There may be movement on the former Clintonville Electric site.  Below is the agenda for Thursday's Clintonville Area Commission meeting.  At the bottom is an interesting items under New Business.  It's crossed out, but there was to be a presentation for a concept plan for N High and W. North Broadway.  The developer, Red Gate Partners, has been active in small retail projects in German Village.

 

http://www.rejournals.com/getdoc/9c93cf08-a002-4e2b-8ce0-6d1db4330e3b/red-gate-partners-launches-in-columbus.aspx

 

The architect, Mark Ford, was involved in the canceled plans for a 5 story mixed use building.

 

This article about that was updated and posted at ThisWeekNews:

 

http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180604/developer-eyes-clintonville-electric-site-but-pulls-presentation-from-cac-agenda

^I'm OK with a 3 story building.

Work has begun on the Clintonville marijuana dispensary at Crestview and High.

 

 

Work has begun on the Clintonville marijuana dispensary at Crestview and High.

 

 

 

How did this ever get approved for Clintonville of all places?  These people flip out and clutch their pearls over almost everything.

I think the decision was made at the state level.

How did this ever get approved for Clintonville of all places?  These people flip out and clutch their pearls over almost everything.

I think the decision was made at the state level.

 

 

Indeed, the locations of the medical marijuana dispensaries came from on high.

-

See https://www.urbanohio.com/forum/index.php/topic,31108.msg917638.html#msg917638 and https://www.urbanohio.com/forum/index.php/topic,31108.msg917727.html#msg917727

I haven't heard any opposition. I imagine it will operate much like a pharmacy with no late night hours. There wasn’t a zoning change so it didn’t need to go to the commission. Plus it’s in the less affluent (and cooler) South Clintonville so there are less pearls to clutch.

The apartment hotel project at the Dixie Electric site is beginning to take shape:

 

Clintonville, North Market-area medical marijuana dispensaries making progress

 

 

Interior construction is underway in a planned medical marijuana dispensary in Clintonville, and the exterior design for a dispensary near the North Market got the thumbs-up.

 

The two locations are the farthest along of five Columbus cannabis dispensaries the state licensed in June. Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program rules give them six months to start operating.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/24/clintonville-north-market-area-medical-marijuana.html

Day care center proposed for shuttered Clintonville funeral home

 

A children’s day-care center is being proposed for a shuttered Clintonville funeral home that preservation groups had listed as an endangered historic site.  Plans for the former Southwick-Good & Fortkamp Funeral Chapel, 3100 N. High Street, will be discussed at the Clintonville Area Commission meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday.

 

Mark Smith of CD Advisors, which represents the day-care operators, said the building would be renovated, but the historic structure would not be altered. ... He said there is a lot of demand for a day care in the Clintonville area.  Nearby residents were worried that apartments or condominiums would be built on the site near Walhalla Ravine.

 

The building contains the Clinton Chapel, which dates to 1838 and was a stop on the Underground Railroad.  In October 2017, Preservation Ohio listed the Clinton Chapel as among its most endangered sites in Ohio.  The Columbus Landmarks Foundation also put the building on its most endangered list last year.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180801/day-care-center-proposed-for-shuttered-clintonville-funeral-home

^ http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180801/day-care-center-proposed-for-shuttered-clintonville-funeral-home

 

View of the former funeral home at 3100 N. High Street from 2017:

 

Streetscape view of the funeral home property and the nearby 4-story Terraces at Wahalla apartment building:

Disappointing, and also creepy

I went to a few funerals there in the '80s and '90s. It did look really nice inside.

Disappointing, and also creepy

 

Business First is playing up the odd (i.e. creepy) angle:

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/08/03/former-clintonville-funeral-home-could-become-a.html

$60M Clintonville development to start leasing soon

 

Despite the recent intense heat and loads of rain, work has been progressing on the $60 million rehabilitation of an industrial site off Indianola Avenue in Clintonville.

 

Developer Vision Communities is moving its leasing trailer to its "The Ave" mixed-use development around mid-October, at which point it's going to start signing up residents for the first 150 units in the development's northernmost building, to be complete by the end of the year.

 

Brent Wrightsel, president of Vision Communities, said construction is on schedule despite the weather.

 

"There's a lot of excitement for it," Wrightsel told me. "We expect great demand for these units."

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/09/12/photosl-60m-clintonville-development-to-start.html

 

^ Couple of construction photos and location map for "The Ave" mixed-use development along Indianola Avenue in Clintonville:

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/09/12/photosl-60m-clintonville-development-to-start.html

 

 

 

On 7/6/2018 at 8:59 AM, Pablo said:

Work has begun on the Clintonville marijuana dispensary at Crestview and High.

 

 

 

The building looks terrific! Interior work is ongoing. No word on when the marijuana dispensary will open.

 

On 1/16/2018 at 4:15 PM, Columbo said:

A surprisingly decent proposal for the Patrick J's site at 2711-2725 N. High Street.  This site spans the Old North neighborhood to the south and the Clintonville neighborhood to the north.

 

According to the linked article below, "The site spans Glen Echo Creek, which flows through a tunnel that passes under the Tim Horton’s parking lot, High Street, and the former White Castle parcel.  The proposed buildings are all situated to the south of that tunnel, while a parking lot serving the project sits to the north.  Because Glen Echo Creek serves as the boundary between the neighborhoods, none of the proposed buildings will need to go before the Clintonville Area Commission."

 

The project does require University District approvals and cleared its first hurdle when the zoning committee of the University Area Commission signed off on the required variances.  The next step is a conceptual review by the University Impact District Review Board (UIDRB) on Thursday:

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/proposal-submitted-for-former-patrick-jswhite-castle-site-bw1

 

 

 

There's construction equipment on site I wonder if this will be starting soon. 

Well, it's taking forever...

^The site is being used as a staging area for waterline replacement work in North Campus and South Clintonville.

Awesome! A one story strip center is planned for the vacant lot south of Broadway with an Orange Theory and a Great Clips! I hope the NIMBYs in Clintonville are pleased.

 

 

https://www.clintonvillespotlight.com/articles/developer-markets-plans-for-prime-high-street-parcel/

Clintonville is a joke. Not sure where the appeal is.

Ew. Was there anything else originally planned for here? 

 

I need some good news from somewhere, dammit. Seems to just be a bunch of disappointment lately.

1 hour ago, aderwent said:

Clintonville is a joke. Not sure where the appeal is.

 

Nancy's Home Cooking. ?

2 hours ago, aderwent said:

Clintonville is a joke. Not sure where the appeal is.

 

Marijuana Dispensary. ?

 

Today's Dispatch had an updated photo of the yet-to-be opened Harvest Dispensaries at 2950 N. High Street in this article about the new state marijuana dispensary system - which was titled in the print Dispatch as "Highs and Lows"(!):  https://www.dispatch.com/business/20190207/citation-comes-three-weeks-after-states-first-sale

 

Couple of higher quality storefront images at the article link above, but here is a below and after image:

On 7/24/2018 at 4:25 PM, ColDayMan said:

 

Disappointing that this large piece of land at a prominent intersection is going to be a one story strip mall. 

 

I think the Clintonville Area Commission and residents are so NIMBY that developers are scared to deviate from code and request variances to build a nice mixed use development because they'll shoot it down. What needs to happen is better code to allow more types of development with less parking by right so that they don't have to get held up in the variance process. 

5 hours ago, Pablo said:

Awesome! A one story strip center is planned for the vacant lot south of Broadway with an Orange Theory and a Great Clips! I hope the NIMBYs in Clintonville are pleased.

 

 

https://www.clintonvillespotlight.com/articles/developer-markets-plans-for-prime-high-street-parcel/

This is why mass transit(particularly light rail)will never work in central Ohio-too many neighborhoods just. like. this. smh.  NIMBY havens, but mass transit hells. How are we ever going to get the density to support mass transit when so many damn neighborhoods are like this? (And this is not the only one, every thing up High from Arcadia through Worthington is as bad).  Hell even people in the Hilltop would probably oppose anything over 3 floors along Broad. We need new thinking and new blood in this city.

Edited February 8, 20196 yr by Toddguy

Meh. Were people expecting a 20 story building here? Another 3-4 mixed use building like the one bareburger is in would have been ideal.  But I think a one story strip mall complex isn't the end of the world the one up closer to Henderson with the hot chicken takeover, little eater, North Star, and Jenny's can be super successful, and delicious.

 

Now a Great Clips isn't as exciting, but if they build it up with a good street presence it can be a positive. Now what should be absolutely prohibited is something like the new Verizon box store on northeast corner of the Broadway/High intersection. It depresses me everytime I see it. 

 

Lastly, all this concern about traffic is ridiculous and if they're worried about children crossing the street to get to school they should open back up the underground high street crossing in front of the school (that was built after a kid was hit and killed by a street car) 

^The tunnel is open for school children before and after school.

It's a beauty!

 

https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20190218/reaction-to-plans-for-retail-center-in-heart-of-clintonville-runs-gamut

19 hours ago, Pablo said:

It's a beauty!

 

https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20190218/reaction-to-plans-for-retail-center-in-heart-of-clintonville-runs-gamut

 

Not sure it's sarcasm(if it was I wouldn't blame you) but yes it is a beauty for CVille

^Slightly sarcastic. The proposed building does fit in with the existing building to the north. Streets with smaller buildings built in different eras have more character than a large, block long new building.

The comment about Clintonville not deserving its anti-development reputation is laughable.  A prime site like this sits for 9 years with only 2 proposals at a time when Columbus- and High Street- are booming.  Sure, whatever you say, Clintonville. 

 

Now they get the most mediocre, shortest proposal possible and it's the one that will get built.  It's the one urban neighborhood in the city I would actively avoid living in. 

Edited February 28, 20196 yr by jonoh81

2 hours ago, jonoh81 said:

The comment about Clintonville not deserving its anti-development reputation is laughable.  A prime site like this sits for 9 years with only 2 proposals at a time when Columbus- and High Street- are booming.  Sure, whatever you say, Clintonville. 

 

Now they get the most mediocre, shortest proposal possible and it's the one that will get built.  It's the one urban neighborhood in the city I would actively avoid living in. 

Could not agree more. The building being shown is not horrible really, but would look a lot better with 3 or 4 floors of residential on top of it.  It is like they want Clintonville to remain like a museum piece...and Cbus already has that in German Village. Not. needed. there.

Clintonville is Columbus' "little Portland." Clintonville used to feel like this cool liberal pocket in Columbus. Now it's starting to feel like this sub-urban neighborhood as the rest of Columbus infills and densifies. 

2 hours ago, Lucas_uLsac said:

Clintonville is Columbus' "little Portland." Clintonville used to feel like this cool liberal pocket in Columbus. Now it's starting to feel like this sub-urban neighborhood as the rest of Columbus infills and densifies. 

 

That may be because Clintonville has a population with one of the oldest average median ages. It's 10-15 years older on average than the rest of the city.  Older people are more likely to resist change.

Retail Project at North Broadway and High Moving Forward

 

Work could start as soon as this month on a one-story retail building at the southwest corner of North Broadway and High Street in Clintonville.

 

The multi-storefront building will go up on the vacant lot where the Clinton Theater once stood; a historic, two-story building that had been vacant for years before being demolished in 2010.

 

Local firm Black Gate Partners bought the lot late last year, as well as a smaller, paved lot at the corner of High and Brighton Road.

 

“We just received our final permit to begin construction,” said Micha Bitton, Principal at Black Gate Partners, who added that he hopes to see the project completed by August.

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/retail-project-at-north-broadway-and-high-moving-forward-bw1

 

^^ Such a wasted opportunity. Actually a downsizing as they did have a two story historic building before the empty lot and now this. Such is Clintonville.

This is seriously some disappointing crap. What a terrible commission. Sometimes you just have to power through the NIMBYs.

The commission is advisory only; I think in recent years the Clintonville area commission has become a bit more pro-development and not quite as backwards.

 

I think this proposed development represents the path of least resistance by the developer in terms of having no variances, not having to go before the area commission and therefore, not having public input, and not having to assemble the entire site and negotiate with multiple property owners.

 

The Clintonville NIMBYs had more of an impact on this development than the commission.

1 hour ago, Whopper Jr said:

The commission is advisory only; I think in recent years the Clintonville area commission has become a bit more pro-development and not quite as backwards.

 

I think this proposed development represents the path of least resistance by the developer in terms of having no variances, not having to go before the area commission and therefore, not having public input, and not having to assemble the entire site and negotiate with multiple property owners.

 

The Clintonville NIMBYs had more of an impact on this development than the commission.

 

Which is honestly the opposite of the way it needs to be.  Of course there are legitimate concerns about development sometimes, but a 5-story mixed-use proposal on the High Street corridor was hardly one of them.  The NIMBYers should've been laughed out of the meetings.  People with ridiculous concerns should not be given so much power over the future of the city. 

3 minutes ago, jonoh81 said:

 

Which is honestly the opposite of the way it needs to be.  Of course there are legitimate concerns about development sometimes, but a 5-story mixed-use proposal on the High Street corridor was hardly one of them.  The NIMBYers should've been laughed out of the meetings.  People with ridiculous concerns should not be given so much power over the future of the city. 

I agree. They bark the loudest and are accustomed to having their demands met. Eventually some developers just say F it, we can tell where we're not wanted.

 

The only solution is some effective counter-balance speaking out in favor of these proposals when warranted. 

7 minutes ago, Whopper Jr said:

I agree. They bark the loudest and are accustomed to having their demands met. Eventually some developers just say F it, we can tell where we're not wanted.

 

The only solution is some effective counter-balance speaking out in favor of these proposals when warranted. 

 

One counter would be just updating zoning codes to allow for larger projects without a bunch of variances.  Needing a variance of any kind for a 5 story, mixed-use building anywhere on High is asinine.

8 hours ago, jonoh81 said:

 

One counter would be just updating zoning codes to allow for larger projects without a bunch of variances.  Needing a variance of any kind for a 5 story, mixed-use building anywhere on High is asinine.

 

One of the disadvantages of Columbus' large annexed sized, it makes it hard to do zoning updates that match a certain area. I think there's a zoning overlay in parts of Clintonville, but I don't think they are geared towards the type of development we would like to see and are more focused on form and function (zero-setback, etc.)

 

10 hours ago, Whopper Jr said:

 

The Clintonville NIMBYs had more of an impact on this development than the commission.

 

Indeed. Funny thing about Clintonville is that a lot of urban planners for the city and surrounding suburbs live there and they all gripe about the San Francisco strain of NIMBYs that reside in Clintonville. As a matter of fact, I'd go a step further and call them straight up extreme "preservationist" who want to "protect" Clintonville from becoming the Short North. 

53 minutes ago, Lucas_uLsac said:

 

One of the disadvantages of Columbus' large annexed sized, it makes it hard to do zoning updates that match a certain area. I think there's a zoning overlay in parts of Clintonville, but I don't think they are geared towards the type of development we would like to see and are more focused on form and function (zero-setback, etc.)

 

 

Indeed. Funny thing about Clintonville is that a lot of urban planners for the city and surrounding suburbs live there and they all gripe about the San Francisco strain of NIMBYs that reside in Clintonville. As a matter of fact, I'd go a step further and call them straight up extreme "preservationist" who want to "protect" Clintonville from becoming the Short North. 

The large size of Columbus is not a disadvantage, the codes could be updated to allow the type of development that would be appropriate for these corridors however city staff and city council takes zero initiative to make comprehensive changes to the code that would benefit the city. So many cities that have large jurisdictional boundaries have modern, well written zoning codes that allow for the type of development we want and need. Most people don't realize how bad and outdated the Columbus Zoning Code is. 

 

It's all online if you want to take a look: https://library.municode.com/oh/columbus/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT33ZOCO 

 

Here's Seattles to compare ours to one that is well done: https://library.municode.com/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT23LAUSCO 

 

Municode has the ordinance dates showing when each code section was updated and you can see that Columbus lags behind most large cities with the frequency and scope of code updates. 

 

Back on topic.... this one floor retail development in Clintonville is pretty disappointing. It's a charming neighborhood but the residents are very much on their high horse trying to preserve a neighborhood that is mostly Sears Catalog looking homes with a typical brick streetcar suburban retail spine running through it. It's not that unique to be so anti-development. This is exactly the type of location that would be appropriate for a 4 story building with retail on the bottom and apartments above with minimal to no parking. 

Edited March 6, 20196 yr by cityscapes

I don't get the NIMBYism and wonder if it will subside as the Clintonville becomes younger.  It seems like everyone complains about traffic/property values when buildings are proposed. But do these, I'm assuming older people, not realize that the younger people moving in want neighborhood amenities? I understand Clintonville has a pretty hot housing market, I don't get the resistance. 

^Actually, often on the Clintonville Discussion Forum on FB it's millennials who are insisting a farmer's market or community garden is the best use for this site. I don't think NIMBYism is age dependent. I'm 55 and I would love to see greater density along High St.

12 hours ago, cityscapes said:

The large size of Columbus is not a disadvantage, the codes could be updated to allow the type of development that would be appropriate for these corridors however city staff and city council takes zero initiative to make comprehensive changes to the code that would benefit the city. So many cities that have large jurisdictional boundaries have modern, well written zoning codes that allow for the type of development we want and need. Most people don't realize how bad and outdated the Columbus Zoning Code is. 

 

No need to get defensive. I think you're missing the point I was making (which was about zoning and Clintonville). When it comes to zoning, having large city boundaries can be a hinderance. As an urban planner who writes and overviews zoning codes daily, I can tell you that zoning is a pain in the ass and no easy task. Keeping zoning updated in a large city (population and sizewise) that is changing so quickly is difficult. Columbus' size plays a role in that--its just fact. Columbus is not a top-heavy city like New York or Chicago where the city acts swiftly with big moves that are just accepted by the population; and Seattle is not a good comparison to Columbus' zoning code because the cities are fundamentally very different. Add to this a vocal, affluent, anti-development, or an extreme preservationism demographic to a certain area and getting the desirable zoning you speak of becomes even more challenging. 

 

I think Clintonville will see the projects many of us here fantasize about when the missing and underutilized lots in the Short North, University District, and Old North are filled in. As that demand moves north, there will be a more focused sense of urgency in Clintonville and updating its zoning to meet high demand. 

6 hours ago, Lucas_uLsac said:

 

No need to get defensive. I think you're missing the point I was making (which was about zoning and Clintonville). When it comes to zoning, having large city boundaries can be a hinderance. As an urban planner who writes and overviews zoning codes daily, I can tell you that zoning is a pain in the ass and no easy task. Keeping zoning updated in a large city (population and sizewise) that is changing so quickly is difficult. Columbus' size plays a role in that--its just fact. Columbus is not a top-heavy city like New York or Chicago where the city acts swiftly with big moves that are just accepted by the population; and Seattle is not a good comparison to Columbus' zoning code because the cities are fundamentally very different. Add to this a vocal, affluent, anti-development, or an extreme preservationism demographic to a certain area and getting the desirable zoning you speak of becomes even more challenging. 

 

I think Clintonville will see the projects many of us here fantasize about when the missing and underutilized lots in the Short North, University District, and Old North are filled in. As that demand moves north, there will be a more focused sense of urgency in Clintonville and updating its zoning to meet high demand. 

 

Not being defensive I just disagree with the large city boundaries being a hinderance on zoning in Columbus. I am also an urban planner and work with zoning codes / design guidelines etc daily and have done significant research on different codes across the county. A lot of the zoning in Columbus is from the 1920's which makes it difficult to review present day development under a code that doesn't take into account the type of development we see today.

 

When the City of Dublin started planning for Bridge Park they adopted new code to facilitate that development rather than keep the existing code for that site when it was a strip mall. When Jeffery Park in Columbus was developed, that area kept the same manufacturing zoning district that it was in as a mining site or whatever it was long before I moved here. The developers had to get variances to make the development happen, but the city could have been more proactive in setting the tone for the redevelopment of that area. It's still zoned manufacturing today and is not afforded any code required distance separation protection from other adjacent manufacturing zoned sites because the code requires separation by zone and not use. 

 

There are many cities in the country that have large boundaries that have been proactive and updated their codes to improve development standards and allow for different types of projects to proceed by right. Denver and Indianapolis come to mind as two large jurisdictions that have managed to do it. Why is it okay for Columbus to stay stagnant and force so many projects through the long variance process (adding cost and an element of uncertainty) just to move forward? 

 

Seattle and Columbus are very different cities, however, a mixed use commercial corridor in Seattle and Columbus aren't that different. Where they differ is that City of Seattle has a more modern code that accounts for the type of development they are seeing today whereas Columbus has chosen to use a one size fits all outdated code that doesn't work across the board. 

 

To point out a crazy problem in the Columbus Zoning Code the following situation is possible under the current code: You could in theory replace the entire block fronting High Street with the Joseph Hotel with Semi-Truck parking without needing a variance from the code because that's allowed by right. Alternatively, if you wanted to build a 6 story infill building on a surface lot in the Short North such as the 1079 N High (Yoga On High Project) you need a variance to reduce the default setback from 25 to 0 to make the building suit the actual urban form of the area. 

 

Sorry for the long zoning rant but I don't think most people in the city including city council realize how poorly the current zoning code is serving the city especially right now during a period of unprecedented growth. 

There are several parts of town that are just like Clintonville except they aren't very well-maintained.