Columbus Suburban Development News

[Chadoh25]

Dublin considers downtown face-lift
Changing demographics suggest new style for development

Thursday, June 24, 2010 02:53 AM
By Caitlin McGlade

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

ublin might get a makeover.

Imagine quaint storefronts stacked with loft apartments lining neighborhood streets abuzz with people walking to coffee shops, chatting outside or checking out new landscaping.

That's what the city wants to do with about 1,000 acres from I-270 to Sawmill Road to Rt. 161. Dublin has spent $150,000 since last year to research demand for change, demographic shifts and market capabilities to decide whether the dream is feasible, said City Manager Terry Foegler.

"This is what I would call retrofitting the suburbs," said Laurie Volk, principal-in-charge of market studies at Zimmerman/Volk Associates, Inc., a research group that analyzed Dublin's demographics.

Large, suburban homes filled with traditional families are no longer the norm, Volk said. Now, more people are either living by themselves or with a partner. And they want trendy apartments nestled between shops and offices so they can walk to work, she said.

That trend is evident in Dublin, where nearly half of residents are childless and an additional 23 percent are older, without children at home, according to a commercial market analysis of residents within a 10-minute drive of the suburb's downtown.

Transforming about 10 million square feet of the corridor into multilevel housing, office spaces and retail businesses would take about 20 years and $3 billion to $5 billion worth of public and private investment, said David Dixon, principal-in-charge of planning and urban design at Goody Clancy and Associates. Dixon's company researched market trends and outlined development ideas for Dublin.

City Planner Rachel Ray said Dublin's next step is to negotiate with property owners and developers in the area, draft a plan for financing the project and work out rezoning issues. City administrators and developers won't have concrete plans until late summer or early fall, she added.

New town center recommendations, targeting 24- to 35-year-olds, would encourage bicycling and public transportation and have interconnected walkways, Dixon said.

"These will be buildings designed around sidewalks and people instead of streets and cars," Dixon said.

He estimated that developers could build at least 1,500 new housing units, mostly rental lofts, to meet growing demand.

Along with a string of new neighborhoods, Dixon said, Dublin could expand city parks and better use the Scioto River.

Other cities have followed a similar model of mixing housing, commerce and green space and succeeded, Volk said.

St. Louis enlisted Volk's company to study its market demographics more than 10 years ago. The city's goal was to add 2,000 new housing units to the downtown area and to mix commerce with homes. Volk said the city has more than doubled the goal.

For Foegler, the goal is to spark more development over the next five years by working with OCLC, a major library cooperative, and other companies to expand in the corridor. This might mean constructing new buildings or new roads.

"We're going to have to come up with some very creative financial arrangements," he said.

cmcglade@dispatch.com

[Chadoh25]

Senior housing causes uproar in Canal Winchester
Council postpones vote on development

Tuesday, June 22, 2010 02:52 AM
By Dean Narciso

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

vote last night to postpone a decision on a housing project seemed more like a blow of defeat to the 50 or so visitors to the Canal Winchester Village Council meeting.

"Appalling. Disgusting," Don Corbett said. "This is how little places turn into corrupt places."

Corbett, a retired police officer, and other members of Charleston Lake condominiums say that Fairfield Homes' proposed three-story, 50-unit housing complex that would be near their properties would create problems with traffic, crime and water runoff, and that its upper-level balconies would overlook their privacy fences. He called the tabling of the legislation an attempt to "stonewall."

Bob Davis, another Charleston Lake resident, decried the number of units that would be in the senior-housing complex, dubbed Francis Court, saying the units would be 25 percent smaller than the village's guidelines.

Davis said his association's 112 members, half of whom are retirees, have lost property value in recent years. Government-subsidized senior housing, if allowed, would only worsen that, he said.

Canal Winchester's planning commission unanimously rejected the plans in April as too large and inappropriate for the site, letting the council decide the fate of the almost 2-acre site along Waterloo Street.

But last night, the council didn't go along with the commission's rejection of the plan and instead tabled the issue.

An e-mail had been sent to the village yesterday afternoon saying that Fairfield Homes needed more time to work with neighbors and resubmit its application for zoning this fall. The company said it might modify its number of units and building height.

But the residents say the delay will allow the developer and landowner time to influence council members.

Businessman Bob Wood, said he's spoken to only one council member about selling his property to Fairfield Homes, and he defends his record of quality development. He already has helped develop commercial property at the entrance of the village.

"I would defy anyone to say that anything that has been put out there is detrimental to the village," he said.

Earlier this month, several Lancaster officials endorsed Pershing House, a similar housing project in Lancaster, about 15 miles away.

In an e-mail to Canal Winchester officials, Lancaster Mayor David S. Smith described the property manager, Gorsuch Management, as a stellar community leader. Gorsuch also would manage the Canal Winchester community.

Fairfield County Sheriff Dave Phalen also touted Pershing House, stating in a letter: "I feel a home similar to Pershing House in Canal Winchester would be an asset to the village and to the community."

Canal Winchester Mayor Michael Ebert defended the testimonials. "If you believe in something and want to give a testimonial, why shouldn't you?"

Residents flooded out, hurling insults at the officials.

"What a crock," said one.

"I vote. Boy, do I vote," said another.

dnarciso@dispatch.com

[Chadoh25]

Southeast area

Community plan update adopted

Wednesday, June 23, 2010 12:26 PM
By ALAN FROMAN

ThisWeek Staff Writer

Grandview Heights City Council Monday approved a set of planning principles that update the portion of the city's community plan for the southeast area residential neighborhood adjacent to the Grandview Yard development.

In December, Grandview Planning Commission approved and forwarded the Southeast Area Residential Plan to council. With its adoption by council, it will become part of the overall community plan.

The southeast residential neighborhood is adjacent to Grandview Yard on the east and the Goodale Boulevard corridor on the south.

The updated plan is designed to help ensure that the surrounding development does not take away from the neighborhood's attributes, said Patrik Bowman, director of administration/economic development.

The neighborhood "represents the best aspects of urban design," Bowman said. "It really is a civic jewel."

The planning commission did not recommend any land use changes, but wanted instead to reinforce what as put in the original community plan, Bowman said.

"Ideally driving down Northwest Boulevard or First Avenue, the character should remain basically the same," he said.

The plan calls for a traffic-calming study, but also recommends that improvements are designed to not only carry traffic but also enhance the design of the neighborhood, Bowman said.

The plan includes eight planning premises, each with a set of proposed strategies:

• Neighborhood stability. A stable, well-maintained residential neighborhood will anchor the southeast area.

• Northwest Boulevard. Northwest Boulevard will continue to be a well-maintained "grand boulevard" that will serve local traffic needs.

• Neighborhood civic institutions. Such civic institutions as schools and parks will remain the focal points for neighborhood activity.

• Neighborhood connections. The southeast area will provide multiple vehicular and pedestrian connections between the neighborhood and Grandview Yard and with the city as a whole.

• Neighborhood transitions. Land use transitions within the neighborhood, between the neighborhood and Grandview Yard and between the neighborhood and the rest of the city will be designed to minimize potential negative land use impacts.

• Adequate public facilities. Adequate public facilities will be provided in a timely and fiscally responsible manner to meet the neighborhood's needs.

• Managed traffic. Traffic will be circulated into and around the neighborhood safely and consistent with the area's family and pedestrian character.

• Neighborhood initiatives. The city will seek to work with residents and businesses on initiatives to promote neighborhood stability and livability.

The complete residential plan can be viewed on the city's website, www.grandviewheights.org. It can be found by clicking on the "public documents" heading at the top of the homepage and then clicking on "development documents."

[Chadoh25]

Bexley City Hall draws redevelopment interest

Monday, June 28, 2010 06:40 PM
By JEFF DONAHUE

ThisWeek Staff Writer

From an economic development standpoint, all eyes are on the intersection of College Avenue and Main Street in Bexley.

Capital University's recent interest in the Bexley Square Shopping Center has revived interest in an adjacent property - Bexley City Hall.

With the completion of the Bexley Gateway project and a number of other developments along the Main Street corridor, talk has once again returned to how the City Hall site could be best redeveloped.

City Councilman Mark Masser is among those who feel the time has come to relocate City Hall.

"That's the most valuable property left on Main Street," Masser said. "There's really no reason for City Hall to be there when it could be used for other things. So, we're looking at some other locations."

Masser said the status of the Bexley Square Shopping Center, which has been for sale, bolstered his interest in the prospect of relocating City Hall.

"The stimulus for me was that Casto has been and is interested in selling that piece of property," he said. "I'm hoping a developer would want to use both pieces of property."

Councilman Jed Morison said he agrees with Masser.

"Now that the police station has successfully moved, it is an ideal time to consider development of the city hall site," Morison said. "We could also consider relocating the service department facilities, allowing for creative proposals for the entire site. Developers may also want to consider the site next to city hall (Bexley Square) which is for sale."

Morison said the idea of redeveloping the City Hall site makes sense to him.

"We already have a wonderful theater and other outstanding restaurants and businesses just east of city hall so additional development should compliment these businesses and enhance pedestrian friendly opportunities for residents and others visiting this area," Morison said. "Development could include street-level retail and restaurants with other commercial, residential or possible governmental uses, such as city hall, for higher floors. Developers should also consider parking options in their planning."

Morison said it's time Bexley had a handicap-accessible City Hall.

"In addition to encouraging development that would be good for residents, businesses and would result in more tax receipts, it is important that a new city hall is fully accessible for individuals who have disabilities. A relocation would make this possible."

Councilman Ben Kessler said he also favors the idea of relocating City Hall.

"Increasingly, the city has talked about relocating City Hall off of Main Street or off of our current site in order to free up that space," Kessler said. "It's my feeling that area of Main Street, specifically in the Drexel-Parkview area, is the core of retail-commercial development in Bexley. It's where a lot og the higher density type uses are occuring and succeeding."

Kesler said the current City Hall is no longer a practical, efficient facility.

"We have a building that was built in 1953," he said. "It's pretty much a split level. It's like a five level split office building. The way it's configured, it's a fairly inefficient use of space. Not only do we have an old building that's inefficient, we also have it on top of a site that could really be a valuable site for new development."

Kessler also noted that the Bexley land-use strategy committee has recommended that City Hall be molved away from its current site but some feel it should remain somewhere on Main Street.

"There are some people who are much smarter than me who believe Main Street is still a good place for City Hall to be," he said. "They think it's such a civic landmark that if it should be molved it should still be somewhere on Main Street and there are others who think another area such as North Cassady would be a suitable place for City Hall."

All three council members said the costs involved in relocating City Hall would have to be carefully studied and the numbers would have to make sense for such a move to take place.

Mayor John Brennan said he is open to either relocating or colocating as part of a new development.

"We're probably on the last, most valuable big parcel in the city," Brennan said. "We probably need to look at being elsewhere or if someone could develop this into a three or four story and give us the bottom floor or the top floor with handicap access that would be worth considering."

He also raised another possibility.

"There's still space available in the Bexley Square Shopping Center and it looks like there is going to be more space available," he said. "There's space at the Gateway although it would probably be cost-prohibitive to rent there. And I know they have looked at the Cassady Avenue corridor and that has promise, too."

Brennan said he has heard from some who want City Hall to remain on Main Street.

"There are some folks who are married to the fact that they think we need to stay on Main Street," he said. "I'm not totally committed to that we have to stay on Main Street unless we had a vacant spot that we could build on that made sense and wasn't cost prohibitive."

Brennan said the discussion isn't a new one and cautioned that the biggest obstacle could be current economic conditions.

"They've talked about this for 15 years now that I'm, aware of," he said. "They had people look at that in 1995-96-97 and it just got put on the back burner. The big problem now is the state of the economy and no one is doing any projects of this size, in our area anyway. If that ever turns around I would certainly look at more talks with developers and businesspeople."

http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/con...l.html?sid=104

[Chadoh25]

City ready to revisit SW Bexley Master Plan

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 12:54 PM
By JEFF DONAHUE

Bexley Community Editor

Although Bexley city and Capital University officials disagreed on Capital's plans for the Bexley Square Shopping Center, they apparently agree on the next step to take.

After city council members voiced displeasure with Capital's plans to redevelop the retail site for campus uses, university officials voluntarily withdrew their request for variances for the project before council was able to vote on it.

The shopping center sits on the north side of Main Street at College Avenue, adjacent to City Hall and across the street from the university's gateway entrance.

City leaders have discussed the possibility of relocating City Hall and selling the current site for redevelopment. Thus far, all Capital University development has occurred on the south side of Main Street.

Some city officials say they think the Bexley Square Shopping Center site would be more attractive to prospective developers if it were paired with the adjacent City Hall property.

The solution might be found in a review of the Southwest Bexley Master Plan, a document that establishes development standards for that area of the city.

"Capital remains unwavering in its commitment to enhance the student experience, help Main Street flourish and strengthen its partnership with Bexley," said Richard M. Ashbrook, Capital's provost and vice president for academic affairs. "If city leaders decide it's time to take a fresh look at the Southwest Bexley (Master) Plan, Capital will gladly join the conversation."

Bexley Mayor John Brennan said he and city council are open to discussion.

"Council is more than happy - and I am, too - to sit down and look at the southwest master plan," Brennan said. "It has been eight or nine years since it was written, so we certainly would sit down with them (Capital officials)."

Councilman Jed Morison said he also would like to see city and university officials work together to find a solution.

"I would think the city is always interested in working together with them," Morison said. "Capital has always been a good partner. With Trinity Lutheran, I think the three main parties work together well. I would think folks would certainly be open to discussions about that. We feel very fortunate that we have a good relationship with the folks at Capital and Trinity Lutheran. The city has worked together well with them in the past, and I would anticipate that would continue."

http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/con...n.html?sid=104

[Chadoh25]

Gateway's retail spaces all spoken for

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 02:32 PM
By JEFF DONAHUE

Bexley Community Editor
Bexley economic development director Bruce Langner says he is encouraged by progress at the $24-million Bexley Gateway mixed-use development despite a challenging economy.

"I think the retail part of it has been good," Langner said. "They've got all the retail on the first floor filled. What's still a little bit disappointing is filling the office space on the second and third floors."

Plans called for the first floor of the development to be retail uses, the second and third floors to be occupied by high-end office uses and an adjacent building to offer upscale residential.

"They have a good amount of space left on both the second and third floors," Langner said. "Each floor is about half occupied. I think each floor is about 10,000 square feet and they have about half of each of those filled."

Langner said a medical office user has discussed locating in the Gateway, but those discussions have not led to a contract at this point.

"There's no progress that I've heard of," he said. "I know they were talking but I haven't heard anything in the past two weeks about it. So I don't know if that is happening or not."

Langner said the economy has been a factor in the low office occupancy rates.

"I think back when they started the project their anticipation was they would have some high-end office users on those two floors and just because of what happened with the economy, that hasn't materialized," he said. "I'd say at this point they're real happy with the retail on the first floor and not quite so happy with what has happened on the second and third floors."

Langner said the residential component of the development has largely lived up to expectations.

"They've been running a sale down there for a couple of months and I think they have sold 15 or 16, roughly half of the 31 or 32 units they've got there," he said. "So they're at about 50 percent now. It has gotten a lot better since they have done these sales and we changed the tax abatement for them."

The project received a 15-year, 15 percent tax abatement for the commercial portions of the development. The residential building in the back started out the same, at 15 percent for 15 years, before city council changed the abatement last year to an average of 70 percent over 15 years for the Gateway with the abatement front-loaded so the first five years are at 100 percent.

While the residential abatements are automatic, Langner said there are job creation, payroll and investment goals tied to the commercial abatements. Those are reviewed annually by the Bexley Tax Incentive Review Council (TIRC), which met in May.

"They're doing OK on the job creation but not as well on the payroll," Langner said. "The TIRC actually revised and city council revised the payroll goal downward. Back when they did their application and started the project they were anticipating that a lot of those jobs would be higher paying office jobs and instead they've ended up with a lot more retail."

Overall, Langner said he thinks the Gateway is headed in the right direction.

"I feel good about it," he said. "If you look at Creekside in Gahanna, that's the thing everybody compares it to, they've lost a number of retail tenants. So far, we've only lost one and it was replaced. So, we've held our own on the retail part."

http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/con...r.html?sid=104

[Chadoh25]

Lakeside charm
In its post-amusement-park life, Buckeye Lake draws loyal fans with its friendly atmosphere and raft of water-recreation options

Saturday, August 7, 2010 02:51 AM
By Jeffrey Sheban

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

BUCKEYE LAKE, Ohio -- On looks alone, this slender drink of water would not be accused of having a face that launched a thousand ships.

Mud-lined Buckeye Lake, which started life as a swamp, is shallow and murky. Much of its shore is a jumble of tightly spaced houses and cottages - some in disrepair - with upward of 4,000 private docks planted cheek to jowl.

A dozen lakeside taverns, with their supersized beer banners and blaring music, beckon passing boaters and Jet Skiers. Cell-phone towers and an abandoned lighthouse punctuate the skyline.

"I wouldn't call it my favorite lake in terms of scenery," acknowledged Melodie Ward of Lancaster, waiting with her husband, Dean, to launch their 25-foot speedboat on a recent Saturday morning.

"It's a little more wild than most lakes, and people get a little more crazy."

Yet any destination that has been attracting vacationers, boaters and anglers since 1826 surely has its charms - especially this summer, with hot weather swelling weekend crowds as pollution concerns restrict access to other Ohio bodies of water, including Grand Lake St. Marys in Mercer and Auglaize counties.

Diamond in the rough
Buckeye Lake, the oldest state park in Ohio, has three beaches, nine launch ramps and two popular sandbars for wading alongside anchored boats.

The 3,100-acre expanse - 35miles east of Columbus, off I-70 - boasts a yacht club (founded in 1906), is regularly stocked with sport fish and has a 1930s-era ice-cream parlor that's in its third generation of family operation.

What the lake lacks in beauty, boosters say, is offset by a winning personality. People are friendly, and residents and visitors - be they bikers or bankers - rarely take themselves too seriously.

"Snobbery is not accepted on Buckeye Lake," said Dave Levacy, owner of Buckeye Lake Marina in Millersport.

All of those characteristics make the place a keeper.

"This is not the lake you're going to date," said lifelong Millersport resident Dina Reasoner. "It's the lake you're going to marry."

For many who use it, Buckeye Lake is certainly a marriage of convenience.

Dan Cumbo, 51, who lives a short drive away in Pataskala, paid $25,000 for a used houseboat four years ago and spends most weekends lounging on the 36-foot craft's upper deck. He's frequently joined by his two grown daughters and grandchildren.

Cumbo, who works for Nationwide in Downtown Columbus, fishes off the back and grills on the deck but looks forward to frequent visits to the lakeside bars and restaurants. He enjoys the lake most in the early mornings and the evenings, when the sun is low and the water is calm.

"It just blows you away," he said of the peaceful moments. "I've got a house on the lake with a great view for minimal cost."

One-time tourist hub
The Buckeye Lake region - which includes the villages of Buckeye Lake, Fairfield Beach, Millersport and offshoots of Thornville - has known good times and bad.

It was a wooded, glacial depression when Ohio Company surveyor Christopher Gist referred to it as Buffalo Lick and Great Swamp in a 1751 journal entry. Earthen embankments built in the 1820s created today's lake as part of the Ohio-Erie canal system. The so-called Licking Summit Reservoir furnished water to lift barges over the divide between the Licking and Scioto rivers so they could move through the central section of the 309-mile canal between Cleveland and Portsmouth.

As canals gave way to railroads at the turn of the century, Buckeye Lake (so named by the Ohio legislature in 1894) became a popular tourist destination. By the early 1900s, day-trippers from Columbus, Chillicothe and Zanesville rode inter-urban trains by the thousands to fish, boat, camp and picnic on the lake's shores. The first amusement park opened in 1925.

"Those trains bringing all those people out here was really the beginning of Buckeye Lake," said J-me Braig, director of the Greater Buckeye Lake Historical Society Museum.

The 1940s and '50s at Buckeye Lake Amusement Park were a golden age of big-band performances and dancing at the Crystal Ballroom. Sternwheelers and other tour boats plied the shallow waters past 12 hotels on the north shore.

The area retains a distinct flavor, said Lancaster native Bob Radebaugh, 87, who, as a boy, spent many summers in Millersport on the west end of the lake.

"This side has always been known as the Lancaster side," said Radebaugh, enjoying homemade ice cream at Weldon's Ice Cream, established in 1930 on the Millersport waterfront.

Visitors from Newark, he added, were more likely to congregate on the north and east sides, in and around the village of Buckeye Lake.

"When we were a little older, we all met up at the amusement park and dance halls," recalled Radebaugh, a part-time Florida resident. "It was a good time, for our day."

The good times didn't last, though.

The Dips roller coaster - the biggest attraction in the park - crashed in 1958 and wasn't repaired. Foot traffic steadily declined until the park closed in 1970. (Today, the old park site is occupied by an Ohio Department of Natural Resources boat launch and a small beach. The only remains of the place: a plaque and large fountain in the parking lot.)

Up to 90 percent of the permanent residents of Buckeye Lake village had been making a living off the amusement park and summer tourism, Braig said - so the park's closing didn't bode well.

An increasing number of village homes were abandoned, and the effect proved lasting.

"When people saw the park in disrepair, that was a reflection on the lake," Levacy said. "It hurt the lake's reputation, and it lingered."

An emerging renaissance
For many visitors exiting I-70 at Rt. 79, the gateway to Buckeye Lake passes through Buckeye Lake village, which remains the most-blighted area on the waterfront.

According to the most recent U.S. Census data for the area, the median household income in the village was $28,889 in 2000, compared with $33,882 in Fairfield Beach, $42,361 in Millersport and $47,679 in Thornville.

Yet there are bright spots, too.

In Buckeye Lake village, abandoned homes are starting to be razed, waterlines are being extended inland, shallow parts of the lake are being dredged and lakefront homes remain desirable. The 40-passenger Queen of the Lake II pontoon, operated by the museum, offers public cruises at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from the north shore boat launch.

To the west, Millersport retains much of its turn-of-the-century charm, while million-dollar homes and upscale condos are being built on the southeast shore north of Thornville, where more open space is available.

"The lake is picking up its class a little bit," said Dan Conley, 54, who 2 years ago moved from Newark into Harbor Point Condominiums at Heron Bay, where the units sell for about $300,000 to $500,000. Heron Bay's single-family homes - most with private boathouses nestled along newly deepened channels - sell for about $400,000 or more.

"I don't know if you could ever get Buckeye Lake to the Riviera level," said Conley, who works for Boeing, "but it's really getting nice. People realize there's money to be made here."

A party without pretension
Buckeye Lake is very much a BYOB (bring your own boat) kind of place.

Because the water is so shallow, plenty of boaters unfamiliar with the lake run aground - which is why none of the four lakeside marinas rents boats, Levacy said.

Despite the risk, pretty much anything goes.

The lake has no speed or horsepower limits, making for an exciting - some might say dangerous - ride.

"I've got the fastest boat in Ohio out here," boasted Chad Miller, 36, taking a break at the Copper Penny Tavern with his fiancee, Ravin Barnes, 32.

Melodie and Dean Ward, the Lancaster couple, said the best approach is to give the speed demons a wide berth.

"We're bright enough to stay out of their way," Mr. Ward said.

Even with the recent upscale development, Buckeye Lake at its core remains an unpretentious party lake - something that rich and poor alike say they want to preserve.

"The people who are new, even if they have big money, they want to be part of it," said Jeff Baker, 54, owner of the Copper Penny, on the lake's southeast shore.

"Nobody cares what you do," added Mike Diamond, 63, a retired Columbus banker and current Buckeye Lake real-estate agent. "That's Buckeye Lake."

The tavern, which is open year-round and more easily reached by boat than by car, is considered one leg of the "bar-muda triangle" of taverns on the lake's eastern end.

On busy weekends, a gray-bearded Larry Hays - nicknamed the Dock Master - helps boaters park everything from humble fishing boats to high-priced yachts, so everyone can sidle up to the open-air bar.

For the denizens of Buckeye Lake, there's no place they'd rather be.

"There are 13 bars and restaurants on this lake," Diamond said, watching the sun set with plenty of friends on hand and beer on tap.

"That's what it's all about. That's why we're here."

jsheban@dispatch.com

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[Chadoh25]

Growing a community
Union County fields to be transformed by development

Sunday, August 8, 2010 02:59 AM
By Jim Weiker

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Jerome is little more than a spot on a map, a handful of homes and a church nestled among the corn and soybean fields of southeastern Union County.

That's about to change.

Nationwide Realty Investors has begun transforming the area around the hamlet into one of central Ohio's largest residential developments, with plans for 2,500 homes, a town square, two or three schools, 559acres of parkland and enough offices and stores to fill Polaris Fashion Place.

"Five years from now, I won't recognize this area," said Roger Lusk, whose Brock Road home backs up to the development.

This summer, Nationwide started running sewer and water lines to the 1,435-acre site north of Brock and west of Jerome Road in Jerome Township. Work will begin on the first homes in the fall, and the first residents could move in within a year.

When completed, the Jerome Village development will be capable of housing every man, woman and child in Canal Winchester, Groveport or West Jefferson, with plenty of room to spare.

Area land-use experts say only two central Ohio residential developments rival Jerome Village in scale: Muirfield Village, with about 2,300 homes, and the New Albany Co., whose plans allow for about 4,000 homes.

In many ways, New Albany serves as the prototype for Jerome Village. Both communities are built around small existing communities; both include some commercial property; and both are governed by a community-development association and master plan.

But there are significant differences. For starters, New Albany and other major residential developments in the past 30 years - such as Pinnacle in Grove City, Wedgewood in Powell and Tartan Fields in Dublin - are centered on golf courses. Jerome Village will have community centers and a park, but no golf.

Nationwide instead bills Jerome Village as a "smart-growth" community. The land is largely corn and soybean fields now, with some woods and a scattering of homes, some of which Nationwide has purchased and demolished.

Nationwide says the homes will be built on the fields, leaving most of the woods intact. Nearly 40percent of the land will be left undeveloped, and a network of bike paths will link the homes to nearby Glacier Ridge Metro Park.

"So many communities in central Ohio are anchored by private golf clubs," said Nationwide Realty President Brian Ellis. "Part of that is an interest in golf, but a lot of it is the desire to look over green space, and we thought we could do that without the golf and without the exclusivity.

"We make that 559acres, which is enough ground to accommodate two private golf clubs, available to the entire community," Ellis said. "We thought that this is a way of really differentiating Jerome Village from all the other great residential communities in central Ohio."

Another difference: Jerome Village will not have a unifying architectural style such as the Georgian architecture of New Albany or the Mediterranean look of nearby Corazon. The community instead derives its "theme" from area history, exemplified in the 161-year-old farmhouse that serves as the community's welcome center.

Jerome Village homes must reflect nine traditional architectural styles - from Colonial to Craftsman - that would be characteristic of a traditional small town.

The development will have a town center with stores and offices, another nod to small-town appeal. One phase of Jerome Village even calls for 50-foot lots backed by alleys, a layout that would not be out of place in some older Columbus neighborhoods.

Another difference between Jerome Village and many other central Ohio large-scale developments: price.

Nationwide says Jerome Village, almost all of which is in the Dublin school district, will offer a wide range of prices. The first homes sold will start in the mid-$200,000s. But, ultimately, homes will top out well above $1million.

"The scale of the development is very large, so that gives us the opportunity to create different pockets and choices in the community," Ellis said. "Over time, you'll see prices escalate, as time goes on and as the market improves."

Schottenstein Homes, the first of several builders expected to be involved in the project, is buying 54 lots in the first phase of Jerome Village, a 500-acre portion between Brock and Wells roads west of Jerome Road called Glacier Park.

Schottenstein will offer 11 home plans, each available in three or four elevations, starting with a small ranch at $230,000 and topping out with a 2,900-square-foot family home for about $325,000. Such prices are rare for new homes in the Dublin school district.

"Even when Muirfield started, there wasn't meat-and-potatoes pricing for homes; they were all upper-end," said David Parsley, director of marketing and sales for Schottenstein. "We're right in the middle of the market, for firemen, teachers, police officers - people can afford to live there."

Schottenstein hopes to break ground on the homes in the fall and have a model built by spring.

Nationwide is negotiating with other builders for sites in the Glacier Park phase.

Although work is just starting on Jerome Village, the project has been years in the making.

The Columbus firm Highland Management Group presented plans for Jerome Village in the spring of 2006, just as signs of a real-estate slowdown were emerging.

That slowdown turned into a meltdown, and Nationwide, a lender in the project, took over Jerome Village. (Highland remains as a consultant.)

Some residents, who have seen development head north along Hyland Croy and Jerome roads for more than a decade, seem resigned to more bulldozers.

"Development is going to happen around here, and it's been coming this way," said Brock Road resident Lusk.

Down Brock Road, residents Jill Berry and Roger Belt are excited by the development bringing sewer and water hookups and high-speed Internet to their home.

"I don't know too many people who are opposed to it," Berry said. "I haven't heard many negative comments."

Ideally, Lusk said, the land would remain woods and fields, but he knows that's not realistic. He and others also have some confidence in Nationwide's ability to do the project well.

"As long as they build good houses back there, and I'm sure they will, I'm fine with it," Lusk said. "Nationwide, with its name, will want it to look nice."

Nationwide is moving forward on the project despite the worst housing recession in 30 years; developers and homebuilders have spent the past few years trying to get rid of lots, not develop new ones.

"There's been virtually no new platting in the last two or three years of any size," said Robert Binns, president of Binns Real Estate Services of Columbus.

But Binns and others who track area real estate think Jerome Village will thrive when housing returns.

"I have little doubt that - given time and the growth patterns we're seeing - that the project will be almost a necessary thing to accommodate the growth we anticipate," said Virgil Mathias, a Coldwell Banker agent who has specialized in Dublin and Powell for about 25years.

Even competitors think Jerome Village is well-positioned.

"They've got a good shot, with that price range and in that school district," said Charlie Driscoll, president of the Edwards Land Co., which built nearby Tartan Ridge.

Jerome Village's biggest asset, however, lies in Nationwide.

As Driscoll notes, it's extremely difficult to get financing for land development now, which is one reason, in addition to such slow demand for new homes, that so few lots have been developed in central Ohio the past few years.

"Nationwide can loan itself the money," Driscoll said. "They're the only ones who can get capital now."

Still, no one is expecting Jerome Village to be an instant success. Housing remains in a slump, and no verdict can be rendered for years.

Ellis expects Jerome Village to take 10 to 15years to complete. Others think that might be optimistic.

"It's hard to tell; it's so market-driven," Ellis said. "But we take a long-term view of our investments. We're not going to rush things. We're going to make sure we cover every detail. ... Just because the market's not fantastic today, we're not going to take any shortcuts."

jweiker@dispatch.com

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content...y.html?sid=101

[Chadoh25]

Oh joy of joy, MORE SUBURBAN GARBAGE! *rolls eyes*

[Chadoh25]

Walmart will wait in Westerville

Major redevelopment of Westerville Square centered on a 'small' Walmart didn't make the August agenda of the city Planning Commission

BY BRET LIEBENDORFER, COLUMBUS LOCAL NEWS
Published: Wednesday, August 11, 2010

The process of deciding on whether a Walmart can come to Westerville will not begin until the end of September at the earliest.

The Hadler Cos., owners of the Westerville Square shopping center at the northeast corner of State Street and Schrock Road, announced plans for a major redevelopment of the property centered around bringing in Walmart as the new anchor on June 18.

But the project has not yet been scheduled to go before the Westerville Planning Commission, which next meets Aug. 25.

Westerville Planning Administrator Rich Kight said he expects it to be on the commission's Sept. 22 agenda.


"From a staff standpoint we've taken a little bit more time to get ready," Kight said.

Under the current proposal, a smaller than standard Walmart, at 108,000 square feet, would be constructed in the center of the plaza after vacant stores formerly occupied by anchors Lazarus, Belaire Furniture and Hancock Fabrics are demolished.

Kight said, in understanding the proposal, city staff needs to study the history of the site, the future of the area and how the project would fit into the South State Street Corridor.

In 2009 the city approved a zoning overlay for the district which imposes strict guidelines for development on top of normal zoning requirements that remain in place. The overlay was designed to do everything from enhancing the aesthetics of the southern gateway of the city to making the corridor more pedestrian friendly.

Kight said he is unsure how the overlay would affect a massive project like Walmart as the only developments since the overlay were smaller ones for a KeyBank at the current size of Fazoli's, 807 S. State St.; Wendy's, to replace its current restaurant at 599 S. State St.; and a Kroger fuel station at 113 W. Schrock Road.

The major redevelopment of the Kroger-anchored Westerville Plaza, catty-corner from Westerville Square where the Walmart is proposed, went through planning before the overlay district was passed by the city.

No decision has been made whether to recommend the plan as a major or minor modification of the existing Westerville Square site development plan, Kight said.

The distinction is significant, because a major modification would require Planning Commission and Westerville City Council approval, while a minor modifications can be approved by Planning Commission alone.

To make matter more complicated, an appeal process exists that could send a minor modifications to City Council.

"It's too early in the process to know if it will be a Planning Commission issue or City Council issue," Kight said.

As is usually the case, opposition to the world's largest retailer coming to town materialized as soon as the project was announced. Criticism has been lively in letters to the editor an opposition Facebook group has been started.

Kight said its typical to hear complaints from those opposed to a project compared to those in favor of them.

"The majority of opinions I got were opposed to the user, but that's not what staff typically uses when making decisions," he said.

Cities have legal guidelines that determine what developments they can approve, but Kight said residents have a variety of ways to make their opinions known. In addition to speaking during public participation sections of Planning Commission and City Council meetings, residents can also write letters, e-mail and petition their local government representatives.

The last time a Walmart was proposed in Westerville was in 2000, on the opposite side of the city, at the southeast corner of Maxtown Road and North State Street. Those plans for a 212,480 square foot Wal-Mart Super Center on the 27-acre vacant property ultimately were shot down by the Planning Commission and City Council, which ruled the retail density of plan was too much for the site.

A two-year legal battle ensued between the developer and city, lasting until late 2002, when an 80,000 square foot Giant Eagle store and 98,000 square feet of retail strip development was proposed and accepted by the city as an alternate plan for the center.

Residents had strong opinions about Walmart then and Kight said he expects the same this time around.

"When we talk about South State Street and we get community input, people always point to this site and and talk about it's importance," Kight said.

"From a staff standpoint we've taken a little bit more time to get ready."

--Rich Kight

http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/art...1_0907am_2.txt

[Chadoh25]

Wilson Bridge Road plans unveiled

ShareThisWednesday, August 11, 2010 01:26 PM
By CANDY BROOKS

ThisWeek Staff Writer

An architectural rendering from BirdHouk shows plans for the Wilson Bridge Road corridor.An interconnected community of offices, shops, hotels and condominiums and apartments is how planners envision the Wilson Bridge Road corridor of the future.

A draft plan was presented to the public at a meeting on August 4.

The plan shows a mix of uses pulled together with pedestrian gathering spaces and walkways and bikeways, including a pedestrian/bike bridge over North High Street just north of Worthington Square.

"We're trying to create a walkable, bikeable corridor where you don't have to get in your car to go from here to there," said James Houk of Bird Houk, the design firm hired by the city to create a development plan for East and West Wilson Bridge Road.

The plan must be approved by Worthington City Council, then followed with a second phase detailing how the city can encourage such development. Those plans will probably include development incentives, changes to allow denser development than now exists and the construction of amenities such as the walkway by the city.

"The city can start relatively soon to put in the walkway," Houk said.

He envisions Worthington Square redeveloped with a mix of uses that will both support offices and will attract families with restaurants, interesting shops and a bookstore.

The city needs to look for a mall owner who will buy into the plan. He sees no reason why that cannot happen, and why other developers will not follow suit with new and redeveloped offices, shops and residential developments.

It can happen in Worthington as it has in places like Easton, Gahanna and Dublin, he said.

"This is as good a site for redevelopment as any site in the city," he said.

Mixing uses not putting too much of any one use in one place is key, he said.

Both residents and office workers today expect to live and work in areas where amenities are available, he said.

Office workers want to be able to walk to restaurants, or even to ride their bikes over their lunch hours. Worthington has the advantage of having one of the best bike paths in central Ohio along the Olentangy River. It needs to be extended up Wilson Bridge Road.

A market study done by the Danter group for Bird Houk said that the area can support apartments and condominiums for young professionals as well as for empty-nesters and for senior citizens.

The plan shows high-density residential use on north side of West Wilson Bridge Road, next to the Olentangy Parklands. Senior citizen housing and medium density residential is shown on the south side of East Wilson Bridge Road, mixed in with professional offices.

Houk said the idea is to place medical offices within walking distance of the homes of older adults.

That was the only part of the plan that seemed to draw criticism from any of the residents who turned out to look at the plans on August 4.

That stretch of road, which is currently zoned residential and has several small houses on large lots, needs to be medium density residential with no businesses, said several people who live on the streets that abut the lots.

Northigh Drive residents Graham Cochran and James McAlister don't want to see offices in their backyard, but do want the other improvements.

"In general, I like it," said Cochran. "Things like the bike path are great."

Council member Bob Chosy said he also liked the plan, but had the same question on his mind as some others expressed.

"I have difficulty understanding how you go from concept to reality," he said.

Comments made last week will be considered by the planners, who will refine the plan for presentation to a joint meeting of council, the Municipal Planning Commission, and the Wilson Bridge Road steering committee on Sept. 13.

Once the plan is approved, planning for phase two will begin, said Worthington planning and zoning coordinator Lynda Bitar.

http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/con...-unveiled.html

[Chadoh25]

Arcade owner wants to restore building

NEWARK -- Not long after Deb Donley moved to Newark from Westerville, she spotted The Arcade through one of the downtown alleys and was immediately intrigued.

Like many Newark residents, Donley found the historical architecture of the city's first enclosed shopping center compelling.

But like others, Donley was disappointed to find it mostly empty.

"I just drove by and could see through here and I thought, 'That's really cool,'" Donley said. "It is so neat. So, we walked through here, and there's nothing here. I can't imagine the rent being that much."

And although many of the city's leaders have spent years reminiscing about regularly visiting The Arcade in their youth, other residents largely have forgotten the historic structure, defining Newark's downtown as the Licking County Courthouse Square.

Now, the current owner, Thomas Cotton, hopes to restore the building to its earlier glory but admits he lacks the resources to complete the project.

The mini-mall located between Third and Fourth streets, and Church and Main streets, features an enclosed walkway with suites on both sides under a glass roof.

Called the Newark Arcade, Newarcade or The Arcade, it was promoted as "a thoroughfare without equal in the city," when construction began in 1907. It was one of eight glass-roofed shopping arcades built in Ohio from 1876 to 1928.

In later decades, an orchestra played over the Fourth Street entrance and there was regular dancing.

At one time or another, The Arcade has been home to restaurants, bars, a newsstand, a boutique, a coffee shop, a hair dresser and stores selling sporting goods, furniture, clothing, music and antiques, with offices and apartments upstairs on either end. Longtime residents remember a time when a theater was added and the building was extended to Main Street in the shape of a "T".

Originally constructed to house about 30 stores, it now is home to eight tenants including a pub, tattoo shop, art studio, union hall, sportswear store, computer store and flower shop.

'BACK THE WAY IT WAS'
Cotton bought the structure about three years ago for about $850,000, according to the Licking County Auditor's website. Since then, he slowly has been trying to clean it up.

He has hidden the large trash bin in a less visible location. He also has done extensive work cleaning up the basement and making concerted efforts to control the rodent population. He also has worked with the health department to solve problems at neighboring buildings.

But he estimates $275,000 to $1 million would be needed to fix up the arcade and the apartments above the two ends. Some city officials believe the cost would be much higher.

"My goal is to put it back the way it was," he said. "Everyone who has been here thought they were improving it. They weren't."

Cotton admits he has run out of money to put into the facility and isn't making enough through the current tenants to make large changes any time soon.

He also said he has applied for stimulus funds and other sources of government funding but has been unsuccessful.

He said he has received little help from Newark City Council, local banks or local developers.

"It's almost like there are vultures waiting for me to fail," he said.

Because of its age, The Arcade faces several challenges. There is air conditioning in stores, but the greenhouse effect of the glass planes makes it very warm in the summer. Cotton said a vent along the top of the ceiling makes it too cold to set up tables to sell wares in the center of The Arcade in the winter.

In addition, the bathrooms all originally were located in the basement, where there were some display areas.

'BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME'
But Cotton said the potential is there.

He sees the basement as a tourist trap to tell people about the history of the building, especially during Prohibition, when he said the basement was the place to be.

He also thinks almost every habitable apartment in downtown is occupied and thinks there is a market for the six apartments he'd like to revitalize on either side of The Arcade.

Cotton would like to see the unique architecture, such as light wells that went from the roof to the ground level, restored.

"I personally believe The Arcade should be the center of downtown efforts," he said.

But when asked how he would modernize the building, Cotton said it is not in his plans.

"It's my goal to put it back the way it was. I don't want to modernize anything," he said.

Cotton also dismissed the need for marketing or the idea that the lack of visibility hurts the stores inside.

Instead, he said, he has taken a "build it and they will come" attitude.

"If you are from Newark, you know The Arcade is here," he said. "There is a good bit of traffic."

Cotton said he cleaned up The Center bar, and now there are customers.

"We need to fix it up ... and stay at it and be diligent, and it will come back," he said.

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/articl...store-building

[Chadoh25]

Worthington Square Mall to change hands
Prospective new owner plans to revitalize shopping center

Tuesday, August 31, 2010 11:15 AM
Updated: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 02:58 PM
By Marla Matzer Rose

The Columbus Dispatch

Worthington Square Mall is expected to have a new owner this year, one who plans to revitalize the long-languishing 168,000-square-foot property.

Local developer Tom Carter has joined with Morris Capital Partners of Texas and is in contract to purchase the mall from GE Equities, the lender that assumed ownership 2008. The price was not disclosed.

"We are excited about the opportunity to help Worthington Square realize its full potential -- attracting both local and regional customers," Carter, who previously worked for Easton Town Center developer Steiner + Associates, said in a statement.

Many tenants have left the mall in recent years for other, newer shopping centers. Other retailers closed and were not replaced. Current tenants include a recently-expanded Kroger supermarket and a number of upscale womens retailers, such as Talbots and Chicos.

mrose@dispatch.com

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content...r.html?sid=101

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Businesses in Historic Dublin Work Together To Promote Prosperity

Regional Spotlight — By Melanie McIntyre on September 10, 2010 at 8:00 am

Unlike several regional suburbs, Dublin has not neglected its original downtown. In fact, the Historic Dublin Business Association −made up of retail, professional, and service businesses− actively promotes economic growth in the historic district and works with city officials to ensure its members’ particular needs are met.

We recently talked with HDBA president Eric Leslie, who has been involved with the association for three years, to discuss its inner workings, the issues of greatest importance to its membership, and how it drives traffic to the district, which is located along Bridge and High streets on the west side of the Scioto River.

MM: The HDBA holds general meetings six times per year. Are those meetings bi-monthly?

EL: They aren’t all bi-monthly. We like to heavy up meetings towards the end of the year. With all the holiday activities −Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas− we like to make sure the district is active in promoting the area thematically.

MM: What’s discussed at general meetings?

EL: Most of the hot button topics that are issues for our individual members −parking, programming, policies− are things we’ll discuss. Regular updates on event plans and community initiatives are also discussed.

MM: Who can attend general meetings?

EL: Any good standing member of HDBA can attend. Special guests are also invited to do presentations and/or hold a topical discussion.

MM: How many businesses are members of the HDBA?

EL: We currently have 48 members within our historic district.

MM: Tell me about the Historic Dublin Business District.

EL: It’s a quaint area tabbed as the original starting place of Dublin, Ohio or the “Heart of Dublin”. We’re a developing group of small, mostly independently owned businesses. We have everything, from a variety of dining establishments to boutique shopping to professional service providers. A lot of really smart, humble, and aggressive business owners reside in the district.

MM: How does the HDBA help members deal with the city of Dublin?

EL: We play an active role as a liaison to different offices throughout the city of Dublin. From handling volunteer coordination for events to public relation issues to parking and police concerns, HDBA strives to be the voice of our business members.

MM: What top concerns has the HDBA presented to the city and what, if anything, has the city done to address them?

EL: The biggest issue, since I’ve been around, has been the parking concerns. Making sure we have enough public parking spaces to complement an easily accessible experience. The city has performed numerous studies, helped install new bike racks for alternative transportation options, wayfinding signage, and encouraged valet parking options.

MM: How does the HDBA help members with marketing and advertising?

EL: Above all, we cohesively brand the district as a place to “Stop, Shop and Explore.” With such an eclectic mix of business tenants in the area, we feel like creating experiences through our events and special programming that encourage people to walk or trolley around the district is a great way to help build individualized exposure.

Things like our community-wide acoustics night, where live outdoor music is heard every Thursday, help bring people down and shuffle around the district to see some storefronts they might not have. We also do a lot of cross pollination with other community organizations like the Dublin Area Art League, where we rented a trolley during [The Dublin Arts Fair] and transported people to and from the event.

MM: How is the HDBA marketing the district as a destination?

EL: Another key part of the cross promotional efforts we maintain is providing centralized programming. We place musicians at the Frog Park along South High Street, so that patrons of the Dublin Village Tavern, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, or even the [Dublin] Barber Shop, can spend some extended time enjoying the natural area acoustics. I think that leads to deeper exploration of how to regularly utilize the resources of an area− capture their attention with something unique and unexpected that motivates them to keep coming back.

MM: Do the district’s businesses work together to promote each other?

EL: Absolutely.

MM: Can you share an example of how they’ve have done that?

EL: To help reduce cost, a group of about 12 business owners got together for an ad purchase in the Dublin Villager. Instead of putting individual ads in, they purchased an entire page together and were able to pick complementary layout and verbiage, maximizing their spend while helping promote the area as a whole.

MM: What else should we know about the HDBA?

EL: It’s a great area, full of tradition and perseverance. It’s not a lot of new business thinking or young entrepreneurship pumping life into the area. It’s the roots that keep it alive. The pillars of the community that stand up and preserve the character and heritage the area was built on.

For more information about the Historic Dublin Business Association, visit HistoricDublin.org.

http://www.themetropreneur.com/colum...te-prosperity/

[Chadoh25]

An update on the Kingsdale renovations

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 02:02 PM


Merchants at the Kingsdale Shopping Center remain open for business as renovation continues to move forward.

"It's worth the experience driving through the ever-changing maze to receive excellent customer service and exceptional value," said Jon Pugh with Ship Print eSell.

The building being erected currently on the north side of the site off Tremont is a 12,000-square-foot retail building expected to be completed by the end of the year. Fifty percent of the building has been leased and Continental is working on terms with a restaurant for another approximately 4,500 square feet.

The demolition on the Zollinger Road part of the site should start mid fall and be completed by Thanksgiving time. This will pave the way for the office/medical buildings to start in the spring once commitments have been finalized.

The pile of dirt seen currently in the middle of the parking lot should be green space this fall, as well.

Continental shared that the leasing for the center continues to go very well. Kenneth's Salon, Orange Leaf Yogurt and Burger's, Dogs & Fries are due to open by mid-September or shortly thereafter. Giant Eagle is scheduled for a mid-October opening.

This completes the existing retail, minus a couple of tenants with the new buildings coming on line next year.

The chamber, in partnership with the city, is in the process of developing several strategies to support our local area retail districts and specialty services with destination marketing.

"Our chamber retail and business development committees are working diligently to build consensus with other businesses to ensure success and provide a wealth of resources and training support as we build new bridges to provide networking and idea sharing opportunities. We want to build community among retailers to grow a network of trust, respect and support; identify and promote what makes the UA service community special," said Becky Hajost, president of the Upper Arlington Area Chamber of Commerce.

http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/con...novations.html

[Chadoh25]

Grocery 'Disneyland'

Giant Eagle's concept megastore in Upper Arlington opens today, with everything shoppers need - and don't yet know they want

Thursday, October 14, 2010 02:54 AM
By Tracy Turner

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Sure, it's a Giant Eagle, but the folks behind the Market District concept don't call it a grocery store.

Featuring a restaurant, a bakery, a wine shop, a health clinic and three times as many employees as a normal Giant Eagle, the Market District store opening today in Upper Arlington is the first of its kind in Ohio.

"It's where food utopia meets the weekly shopping trip," said Brett Merrell, senior vice president of Giant Eagle's Market District division.

"It's a place where you can get wild game such as buffalo and elk but also everyday items such as Tide, Crest or Cheerios you would expect to find in a traditional Giant Eagle supermarket."

Food Network TV host Guy Fieri calls it the "Disneyland of grocery stores."

The 127,000-square-foot store, at the redeveloped Kingsdale Shopping Center, is only the fourth of its kind from the Pittsburgh-based grocer.

It offers the traditional Giant Eagle supermarket offerings and discounts, and lets consumers rack up Fuel Perks gas discounts and Food Perks grocery discounts.

But it also offers 2,700 varieties of wine, 400 cheeses, 10 dining stations, an executive chef and exotic foods such as rattlesnake and pheasant.

In addition to its food offerings, Market District has a dietitian and esthetician - a skin care and beauty specialist - on site, as well as a FastCare health clinic run by Ohio State University.

The store, which has 600 employees and is open 24 hours, also has a food demo area set up with a chef-led cooking class offered six times a day.

The store is designed to appeal to consumers on a budget as well as food lovers who want gourmet and exotic fare, Merrell said.

Giant Eagle opened its first Market District in Pittsburgh in 2006 and now has three of the stores in that market. The company said it chose Columbus to open its first Market District in Ohio because it thinks the area will support the concept.

"The customers that live in this area ... have a real passion for food," Merrell said. "We're excited about the success we've seen in Pittsburgh and expect to see the same here because we believe Market District has broad appeal across different markets."

Although Merrell declined to provide specifics, the Upper Arlington store cost about "twice what a normal supermarket would cost" to build.

Although some might question the wisdom of opening an upscale foods store on the heels of a recession, one analyst says Giant Eagle's timing is smart.

Even though many consumers remain hesitant to spend, they might be willing to open up their wallets more with the holidays approaching, said Marcia Mogelonsky, an analyst for market-research firm Mintel International in Chicago.

"It's very clever to open a food store such as this with Thanksgiving coming up," Mogelonsky said. "Their product mix may be a little more upscale, and that may appeal to people who, because they aren't spending as much, may plan to entertain more at home and want to spend a little extra to do something a bit nicer."

Merrell said his store is "right on target for where the economy is."

"We deliver a broad variety of food, specialty foods and unique products, plus a lot of great items, including our own brands," he said. "Market District offers the best of both worlds - great for foodies, but also great for the value-conscious consumer that needs to stretch their dollars to provide for their family's needs."

Jessica Smith of Upper Arlington is one of those consumers. She said she has watched the store being built and looks forward to shopping there.

"I can't wait to see what's inside," she said. "I'm willing to spend a little bit more for quality, and I do plan to shop there.

"I think the store is good for the area."

tturner@dispatch.com

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content...d.html?sid=101

[Chadoh25]

Dublin: City pays $1.5 million for Bright Rd. parkland

Thursday, September 30, 2010 05:57 AM
By Jennifer Noblit

ThisWeek Staff Writer

Dublin will spend $1.5million for 21 acres known as the Holder property at 4279 Bright Rd., which will become a park.

The deal approved by the City Council last week concludes what parks director Fred Hahn said was a deal in the works for 17 years. Washington Township contributed $460,000 to the purchase.

Hahn said the park will be planned next year, but it will be passive space and will include educational elements.

A city staff report said the property includes the Holder-Wright Works, "an ancient man-made landform that has critical archaeological importance, a feature the city desires to preserve. Additionally, the Billingsley Creek ravine traverses the property and is a location of importance for its scenic and natural beauty."

According to the purchase agreement, Dublin can reconstruct the mounds and must make an effort to preserve a nearly 100-year-old house on the property.

http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live...litics&sid=101

[Chadoh25]

Dublin moves forward with Bridge Street corridor study

Thursday, October 7, 2010 06:10 PM
By JENNIFER NOBLIT

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Council will have to decide whether or not to stand behind the vision, principles, concept plan and districts outlined in the Bridge Street Corridor Study later this month.

During a Monday study session, Dublin City Council members unanimously voted to have staff bring a resolution of support of the plan and a calendar setting the next steps for the Bridge Street Corridor Study at the Oct. 25 council meeting.

Goody-Clancy consultants David Dixon and Ben Carlson met with council members this week to go over results of the study an outline for future development and redevelopment along state Route 161 that extends from Sawmill Road to the I-270 and U.S. Route 33 interchange that has been in the works for the last year.

Goody-Clancy consultants outlined the same preliminary study results given during a public forum in June at Wendy's headquarters.

During the meeting, Dixon and Carlson talked about a walkable, mixed-use development corridor that includes an emphasis on economic development, integration of the center of the city into community life, embracing natural settings and expanding choices for Dublin residents.

"A mixed-use, walkable environment is at a premium," Dixon told council members this week, adding that Dublin is try to think ahead of the market with this plan.

Carlson revisited the seven districts that the Bridge Street Corridor was divided into: Bridge Street Gateway, Indian Run, Historic Dublin, Riverside, Dublin-Granville Road, Tuller/Greenway and Sawmill.

If council approves the resolution of support of the corridor study later this month, it would mean agreement with the seven districts and future plans for mixed-use development - office, retail, residences and greenspace - with an emphasis on a pedestrian-friendly environment.

An approval of the calendar would mean nearly $500,000 in expenses for the city; the next steps would include code changes and transportation plans.

Dana McDaniel, deputy city manager and director of economic development, told council members after approval of the vision and principles of the Bridge Street Corridor Study, a district pattern book will follow with a completion date of March.

According to McDaniel, the book would include "design guidelines for each district" and provide more guidance and definition for the different areas of the corridor.

Once the district pattern book is completed, "regulatory framework" and code will need to be worked on. McDaniel said this would include the process that developers follow when bringing a project forward for the corridor forward.

This step is expected to cost $45,000.

The city is also planning models and plans on traffic, transportation, utilities and infrastructure at an estimated $370,000. It would be completed between July and September. The plans would look at costs and demands on services the development could bring.

The city also plans a fiscal analysis to evaluate costs, economic feasibility and "a general evaluation of the relative costs of implementing elements of the plan," the staff report said.

Interim city manager and finance director Marsha Grigsby said funding for these items is already in the 2010 budget and will be programmed into the 2011 budget.

Council also plans to meet with the Planning and Zoning Commission and Architectural Board of Review to discuss application of the vision.

http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/con...d.html?sid=104

[Chadoh25]

Residential street, park are part of Grandview Yard's second phase

By MARK DUBOVEC
Published: Monday, October 4, 2010 5:15 PM EDT

The Grandview Heights Planning Commission last week gave preliminary approval with conditions for Phase II of the Grandview Yard development.

The plan, approved last Wednesday, Sept. 29, calls for the dedication of a new residential street and a small park to provide open space at the north end of the first phase of development. The combined area affected by this phase will be less than one acre.

"The next block will probably be residential, so the park will be important," said Nationwide Realty Investors Vice President Jim Rost.

Rost said public improvements will include the widening of Goodale Boulevard.


"We're going to get that completed by the end of the year," he said.

The application originally contained a requirement to construct a connector between Yard Street, which runs north-south through the middle of Grandview Yard, and Higgs Avenue, but it was agreed that would be examined further.

Mayor Ray DeGraw said he is looking for feedback regarding the proposed connector from businesses that would be affected. DeGraw said there is potential a connector might not be necessary, and he didn't want the condition to require its construction -- only to build if necessary.

The plan is to determine whether a connector will be necessary before the phase goes before City Council.

"We're ready to go," Rost said. "We want to get going before the winter season."

Concerns about traffic safety were raised by planning commission member Tom Komlanc, and the commission agreed to conduct further traffic studies before council approval as well as requiring appropriate signage and traffic signals and ongoing evaluation of traffic circulation.

"We're going to monitor how the safety concerns go," Rost said.

Keith Meyer, principal of MSI Design, said Yard Street is intended to be the signature street of Grandview Yard, which is designed primarily for pedestrian traffic.

Bobcat Street and the currently unnamed street that will parallel Yard Street on each side will collect traffic, said project manager Travis Eifert of EMH&T.

"Given the plan and its design, the framework should lessen that congestion," Eifert said.

Meyer also said future developments will be similar to the arrangement of the first phase. The edges of buildings will be on Yard Street with parking in the back, which Meyer called "perfect symbiotic use."

There will be three urban parks throughout the center of the project, with residential developments stretching alongside them.

"This is not a master plan so much as a framework," Meyer said "We'll be coming in to discuss individual building blocks."

Meyer said decisions ultimately will be shaped by the market.

"We are working on plans as opportunities pop up," he said.

http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/art...4_0502pm_6.txt

[Chadoh25]

Grocery 'Disneyland'
Giant Eagle's concept megastore in Upper Arlington opens today, with everything shoppers need - and don't yet know they want

Thursday, October 14, 2010 02:54 AM
By Tracy Turner

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Sure, it's a Giant Eagle, but the folks behind the Market District concept don't call it a grocery store.

Featuring a restaurant, a bakery, a wine shop, a health clinic and three times as many employees as a normal Giant Eagle, the Market District store opening today in Upper Arlington is the first of its kind in Ohio.

"It's where food utopia meets the weekly shopping trip," said Brett Merrell, senior vice president of Giant Eagle's Market District division.

"It's a place where you can get wild game such as buffalo and elk but also everyday items such as Tide, Crest or Cheerios you would expect to find in a traditional Giant Eagle supermarket."

Food Network TV host Guy Fieri calls it the "Disneyland of grocery stores."

The 127,000-square-foot store, at the redeveloped Kingsdale Shopping Center, is only the fourth of its kind from the Pittsburgh-based grocer.

It offers the traditional Giant Eagle supermarket offerings and discounts, and lets consumers rack up Fuel Perks gas discounts and Food Perks grocery discounts.

But it also offers 2,700 varieties of wine, 400 cheeses, 10 dining stations, an executive chef and exotic foods such as rattlesnake and pheasant.

In addition to its food offerings, Market District has a dietitian and esthetician - a skin care and beauty specialist - on site, as well as a FastCare health clinic run by Ohio State University.

The store, which has 600 employees and is open 24 hours, also has a food demo area set up with a chef-led cooking class offered six times a day.

The store is designed to appeal to consumers on a budget as well as food lovers who want gourmet and exotic fare, Merrell said.

Giant Eagle opened its first Market District in Pittsburgh in 2006 and now has three of the stores in that market. The company said it chose Columbus to open its first Market District in Ohio because it thinks the area will support the concept.

"The customers that live in this area ... have a real passion for food," Merrell said. "We're excited about the success we've seen in Pittsburgh and expect to see the same here because we believe Market District has broad appeal across different markets."

Although Merrell declined to provide specifics, the Upper Arlington store cost about "twice what a normal supermarket would cost" to build.

Although some might question the wisdom of opening an upscale foods store on the heels of a recession, one analyst says Giant Eagle's timing is smart.

Even though many consumers remain hesitant to spend, they might be willing to open up their wallets more with the holidays approaching, said Marcia Mogelonsky, an analyst for market-research firm Mintel International in Chicago.

"It's very clever to open a food store such as this with Thanksgiving coming up," Mogelonsky said. "Their product mix may be a little more upscale, and that may appeal to people who, because they aren't spending as much, may plan to entertain more at home and want to spend a little extra to do something a bit nicer."

Merrell said his store is "right on target for where the economy is."

"We deliver a broad variety of food, specialty foods and unique products, plus a lot of great items, including our own brands," he said. "Market District offers the best of both worlds - great for foodies, but also great for the value-conscious consumer that needs to stretch their dollars to provide for their family's needs."

Jessica Smith of Upper Arlington is one of those consumers. She said she has watched the store being built and looks forward to shopping there.

"I can't wait to see what's inside," she said. "I'm willing to spend a little bit more for quality, and I do plan to shop there.

"I think the store is good for the area."

tturner@dispatch.com

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content...d.html?sid=101