connection along the rail line to North High Street will depend upon the developer or the convention facilities authority gaining control of a small parcel of land owned by Norfolk Southern Corp. The office project, however, won’t be affected by the land. READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2011/09/28/pedestrian-path-in-limbo-at-new.html A winding pedestrian path and park-like setting will be prominent site features of Nationwide's new office project at the northeast corner of Front & Nationwide. If the company can secure a key piece of land from Norfolk-Southern, the path would also connect to High Street. This image shows the path connecting to High Street. For a view of the path not connecting to High Street, go to the article.
October 4, 201113 yr Arena deal is on the agenda, but no vote yet By Rob Messinger, The Columbus Dispatch Monday, September 26, 2011 - 9:09 AM The proposed deal in which the city and county would pony up casino money to buy Nationwide Arena will have its first reading before the City Council tonight (September 26). But there won't be a vote. The legislation wasn't put forth with "emergency" status, so it won't be up for a vote until the second reading, expected next Monday (October 3). READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/the-city/2011/09/arena-deal-on-the-agenda.html Now its a done deal. Just in time for the Jackets opening game on Friday! Council OKs deal to buy Nationwide Arena
October 9, 201113 yr Excerpt from the latest Business First article about the Arena deal that was just passed by Columbus City Council... Staffing, booking still being worked out in Nationwide Arena deal By Jeff Bell, Business First Date: Friday, October 7, 2011, 6:00am EDT Right now the priority is to get the arena buyout and operating agreement approved by the City, County and Convention Facilities Authority. City Council OK’d its portion of the deal Oct. 3. The Convention Facilities Authority board is expected to vote Oct. 18. A vote by the county commissioners would follow by Nov. 1. The plan calls for the new ownership and operating structure to begin Jan. 1. That new operating structure calls for the Convention Facilities Authority, Blue Jackets, Nationwide and Ohio State University to form Columbus Arena Management – or CAM – to manage the arena and OSU’s Jerome Schottenstein Center. Ohio State has managed both arenas for the past year. The Blue Jackets has a subsidiary that staffs events at the arena while OSU handles the Schott. Plan proponents are estimating initial costs of $12 million a year to operate the arena - with revenue from non-hockey events expected to cover $8 million of that expense and the remaining $4 million subsidized by casino tax revenue. The purchase plan also sets aside $1 million for capital expenses in 2012 and uses an annual growth rate of 3.5 percent for operating and capital expenses. Plan proponents said they expect CAM to achieve cost savings of up to several hundred thousand dollars a year through joint management of the arenas and revenue increases driven by cooperative marketing and scheduling of events. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/10/07/staffing-booking-among-details-still.html?page=all
October 16, 201113 yr Bonds expected to help expand Vine St. parking By Lucas Sullivan, The Columbus Dispatch Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - 8:00 AM Franklin County commissioners are expected to issue $16 million worth of bonds today to double the size of a parking garage near the North Market and Greater Columbus Convention Center that will provide much-needed parking in the Short North and Arena District. The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority has agreed to a 30-year lease with Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. that will cover the bonds to build 900 additional spaces at the 37 W. Vine St. garage. Nationwide agreed to the lease to accommodate the 1,900 workers it plans to relocate from Dublin and Grove City. Nationwide workers will occupy the spaces during normal weekly business hours, and they will be available for public use at night and on weekends, county Administrator Don Brown said. Two floors will be added on top of the garage and another parking bay added on the south side. The garage comes as Nationwide is spending $26 million to construct a building at 10 W. Nationwide Blvd., which is expected to be completed by the end of 2012. County officials said the garage should be completed in September 2012. The additional spaces also will free up 100 of 897 existing spaces for the new, $140 million, 500-room Hilton Hotel being built on the west side of N. High Street, across from the convention center. The hotel is expected to open in fall 2012. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/10/04/bonds-expected-to-help-expand-vine-st--parking.html
October 16, 201113 yr This is not the Vine Street parking garage expansion listed earlier. This a parking garage to be built on a surface parking lot west of Nationwide Arena. The parking garage is the first phase of the development of this lot. After the parking garage is built, a Columbia Gas office building will be built in front of this garage facing Nationwide Blvd. Arena District parking garage headed before Downtown Commission By Brian R. Ball, Business First Date: Friday, October 14, 2011, 6:00am EDT Arena District developer Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. is moving toward construction of a 1,225-slot parking garage between Nationwide Arena and Neil Avenue, ahead of construction of an office complex to be anchored by Columbia Gas of Ohio Inc. The Downtown Commission will consider the planned four-level parking garage at its Oct. 25 meeting, according to an application filed Oct. 11. The $12 million project, designed by the Columbus office of Kansas City’s 360 Architecture, will replace 525 surface parking spots on the site of the planned garage and a 280,000-square-foot office building Columbia Gas expects to occupy in 2014. The developer has yet to file plans for the office building, which it said in March likely will be built after the parking garage is completed. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/10/14/arena-district-parking-garage-headed.html
November 8, 201113 yr Now, the Business First article. Includes renderings of the five-story, 200,000 sq. ft. office building at the northeast corner of Nationwide and Front. Nationwide OKs downtown office building by HQ Brian Ball, Business First Date: Friday, September 2, 2011, 6:00am EDT Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. plans to build a 200,000-square-foot office building at the corner of North Front Street and West Nationwide Boulevard in downtown Columbus where it would put 1,000 employees relocated from Dublin. The $26 million project will make room for employees of Nationwide Financial Services retirement plans division now working out of the suburb’s Parkwood Place office complex. (. . .) Nationwide Insurance will have 8,600 workers downtown by late 2012, including 1,900 moved in from the suburbs. Word of the plan comes weeks after Columbus Business First reported the insurer was expected to take a daytime license securing at least 600 of 916 parking slots being added to a public garage on Vine Street. That $14 million project is set to be completed next fall. The relocation would seal a pledge the company made to move 1,400 workers from Dublin and Grove City to downtown. Mayor Michael Coleman made relocation of the 1,400 suburban jobs a condition of the city’s help with public infrastructure improvements along West Third Avenue, which marks a main thoroughfare serving Nationwide Realty’s Grandview Yard development. “In addition to the jobs, (the construction) just brings more life to that area of the downtown,” said Coleman spokesman Dan Williamson. “It’s great for the city.” MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/09/02/nationwide-oks-downtown-office.html This is a view of the building from Front Street. Predominately brick facing the entrance plaza to Nationwide Arena and the historic Moline Plow Building across the street. This is a view of the building from Nationwide Blvd. Predominately glass facing the Nationwide HQ Building and the rest of downtown Columbus. The green space is parkland owned by Nationwide - the remainder of the site is split by an active railroad line. An update on the site prep work at the corner of Front and Nationwide for the 5-story, 200,000 sq. ft. Nationwide Insurance office building shown in the article quoted article. Pablo, a poster at Columbus Underground, recently got a tour inside the under-construction Downtown Hilton Hotel. He posted the photos from that tour here at flickr and here at CU. Here is the photo he posted of the Front & Nationwide office site from the roof of the neighboring Hilton Hotel. The previous surface parking lot at Front & Nationwide has been removed and foundation work is now beginning for the 5-story Nationwide Insurance office building.
November 8, 201113 yr And a update on this future Columbia Gas office building down the street at Neil & Nationwide: Moody Nolan gets Columbia Gas interior design contract Business First by Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter Date: Wednesday, November 2, 2011, 2:57pm EDT The Moody Nolan Inc. architecture and engineering firm has won the interior design contract for the Columbia Gas of Ohio offices planned for the Arena District in downtown Columbus. Columbia Gas announced the expected late 2014 move in March. Lupton Rausch Architects Inc. designed the Arena District office project for developer Nationwide Realty Investors LLC. Construction on a 1,200-space parking garage will begin in early 2012 after Oct. 25 approval of that project by the city’s Downtown Commission. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2011/11/02/moody-nolan-gets-columbia-gas-interior.html
March 8, 201213 yr It's a busy time in the Arena District as a new wave of development is now underway and under construction. Here are the three major projects currently under construction in the Arena District: 1) Nationwide Insurance Office Building (10 W. Nationwide Blvd.) - Five-story, 200,000 square foot office building under construction at the northeast corner of Front Street and Nationwide Boulevard. 2) Columbia Gas Office Building and Parking Garage (NE corner of Nationwide Blvd. & Neil Avenue) - Six-story, 280,000 square foot office building and a four-level, 1,225-space parking garage. 3) FBI Building (425 W. Nationwide Blvd.) - Three-story, 51,000 square foot office building at the southwest corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Hanover Street. So it's Arena District construction update time. The following posts will look at the progress of these three projects.
March 8, 201213 yr Let's start with the smallest of the three projects, the FBI Building at 425 W. Nationwide Blvd. This will be a three-story, 51,000 square foot brick-clad building at the southwest corner of Nationwide and Hanover Street. It is located across the street from the Buggyworks Building, a complex of warehouse buildings that has been renovated into condos lofts and offices. It is located one block west of the AAA Columbus Clippers ballpark, Huntington Park. The local offices of the FBI will occupy 45,000 square feet of the building, with 6,000 square feet of leaseable ground floor retail space. Here is a rendering of the FBI Building as seen from Nationwide Blvd. and Hanover Street and a location map for the project: And here is a photo of the Buggyworks Buildings across the street from it: Here are two photos of the FBI Building project site just prior to construction from the twitter feed MyUrbanhood. A small one-story warehouse building was demolished to clear the site for development. The last photo above from MyUrbanhood shows the structural steel being delivered to the site. The below photo from MyUrbanhood shows the building's steel skelton being erected at the site.
March 8, 201213 yr Moving east from the FBI site on Nationwide Boulevard is the Columbia Gas Office Building and Parking Garage at the northeast corner of Nationwide & Neil Avenue. The project will include a six-story, 280,000 square foot office building and a four-level, 1,225-space parking garage. This construction will replace two parking lots located between Nationwide Arena immediately to the east and Huntington Park to the west across Neil Avenue. This is one of the last undeveloped parcels in what was part of the original 1998 Arena District Master Plan. Here is a diagram of the northeast corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Neil Avenue that shows where the Columbia Gas Office Building will go and where the parking garage will go. The office building for Columbia Gas will face Nationwide Boulevard and is represented by the blue box. The parking garage will be built on the rear portion of the site and is represented by the green box. Here is a rendering of the Columbia Gas Office Building and Parking Garage project. This view is from Nationwide & McConnell Boulevards (roughly in front of the Union Station Arch). The building that looks like three separate structures facing Nationwide Boulevard is the Columbia Gas Office Building. The brick structure behind the office building is the four-level, 1,225-space parking garage. Both the office building and the parking garage have been approved and are moving forward. The parking garage is being built first. The office building will be built later - with Columbia Gas expecting to occupy the building in 2014. Below is a photo from a Columbus Underground construction round up that shows the beginning of the parking garage construction. This view is looking south from the rear of the site toward the rest of the Arena District and Downtown.
March 8, 201213 yr Moving further east along Nationwide Boulevard is a five-story, 200,000 square foot office building for the Nationwide Insurance Company. This building is located at the northeast corner of Front Street and Nationwide Boulevard. The office building has a slight setback from Front Street and Nationwide Boulevard and angles back from the corner of Nationwide and Front. This angle helps preserve a view to the entrance of Nationwide Arena from High Street. The remainder of the development site will be green space. An active below-grade railroad line divides the development site from an existing park at Nationwide and High, which is also owned by Nationwide. Below is the project's site plan. This is a rendering of the office building from Front Street. This side of the building is predominately brick and faces the entrance plaza to Nationwide Arena and the historic Moline Plow Building across the street. This is a rendering of the office building from Nationwide Boulevard. This side of the building is predominately glass and faces Nationwide Insuarance's Headquarters Tower and the rest of downtown Columbus. Here is a photo taken January 29th by Columbus Underground of the Nationwide Insurance Office Building under construction from the Nationwide and Front intersection. The under construction Hilton Hotel is to the left in the background. The existing Hyatt Hotel is to the right in the background. And here is a photo taken February 29th by the twitter feed MyUrbanhood of the office building under construction from the parking garage across the intersection. Once again, the under construction Hilton Hotel and the existing Hyatt Hotel is in the background.
March 8, 201213 yr Yay! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 8, 201213 yr I love that they are connecting the greenspace around the new Nationwide office up to High north of the tracks.
March 25, 201213 yr Couple of updates... FBI Building (March 18): <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/construction-march-06.jpg"> Nationwide Office Building (March 18): <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/construction-march-04.jpg">
April 23, 201213 yr It's a busy time in the Arena District as a new wave of development is now underway and under construction. Here are the three major projects currently under construction in the Arena District: 1) Nationwide Insurance Office Building (10 W. Nationwide Blvd.) - Five-story, 200,000 square foot office building under construction at the northeast corner of Front Street and Nationwide Boulevard. 2) Columbia Gas Office Building and Parking Garage (NE corner of Nationwide Blvd. & Neil Avenue) - Six-story, 280,000 square foot office building and a four-level, 1,225-space parking garage. 3) FBI Building (425 W. Nationwide Blvd.) - Three-story, 51,000 square foot office building at the southwest corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Hanover Street. Here are construction updates on project #2 and project #3 from the myurbanhood twitter feed: Project #2: Columbia Gas Office Building and Parking Garage (NE corner of Nationwide Blvd. & Neil Avenue) - Six-story, 280,000 square foot office building and a four-level, 1,225-space parking garage. The parking garage is currently under construction: Project #3: FBI Building (425 W. Nationwide Blvd.) - Three-story, 51,000 square foot office building at the southwest corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Hanover Street.
April 25, 201213 yr Not exactly a new Arena District development this time, but a new sign. The Ice Haus is the Columbus Blue Jackets indoor practice rink (and sometimes public skating facility) that is attached to Nationwide Arena. OhioHealth just bought the naming rights for the Ice Haus, which necessitated a new sign. The new sign was built by Orange Barrel Media - the company behind those downtown wallscapes. Here's what Orange Barrel came up with for the Ice Haus: While at the Orange Barrel Media website, I found a neat page that looked at the construction of those hockey gloves that "break thru" the brick wall: Behind The Scenes - Hockey Gloves
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