Developing Our Community A look at Central ’s growth in 2004 and planned development for 2005

Brewery District: Porch lights instead of bar lights Retail construction revitalizes Pickerington

Tides are turning in Grandview Heights opened its “Cap” and popped the cork on residential development

Wave of retail expected to flood Whitehall’s corridors

A supplement to The Daily Reporter NP510086.key.7x10.NCCDC 3/21/05 3:20 PM Page 1 Developing Our Community

CONTENTS:

This annual feature of The Daily Reporter is divided Sector 3 ...... 24 into multiple sectors focusing on the residential, Northeastern Franklin County: Gahanna, New commercial and industrial development of each. We look Albany, Bexley, Whitehall, Westerville, Reynoldsburg at the projects completed during 2004 and the planned development for 2005 and beyond. Sector 1 ...... 4 Sector 4 ...... 29 Columbus: Downtown, , Short North, Southern Franklin County: Canal Winchester, Grove , , University District, City, Groveport, Pickerington , Clintonville, East Side, Italian Village Sector 2 ...... 17 Sector 5 ...... 33 Northwestern Franklin County: Grandview Heights, Select Communities of Contiguous Counties: Hilliard, Upper Arlington, Northland Community, Powell, Newark, Lancaster, London, Delaware, We help communities by investing in them. Worthington, Dublin Marysville

We have divided the Developing Our community into various For over two decades, the National City Community Community sectors so that we can Development Corporation (NCCDC) has been a catalyst for provide in-depth coverage A supplement to of our major communities communities. By acting as a liaison between government in the area. These sectors are: entities and neighborhood groups, financial institutions Publisher and developers, the NCCDC helps stimulate economic Dan L. Shillingburg 1. Columbus 3 2. Northwestern Franklin revitalization and community growth. A recent example is Controller County Mark McGuire 3. Northeastern Franklin the Twentieth & Long Condominium Project that helped County Editor 2 revitalize the Long Street area. An equity investment was Cindy Ludlow 4. Southern Franklin County made to create new housing by renovating abandoned Associate Editor 5. Select communities of Chris Bailey contiguous counties structures. The rewards for this kind of investing go beyond Special Section Editor the financial. Sean Casey

Call Jackie Winchester at (614) 463-8109 to find out more. The Daily Reporter Inc. 580 South High Street, 5 Suite 316, 1 Columbus, Ohio 43215-5644 UNION (614) 228-NEWS 6397 DELAWARE Fax: (614) 224-8649 e-mail: [email protected]

Cover photos by Sean Casey LICKING FRANKLIN © April 2005 The Daily Reporter Inc., MADISON all rights reserved. 4 FAIRFIELD NationalCity.com Material published is for the sole and exclusive use of the subscriber. It may not be published, PICKAWAY ® resold, recorded or reused in any manner, in ©National City Corporation whole or in part without the publisher’s written consent. Any infringement will be subject to legal redress.

2005 Developing Our Community Page 3 Of all the development that went is converting the vacant buildings at leasing incentives later on, the on in 2004 in the downtown area, this the northeast corner of Broad and company forecasted. is the most encouraging, McLaughlin High streets into 8 on the Square, a The improvements would follow a noted. mixed-use project overlooking Capital year in which the city had a nearly 4 The permanent downtown Square with 23 luxury condominium percent increase in office occupancy. population stability will create units and 48,000 square feet of retail The recent recession had a demand for goods and services that and office space. The project will also significant impact on Central Ohio, Columbus largely are unavailable in the area include a permanent scrolling ticker- causing layoffs and closing the doors currently, he said. tape video display system. to many offices, especially within the The increased number of “You can’t be a successful suburb area’s high concentration of business- residents will also drive the downtown of nowhere,” McLaughlin added, economy after 5 p.m., when most referencing a quote previously made to-business service companies. Despite the cutbacks in Columbus is bringing Since the launch of the downtown workers pile into their cars by Coleman. Downtown Columbus to commute out of the city, he added. The urban revitalization effort will employment, construction of new businesses and residential program, though, approximately office space in Columbus continued at communities back to its 3,500 units have been completed, The concentration of people receive a large boost if the downtown downtown also will create a more office market continues to improve. the onset of the recession, eventually downtown area. approved or proposed throughout leaving the city with nearly one- Aided by the resurgence of the downtown area, as well as in vibrant environment, and by default it According to Grubb & Ellis/Adena Heart neighboring districts and the Brewery District, Italian will make the city streets safer, he said. Realty Advisors’ market forecast, quarter of its office space empty. aggressive tax-abatement Village and Victorian Village. Not only will the ongoing vacancy rates for Columbus office Yet, since its creation in 2002, the programs, the number of Nearly 700 additional units are development immediately benefit buildings will decline about 1 percent Columbus Downtown Office Initiative downtown residences has under construction now. downtown Columbus, but the to around 18 percent by the end of has resulted in an estimated 1,500 jobs of Central revitalization is essential to the entire 2005, with positive net absorption added to the downtown area, skyrocketed, while office vacancy The program will continue rates have retreated from historic throughout the coming years as Central Ohio area. throughout the year. McLaughlin said. highs over the past few quarters. the city attempts to create 10,000 McLaughlin said it absolutely is The shrinking rate signals This program promises a 50 Ohio In 2002, city officials launched new units and bring 15,000 new vital that the city encourages optimism of a continued recovery from percent rebate on the income taxes sister programs that would provide residents downtown by the city’s residential and economic growth the recent recession, which left nearly that the city takes in from their breaks on property tax assessments bicentennial in 2012 — the goals within the downtown area because it one-quarter of all the area’s office employees for businesses that bring a to downtown developers. The established by Columbus Mayor truly is the epicenter of the whole space empty and gave Columbus one minimum of 10 jobs downtown. This region’s health. of the highest rates in the nation just a pumping breaks were intended to jumpstart Michael Coleman upon launching and other tax incentives, coupled with a stagnant housing market and the initiative. “Why is revitalizing our urban few quarters ago. centers important?” McLaughlin asked “It seems the market has stabilized occupancy costs comparable to those combat a decline in office Laura Gardner, director of in the suburbs, has been a key factor in occupancy brought on by the marketing for developer Long & rhetorically. “It really isn’t rocket somewhat,” said Kim Begley, strong science. There isn’t a vibrant metro marketing and research manager for the downtown area’s rebound, recent recession. Wilcox, said the demand for these McLaughlin added. The sister programs have units has been quite strong, marketplace in the country that Adena. since reinvigorated the heart of adding that many projects are doesn’t have as its core a vibrant urban An ongoing absorption of space, The city also has put forth efforts By SEAN CASEY Central Ohio, especially in regard selling at rapid rates and some center,” he said. especially in the Class A sector, will to make the area more convenient and Daily Reporter Staff Writer to residential development, which complexes already are sold out. To that end even the heart of tighten supply and keep rental rates physically attractive in an attempt to has already had a significant At the Long & Wilcox downtown Columbus is getting a shot stagnant through the first half of the lure more businesses into downtown impact on the area. developments — the completed in the arm. Real estate developer Casto year, with a slight decrease in tenant office spaces, McLaughlin said. u

“In just a few years, we have Parkview at Goodale Park, the more than doubled the housing under-construction Brunson and stock, and we hear from the forthcoming Lafayette Lofts — developers every day,” said Bob response has been strong from McLaughlin, downtown young professionals as well as development director for empty nesters seeking proximity Columbus. “It has really exceeded to activity centers, Gardner said. our expectations.” Additionally, she said, the McLaughlin said before the impact of the downtown city’s current downtown-housing residential development is initiative, the area had about 2,500 beginning to materialize. residential units, the newest of “It’s starting to pick up; traffic which were constructed nearly 40 and pedestrian traffic down there years prior. is picking up,” she said.

Page 4 2005 Developing Our Community 2005 Developing Our Community Page 5 Despite a National Hockey League lockout that kept the 2004-2005 season on ice, development in the Arena District this past year continued at a fury. Nationwide Realty Investors developed five major projects in 2004, including residential and office space, a 1,400-car parking garage and a state of the art medical facility. In total, 515,000-square-feet of real estate were under development this year. “In terms of square footage, this is the fastest we’ve grown since the Arena,” said Brian J. Ellis, president and chief operating officer of Nationwide Realty Investors. “We’ve added a major anchor tenant for a new office building and response to our residential offerings is exceeding expectations.” The opening of the 325 John H. McConnell Boulevard building in November 2004 is a testament to the market’s demand, he said. The seven-story, 165,000-square-foot office building located at 325 John H. McConnell Blvd. is anchored by the local offices of law firm Jones Day, which occupy 90,000 square feet of the space. The new Arena District Athletic Club is located on the first level. The 10,000-square-foot workout facility caters to those who live and work in and around the Arena District. Amenities include attached parking, fitness classes and cardio equipment with individual built-in cable television screens. “We wanted to create a well-designed work-out facility that offers high levels of personal service and convenience for our tenants, residents and neighbors,” said Ellis. “But beyond being a great place to work out, this is a community center for socializing and networking.” The residential component of the Arena District’s master plan also fell into place last year with the opening of the Arena Crossing Apartments and groundbreaking of Burnham Square condominiums. These residential developments — and the 450 residents expected to call them home — will give the Arena District additional after-hours traffic to create around-the-clock activity. With 252 units, Arena Crossing is the largest residential apartment project ever built in downtown Columbus. Burnham Square, named for architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham, features 98 luxury condominiums. The Eye Center of Columbus will debut in the Arena District this May, bringing some of the region’s best ophthalmologists together in a state-of-the-art vision care center. The 120,000- square-foot facility will house physician offices, a laser center, an outpatient surgery center, education and conference rooms and optical-related retail space. While the building is being developed by Nationwide Realty Investors, the Eye Center will be owned and operated by its physician owners, making it the first owner-occupied building in the Arena District. North Bank Park, the newest public green space in the downtown area, also opens this May. The 12-acre park wraps along the Scioto River, just south of Spring Street and the neighboring Arena District. The most remarkable feature of the new park is a glass- Arena District enclosed pavilion with downtown skyline views, available to rent for private functions. The park also includes growing with bike paths connecting it to the Olentangy Greenway Trail, the ribbon of bike path running from Worthington through new housing, downtown along the Olentangy and Scioto rivers. While last year’s office space construction schedule was ambitious, development in the area is far from over. Future plans include approximately 150 By NATHAN KRAFT additional condominium For The Daily Reporter units along Spring Street, directly south of the Burnham Square condominium units being developed now. u

Nathan Kraft is a senior marketing coordinator with Nationwide Realty Invest- ments.

Page 6 2005 Developing Our Community 2005 Developing Our Community Page 7 Cap brings Brewery District: energy to Porch Short North lights instead Not only has the Short North opened its “Cap” in the past year, but it has popped the cork on residential development as well. of bar

By SEAN CASEY lights Daily Reporter Staff Writer

In October 2004, the long-anticipated Cap at Union Station, the crowning jewel of the city’s uptown revitalization plan, officially opened its doors, establishing a pedestrian bridge across the void that Many blockbuster developments are taking root in By SEAN CASEY for years stood between the Short North and downtown Columbus. Daily Reporter Staff Writer The open-air plaza that offers retail and dining options among the Brewery District this year, as the area transforms columns and arches reminiscent of the city’s former central rail from entertainment destination to urban neighborhood. station creates a vibrant urban setting along the High Street Corridor Once the city’s nightlife hotspot, Columbus’ largest that will help attract businesses, residents and dollars to the area, historic district has rebranded itself as a 24-hour according to Jack Lucks, the project’s developer. community, one in which residents can live and work, “What we are creating is a 20-hour-a-day, living, breathing as well as play, according to Jim Tinker, executive environment that you can’t find in the suburbs,” Lucks said. director of the Brewery District Association. Although it is the cornerstone of the Short North’s revitalization “The frat party is over, but the cocktail party is efforts, the nation’s first retail center built over a federal highway is underway,” Tinker said. just the tip of the iceberg. The first step of this metamorphosis took place According to Tim Wagner, executive director for the Short North last year with the opening of Brewer’s Yard Special Improvement District, the area also is undergoing a major Apartments on Front Street. The complex’s 317 expansion in residential development, which will create greater luxury units are 96 percent occupied, and more than energy and foot traffic along High Street. one-half of them are filled by tenants who relocated Since March 2004, two new condo projects — Short North to the burgeoning residential community from out Condominiums at High Street and Hubbard Avenue and Parkview at of state, Tinker said. Goodale Park on Park and Poplar streets — have opened, bringing a These new district residents soon will have some total of 48 residential units to the area. Also, in July 2004 four even newer neighbors. renovated apartments came online at 682 N. Pearl St. Some of Brewer’s Gate, a five-building, 35-unit There are a number of residential projects in the pipeline that condo community just south of Brewer’s Yard on Front will open up more than 200 additional units in the neighborhood Street, is now under roof, and ground has broken on while patching up the remaining gaps in the Short North’s High Liberty Place, an apartment complex that will house 314 Street Corridor during the next few years. luxury units on Short Street. The newest addition to this list came in February when Yukon Construction also has begun on the Treetops at Plaza Ltd., an affiliate of Plaza Properties Inc., proposed a mixed-use German Village, a housing project that incorporates two renovation of the Yukon Building, the former site of Functional older homes just north of Whittier Street on High Street Furnishings Inc. at 601-615 N. High St. with some new-builds to create an 11-unit residential The project would include 10,000 square feet of retail space on development. the first floor and 28 condo units — 14 each on the second and third Condominium development is also planned, but floors of the building. not yet approved, for Bank and Front streets, according IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY Also in February, the Wood Cos. and Lahoti Properties to Tinker. announced efforts to add 45 condominium units and more than Many businesses in the district occupy Best of everything & ready to move 12,000 square feet of retail space to the Short North through the residential structures, Tinker said. Although this into! Fabulous renovated loft style condo- renovations of two buildings in close proximity to each other. helps create a strong business environment with minium with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, new The Wood Cos. purchased the former Winders Motor Sales Co. 35,000 employees and an office occupancy rate of cabinetry, stainless appliances & granite building at 777 N. High St. in December for $1.97 million and now 95 percent, it also contributes to a commercial counters in kitchen, tiled floors in kitchen intends to create up to five storefronts in half of the structure’s 24,000 sector that slows down after 5 p.m. Moving more & baths, hardwood floors, exposed brick, square feet of space. people instead of businesses into homes will help stack washer & dryer and 2 secured park- Mark Wood, the companies’ vice president, said the renovation reverse this dynamic, he said. ing spaces. $230,400 project will result in a building that much more resembles the “Residential development is really important for an original “handsome” design of the old Chevrolet dealership, which area because it provides a built-in audience for area was constructed in 1924, than the very industrial appearance the businesses,” Tinker said. property has now. See Short North, Page 16 See Brewery District, Page 16

Page 8 2005 Developing Our Community 2005 Developing Our Community Page 9 Massive Gateway, housing projects fuel University District redevelopment By SEAN CASEY Daily Reporter Staff Writer

Community Some of Central Ohio’s largest and While the Gateway is intended to turnover rate of 50 percent in the most impacting redevelopment enhance the campus environment neighborhood, Sterrett said. initiatives are completely transforming for students and area businesses, This dynamic has contributed to the University District this year. nearby the largest housing- transient and criminal elements in the “A lot of things that have been renovation effort in the United States area. By renovating and more actively developing over the past few years are is improving the quality of life for managing the properties in the coming to fruition,” said Steve district residents. neighborhood, Community Properties Sterrett, spokesman for Campus The project, led by the Ohio of Ohio, OCCH’s management- Partners for Community Urban Capital Corporation for Housing, is an services division, hopes to foster a investment Redevelopment, the nonprofit entity $85 million low-income housing more stable population that should leading revitalization efforts in the initiative designed to create more than help develop a safer neighborhood and area. 1,000 renovated apartments and a more effective school system, he The most visible stage of evolution townhouses in more than 200 said. German Village officials pursue in the neighborhood surrounding the buildings in seven urban Columbus The area’s renovated residential Ohio State University is the neighborhoods. units will be accompanied by a new relationships with neighboring communities completion of the South Campus Five hundred of these units are in structure for Gateway project. the Weinland Park neighborhood in Elementary School. The school, which as residents enhance homes After nearly a decade of planning the University District, which has the was torn down this past winter, will and more than $150 million in highest concentration of Section 8 open the doors to its new facilities and investment, the Gateway officially will housing in the city. an adjoining community recreation open this fall with a 50,000-square-foot Illicit activity and previous center in Fall 2006. bookstore, 82,000 square feet in office managers’ negligence in maintaining space, a cinema, 190 apartments and a the units have created an annual tenant See University District, Page 16 By SEAN CASEY opening on Thurman Avenue, she said. 1,200-car parking garage. Daily Reporter Staff Writer “When we have businesses coming in, it Campus Partners formed in shows us that we are maintaining economic 1995 with the goal of bringing Throughout 2005, German Village residents viability,” Moore said. commercial vitality and a high will continue to invest within the community The district also hopes to protect quality of life back to a section of while the district leadership focuses on investment in the area through a long-range town that had become blighted by enhancing relationships with adjacent plan for Third Street that would protect the brick abandoned, decaying buildings neighborhoods. roadway and sidewalk, street trees and stone and criminal activity. According to Katharine Moore, executive curbs that give the German Village its unique Although the group has achieved director of the German Village Society, the ambience. significant progress toward its goal German Village Commission has received a large Moore said the city of Columbus had funds through a number of other number of applications for home alterations this earmarked for the project this year, but the redevelopment initiatives, the massive past year, with much of the work scheduled to harsh winter left many major streets with Gateway project is the cornerstone on which the future prosperity of the take place this spring. potholes and other damage that has caused city stretch of High Street between OSU The flurry of submissions evidences a officials to rearrange street-repair priorities. The and uptown Columbus will be focused swelling in home investment, which ultimately funding is no longer guaranteed, but German results in higher levels of community pride, civic for years to come. Village officials will continue to advocate the “It will be a real catalyst for future involvement and property maintenance, she project, she said. said. economic development on High Developments within neighboring districts The infusion of money into the Street,” Sterrett said. also have focused the German Village Society’s neighborhood has bolstered property values and Because of its importance to the encouraged increased homeownership in the attention on the enhancement of a corridor area, the city is taking steps to area, as the investment is creating a highly other than Third Street, Moore said. maximize accessibility to Gateway. desirable environment for homebuyers, she As plans forge ahead for the redevelopment The city already has installed left-hand said. of the Whittier Peninsula and the revitalization turn lanes at the intersection of High “We have had a strong real estate sales year, of the Brewery District, the stretch of Whittier Street and Lane Avenue on the north with a number of million-dollar homes being Street that runs through German Village will side of OSU. In August, both sold in the past year,” Moore said. become an increasingly important connector, Chittenden and East 11th avenues, the The strong housing market also has helped she said. streets that frame the heart of Gateway attract some new retail ventures to the area, she “We’ve always been kind of a north-south at High Street, will be converted from said. neighborhood, but as area begins to change … one-way to two-way streets, further Recently, three new businesses have we need to make sure we’re looking west as facilitating travel to the destination, he announced plans to open German Village well,” she said. said. storefronts. German Village is in the planning stages of a Plans also are proposed to Bowen & Co., a garden supply shop, will program that would analyze traffic flow on designate East 11th Avenue as a open on City Park Avenue. Retailer T. David Whittier Street and recommend updates to signature street and outfit the corridor Collections is moving into a location on Third design guidelines for the corridor, Moore with an inviting streetscape within the Street, and an E-Bay/consignment shop is said. u next few years, Sterrett said.

Page 10 2005 Developing Our Community 2005 Developing Our Community Page 11 “I really feel we’ve come a long way,” he said. Love said the area also will prosper from the streetscape improvement project now underway that will Clintonville transform the entire stretch of the High Street Corridor of Clintonville, an initiative he has championed for more than 14 years. The $3.4 million project, which began last summer, will update the rebounding corridor through the installation of new curbs and sidewalks, mast-arm traffic signals and foliage along High Street between Torrence Road and Arcadia with revitalization of commercial Avenue. The city also plans to repave this stretch of High Street. The east side of High Street from Arcadia Avenue to center, primary corridor Weber Road already has received the updates, and city officials hope to have the entire project completed by early fall. Love said the improvements are Victorian Village-Harrison West necessary because the corridor generally represents visitors’ first impressions of the area. By SEAN CASEY shopping center. Developers have By creating a more pedestrian- Development raises housing Daily Reporter Staff Writer patched holes in the High Street friendly environment, Clintonville Corridor, linking the storefronts of the officials hope to create more Less than two years after the decay southern part of Clintonville, which commercial opportunities in the of its main commercial center, exude a small-town charm, with the corridor, benefiting neighborhood demand in near north Clintonville has a series of massive Graceland plaza in the north. merchants and residents alike, while redevelopment projects underway According to Paul Love, an area also protecting property values, he said. By SEAN CASEY throughout the area and is poised to be Realtor and long-time member of the Hartong said previous projects and Daily Reporter Staff Writer stronger than ever economically. Clintonville Chamber, in the past year promises of improvements have helped “It’s been a year of ribbon-cuttings developers have completed four new lure more than 20 new businesses to the Near north Columbus mail carriers beware: Area routes community center and a four-acre riverfront park, both of in Clintonville,” said Ernie Hartong, buildings in the corridor that now corridor during the last year. are getting a lot longer. which will be open to the public. president of the Clintonville Area house chain retailers and independent Chamber of Commerce. Much like other neighborhoods near downtown Developer Mark Wagenbrenner said his company is businesses alike. See Clintonville, Page 14 Columbus, the near north communities of Victorian Village All of those shorn ribbons bullish about the demand for urban living because of foreshadow a future that is envisioned and Harrison West are experiencing a significant jump in nationwide trends in the housing market. residential development. much brighter than would have seemed “People are staying single longer, and they want to live possible just a few years ago. In recent years, the two neighborhoods known for their near active urban centers, … so they are flocking to in-fill historic homes have had increasing interest in area housing In the autumn of 2003, the retail housing,” he said. “And on the backside, people are living anchors of the Graceland Shopping as property renovation and the development of adjacent longer so they are looking for places to live that offer Center began closing their doors, which neighborhoods — the Short North, the Arena District and convenience.” caused some other long-time tenants of the Ohio State University campus — encouraged more the plaza to relocate their operations residents to settle there, according to Rob Pettit, president of Suburban sprawl also is contributing to this flattening of the housing curve, in that the entry-level home communities and eventually brought desolation to the Victorian Village Society. what had for years been the commercial “Victorian Village has transitioned over the past 20 years are now farther away from urban centers than ever before, he said. Likewise, quieter communities on the outskirts of epicenter of the area. Much of from being a not so desirable area to an area that is Graceland, which is located near High desirable,” he said. those suburbs that have historically attracted retiring residents are even farther removed from the central city, he Street and Morse Road, has since been As development of these areas continues and demolished. added. investment within Victorian Village and Harrison West Now though, Clintonville is well on grows, demand is pushed even higher, creating a market for “Now your are looking at a 50-minute commute at the the way to recovery thanks to the rapid new homes in the region, he said. beginning of your career and an hour-and-a-half commute redevelopment of the shopping center. Since March 2004, three residential projects have near retirement. People have less time now, and they do not This past winter The Kroger Co. opened in Victorian Village, bringing a total of 72 new units want to spend too much of it in their cars,” Wagenbrenner opened a new, upscale store in a to the area, and now the district has another 16 units under said. “What we are capturing here is a lifestyle change.” 100,000-square-foot space that former New penthouse and mid-rise construction, 89 units waiting to break ground and a 28-unit The company hopes to have occupancy in Harrison rival Big Bear occupied at Graceland luxury condominium homes at project under review by the village commission. Park’s first phase, the project’s freestanding homes, this before its parent company declared There also is a single-family house being built on Neil October. Construction on the apartment phase is scheduled bankruptcy in 2003. the historic crossroads of Avenue just north of Third Avenue, Pettit said. to begin this summer, and Wagenbrenner said he expects The grocery/retail store has helped Columbus offer all the comforts “It’s great to see the interest in Victorian Village the entire project to reach its final stages in the fall of 2006. Graceland regain a significant amount continue to grow,” he said. “Our goal is to increase of home in the redeveloped Planning also is underway on a few other residential of customer traffic, Hartong said. And homeownership in the neighborhood, and this is all positive heart of the city. Visit our developments near the large Harrison Park project, when discount retailer Target Brands activity.” Inc. christens a 125,000-square-foot website to take a tour of our In neighboring Harrison West, a large residential project according to David Butler, president of the Harrison West store this summer, shoppers are sure to condominium suites. also is in the pipeline. Society. come flooding back, which will also be Last summer, Wagenbrenner Realty demolished the old In addition to Harrison Park development and trends in of great benefit to the smaller A.C. Humko plant where First Avenue dead-ends at the the housing market, Butler said area development has businesses in the area, he said. Contact Marilyn Vutech or benefited from its close proximity to other exciting Olentangy River to make way for Harrison Park, a 16-acre, “It will bring a whole new life to the Jeff Ruff, at HER Real Living 271-unit housing initiative. neighborhoods, as well as a steady influx of young Graceland area,” Hartong said. The project incorporates as many as 200 apartments, 60 professionals hailing from nearby OSU who are enticed by This wave of revitalization is not A Casto Development 614.273.6212. condominiums and 10 single-family homes, as well as a urban-community living. u isolated within the re-emerging

Page 12 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide Page 13 Eastside Clintonville Continued from Page 13 Italian Village New designation a sign of In addition to high profile commercial and infrastructure projects underway in Clintonville, the area has a area’s continuing growth host of noteworthy residential Historic developments in the works. This past year, the first-ever By JEREMY HOLDEN condominiums in Clintonville went on district to Daily Reporter Staff Writer the market. Merely a stone’s throw from A new neighborhood designation on the city’s eastside is the latest sign Clintonville’s riverfront park system, all marking continued success renovating the area east of downtown and west of 12 two-story units at the corner of Delhi see more Bexley. and Milton avenues were contracted in A consortium of neighborhoods including the King-Lincoln district, Old just 20 days, Love said. Town East and now NoBo, the east side of Columbus has been a target of Encouraged by the market’s redevelopment efforts for several years, and progress is beginning to take form. response, developers now are in the housing units In addition to renovations to the Franklin Park Conserv- process of constructing six new condo units next door to the Delhi community, By JEREMY HOLDEN atory, a central point of the district, a housing development on Taylor Avenue Daily Reporter Staff Writer and a new housing deal north of Broad — the newly designated NoBo district — he said. should help to alter the housing makeup, and a Central Ohio Transit Authority Also, Olentangy Village, a building recently broke ground, noted Kathleen Bailey, president of the Near residential complex on the southern East Area Commission. end of Clintonville, has converted 74 The North of Broad development is a Homeport development, created in townhomes into condominiums that collaboration with Stenson Powell, with sales through Coldwell Banker King will be available beginning this spring, according to Molly Carlson, general Thomspon. It is comprised of 31 new and residential homes, centered at the With the recent addition of a 100-unit condominium complex, the Italian Village neighborhood intersections of Long and 21st streets. manager. northeast of the city’s downtown, comprised of 1,200 housing units in total, might seem an unlikely place for “It’s close to cultural landmarks, the Eldon W. Ward Branch of the YMCA, She said Olentangy Village also is additional single-family homes in coming years, but developers see more in store for the community. the Mansion Day School, shopping, transportation and even the Franklin Park developing a three-story building in the Conservatory. We are really excited to be a part of this incredible community,” 2800 block of North High Street that will Joe Armeni, one of the neighborhood’s prime developers, said he expects between 10 and 20 new said Craig Murphy, director of Homeport. provide 14 loft apartments and 6,500 housing units in the neighborhood each year for the next several years, not including the long-awaited Jeffrey A sales office for the housing development is at the Lincoln Theater on East square feet of retail space. Place development. Long Street, the recipient of redevelopment efforts in recent years, efforts which Carlson said ground will break Armeni’s company, New Victorians Inc., broke ground recently on the Residence of Italian Village, an 11-unit development consisting of single-family homes priced form $319,000. The three-story, single-family will continue, Bailey noted. u soon, with its completion expected by winter. u units mark a different approach to downtown development, but one Armeni said was needed in a part of town better know for condos. For several years, downtown housing spectators have awaited the Jeffrey Place development, a residential community planned for the neighborhood’s eastern tip. “That’s a pretty big piece of the puzzle,” said Mike Jentes, president of the Italian Village Commission. That big puzzle piece could begin to take shape of its own in 2005, as residents could begin moving into housing units by the end of the summer, according to Lark Recchie, a spokeswoman for National Community all Builders, the project’s developer. Now ts The project, which involves 41.5 acres between First Avenue and uni You work five days a week. ped uip Interstate 670, east of Fourth Street, will bring housing to a former industrial eq nd h ha site along the neighborhood’s eastern border. After several years of wit rs! tize planning and delays, above ground improvements to the site will be seen sani this year, with residents moving into the first 11 units as early as late We work five days a week. summer, Recchie said. “A sense of excitement is an understatement,” she said. With Jeffrey Place to the east, a newly-thriving downtown to the south Who can afford to wait a week, or even a month, for the latest local and development expected to continue down High Street from the south business news? Local business leaders know the value of accurate, campus Gateway project, the future could be painted in bright tones by the timely news — available in print and online every business day artists calling Italian Village home, but to longtime residents, it’s the other neighborhoods in debt to the village for fostering development. through The Daily Reporter. Subscribe today to Central Ohio’s only Irrespective of downtown housing plans, the Gateway or even the big daily business and legal newspaper. puzzle piece to the east, Italian Village over the years has shown itself to be an anchor for the downtown housing market, Armeni said. In addition to new housing units, new parks also are in the works for the neighborhood, with park space part of the Jeffrey Place project, and a new park planned along Hubbard Avenue, Jentes said. • Hand sanitizers The single-family housing, while contributing to the continued • Single units in all units! strength of the neighborhood in the overall housing market, could alter • Water systems • Hand wash stations (614) 228-NEWS (6397) slightly the neighborhood’s makeup, upping the number of owners. • Water delivery • Restroom trailers www.sourcenews.com According to Jentes, the neighborhood consists of 70 percent renters. • Holding tanks • Mobile shower trailers “I don’t think we’re ever not going to be a rental community. I was • Hoist units • Expanded service area president of the neighborhood society as a renter,” he said. u 800.972.3800 www.portakleen.com

Page 14 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide Page 15 multitude of storefronts have opened facilities, and the galleries of the University District in the area throughout the past year, Wexner Center for the Arts at OSU will Continued from Page 11 which has helped spread the be reopening this spring after its revitalization efforts throughout the renovation is completed. The school will include an onsite neighborhood. “There are a variety of attractions lab for OSU’s College of Human One of most-notable of these here, and we’re excited that the Ecology early childhood development projects is the redevelopment of a environment resulting from the program, which will function as a long-abandoned bank branch office at redevelopment is going to appeal to a Northwestern preschool, Sterrett said. the northwest corner at the wide variety of people,” he said. There also are plans to redevelop intersection of High Street and Fifth Looking ahead, the next step in abandoned industrial sites nearby. Avenue. the University District’s revitalization Those areas also contribute to Project developer Don DeVere of may be a streetscape improvement criminal and drug activity, as well as DeVere LLC said the bank is being project that would install a median on unsanitary conditions. transformed into a mixed-use space High Street between Lane and 11th Of the 18 buildings targeted for that will feature 4,500 square feet of avenues and reconnect some streets in redevelopment in Weinland Park, five commercial space on the ground level the area to High Street. are completed, five are under- and eight one-bedroom apartments According to Steve Volkmann, Franklin County construction, and work will begin on on the second and third floors. OSU’s landscape architect, the the remaining eight structures this Interior remodeling is underway, and university has drafted year. DeVere said he expects site recommendations for the long-range In addition to these two large- completion in late summer. improvement plan, which is now scale projects, Pasquale Grado, Additionally, the Newport, the available for public comment. Once executive director of the University longest-running rock and roll club in the plan is finalized, the university will District Business Association, said a the United States, recently updated its search for project funding, he said. u No longer in flood plain

committee last year to identify The 160-acre stretch of land Brewery District capital improvement projects that along the Scioto River, which is Continued from Page 9 would benefit the neighborhood. Tides are turning in currently the site of the city’s vehicle The association intends to work impound lot and an old Lazarus To accommodate the influx of with the city on a High Street warehouse, will be converted into 55 new residents, The Kroger Co. will improvement plan that would build an upscale grocery store implement some of these changes, acres of residential and retail Grandview Heights behind Claddagh Irish Pub on Front with the initial negotiations to take development, as well as an 80-acre Street. Tinker said in mid-March that place this year, Tinker said. park with a nature preserve. he expects ground to break on the Additionally, the committee’s In February, the city of 66,000-square-foot store soon. recommendations lay the Columbus and the Franklin County He added that the presence of foundation for an updated Metropolitan Park District received a the store itself should provide a huge comprehensive plan, which is now in $742,500 grant from the Clean Ohio boost to the area’s business the works, he said. By SEAN CASEY Assistance Fund to prepare the 12.6- Daily Reporter Staff Writer environment. “When Kroger comes Even though there are a number acre Lazarus property for the project. online, we think that will really open of exciting developments sprouting the floodgates for retail up throughout the district, these The money will be used for In its first year outside the development,” he said. projects might get overshadowed by asbestos removal, demolition and floodplain, the city of Grandview To help foster these the biggest revitalization project in soil remediation, which is the first Heights has had a wave of revitalization efforts, the Brewery the area, the rehabilitation of the phase of the overall redevelopment development rolling through town. For years, the Federal Emergency District Association formed a Whittier Peninsula. of the Whittier Peninsula. u Management Agency had designated Grandview Heights as part of the Olentangy River’s floodplain, which warded off new development because Short North Medical offices currently occupying developments will fully develop the west businesses were required to pay costly the rear half of the building will remain, side of the corridor all the way north to flood-insurance premiums. Continued from Page 8 he said. Second Avenue. FEMA updated its maps in Spring Some primary demolition work has “Our development, which should 2004, and in a rare move, the agency Window frames since covered up begun, and Wood said occupancy will be some of the most exciting retail space expunged parts of the city from its list with tiles will be removed to facilitate begin this summer. in the Short North, and re-development of high-risk areas. 18-foot-high windows, and the retail The company occupying this space of the Sofa Express site one-half block No longer stifled by the spaces will be designed to take will have a nearby customer base when north of our building will transform over prohibitive insurance costs, the city advantage of lofted, second-floor space. Lahoti completes its renovation of the 280 linear feet of High Street frontage has attracted a series of projects that These two features are remarkably rare former Sofa Express building one-half from boarded-up and vacant can help the commercial and office in Columbus and should create an block north at 849 N. High St. storefronts into a new hub of retail, sectors of Grandview Heights rebound, attractive retail environment, he said. The company, which recently restaurant and residential activity,” he according to Pat Bowman, the city’s “We think it’s really going to be the completed construction of retail said. director of administration and a few months ago when the furniture space on Goodale Boulevard, has neatest space around,” Wood said. “It storefronts and 20 condos located at The development in the Short development. store Global Living opened its doors at moved into 57,000 square feet of will really have a big-city feel to it unlike 765-771 N. High St. and has seven North is not all going to be bricks and “It certainly has picked up over 855 Grandview Ave. inside an existing streetside showroom and office space any other space here in town.” condos under construction on Buttles mortar, though. Wagner said, a the past year, and we’re extremely two-building warehouse complex. in the rehabilitated building. Other He said the space also will have a Avenue across from Goodale Park, campaign is beginning this spring to optimistic about the future,” Bowman Global Living Real Estate LLC companies have shown interest in the 50-car parking lot, which helps to attract intends to create 45 condo units in the raise funds for the construction of said. purchased the buildings in 2003 and remaining space within the Global consumers who live outside the old furniture store. pocket parks that will provide more The greatest source of Bowman’s has since renovated the three-floor, campus, and the development has neighborhood, as well as local residents. The units will be located above the greenspace throughout the optimism is the metamorphosis of the 110,000-square-foot facility to house helped bring some vitality back to the He said the Wood Cos. is in talks retail space the company has for the first neighborhood. The money also will be city’s two main corridors, which the retail, office and warehouse space. area, Bowman said. with potential tenants and plans to floor of the building. used for streetscape improvements, he updated flood map has enabled. Global Living, which previously house a restaurant on the first floor. Wood said that together these two said. u The first signs of change emerged was located in a 15,000-square-foot See Grandview, Page 22

Page 16 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide Page 17 Hilliard Bedroom community ready for a change Upper Arlington

By SEAN CASEY “I think, over the years, we missed noteworthy results of Hilliard’s Daily Reporter Staff Writer attracts a lot of opportunities because we operational shifts, but Meeks said Commercial, municipal didn’t have the roads here,” Meeks there are numerous development Throughout the rest of 2005, said, adding that tax incentives are projects the city’s zoning and approval Upper Arlington’s skyline will swell, as generally not enough to attract changes have fostered. the build-out of last year’s record new businesses in the absence of adequate At the onset of the year, a number volume of construction projects infrastructure. of new storefronts opened on Main continues. build-out fuel The first of these projects has been Street near the Heritage Golf Club, According to Upper Arlington the development of Trueman including a 20,000-square-foot World Development Director Dean Sivinski, Boulevard, a five-lane connector Gym and the new Hilliard West $84.4 million in construction came offices, running from Cemetery Road and Regional Office of HER Real Living online in 2004, which represents the community’s growth Fishinger Boulevard to Davidson Road. Inc., which houses more than 70 city’s largest annual dollar volume This new artery, which opened in associates. ever. February, provides access to 60 acres A large portion of those Construction also is underway on underway. Construction on the second square feet of office and commercial retail of developable land in addition to the the Darby Town Center, a 30,000- construction dollars is earmarked for of five buildings offering 12,000 square space, Sivinski said. 73,000-square-foot Hilliard Office square-foot retail development on the redevelopment of the First Preserve, the former corporate campus Community Village campus and the feet of office-condo space each has A sister project, Town Center Place Cosgray Road, and just a few hundred begun and development of the project is planned to offer 20 additional of Red Roof Inns on Davidson Road. yards away 10,000 square feet more of Wellington School. Aggressive development initiatives First Community Village, a will continue throughout the year. condominium units and flats. retail space is also in the pipeline, The first building in the complex Sivinski said attracting these types have helped secure leases for nearly Meeks said. retirement and assisted-living half of the office space at the Hilliard complex, is in the midst of a three- to was finished last year and is now 90 of projects to Upper Arlington are By SEAN CASEY Developers also are busy along percent occupied, Sivinski said. increasingly important because land in Office Preserve, which is being created Main Street, where the city has five-year plan to remake its entire 29.4- Daily Reporter Staff Writer by local developer Equity. acre campus along Riverside Drive. In the next few months, the first-tier suburb is at a premium approved the redevelopment of an old Through its efforts, Hilliard also Sivinski said the city approved the construction also is slated to begin on and higher-density developments funeral home for 20,000 square feet of The city of Hilliard, which has for has secured the construction of a new demolition permits necessary to the a three-story, 57,000-square-foot office enhance efficiency in land-use while mixed-use space, and along Cemetary years been primarily a bedroom BWM Financial Services complex project in December, and renovation building at 1460 W. Lane Ave that will creating traditional walkable community, has switched its focus within the city. The 220,000-square- Road where Retail Ventures Inc. efforts should continue throughout the house The Ohio State University’s communities. from residential growth to commercial foot building will cover 18 acres and recently opened 7,000 square feet of rest of the year. Office of Development. Looking beyond 2005, he said, the development. house 820 jobs when it opens in the commercial space. The city also has approved the Developers also will push forth city is negotiating with Clinton “It’s a complete turnaround,” said first quarter of 2006, Meeks said. “I think you are going to see a lot planning and zoning for the with two new mixed-use projects this Township on the annexation of a four- David Meeks, Hilliard’s economic Construction has begun on the coming out of Hilliard this year,” redevelopment of the Wellington year. acre stretch of Lane Avenue between development director. other roadway, Britton Parkway, which Meeks said. School at the corner of Reed and Located along Tremont Road, OSU and Upper Arlington. The deal He said that under the leadership is an extension of Emerald Parkway Even though commercial Fishinger roads. The project, Town Center at Kingsdale will provide would enable Upper Arlington to of Mayor Don Schonhardt, the city has south of Tuttle Crossing Boulevard to development is the order of the day in estimated to cost between $25 between 30 and 50 high-density, mid- control any future redevelopment of Hilliard, residential growth will committed to attracting more Hayden Run Road. million and $30 million, would rise luxury condos, as well as 20,000 the land, he said. u commercial development than ever The project will open up more continue throughout 2005, as build- provide a new 55,000-square-foot before by updating municipal than 300 acres of development- out of existing communities proceeds, school building, complete with a functions to expedite the approval friendly land, he added. The city Meeks said. two-story theater and new athletic process and by offering aggressive tax- rezoned the land to allow for between In 2004, the city awarded about facilities. incentive packages. 1.5 million and 2 million square feet of 200 residential-construction permits, Sivinski said the project is ready to The city also has invested millions office space along Interstate 270. nearly half of what it had in recent begin, but it is currently being held up of dollars to create two new roadways Duke Construction is now in the years, but Hilliard’s housing market by an appeal filed by a neighborhood that open up hundreds of acres of city process of developing part of the site, remains solid, he said, adding that the group opposed to the school’s land for commercial and office he said. city still has a lot of land available for reconstruction. The appeal is awaiting outgrowth, he said. These projects are the most- home construction. u judgement in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. If the court denies the appeal, ground should break this year, he said. While the Wellington project hangs in the air, work on another city redevelopment initiative is nearing completion. Hastings Pool, which has undergone a $4 million reconstruction, is scheduled to open its doors Memorial Day weekend. The renovated aquatic facility features a 25-foot waterslide, a lazy river and a “wow factor” that Upper Arlington residents are sure to enjoy, Sivinski said. Also this year, build-out will continue at Avia, another senior-living community, as developers transform old office buildings on Northwest Professional Parkway into 24 new residential units. Likewise, the next phase of the successful Arlington Falls project is

Page 18 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide Page 19 Faced with a 98 percent build-out, the city of Worthington has turned its development efforts inward and has a number of promising projects in the works. According to Paul Feldman, the assistant city manager and economic director of development for Worthington, the recent recession imposed some hard times on all areas of Central Ohio, but aided by Development the revitalization of key industrial and commercial areas, Worthington is well-positioned to make a turn around. One of the primary sources of Feldman’s optimism is the rehabilitation of the city’s industrial efforts space. In the past year, Worthington has breathed some life into this sector by attracting new clients to its North Point distribution center, which had been empty since a warehouse operation left a few years turn inward ago. The city’s industrial sector also could get a huge boost this year when leasing begins on the Enhancing town character, rehabilitated space in the Huntley Road Corridor. For years, the 7000 block of Huntley Road had revitalizing industrial sector key to been home to a super-abrasives plant operated by General Electric Co., but it now sits idle. Worthington’s economic vibrancy Connecticut-based investment banking company Northland Community Little John and Co. has purchased the property and is renovating the facilities and improving on-site parking. Feldman said the updated space has Revitalization of depressed retail sparked much interest among potential tenants. The old Worthington Foods Inc. manufacturing By SEAN CASEY plant on Proprietors Road closed in January, but Daily Reporter Staff Writer hub running ahead of schedule recently was purchased by The Robert Weiler Co., a local development company. Kellogg purchased the local company in 1999 and closed the 143,000-square-foot facility to The Northland Alliance is campaigning managing director and chief executive officer of Columbus consolidate operations with another Kellogg plant in for the establishment of a Special Urban Growth Corp. Zanesville, Ohio. Columbus Urban Growth and Northland Associates At the time of Weiler’s purchase in late March, Improvement District in the area. If the area LLC are leading the redevelopment initiative in the area. the company was undecided about the fate of the business owners approve the creation of a “We’ve got about 20 percent of the parcels on the 84- property. SID, they will use a self-imposed assessment acre site sold,” Jones said. These new additions to the area In addition to maximizing the revitalization of will include Telhio Credit Union Inc. and a Taco Bell old industrial sites, an area with little greenfield to fund upkeep and cleaning initiatives. restaurant. Jones added that he expects some more big space left must enhance and promote its strength in strides toward the fulfillment of the revitalization plan to be order to maintain economic vibrancy, he said. taken this year. For Worthington, that strength is its emblematic The redevelopment project almost took a giant step character. To ensure Worthington maintains its backward a few months ago though when Retail Ventures distinctive small-town atmosphere and its sense of Inc. decided not to relocate corporate operations to the old community throughout its revitalization efforts the By SEAN CASEY mall site after spending millions of dollars to renovate the city is drafting a new comprehensive development Daily Reporter Staff Writer former Lazarus department store building. plan. Yet in the months since, the company has subleased the “When we talk about development or The death of its main retail hub in Fall 2002 dealt a three-story, 325,000-square-foot building to the Ohio redevelopment, one of the guiding principles has to major blow to the Northland Community, but a rapidly Department of Taxation, which will use it for office space be, ‘Keep Worthington Worthington,’” Feldman progressing recovery effort already has pumped some life and bring approximately 1,000 jobs to the Northland area said. Chris Hermann, senior associate with Myers back into the area. when it begins operations there this spring. Schmalenberger Inc., said the comprehensive By the turn of the century, the , the These workers will join the nearly 650 employees that strategy would create the broad conceptual picture long-standing commercial anchor of the Morse Road Huntington Bancshares Inc. has had in the neighborhood Corridor was facing the impact of a sluggish economy and a of the city for generations to come. Myers since it reopened operations at a loan-processing office at Schmalenberger is the planning and urban design decreasing level of popularity, which led to declining sales the corner of Morse Road and Cleveland Avenue in August. and increasing vacancy rates. The emergence of upscale firm acting as a consultant on the plan. Huntington officials said the aging facilities of that shopping centers in the nearby Polaris and Easton areas Among top priorities are the enhancement of office location had created a less-than-desirable work compounded these tribulations and eventually helped bring the High Street Corridor through Old Worthington about the decision to close the mall in October 2002. environment, which caused them to start investigating and the addition of different types of residential Fourteen months later, voted to other options. But, enticed by capital improvement projects products, including units that cater to young tear down the idle structure, and last winter the mall was the city of Columbus is funding in the area, including professionals and older residents without children razed, opening the nearly 1 million square feet of space it roadway rehabilitation, Huntington decided to reinvest in in the home. sat on to redevelopment. its existing building. The plan also establishes recommendations for The former mall site is now designated as the heart of a The bank now has an impressive 165,000-square-foot the redevelopment of the large tracts of real estate revitalization project that will incorporate a community modern office space that has allowed it to retain hundreds surrounding the Ohio State University’s Harding center with retail shops, restaurants, upscale residential of employees in the Northland area and bring in hundreds Hospital and the United Methodist Children’s Home units and greenspace under the banner of Northland Park. of additional employees from an office the bank operates in in case those properties are sold in the future. The project is not slated for completion until 2013, but the Crosswoods area. Hermann said he expects the city to vote on a some of its foundation is already taking shape, and final version of the plan by this summer. u development is ahead of schedule, according to Odis Jones, See Northland, Page 22

Page 20 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide Page 21 year project, is now expected to be featuring office and commercial space is Dublin completed by 2008 or 2009, she said. under construction near the Continued from Page 23 Looking ahead, though, Dublin’s intersections of Post and Avery roads. Residential construction housing development may soon be The campus already has three bank Development will also continue in playing second banana to major branch offices and two restaurants the massive Ballantrae community, commercial development. Gunderman approved for tenancy by the city, he said. By SEAN CASEY Apparently, the builders were not which opened as the Central Ohio said Ohio Health is prospecting the Dublin also is reviewing a possible Daily Reporter Staff Writer sugarcoating their responses. Parade of Homes site in 2002. Located development of a new hospital on land deal with a developer, in which the city Large residential communities on 640 acres surrounding the Golf Club on the north side of the U.S. Route 33- would trade the land at the corner of still Despite the added costs constituted a huge portion of Dublin’s of Dublin, Ballantrae eventually will Avery Road interchange. When it Bridge and High streets to allow for the associated with recently imposed development last year, and the include 1,000 condos, villas and single- would come online is not known, but construction of new retail space, building guidelines, new home continued build-out of these projects family homes. the submission of a development Gunderman said. construction will keep the city of will fuel development throughout According to Diane Moon, an proposal is expected this year, he said. Also on the city’s development Dublin buzzing with activity this year. booming 2005, said Gary Gunderman, assistant advisor with Ballantrae, more than 150 The new hospital would spark a docket is a proposed shopping center In December, the city’s updated planning director for the city. units were purchased last year, wave of construction throughout the for the southeastern corner of the residential appearance standards, One these large projects taking pushing the total number of homes surrounding neighborhoods, some of Riverside Drive and state Route 161 which include requirements for shape is the Tartan West community, under contract to 415. The community which already is starting to show, he intersection. Gunderman said this homebuilders to incorporate four- which will feature more than 380 is developing so fast that Ballantrae, said. project currently is up for sided architecture, minimize garage in condominiums, villas and club- originally planned as an eight- to 10- Gunderman said a complex consideration before the city. u door visibility and finish foundations homes, as well as 50 single-family with masonry in new builds, took residences. This subdivision, located effect. on 250 acres west of the Tartan Fields According to Leesa Browand, and Muirfield Village golf club of the renovated Huntington Bank Road, has begun, with completion development review specialist for the Dublin communities, has some homes under Northland facility. expected in late 2006. city’s planning division, the construction, and much of the Continued from Page 20 “Where just a few years ago there The second phase, which will standards help ensure that the community’s basic infrastructure will was little hope left in the community, improve the corridor from Karl Road character of Dublin’s neighborhoods continue to develop this year, Jones said the city has a number of today we are seeing our promises east to Cleveland Avenue, is scheduled is protected. Gunderman said. additional improvement projects in made into reality.” for completion in late 2008 or early Area homebuilders have said the He added that there are also some the area, including the construction of To help bring about that reality, 2009, Hull said. code will add some cost to the subdivisions along Hyland-Croy Road a new road that will run east to west the city is investing millions of dollars In order to protect these construction process, but, according to that also are progressing successfully. from Retail Ventures Avenue to to widen Morse Road from Indianola investments, the Northland Alliance is Browand, response among builders Tamarack Court, which will be funded Avenue to Cleveland Avenue, remove campaigning for the establishment of a has been positive so far. See Dublin, Page 22 by a bond package approved by the service roads and create a pedestrian- Special Improvement District in the voters in November. friendly environment throughout the area, Hull said. If the area business As a priority in his “21st Century corridor by constructing sidewalks and owners approve the creation of a SID, City” initiative, Columbus Mayor crosswalks, according to David Hull, they will use a self-imposed Michael Coleman said, the city will executive director of the Northland assessment to fund upkeep and continue to help foster the rapidly Alliance. cleaning initiatives that the city is progressing revitalization of the The improvements are intended unable to tend to, such as landscape Northland area. to facilitate street access to businesses maintenance and garbage detail. “Northland is seeing an economic and bolster consumer traffic in the “The value of those improvements development spurt that is virtually corridor, he said. The first phase of the will be largely forfeited if the grass unmatched in any neighborhood in project, which will enhance Morse grows over the curb and there is trash America,” Coleman said at the opening Road from Indianola Avenue to Karl blowing everywhere,” Hull said. u

Bowman said the Big Bear though, and tenants often can secure Grandview operations occupied 60 of the 100 rents comparable to those found in Continue from Page 17 acres in the development, but now the Grandview at the newer facilities city is assembling the land with which also have modern suburban Plans also are afoot to convert an intentions to lure mixed-use amenities, Bowman said. old building at 987-999 Goodale Blvd. developments to the site. With signs of economic recovery into renovated commercial space that He said Grandview will continue and a re-tightening of the market will also house a mixture of storage, to focus on attracting new businesses, showroom and office space. New especially innovative firms, to the fresh appearing in Central Ohio, Bowman locations of Columbus Prescription spaces along Goodale Boulevard, said he hopes a re-established price Pharmacies Inc. and The Mobility which would build on the city’s advantage, renovated spaces and the Store, a company that offers motorized initiative to create a “creative character of the Grandview Heights wheelchairs, will take some of that corridor.” will boost development around the space. Despite all of the positive activity city. The revitalization of the corridor in Grandview Heights’ commercial and A commercial recovery would will continue with the conversion of office markets, though, the city may complement the city’s continuously two structures at 1398 and 1408 continue to struggle if the region strong residential market, in which Goodale Blvd., in which developers are maintains a high vacancy rate, he said. properties have appreciated by an generating rehabbed office space, in The older spaces in Grandview average of 8 percent per year for the addition to 14,000 square feet of new Heights, a first-tier suburb of space. Bowman said. Columbus, once had the advantage of past decade, he said. The city also is encouraging the lower-priced lease agreements over “As our economic development redevelopment of the corporate offices newer buildings in the Dublin, Polaris fortunes rise, our housing market will of Big Bear grocery stores which went and Easton areas. The soft office stay right with it,” he said, adding that bankrupt in 2003, leaving the campus market brought on by the recent nearly all in-fill lots in city vacant. recession has mitigated that edge, neighborhoods are being built on. u

Page 22 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide Page 23 Northeastern New Albany combines old, new in town square revitalization By SEAN CASEY close proximity to a new “When starting from scratch, Daily Reporter Staff Writer performing arts center. Stefanov you can get it so it feels right,” said the construction of the 750- Hermann said. Franklin County The village of New Albany, an seat auditorium would begin in In addition to the push for area characterized by its 2006. urban-style development, the sprawling suburban subdivisions, Stefanov said the city will village continues to have strong is now incorporating traditional break ground on a new service construction activity in its development principles into new- garage later this year. The facility, suburban subdivisions, including build projects. which will be adjacent to the New Albany Links golf According to Village Bevelheimer Park, is planned to community, which will be Demolition, reconstruction Administrator Joe Stefanov, New accommodate the village’s growing by 23 single-family Albany is nearing completion on expected build-out, he said. homes this year. its village center renovation Chris Hermann, senior New Albany has long enjoyed about to begin in Gahanna project, which has linked schools, associate with Myers this strong residential market, but homes, storefronts and new Schmalenberger Inc., the urban now it also is experiencing an greenspaces in a pedestrian- Gerry Bird, president of the Bird Houk design firm that consulted with increase in commercial Collaborative, the project’s designer, said friendly environment. the village on this development development thanks to the area’s Creekside also will rebrand downtown Gahanna, Village officials hoped the initiative, said New Albany has an new surgical hospital. When the an area that failed to maintain a distinctive recreation of a traditional small- advantage in creating these types facility opened on Smith’s Mill identity as the town grew. town infrastructure would bring of environments in new-build Road in late 2003 it created a “The idea is to try to bring character to more foot traffic to the area and projects rather than encouraging spike in demand for medical downtown that is recognizable and has a sense of encourage more private redevelopment years down the office space, Stefanov said. place, but to preserve the natural characteristics of redevelopment along Main and line. The village now has a number the downtown, its natural elements, and to be High streets in the center of town, These traditional of projects underway that will fill consistent and respectful of it at the same time,” he said. neighborhood development this void, including a new campus Bird said. It seems the investment is principles, which promote more nearing completion next to the In addition to the Creekside Project, Gahanna already making returns. compact, walkable communities, medical facility. has a number of significant development M/I Homes Inc. has the first allow the village to create a The project being developed initiatives entering the pipeline for 2005. phase of its Windsor development vibrant urban core while by Canini and Pellecchia Inc. Gahanna Development Director Sadicka under construction just north of providing for adequate parking features five buildings each White said the city will be widening Hamilton the village center, Stefanov said. that is also screened from the offering 8,000-square-foot office- Road from U.S. Route 62 to a point just south of At build-out the project will have street, he said. condo space. u Morse Road. 372 homes incorporated into a By SEAN CASEY The augmentation of the roadway will 73-acre, traditional neighborhood Daily Reporter Staff Writer improve traffic flow and alleviate rush-hour development that makes use of congestion, she said. alleyways and rear-load garages After years of planning, the city of Gahanna’s The city also has attracted tenants to big-box in order to create a densely ambitious Creekside project finally will start taking retail spaces left vacant in the past few years. populated community that is shape in 2005. The Kroger Co. has plans to redevelop 100,000 within walking distance of the According to William Murdock, the city’s square feet in the Hunter’s Ridge Shopping Center village center, he said. senior planner, demolition of existing buildings that Kmart abandoned during its restructuring. Similarly, The New Albany along Creekside Park on downtown Gahanna’s Similarly, Mashalls soon will be moving into Co. is in the initial stages of Mill Street soon will begin and reconstruction of another big-box space in the Stoneridge Plaza that construction on its Keswick was occupied by Big Bear Grocery Stores before the site should start later this year. community. The project, which their closing last year. When the project is completed, in late 2006 or fronts Market Square, will bring Gahanna also has had success in industrial early 2007, Gahanna will have redeveloped an additional 95 Georgetown- approximately 25 percent of its downtown area development, White said. style condominiums to the center with a 250,000-square-foot mixed-use project that Amerigraph, a large commercial print includes retail and office space as well as between company, recently opened a new 300,000 square of town, he said. 40 and 60 condominiums. foot operation off East Gate Road, and Floyd Bell, a These are just two in a series “Basically, we are recreating the heart of hi-tech electronics manufacturer is moving from of other TND-style developments Gahanna,” Murdock said. Grandview to Gahanna, which will bring about 80 starting to take shape in the area, Creekside is intended to pump life back into jobs to the area, White said. he said downtown Gahanna by offering a variety of retail Looking ahead at potential development in Residents in these and nightlife destinations amongst neo-traditional Gahanna, White said a developer has proposed the communities will have easy architecture and waterfront vistas. annexation of 40 acres off Clark State and access to the neighborhood’s The project, which is costing the city and Reynoldsburg-New Albany roads. public schools, as well as the developers a combined $40 million, also The site would be used to create traditional greenspaces and retail outlets incorporates an attached 400-car parking garage neighborhood development, featuring a mix of found in the village center, he as well as an extension of the actual creek and residential, office, and commercial space, she said. park. said. u Soon, they also will be in

Page 24 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide Page 25 City, university, seminary Wave of Westerville turns join forces to revitalize retail attention to booming Bexley’s main corridor expected to office market flood By SEAN CASEY By SEAN CASEY Daily Reporter Staff Writer Whitehall’s Daily Reporter Staff Writer

An agreement forged last year between the city of Bexley and its two bastions of corridors Already Columbus’ most populated suburb, the city of This community will be comprised of 136 homes and higher learning already is returning huge dividends. Westerville is now focusing its development efforts on a utilize smaller lots and alleyways to create a more urban Bexley Development Director Dan Lorek said in 2004 the city, Capital University booming office market. environment. and Trinity Lutheran Seminary jointly adopted a master plan intended to revitalize By ALEX MAKSIMOVIC According to Westerville Planning Administrator Rich The two developments will add a combined 305 the heart of the city — the Main Street Corridor. For The Daily Reporter Kight, over the past few years, the city has added more than residential units to Westerville, which Kight said is a fairly “We’re building our shared visions of the future,” Lorek said. “Pretty much right 1 million square feet of Class A office space, which is large augmentation for the city. now, the potential is in New retail still leads rapidly being snatched up by commercial tenants. In addition to these single-family home communities, place for Main Street redevelopment efforts in Whitehall. In the past year alone, 478,000 square feet of new office Kight said the city has approved two other condominium Bexley. (There are) six to The Main Street, Broad Street and space either opened or received approval for construction, communities. The Epcon Group is constructing 108 units on eight projects happening Hamilton Road commercial corridors Kight said. 26 acres at its Canterbury Woods development, and in Bexley in the next two continue to attract retail Most of this development has sprouted up in the Romanelli & Hughes Building Co. plans to build 74 units in its years.” development. Westar Center of Business on the city’s northeast side. Villas at Northstar community on Worthington Road. In 2001, the city Joining the new CVS Pharmacy Located along Cleveland Avenue and Africa Road near Although it is driving growth in Westerville, the massive updated its design and Walgreen Drug Store are BMW Polaris Parkway, this 1,000-acre office park is the site of a new-build efforts on the city’s outskirts are not the only guidelines, relaxing Motorcycles of Columbus, Staples construction frenzy. developments of significance. Westerville also is pushing zoning standards and a new Target store. Lured by a desirable location, financial incentive forth the revitalization of its urban core. regulating parking, Target officials expect the store packages, including real property tax abatements, and the For starters, the city has approved the development of a density and building to generate about $30 million a year city’s $30 million investment new CVS Pharmacy at setback. Lorek said the in sales. Wal-Mart has submitted in improvements to the local Walnut and State streets, as city instituted the construction plans for a new 204,000- roadway network, several well as an Old Bag of Nails changes to encourage square-foot store on Main Street. The developers have launched restaurant at Main and high-density, mixed-use $20 million investment is expected to large-scale developments in State streets in uptown development, an revitalize that section of Whitehall’s the area, Kight said. Westerville. increasingly important commercial district. Westar is essentially the City officials also have initiative for the city The David J. Glimcher Co. will epicenter of the office-space pushed for the 10,000- because it is a first-tier build a 14,000-square-foot retail boom in Westerville and is square-foot expansion of suburb and is nearing center across from the Wal-Mart site the location of 364,000 the library, Kight said. 100 percent build-out. and a local nameplate developer is square feet, or 76 percent, of The continued growth of The city began preparing development plans for city the city’s total office Otterbein College also is offering tax-abatement design review of a 42,000-square-foot development in the past contributing to the packages the next year, retail center. year. revitalization efforts. The and in 2004 it created a Yum! Brands Inc. has purchased Among the new tenants college has started the Tax Increment Financing district to fund improvements in the corridor. property on Main Street and will in the Westar development is redevelopment of its Then, in accordance with Bexley’s Southwest Master Plan, the two institutions build a new Long John Silvers/A&W Progressive Medical. The football stadium, and it has agreed to sell properties they held along Main Street to private developers with hopes Root Beer restaurant. company, which started a submitted plans for the of creating an economically vibrant gateway to the city. New retail development is only decade ago with just five employees in a small office on construction of a new dormitory, Kight said. The result of these efforts is now making an impact on the city’s primary artery. part of the story, though. Whitehall is Schrock Road, now occupies 75,000 square feet of new Otterbein also has received approval from the city to Developers have broken ground on One Dawson Place, a five-story, $5 million attracting investment from the space. convert an old nursing into another new boarding house. project that will incorporate seven luxury condominiums on the upper floors and health-care industry as well. Throughout the balance of 2005, Kight said, developers This project may very well be a foreshadowing of 1,000 square feet of retail on the ground level. The project, which is located near the The Veterans Administration will will continue the build-out of the Westar campus, which will development to come in Westerville, Kight said. The city intersection of Dawson and Main streets, is Bexley’s first tax-abated development. break ground on a new $90 million include a large mixed-use project planned for the north side anticipates more reuse of older buildings throughout the It is scheduled for completion in late 2005 or early 2006. dollar multi-story clinic later this of Polaris Parkway. central city. Construction also has begun on the city’s tax-incentivized project, Bexley summer, and a new 30,000-square- Developing company The Daimler Group Inc., which And as this redevelopment emerges in Westerville’s Gateway Plaza. This $25 million, mixed-use project is being built on two acres of land, foot medical facility currently is in already has two 140,000-square-foot buildings at Westar, southern gateway, the South State Street Corridor, the city is at the intersection of Parkview Avenue and Main Street, that developer Plaza the schematic design phase. has been approved for the construction of two more five- embarking on an effort to re-image the area, he said. In Properties LLC purchased from Trinity, Lorek said. Whitehall has also secured story, 145,000-square-foot office buildings, Kight said. order to evoke a more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere in an Likewise, Capital is in the negotiating process with a developer regarding the $450,000 dollars in state assistance Adjacent to the new offices will be 110,000 square feet of area indicative of suburban commercial development, transfer of a parcel across Main Street from the Gateway Plaza, he said. for infrastructure improvements at retail space and a 92-unit condominium complex. Westerville recently adopted a master plan for the corridor, A fourth project, a new 10,000-square-foot retail center planned for the central the Hyland Industrial/Office Park on The area near Westar, which Kight said is essentially the which encourages developers to pull buildings closer to the section of the corridor is in the review process, but Lorek said he anticipates a ground Poth Road. The 20-acre site, featuring last of the undeveloped land within Westerville’s borders, street and position parking lots at the side or rear of the breaking this summer. a fiber optic loop, is now available for also is the site of two new residential projects that already structures, he said. Two additional mixed-use projects, estimated at between $2 million and $3 build-to-suit or land purchase by have broken ground, M/I Homes Inc.’s Millstone and The plan also regulates signage, calls for standardized million each, also are in development at the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and new or expanding companies. This Millstone Creek communities. landscaping, advocates fewer curb cuts along South State Main Street. project creates more acreage and The Millstone development will be a community of 169 Street, and promotes alternative traffic routes to corridor “When you add it all up, Main Street Bexley has about $40 million of additional investment opportunities single-family homes at the intersection of Spring and businesses through the use of existing roads, Kight said. development breaking ground, being proposed or on the drawing board for 2005, in the Whitehall industrial zone. u Grinstone roads. The new zoning regulations will help extend the 2006 and into 2007,” Lorek said. Situated close by, near the intersection of Spring and inviting environment of Old Town Westerville down He added that Capital has instituted a $40 million campus development plan, Alex Maksimovic is deputy for Maxtown roads, Millstone Creek is planned as a TND, or through the South State Street commercial district, he which should promote growth and economic activity in the area for the next five to 10 administration and development for traditional neighborhood development, Kight said. said. u years. u the city of Whitehall.

Page 26 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide Page 27 Southern Franklin County

Construction activity and environmental research after the agencies’ current joint location on the Ohio State University’s west campus was designated for other functions. becoming The city also is benefiting from the Reynoldsburg expansion of two other major health-care facilities, Mount Carmel East Hospital and the more Ohio State University Medical Center, both on Main Street. revels In addition to the jobs created at the facilities themselves, their development has balanced in sparked a steady increase in new medical office construction, Brandt said. There are a number of in retail rewards small-office users moving in throughout the Canal areas surrounding the medical centers, he explained. Employment conditions in Reynoldsburg By SEAN CASEY The Ohio Department of also are being enhanced by a series of retail Daily Reporter Staff Writer Transportation’s plan to remove Winchester By SEAN CASEY developments, including the first phase of Taylor intersections from U.S. Route 33 to Daily Reporter Staff Writer Park, a 55,000-square-foot project on the west Canal Winchester has grown allow for faster traffic also has opened remarkably fast over the past few the door to development in Canal side of state Route 256 at Interstate 70. The site, years, as hundreds of Central Ohio Winchester, he said. Capitalizing on its close proximity to major which is anchored by Staples and H.H. Gregg highways and the construction of new health- families have built homes in the Mount Carmel Hospital and the Appliances Inc., is under construction, Brandt community that offers the feel of a Fairfield Medical Center have bought care facilities, Reynoldsburg has attracted a said. number of developments that will bring in more village as well as easy accessibility to 55 acres near the U.S. 33 and Diley Structural steel is up on a new 65,000- the big city. Road interchange, which opened in than 1,000 jobs to the city. square-foot Kroger Co. grocery store at Main According to John Brandt, the city’s Now, however, construction October 2004, for the possible Street and Taylor Road, as well as on Wesley Building Systems has purchased 56 development director, apparel company activity in the village of Canal construction of a new hospital, Ridge, a 120-unit senior-living complex, Brandt Winchester is becoming more Langner said. acres and is completing construction Victoria’s Secret has relocated its electronic said. These projects should open this year. on a 22,000-square-foot spec building. order fulfillment center from Easton to a facility balanced, according to Development Although the partnership is still Brandt said Reynoldsburg is further Director Bruce Langner. conducting feasibility studies on the Loveland Excavating of Columbus Inc. in Reynoldsburg previously occupied by retailer promoting economic growth through a The residential growth in the area area, developers already are showing also has broken ground on industrial Lane Bryant. revitalization project that is creating more has created a local consumer market in interest in neighboring parcels for the space there, Langner said. Brandt said the $40 million to $70 million Canal Winchester, which has construction of medical offices, he And, of course, there will be plenty renovation of the plant will begin this year. pedestrian-friendly environments along the city’s Main Street, Brice Road and Livingston encouraged increased commercial said. of residential development in Canal When it reaches full working capacity, it will development in the area, he said. The improved transportation Winchester this year, he said. utilize about 900 employees, bringing a big boost Avenue corridors. The city is burying utility lines, installing Much of the activity is centralized infrastructure in the village also is Canal Cove, a community of 241 to city income tax revenue. in the Gender Road Corridor. fostering its burgeoning industrial single-family units, already is under City coffers also will fatten soon when the decorative streetlights and laying brick-accented sidewalks in an effort to increase business In March 2004, Wal-Mart opened sector. construction, and the village has new combined facility of the Ohio Department a 203,622-square-foot Supercenter in Canal Pointe, the village’s own approved plans for Cherry Landing, a of Health and the Ohio Environmental activity, as well as the value of and demand for property in the corridors, Brandt said. the Waterloo Crossing Shopping industrial park, already has attracted a traditional neighborhood development Protection Agency opens its doors. of 180 single-family homes near Phase one of the seven-year project, which Center on Gender Road, which made number of businesses, mostly small The two-story, 77,000-square-foot the area a shopping destination and distribution companies, to the area, downtown. transformed the stretch of Main Street between laboratory, now under construction will bring further lured businesses to settle in the and some companies have inquired Canal Winchester is adding multi- about 100 employees with a combined $5 Brice Road and Rose Hill Drive, is complete, and village. about the park’s 60 still-undeveloped family residential to its landscape as million payroll to Reynoldsburg. the next stage, which will move down Main The move has helped attract other acres, 43 of which lie within the well. Four or five condominium The health department and Ohio EPA had to Street from Rose Hill Drive to the city’s limits, big-name anchors, including The Foreign Trade Zone surrounding developments are in the pipeline, find new locations for their respective pathology will commence this spring. u Home Depot, which is constructing a Rickenbacker International Airport. including the Villas at Charleston Lake, store just up the road in the Winchester Just north of Canal Pointe another a 115-unit community that is now Square Plaza, Langner said. industrial park is taking shape. Dublin under construction, Langner said. u

Page 28 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide Page 29 Residential, infrastructure development attracts retailers to Grove City Groveport: By CHARLES W. BOSO For the Daily Reporter a booming logistics hub Grove City continues to move forward with development at on the move the southern edge of Franklin County. With easy access to the outer belt, and being the southern gateway to metropolitan Columbus via Interstate 71, Grove City is ripe for all strata of development — residential, retail, service and industrial. By SEAN CASEY More than 1,200 new permits for single-family homes have Daily Reporter Staff Writer been issued by Grove City in the past five years, with the average value of a new home increasing 29 percent in that same time The emergence of Groveport as an international period. The new Pinnacle Club development includes executive- distribution hub has sparked a massive industrial outgrowth style homes and condos supported by a Lanny Wadkins-designed and has enabled the city to pump money into community- golf course and community center. development projects. Grove City also offers retail and restaurant opportunities for In recent years, the nearby Rickenbacker International companies looking to serve the more than 30,000 residents as well Airport has grown into a major cargo-shipping center that as people in Pickaway and Madison counties who travel for has attracted many warehousing and shipping operations to services not available in their smaller communities. Retail growth the surrounding area, according to Jeff Green, development could add as much as 12 million square feet of building space also will draw shoppers from populations currently served by director for the city of Groveport. to the area, which would equate to a 50 percent increase over facilities near Westland Mall. “This whole area around here has evolved into a logistics the 24 million square feet already present in the area. National players such as Home Depot, Wal-Mart and Staples hub,” Green said, adding that the city expects millions of The advent of Rickenbacker as a business center also has already have taken advantage of this opportunity by setting up square feet in industrial space to be developed this year. motivated rail company Northfolk Southern Corp. to Much of that growth is happening in the 92-acre establish an intermodal yard near the airport in which freight shop in the new Parkway Centre on Stringtown Road, east of I-71. Groveport Commerce Center being developed by Duke can be transferred between trucks and railcars. This also is a hot spot for restaurant development. Roosters soon Realty Corp. The company intends to move intermodal operations will be joined by O’Charley’s, Red Robin, Longhorn Steakhouse This year, Kubota Tractor Corp. and the McGraw-Hill from its Discovery Park facility on Alum Creek Drive to a 300- and Chipotle restaurants. Cos. are each establishing warehousing and shipping acre lot adjacent to the airport. Easy access to highways has also made Grove City attractive operations at the industrial park, which will take up nearly 1 Whitaker said the project is proceeding well, adding that to the hotel industry. The seven-story Drury Inn will add 180 million square feet of space, Green said. the airport currently is conducting an environmental review rooms and conference space at the I-71 and Stringtown Road Also, real estate development company Opus North is for the rail yard. interchange, which currently hosts hotels by Hilton, Best Western, nearing completion on a new spec building within its Opus The relocation would expedite the transportation and LaQuinta and Cross County Inn. Business Center at Rickenbacker. shipping process, which ultimately should entice more For those who do not enjoy the bustle of Stringtown Road, the Green added that Lauth Property Group is interested in distributors and manufacturers to establish operations near old-time charm of the Town Center offers a different experience. developing a 75-acre site near the intersection of Pontius and Rickenbacker, he said. Ample parking allows shoppers to stop and wander down Hayes roads. The site would provide two new structures with In addition to the continued industrial growth, the area Broadway enjoying the small independent shops and restaurants nearly 1 million square feet of combined industrial space. around Groveport also is the site of a massive project, one that line the street. This heart of the city also is home to many The city has generated millions of dollars in tax revenue that is designed to address the needs of existing community events such as arts festivals, free summer concerts through these developments, and it has reinvested the money development. and farmers markets. In addition to the opportunities currently into projects intended to enhance quality of life in Groveport, Last fall, tunneling began on the first phase of the Big available in this corridor, five more acres will be open for Green said. Walnut Augmentation - Rickenbacker Sanitary Interceptor, a redevelopment this spring. Recently, the city has constructed a 67,000-square-foot $220 million project that will help prevent sewage runoff from Development is not limited to newcomers. FedEx, an community recreation center as well as a 450,000-gallon entering Central Ohio rivers. important player in the community for 15 years, recently aquatic center, and it has purchased The Willows golf course The pipe, which will range between 14 feet and 12 feet in completed a 100,000-square-foot expansion. Bob Evans opened a for public use. diameter, will serve as a storage system for sewage so new restaurant, and other businesses similarly plan to recommit The community investment will continue with the overflow into the Southerly Waste Water Treatment Plant to the community with updated or new facilities. In 2004, more development of a mixed-use project in the downtown area does not runoff into the river. than three dozen businesses began or expanded operations in intended to increase business activity while cultivating a The waste exceeding Southerly’s processing capacity will Grove City. distinct town center, he said. be stored within the wide pipeline until the plant is able to Better services, more jobs and a better quality of life are Groveport City Council will hear proposals for the handle the load, Whitaker said. generated by evolving business, infrastructure and services. project this spring. In the initial phase, the new line will be laid for nearly The 25,000-square foot health center facility planned by Green said new developments proposed near the airport four miles beginning at Southerly and heading east to Alum Mount Carmel will join a similar Ohio Health facility and various could be fairly catalytic in encouraging more construction in Creek Drive and the northern entrance of Rickenbacker smaller doctors’ offices in addressing the health of citizens. Groveport, thus bringing in more revenue for the city. International Airport, according to Jim Joyce, president and The city is continuing to work on transportation plans to The Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which chief executive officer of H.R. Gray & Associates Inc., the bolster development. The city is adding new and expanding operates Rickenbacker as well as Port Columbus project’s construction-management company. existing roadways, as well as actively seeking a solution to International Airport and Bolton Airfield, is in the early stages The city estimates Phase 1 of the project could cost as congestion at the state Route 665 and I-71 interchange. of the development of 1,000 acres near the complex. much as $150 million, a majority of which is provided A vibrant slate of parks and recreation facilities and programs, According to officials, 715 acres south of the airport and through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Loan including a community water park and senior center, as well as 285 acres abutting it on the west offer prime opportunities for Fund. offerings by a local YMCA and the Grove City Kids Association, distribution and light assembly companies, industries that The second phase of the pipeline will run north along have flocked to the area over the past decade as the airport Alum Creek Drive to a point about 2,000 feet south of keep citizens of all ages entertained and involved. u has evolved into an important shipping hub. Interstate 270 on the city’s south side, Joyce said. Charles W. Boso is the development director for the city of David Whitaker, vice president of business development The entire project is scheduled for completion in and communications for CRAA, said this latest development Grove City. 2008. u

Page 30 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide Page 31 Retail Select construction By SUSAN CROTTY in the future. At Hunter’s Run For The Daily Reporter shopping center, an additional Communities 24,000 square feet of retail space was The city of Pickerington saw an revitalizes approved, and construction is upturn in the pace of nonresidential expected in 2005. development in 2004. Thirty new Donley Concrete Cutting & businesses committed to locating in Drilling Co., a thriving Pickerington the city of Pickerington, and 12 business, is building a new 8,600- existing Pickerington businesses Pickerington square-foot office and warehousing of Contiguous committed to expanding or facility in the Olde Pickerington relocating within the city. More than Village. $11 million was invested in new Grissini Market & Cafe, also construction or renovation of located in the original village, existing buildings, and more than expanded its dining area to 190,000 square feet of new space was accommodate more guests. Another Counties built. successful Pickerington business, Kohl’s Corp. opened a new Resale Furniture, relocated from the 96,000-square-foot department store state Route 256 Corridor to a 3,240 on state Route 256, which enjoyed square-foot-building, which they are sales exceeding expectations during its debut. A 47,000- renovating, in the Olde Pickerington Village. square-foot retail center, anchored by a 26,000-square-foot In 2005, additional new development is expected at Drug Mart was completed in 2004 and is 100 percent leased. Windmiller Ponds, which has several acres of vacant ground Construction of the Shoppes on the Parkway, two still available for office development. More than five acres of 8,000-square-foot retail buildings, was completed this year, ground on Refugee Road also is scheduled for development and the buildings kicked off development of the Creek Bend in the near future. Business Park. Construction began on a 17,000-square-foot With the completion of Freedom Way north of state building in the park in late 2004, which will be completed in Route 204, more than 18 acres of ground will be developed, Small-town character 2005. with construction on commercial buildings expected in ReMax Champions Realtors began construction on a 2005. 15,000-square-foot office building on state Route 204. The thrives in building is expected to be completed in 2005, and Susan Crotty is the development director for the city of additional office space adjacent to ReMax will be developed Pickerington. rapidly-growing Powell By SEAN CASEY Daily Reporter Staff Writer

The city of Powell is launching efforts to ensure its small- town atmosphere is not eroded by its massive growth spurts. David Betz, the city’s development director, said the Mid- Ohio Regional Planning Commission projects Central Ohio to swell in population by nearly 500,000 in the next few decades. An increasing number of those flocking to the growing region are choosing to settle in Powell because of its highly rated- school system, responsive public service sector and overall nearly a dozen home-building companies have purchased lots wholesome atmosphere, he said. in the surrounding subdivisions. More than 1,200 residential “Powell is very popular because of the residential-based units are projected for the area. community that it is,” Betz said. “It’s a good place to come In addition to Trio’s development, Betz said, two home to after work and raise a family.” subdivisions in the Village area are adding 140 homes, with Since 1992, when Betz joined the staff at Powell City Hall, one of the subdivisions planning for a future phase that will the community has grown from 2,800 to more than 10,000, provide another 70 units. with additional units entering the pipeline constantly, he said. In other areas of Powell, three subdivisions that will add Last year, the city granted 265 residential construction another 59, 40 and 30 units, respectively, are in the permits, and Betz said he expects a similar number to be development process. The city also has approved plans for 30 awarded this year. condominium units in the downtown area, as well as plans for The burgeoning Golf Village area that surrounds the two condo communities that will provide a combined 120 Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club in Powell is propelling much of units, Betz said. that growth. The city annexed the area a few years ago, and since then See Powell, Page 34

Page 32 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide Page 33 Commercial, municipal and already has slowed due to volume — site of the new police station, a residential development is exceeding more than 30,000 cars on rundown warehouse that stood flourishing in Newark, particularly some days. unused for 40 years, had been an New U.S. 33 bypass turning on the west and north sides. Two banks, First Federal and eyesore for some time. In the coming months, the city’s Ohio Heritage, will build branch Another municipal primary commercial district, located offices along North 21st Street — development in the works is the along North 21st Street, will witness one located a quarter of a mile north expansion of Licking Memorial the addition of a Bob Evans of the DeBartolo projects and the Hospital’s emergency room. The Restaurant, an Aldi grocery store and other a quarter of a mile south. new wing, to be built over a former Lancaster into development hotbed parking lot, will provide approximately 100 feet more space in length and 150 feet in width. Finally, three subdivisions are under construction in north Newark: By SEAN CASEY Easier accessibility has opened the high Lower cost of living Planter’s Ridge, located along Horns Daily Reporter Staff Writer quality of life found in Lancaster to a greater Hill Road and consisting of 250 lots; number of Central Ohio families, he said. Timcyn Woods, consisting of 87 lots An improved highway system has drives located off Kelly Lane, near Horns In each of the past two years, Lancaster has rebranded the city of Lancaster as an attractive awarded about 350 residential-construction Hill Road; and the Village at Glen region for development. Ridge, comprised of 325 units along permits, and Pettit said he expects another This fall, the U.S. Route 33 Bypass will reach Mount Vernon Road. strong year in 2005. Newark development completion, which will shave an hour of travel Also, an 85-unit condominium To keep pace with the needs of an time from a trip between Columbus to Interstate development called Reddington expanding populace, the Fairfield Medical By MELANIE MCINTYRE 77, according to Lancaster Development Daily Reporter Staff Writer Village will be built along Center has launched a development program Reddington Road in west Newark. Director Mike Pettit. “Basically, our transportation to major intended to enhance its facilities. Though he did not know the Pettit said the medical center recently cut going rate for homes in the Village at interests is improving substantially,” Pettit said. “It creates us as a corridor.” the ribbon on a new 64,000-square-foot wing Glen Ridge or for Reddington Village and a $26 million parking garage. Fairfield condos, Morehead estimated the U.S. 33 runs through the heart of Lancaster, but the $150 million bypass allows travelers to Medical Center also has started construction on a Home Depot, which is expected to Southgate Corp., a Newark- cost of housing in the other a 50,000-square-foot medical office building reach completion in July, said Brian based real estate development residential developments to be remain on the freeway and proceed without the that will house more than 100 employment Morehead, Newark city engineer. company, has proposed between $180,000 and $200,000. hindrances of traffic signals and reduced speed DeBartolo Property Group LLC constructing an office building on The city has experienced limits. opportunities. is behind the projects, which are West Main Street, Morehead said. It considerable population growth The project, which also opens the city to With strong rates of development prevalent replacing an old drive-in movie likely will house the company’s within the last 10 years, spurring tourism from the south, is expected to in all sectors of Lancaster, “it’s a very positive theatre, out of business for 20 to 25 offices, as well as provide space for residential development, he added. encourage a number of expansion and growth community,” Pettit said. u years. lease. This consistent growth has been relocation efforts among industrial and retail The city of Newark is excited The Newark Police Department, perpetuated in part by residents businesses, he said. about the increased development in which currently operates from City deciding to work in Franklin The new highway, which is now open from this area, but not so enthusiastic Hall’s basement, soon will have a County, but live in Newark, the north to U.S. Route 22, already has had a about the pick-up in traffic that new home, according to Morehead. Morehead said. They favor Newark’s positive impact on development. those businesses inevitably will New headquarters are being built comparatively lower cost of living, In the past year, developers completed the bring to the four-lane roadway, one block south of City Hall, and the affordable housing and public second phase of build-out at the Rockmill Morehead said. Traffic in the area department will relocate in May. The schools. u Industrial Park, located off U.S. 33 near Collins and Lithopolis roads. The park, which is home to operations for Anchor Hocking Distribution and Crown Cork and Seal, now incorporates 345 acres with 2.2 million square feet of buildings, with future expansion possibilities of up to 625 residents’ concerns and can decipher and is the process of creating a Tax acres. Powell ways to reconcile them with city policy. Incremental Financing district to fund At the same time, the city opened its own Continued from Page 33 Administering the master nearly $4 million in capital 22-acre industrial park within Rockmill that development plan with flexibility has improvements for the downtown area. offers smaller users an opportunity to access the The units these six developments enabled the city to retain the quality of The improvement projects will focus on amenities that the development offers. will add to the city outnumber Powell’s its neighborhoods and services in the the restoration of the area’s streetscape, Both parks are starting to fill up, total population of 300 in the 1970s. face of a population explosion, he said. he said. employment has grown to nearly 700 within The city has fostered the residential Conversely, Powell effectively Downtown Powell also will have them, and developers are planning the growth, but a dilemma arises in utilizes inflexibility as well. some significant development projects construction of even more “spec” buildings, maintaining high-quality public services For example, despite exponential taking shape throughout 2005, he said. Pettit said. and the aura of a small town among a residential expansion in the area, the Construction will begin this year on Lancaster also is courting four industrial rapidly increasing population. city and its residents have staunchly 50 South Liberty, two buildings with companies that would each bring about 100 jobs “That’s a challenge we face every guarded the municipal landscape from 34,000 square feet of office and to the area, he said. day,” Betz said. the infringement of large-scale commercial space. Similarly, the roadway construction has The key to meeting this challenge is commercial development. Plans also are underway for touched off a spike in commercial development, utilizing the comprehensive The rapidly growing area with a Traditions of Powell, a mixed-use Pettit said, adding that the city is negotiating development plan the city adopted in healthy median income holds development that will bring 40 with retail developers on an 80-acre parcel that 1995 and making the necessary updates demography that is the object of many condominiums and office space is now more desirable because of the enhanced as the needs and demands of the big-box retailers’ desires, he said. Yet, downtown. transportation infrastructure. population change, he said. the city has stuck to its guns and has Additionally, on the outskirts of In addition to the surge in the industrial and City officials keep pace with public prohibited the opening of retail centers town, construction is wrapping up on retail sectors, Lancaster is fostering a significant necessities and desires through that do not meet Powell’s zoning Recreation Outlets’ new facility on West growth spurt in its residential development. consistent analysis and the distribution regulations. Olentangy Street, and Powell United “We also continue to see a huge influx of of surveys to Powell residents, he said. To further protect the town’s Methodist Church has begun erecting new housing, condominium and single-family, Through the frequent solicitation of character, Betz said, the city is currently its new sanctuary on East Olentangy spread out over the city,” said Pettit, who also public input, the city becomes aware of drafting a downtown-revitalization plan, Street, Betz said. u serves as superintendent for Lancaster Natural Gas.

Page 34 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide Page 35 Development Residential market driving keeping pace By SEAN CASEY “As we are growing slowly, and Delaware’s Daily Reporter Staff Writer that’s not all that bad, we aren’t faced with the same crunches some areas Although it has become an are when they explode,” he said. commercial growth with London’s increasingly popular destination for The city’s road and utility Greater Columbus expatriates in networks are handling the increased recent years, development in the city loads quite comfortably, he added. The rapidly growing population in of London has not outpaced London’s infrastructure also has the area has created a market for retail lifestyle, municipal capacities. been able to meet the heads of its developers who are attracted to the area According to London Mayor burgeoning commercial districts, he because it offers quality road and rail David Eades, the city has attracted a said. access, as well as cheap, available land. growing number of residents who are In January 2004, Wal-Mart cut searching for an easier-paced the ribbon on a 197,000-square-foot infrastructure lifestyle than the one found within Supercenter on state Route 42, the Columbus and its surrounding areas. city’s main thoroughfare. Ever since, “We’ve been getting flight from a multitude of retailers and By SEAN CASEY the Columbus suburbs for some time restaurants has opened their doors in Daily Reporter Staff Writer now,” Eades said. the nearby Eagleton Shopping Over the past five years, the city Center, making the area an even There is no stopping it; it is not even slowing down. has grown by between 120 and 150 more enticing destination for The city of Delaware, one of the fastest growing areas in homes annually, and Eades estimates consumers. the United States is anticipating another enormous year of another 100 homes will be built this Additionally, London’s development in 2005. year. Most of this construction will be downtown is enjoying a resurgence, “We have roughly 5,600 homes in the pipeline, and continued build-out in the thanks to a revitalization plan through we’re negotiating with developers on annexing 1,800 acres Chevington Place and Amherst which the city has renovated the that represent about another 4,500 homes,” said Vince Meadows communities, he said. streetscape and encouraged Papsidero, director of planning and community The building activity in the once- investment in that area. development for Delaware. sleepy town does not rival the Since adopting the plan four He added that there is interest in developing a couple exponential growth found in some years ago, the city has drastically thousand more acres for housing subdivisions. Central Ohio areas, but it has been decreased downtown vacancies by This level of residential growth is nothing new in more than London is used to. more than 30 percent. Delaware. What is changing, however, is the types of homes The rapidly growing population in the area has created Eades said London has Eades said the city is also being built in the area. a market for retail developers who are attracted to the area welcomed the steady pace of counting a couple of industrial For years, entry-level homes had comprised a significant because it offers quality road and rail access, as well as companies but added that London development because it resulted in a portion of the housing stock in Delaware, but recent efforts cheap, available land, Papsidero said. wave of new commercial ventures will remain focused on its current have attracted more “move-up” options to the city. According to Papsidero, the city has approved a within the city and, best of all, it has growth strategy. Last year, the city implemented new design standards not outpaced the capacities of the “We’re in a slower pattern and a 200,000-square-foot retail center for a parcel at U.S. Route to encourage the construction of higher-end homes, which 23 and Cheshire Road on the south end of town. Planning is city’s infrastructure. steady pattern,” he said. u it hopes will diversify Delaware’s housing stock and protect property values. The updated zoning regulations also are also underway for a 600,000-square-foot commercial intended to bolster the city’s ability to retain families development near the U.S. Route 36-state Route 37 desiring to upgrade to another home. interchange. “We knew that as families grew, and wanted to make a Papsidero said this project would incorporate a larger investment, they were moving out of the Traditional Neighborhood Development that would You pay small change, community,” Papsidero said. “Families invest in include nearly 400 residential units, priced at differing communities, and once they leave, that investment is lost. levels. This project currently is in the zoning process, he We want to give families the choice to stay.” said. The city’s efforts seem to be paying off. These kinds of walkable, mixed-use projects have “There is now about a 50-50 split between entry-level become a priority for Delaware, which is encouraging their and move-up housing,” he said. growth through development guidelines adopted last year. you receive large benefits There will be even more high-end units available in Delaware this spring once homebuilders complete their Papsidero said the city is promoting such plans entries for this year’s Parade of Homes, an annual event because they offer more efficient use of land and A one-year subscription to The Daily Reporter costs only presented by the Building Industry Association of Central infrastructure and lower operating costs than traditional Ohio in which builders showcase their finest work. subdivisions. TND communities also are desirable because $90, which equates to 36 cents per copy — a small price to This year’s Parade participants are constructing 22 new they create a mix of different types of people and levels of pay to receive local business news, industry association homes within the Glenross Golf Community, a burgeoning income within an area and replicate the character of older updates, legal filings and public notices every business day. 309-acre golf community on the north and south sides of neighborhoods in new-build projects, he said. Cheshire Road. The exponential residential growth has created greater Glenross is evolving from the former Tanglewood Golf demand for health-care services as well. In order to address Contact our circulation Course in the city’s “southern gateway” district. The course these needs, Delaware City Council has approved the was purchased by Vince Romanelli of Romanelli & Hughes annexation of 263 acres between Cheshire and Peachblow department today to begin Building Co., who has hired Jodie Kinney of Kinney Golf roads east of U.S. 23 for the development of a new Grady your subscription! Course Design to redevelop the new public course that will serve as the centerpiece of the community. Hospital location. Papsidero said 100 acres would be used to construct (614) 228-NEWS (6397) The community eventually will include a combined 618 single-family homes, patio homes and condominiums, the full-service medical center, while the balance of the www.sourcenews.com Romanelli said. It also will incorporate a community land would be earmarked for a mix of office and residential clubhouse and an outdoor swimming pool. development. u

Page 36 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide 2005 Central Ohio Business Resource Guide Page 37 New roads lead to commercial development in Some business solutions are puzzling. Selecting the best source for Marysville up-to-date information shouldn’t be.

By LINDSEY NOCK benefit Union County, Union County Board of Daily Reporter Staff Writer Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities, Union County Health Department, The city of Marysville, perhaps best known Marysville Exempted Village School District and You need information, as American Honda Motor Co.’s Central Ohio the city of Marysville. home, will be expanding its horizons with new The city also is preparing to build the retail space and commercial development, as Marysville Training and Community Center, a we provide information, well as several housing developments and 44,000- to 50,000-square-foot training facility, apartment communities in 2005. that will be built by the Ohio Army National Developers have laid new infrastructure, Guard. 24 hours a day, which made available 120 acres of land for retail The facility will become part of the Union and service-oriented business development. County YMCA, located on Charles Lane. The Located south of Delaware Avenue and west of new training facility will include classrooms, a 7 days a week. U.S. Route 33, the Marysville Land drill room, kitchen and offices. The TACC will Development Co. is scheduled to complete the be constructed along the new Coleman’s new shopping complex early in 2005. Crossing Boulevard and is scheduled for The land, which stretches more than a mile completion in 2006 or 2007. between Delaware Avenue and Industrial Parkway, will be home to Honda Mall. It is The city has several residential scheduled to open in 2005 and will include communities in progress for 2005. Scott Farms, Honda auto and motorcycle dealerships, a Wal- will be developed by M/I Schottenstein Homes Mart Supercenter, a Home Depot and other Inc. and will divide approximately 72.8 acres retailers. Nearly 1,000 jobs are expected to be into 216 lots. created from the development. Also under construction is the Woods at The city of Marysville and the Marysville Mill Valley North, which will divide 305 acres Exempted Village School District agreed to into 781 lots and will include commercial create a Tax Increment Financing district to development as well as a school. The assist with infrastructure improvements to the community will be developed by Dominion area, Coleman’s Crossing Boulevard. Homes Inc. and is currently in progress. The Marysville Chamber of Commerce Also slated to be built this year is Five-day subscribers can access The Daily estimates that the project will generate nearly condominium community Village at Timber $48 million in income, sales and property tax Lakes, which will include 98 lots on 40.25 acres Reporter’s databases of legal and public over the next 30 years. The tax revenue will and several apartment complexes. u notice information, as well as staff-written and national news articles 24 hours a day.

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