Columbus Suburban Development News

[Chadoh25]

Construction updates from Grandview Heights. Gandview Avenue. Feb 13th, 2011

There was an older building here that burnt down. This is what replaced it. Not half bad eh!







My little Hyundai there. It needs cleaned, badly! LOL

All photos by me.

[Chadoh25]

City of Grandview Height, Grandview Yard. October 19th, 2010.

For nearly six decades, the City of Grandview Heights, Ohio, was home to the nation’s largest refrigerated warehouse – representing hundreds of jobs and critical tax revenue for the City of Grandview Heights and the State of Ohio. In 2004, bankruptcy resulted in one million square feet of vacant warehouse space. As a result, the largely abandoned 90-acre site began to deteriorate and created a challenging Brownfield condition.

But still, the area between Third Avenue and Goodale Boulevard in Grandview Heights, only minutes away from The Ohio State University, represented a tremendous opportunity in the community.

Nationwide Realty Investors is proud to be able to revitalize this valuable area. When complete, Grandview Yard will include 1.5 – 2 million square feet of commercial space with supporting parking garages, public streets, and pedestrian amenities. It will also include more than 600 residential units, conveniently located close to amenities such as coffee shops, restaurants, retail stores and useable green space.

The master plan for Grandview Yard calls for a total investment of over $500M.
http://www.grandviewyard.com/ThePlan/History.aspx








walking up Gooddale Avenue











Urban Active as seen from the parking garage.

[Chadoh25]

Worthington

Mall will be big business news in 2011

Wednesday, February 9, 2011 11:38 AM
By CANDY BROOKS

The proposed revitalization of Worthington Square may be the best business news coming out of Worthington in recent years. City manager Matt Greeson summed up the city's response in three words.

"We are ecstatic," he told the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce at the annual Groundhog Day Breakfast on Feb. 2.

Asked to forecast the coming year in business, he of course began with the plans to bring back the mall, which has been failing for many years.

This past December, it was purchased by Worthington resident Tom Carter and a group of Texas investors. Plans for renovation are expected to be submitted to the city in the spring, with construction set to begin in the summer.

The Wilson Bridge Road corridor study is also due in the spring. The land use and market analysis will be a blueprint for what the city hopes will be the redevelopment of East and West Wilson Bridge roads.

The plan will signal to the development community that the city is ready to work with them, he said.

A new era at the community center is also on the horizon, Greeson said. Marketing efforts are being redesigned and group membership options for businesses are being explored.

A new web site will launch in 2011. A collaborative effort of the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Olde Worthington Business Association, it will focus on downtown and community activities.

"We're hoping it becomes the preeminent site for what to do in Worthington," Greeson said.

New development manager Jeffry Harris introduced himself to the audience and brought them up to date on what he is doing to retain and attract business to Worthington.

He began with the city in December.

The city's economic development program is already sound, but he would like to update it as he becomes more familiar with the city's needs, Harris said.

Targeted areas for redevelopment, besides the mall and Wilson Bridge Road, are Huntley and Proprietors roads, the old CVS site, and the United Methodist Children's Home site, he said.

He has already begun reaching out to current businesses and congratulating those who are central Ohio market leaders, he said.

http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/con...1.html?sid=104

[Chadoh25]

Wagenbrenner Co. building reopening set for Monday

Wednesday, January 12, 2011
By ALAN FROMAN
ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Two years to the day since the fire that displaced it, Grandview Avenue Physical Therapy will host a grand reopening Monday, Jan. 17, at the Wagenbrenner Company's new building on Grandview Avenue. The event will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. and will be highlighted with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Grandview Mayor Ray DeGraw and Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman are expected to attend the ceremony. GAPT is the only original tenant to move back into the Wagenbrenner building site on Grandview Avenue between Third and Fifth avenues.

On Jan. 17, 2009, a three-alarm fire damaged the two-story Kingswood Building beyond repair, displacing all of the 27 business tenants save for the Z Cucina restaurant on the southern edge of the building, which was protected by the atrium-like structure that connected it to the main building.

The Wagenbrenner Company has built a new four-story development on the site, which has five retail spaces totaling 11,028 square feet on the first floor and 37 one- and two-bedroom apartments on the upper three floors. The development has been named The Windsor Building.

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

[Chadoh25]

Insight Bank buys Worthington site for HQ, branch

Insight Bank is in contract to acquire the former Dalt’s restaurant building and attached offices next to the Worthington Square Mall where it will develop its headquarters.

The Columbus bank, launched in 2006, has been considering a move for years as its focus turned more toward retail banking, an approach that often requires a highly visible branch office near retail and residential concentrations.

“There is greater traffic with people coming to and going from someplace,” said Insight CEO Harvey Glick.

Terms of the tentative sale were not disclosed. The bank's purchase of the property and expected move need regulatory approvals, Glick said. He expects the bank to move this year.

The bank’s existing headquarters and branch are at the back of an office complex off Orion Place in the Polaris area, far from passing traffic or housing developments.

The bank plans to close the Orion Place office before moving to 150 W. Wilson Bridge Road, which includes the 5,500-square foot former Dalt’s restaurant that the bank will convert into offices. It also is acquiring the attached 11,000-square-foot office building, where it will open a branch and keep other offices. Both properties are vacant.

Tom Carter, a partner in Worthington Square Venture LLC, the partnership that owned the property, said the Insight complex will help to bring more business to the adjacent Worthington Square Mall, which the partnership also owns.

“It just brings more activity to the intersection,” he said, “and more workers to help the restaurants and shopping during the day.”

Worthington Square Venture hoped to sell the property, but only if it could find a buyer with plans that would keep the buildings occupied for years, Carter said.

“We wanted a sustainable business in there,” he said.


http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/...-site-for.html

[Chadoh25]

Solar project excites Newark
Collector field promoted as big boost to city

Sunday, March 27, 2011 03:16 AM
By Josh Jarman

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

NEWARK, Ohio - The city has been here before.

Poised on the edge of big dreams, Newark has long sought a knockout development that would put it back on the map as a business leader in central Ohio.

While other developments, such as a large ethanol-refining plant and a rumored training facility for the Columbus Crew, never came to pass, city leaders think they have a lot to feel good about in a proposed solar-collector field on the eastern edge of the city.

Announced last week as part of Mayor Bob Diebold's initiatives to bring the city into the future, the mayor and his staff expect to sign a purchase agreement this year with an alternative-energy developer to make the project a reality.

The project, which will feature a 24- to 40-acre array of solar-power collectors, would be built on an old manufacturing site that left behind a barren landscape of soil shot through with heavy metals and other pollutants.

The city bought the property for about $96,000 in back taxes, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency paid more than $2.5 million to have the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stabilize the nearby riverbank to keep the contaminated soil from washing into the Licking River.

The next phase, a more than $2 million project to be paid for by a grant from the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund, will cap and contain the pollution and prevent it from entering groundwater. That work is expected to wrap up by the end of the year.

Mike Dickman, vice president of SolarVision, a Westerville-based solar development firm, said finding investors for the project should not be difficult, especially if it can be completed by the end of the year to capture federal tax incentives.

He said the most difficult part of developing a solar project is the financing, which is a balancing act of matching investors with the tax credits and incentives that make it profitable.

He said he expects the Newark site to be sought after because if its size and the ability to lock in the city as a long-term customer. He estimated that a solar array the size of Newark's could generate between four to six megawatts, or enough to power thousands of homes and businesses.

The upfront cost to build it would range from $18 million to $36 million, depending on the type of solar panels and the final size of the project, which is why capturing incentives and tax credits is so important.

Amy Alduino, brownfield coordinator for the Ohio Department of Development, which administered the grant, said the department got behind the project because it will allow the city to transform itself from a former manufacturing center into a renewable-energy provider that could lure new business to the area with the promise of "green" energy.

Kim Burton, Newark's new development director, said the shadow of past failures will not keep the city from capitalizing on this opportunity. She said dust-covered binders in her office speak to the stalled dreams of the ethanol plant, whose investor pulled the plug after almost a year, and the soccer facility that is still searching for a home, but this project already has several companies competing to make it real.

Burton said she has been fielding calls from across the state from investors who want to bid on the project, but she is moving cautiously to make sure any deal is the best fit for Newark.

She said the project can both boost the city's economy and help improve its image. And she said this project is no pipe dream.

"Oh yeah, it's going to happen," Burton said.

jjarman@dispatch.com

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

[Chadoh25]

Chase may add 1,000 jobs here
Gahanna weighs tax deal to bring in at least 2 years of mortgage work

Saturday, April 23, 2011 03:06 AM
By Marla Matzer Rose

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is looking to add between 500 and 1,000 mortgage-servicing jobs in Gahanna as part of its commitment to deal with the fallout from problem foreclosures and mortgages.

Chase proposes to lease two adjacent Gahanna office buildings for at least two years, Chase spokeswoman Mary Kay Bean confirmed. The offices, at 800 and 825 Techcenter Dr., have been vacant since NetJets canceled its lease as it was making cuts in 2009.

"This confirms our commitment to employees in the Columbus area to help with our mortgage-serving operation," Bean said.

On Monday evening, the finance committee of the Gahanna City Council will consider a payroll-tax incentive for Chase valued at $150,000. The city calculates that over the initial two-year term, the city should receive $300,000 in tax revenue from Chase after the tax break. Chase has planned to invest $7.5million in computers, furniture, fixtures and tenant improvements at the site.

The project would lead to Chase "becoming one of Gahanna's largest employers," according to the project summary being considered by the City Council. The jobs are expected to pay an average of $40,000 per year, producing an estimated payroll of at least $20 million.

Industry experts think the mortgage-servicing workers that Chase and other banks are adding will likely not be made permanent after the two years end, because they're being hired specifically to address particular problems, including the processing of foreclosures.



Still, the jobs will be new to Chase and won't be moved from another part of the state or elsewhere, said Brian Hoyt, public information officer for Gahanna. Gahanna was in competition with other central Ohio sites for the project.

The jobs will be a welcome addition with unemployment still high in central Ohio, said James Newton, chief economic adviser for Commerce National Bank.

"It will help draw down the unemployment rate, it shows that Chase figures we have the kind of skilled personnel here to fill these jobs, and it will fill an empty facility," Newton said. "I'm not generally a fan of incentives, but in this case it sounds like it's a pretty good deal for everybody."

Chase didn't consider adding employees at its 9,000-employee McCoy Center at Polaris or its smaller Easton campus because of the "space issue" of already being full at those locations, Bean said. In Gahanna, the company would occupy more than 100,000 square feet of space.

Chase already has 17,000 employees in Columbus and has announced the addition of 245 more jobs in recent months.

Overall, Chase plans to add 2,000 to 3,000 employees nationally to address mortgage-related problems, and Bean recently said that a significant number of those jobs will be placed in central Ohio. This month, federal banking regulators charged that more than a dozen of the largest U.S. banks, including Chase, had engaged in "a pattern of misconduct and negligence" in servicing mortgages and processing foreclosures.

Among the problems, regulators said, is that banks hadn't hired enough workers to deal with the fallout of the mortgage meltdown.

mrose@dispatch.com

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

[Chadoh25]

Worthington Square mall getting new look, name

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 03:05 AM
By Marla Matzer Rose

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Worthington Square mall is being renamed the Shops at Worthington Place as the new owners proceed with a plan for a multimillion-dollar renovation of the property to begin this summer.

The shopping center was bought last year by Worthington resident Tom Carter and Texas-based Morris-Floyd Capital Partners, and they recently closed on a $10million renovation loan from WesBanco.

The developers launched a website using the new name, www.shopworthingtonplace

.com, and they plan to put up permanent signs with the new name later this year.

"We see tremendous potential for Worthington Place and look forward to adding new shops and restaurants to the center's high-performing tenant roster," said Bill Morris, principal of Morris-Floyd Capital Partners.

Morris said the First Watch restaurant at the center is the top-performing one in Ohio, and he said the Talbots store there will soon be expanded, giving it the largest Talbots selection in the state.

A spokeswoman said the owners are "very close" to announcing new tenants for the property, which has been about 50 percent vacant for a couple of years.

The center, built in the 1970s, is southwest of I-270 and Rt. 23.

Improvements will include a new open-air section toward the back of the center, new landscaping and children's play areas. They are expected to be finished by the holiday season.

mrose@dispatch.com

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

[Chadoh25]

Plans would give Dublin's core a new feel

Wednesday, June 8, 2011 03:07 AM
By Holly Zachariah

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Steve Langworthy doesn't think it is exaggerating to say that a proposed overhaul of building codes and zoning will irrevocably change the face of Dublin.

"What we're doing is building a character to the area, building a feel," said Langworthy, the city's director of land use and long-range planning. "It is transformative."

The city will hold an open house from 2 to 7 p.m. today at the Dublin Community Recreation Center to show off the latest ideas for the Bridge Street Corridor Project. Then, on June 20, the City Council will consider the next steps, and it could potentially vote that night to rezone the area most often identified as Dublin's core.

The area - land along Bridge Street/Rt. 161 and roughly bounded by I-270 and Sawmill Road - represents about 6 percent of Dublin's total, but it includes the places where people spend much of their time: the OCLC Online Computer Library Center campus, Dublin Village Center and the historic downtown.

City leaders began studying how to transform the corridor into a more-densely populated, more-urban locale more than two years ago. They want a place where people don't need vehicles to get around, a district where people can walk from their condominium to dinner and a movie with a stop to see live entertainment at a neighborhood park.

Think German Village or the Short North.

The city paid consultants $165,000 for the initial, overall plan and authorized at least $135,000 more to come up with what officials say are the building and zoning plans that will move the plan from paper to life.

The city's planners have identified zones and neighborhoods within the corridor and are asking the council to rezone them in large chunks of office, residential, commercial and public space.

But the key is the building codes, Langworthy said. That's where change happens.

The council also will be asked to approve new rules and regulations that don't just set standards for redeveloping areas, but instead outline specifically what kind of building goes exactly where.

It is a practice called "form-based" code, and it has been used in communities that have successfully transformed, said Ed McMahon, senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute, a land-use nonprofit based in Washington. D.C.

Form-based codes regulate the building more than the use and allow communities to decide exactly what they want to look like. It is a bold concept, but accepted in communities that want to be walkable and attract older residents and young professionals - the two groups most looking to live in hip, convenient and easily navigated urban areas, McMahon said.

While Dublin's project is ambitious, it can be done because Americans are beginning to reject the types of communities created by suburban sprawl, McMahon said.

"We're going to look back at the last 50 years of development in the U.S. as an aberration," he said.

The code under consideration in Dublin specifies how buildings, developments and streets look. It will define exactly where the buildings will go, where the parking will go (underneath or behind), how tall the buildings can be (eight stories in some places) and the like.

Langworthy acknowledged that the code seems restrictive, but developers will appreciate knowing what is expected.

"As a city, you make your expectations and desires clear, and then it is a business owner's or developer's market decision whether to build there," he said. "They don't care what you have, they just want to know what it is up front."

McMahon pointed to communities such as Arlington County, Va., and Rockville, Md., which have transformed part of their central districts by employing strict codes and specific plans and designs.

"Most communities who are afraid to say no to anything get crap," he said. "Communities that set high standards compete to the top. With this plan and with form-based code, Dublin is setting itself apart."

Dublin resident Michael Blackwell went to the first open house last month to get a look at the plans. He lives in an older section of the city and said the Bridge Street corridor plans appeal to him.

"I would want to live there," said Blackwell, who manages the Dublin branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. He said it would be great to be able to walk to shops, to dinner and to the park.

"But you have to have something to walk to," he said. "It is an ambitious plan, one that promises to completely reshape the area. I hope they can pull it off."

hzachariah@dispatch.com

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

[Chadoh25]

Bridge Street corridor plan moves on to city council

Wednesday, June 8, 2011 08:40 AM
By JENNIFER NOBLIT

ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Rezoning and code for the Bridge Street corridor could be adopted by Dublin City Council as soon as the end of the month.

With the lion's share of studies completed, code and rezoning that will guide redevelopment in Dublin's core is moving quickly.

The final informational open house on the Bridge Street corridor that runs along state Route 161, from Sawmill Road to the U.S. Route 33/Interstate 270 interchange and is bordered to the north by I-270, was held this week at the Dublin Community Recreation Center.

The next move will be a joint meeting between Dublin City Council and the planning and zoning commission June 20.

The proposed code for the Bridge Street corridor that will encourage walkable, mixed-use development will be discussed by the groups June 20, and P&Z is expected to make a recommendation to council. Area rezonings also will receive the same treatment.

The Bridge Street corridor vision numerous times has been called a guide for the next 30 years, but planner Rachel Ray said the quick-approval process that's planned comes from council's desire.

"Council has indicated a desire to keep the process moving along to bring about the implementation of the Bridge Street corridor plan," she said. "Based on that fact, we had proposed a joint work-session format to expedite the process a little bit."

A joint work session between council and P&Z means council gets to hear P&Z's discussions and the groups can work together, Ray said.

The commission could recommend adoption of the Bridge Street corridor code and rezoning as soon as June 20, but the process could be delayed.

"We are giving council the opportunity to discuss the preferred option for overall adoption," Ray said. "What we're doing is giving them the opportunity to take action at that meeting. However, at the next city council meeting on June 13, we're giving them an opportunity to progress with the plan at that meeting or if they would like to adopt it at a subsequent meeting."

The current plan is for council to hold the first reading of the code and rezoning adoption at the June 20 joint work session and to hear the second and final reading June 27, but Ray said that could be adjusted if council wants more time for discussion or public comment.

Staff members have been meeting with property owners regarding the code and rezonings, Ray said.

"We've gotten some calls and sat down with a number of property owners," she said. "The No. 1 question we're asked is, 'What does this mean for my property?' Because the code is more complex than standard code, we're more than happy to schedule time to meet with them and talk about code implications for their property."

Proposed code and rezoning for the Bridge Street corridor is available online at Dublin.oh.us/ bridgestreet.

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

[Chadoh25]

Grandview Yard Apartments Planned for Opening in 2012

http://www.columbusunderground.com/g...pening-in-2012

[Chadoh25]

Developers proposing hotel for Lane Ave. in Upper Arlington
Plan also features office, retail space; neighborhood reaction is mixed

A Columbus real-estate partnership unveiled plans last night for a Cambria Suites hotel and accompanying mixed-use development in the heart of Upper Arlington’s new community entertainment district.

Lane Avenue Redevelopment LLC submitted plans for a 118-room hotel as well as 106 “luxury” apartments, 13,000 square feet of office space and a 13,000-square-foot retail and restaurant space.

The proposed site, bordered by Lane Avenue on the south and Wellesley Drive on the east, sits on a parcel occupied by the Lane Avenue Baptist Church.

The site is across the street from the Shops on Lane Avenue and west of La Chatelaine French Bakery & Bistro.

The group proposing the development is a partnership of Real Estate Development Advisors, or RDA; Crawford Hoying; hotel developer and owner Ceres Enterprises LLC; M+A Architects; and construction manager Brackett Builders Inc.

“Obviously, we’re very excited about this project and the opportunity to bring it to a great community like Upper Arlington,” said Brent Crawford, Crawford Hoying principal.

“It’s a project that would not only be a major boost to the local economy in both jobs and tax dollars, but also be yet another step in continuing to make the Lane Avenue corridor an attractive destination for U.A. residents and visitors.”

The hotel would be marketed toward business travelers and families, while the apartments would cater to young professionals and empty-nesters said Nelson Yoder, M+A Architects associate.

Two-bedroom suites would rent from $1,300 to $1,400 a month, and one-bedroom suites from $900 to $1,000.

Matthew Shad, Upper Arlington’s deputy city manager for economic development, said he couldn’t speculate on how much the development might net the city in bed-tax revenue, but that the plan is a good match for the city’s long-term goals.

“This is the kind of mixed-use development that fits in well with the city’s long-term goal of maximizing our commercial districts,” Shad said.

Residents had mixed reactions to the proposal, frequently interrupting Yoder’s presentation with questions and criticism.

“As far as parking, I was at all of the Lane Avenue corridor meetings, and no one from the residents ever said we want a hotel,” said Susan Blalock. “So what if someone has to go to Olentangy River Road for a hotel? To me, that doesn’t make sense that that’s such a big issue.”

“I think overall, it’s a good project for the city,” said Joe Cape. “I can appreciate that the local neighborhood might have some reservations, but the city’s got to do what’s best for the whole.”

Plans for the development will be presented to the city’s board of zoning and planning on Tuesday.

Yoder said the partnership hopes to begin work on the project by the end of the year and complete work in 10 to 12 months.

lrice@thisweeknews.com

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stor...lane-ave-.html

[Chadoh25]

City, Pizzuti agree to work together on downtown area

By KRISTIN CAMPBELL
Published: Wednesday, September 7, 2011 5:09 PM EDT

Members of the Grove City administration have entered into an agreement with a local developer to reinvigorate the downtown area.

Officials announced Thursday, Sept. 1 that the city had engaged the Pizzuti Companies to create a proposal to redevelop the Town Center.

According to a letter of intent signed by Pizzuti Executive Vice President James Russell, City Administrator Phil Honsey, Law Director Stephen Smith and Finance Director Michael Turner, Pizzuti will create a plan to be presented to members of City Council.

According to the letter of intent, Pizzuti will assess the downtown area, make recommendations for development, and create a timeline and financial projections.


Pizzuti will also, at no cost to the city, host a "kick off" meeting to present an overall vision, conduct "vision" meetings with the community and approach property owners to discuss inclusion of their properties in an overall redevelopment plan.

The city will be responsible for identifying "stakeholders" who should be included in the vision sessions, the letter shows.

The city will not be charged hourly rates for all of the activities involved in the planing, but there will be costs involved. According to the letter of intent, the city will be responsible for invoices up to $30,000, whether the project comes to fruition or not.

When the plan is complete, it will be presented to council members.

"At the time that the Grove City Council considers the concept plan, it will either provide an affirmative vote to continue with the project or a negative vote to halt the project as presented," the letter shows.

If the council votes to continue the project, a new agreement would be negotiated before any further work was done.

Approval or denial of the project may depend upon when the plan is presented. With several key city positions up for grabs in the coming election, things could change on council.

Council President Ted Berry is running against incumbent Ike Stage for mayor. Councilman Greg Grinch has opted not to run for another term, incumbent At-Large Councilman Steve Bennett is running against former Councilman Larry Corbin, and Maria Klemack is running unopposed.

Over the past several years, council has frequently returned a 3-2 vote on many issues related to downtown development. Although city administration can initiate projects, council members have the final say about whether anything more than $30,000 will be spent.

City Administrator Phil Honsey said this limit is not the reason for the $30,000 price tag on the Pizzuti project. He said officials negotiated that figure down from a higher number in the interest of keeping cost to tax payers as low as possible.

Berry, who has voiced strong support for a downtown park to be created until the downtown can be developed solely with private dollars, was not pleased about the letter of intent or the way it was presented.

"Council did not vote, discuss, or fund any study with Pizzuti," Berry said.

"Whatever additional study that is being done is being funded by the administration without council input or funding."

City Administrator Phil Honsey said the administration has full authority to initiate projects like this. CR-11-10, a piece of legislation passed in 2010, gives the administration authorization to "take any and all action" necessary for redevelopment of the downtown.

"That ordinance remains in effect, and that's what we're operating under," Honsey said.

Development Director Chuck Boso said this project is different from other studies done on the lumberyard site alone. This study affects not only the parcel behind City Hall, but a much larger part of the downtown.

The plan completed in 2008 by Frank Elmer of Lincoln Street Studio identified 16 different areas that could be redeveloped.

"This study focuses not only on city property, but also on a number of privately owned parcels," Boso said.

Although members of the administration have legal permission to pursue this course of action, they may meet resistance from some council members.

"One of the biggest problems with this administration is obtaining buy-in from council prior to going down a path, and then not understanding why there is confusion, frustration, and non-support," Berry said.

Berry still showed support for the park concept presented by Bennett several months ago that was vetoed by Stage.

"This money would have gone a long way toward cleaning up the property and putting some grass on it," Berry said.

Pizzuti was the sole developer to reply to a request for proposal distributed by the city in April 2011. Pizzuti officials said the plan could feature a mix of property uses, including multi-family housing units.

http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/art...7_1233pm_8.txt

[Chadoh25]

Board OKs retail-restaurant buildings on Clark Hall property

By PAMELA WILLIS

Gahanna-Jefferson Board of Education members approved a ground lease to allow the building of two large retail and restaurant buildings adjacent to the school district's new Clark Hall.

The corner at Hamilton Road and Granville Street may be transformed into elegant brick restaurant entrances with patios and a mix of retail stores, as early as October 2012.

The board met on Thursday, Sept. 8 at Gahanna City Hall.

Treasurer Julio Valladares said school board members approved a ground lease for Wagenbrenner Development to build two buildings facing North Hamilton Road, adjacent to the district's newest school building, Clark Hall, at 380 W. Granville.


The Wagenbrenner development team, Mark Wagenbrenner, president and partners Jay Shaw and Gregory Gallas, along with Jason Zadeh, came to the board meeting to present a development plan for the buildings.

Valladares said the project is a "win-win-win," for the developer, the school district and the city of Gahanna.

He said Wagenbrenner's proposal to the district not only protects the school district against defaults, it enables the school district to retain the developed land, free and clear of debt, while providing an annual income stream of $132,000 in ground rents.

Lease payments will start as early as February, at a rate of 50 percent during the first nine months, or $5,500 per month, while the buildings are under construction.

"It's expected the development will raise $88,000 in real estate taxes annually," Valladares said. "In addition, the developer will make a one-time payment to the district of $300,000 toward the recently completed parking area at Clark Hall."

He said the project could bring an additional 70 jobs to the city of Gahanna with a total annual payroll of approximately $2 million, thus generating about $30,000 annually in income taxes.

The overall design will be a neo-traditional look with multiple points of entry and ample space for public dining, the development team said. An art-deco facade is planned for one of the buildings housing mainly restaurants.

Building "A" will be 14,000 square feet and Building "B" will be 9,000 square feet.

Some of the tenants who have expressed a "strong interest" in the restaurant and retail space include Panera, Chipotle, Five Guys Burger, Steak Escape, FedEx Kinko, Radio Shack, AT&T and Starbucks, among others.

Valladares said groundbreaking on the buildings could take place as early as February 2012, with a grand opening expected in October 2012.

"Wagenbrenner intends to construct both buildings simultaneously," he said.

Valladares said the school district will have control over the type of tenants that could lease space in the new buildings.

"Because the buildings are near a high school, a bar or nightclub could not be a tenant," he said.

http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/art...3_0214pm_4.txt

[Mudhen419]

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stor...-new-road.html

Gahanna sees two benefits to new road near Hamilton, I-270
Extension eases traffic, opens 200 acres to development

[Chadoh25]

Gahanna sees two benefits to new road near Hamilton, I-270
Extension eases traffic, opens 200 acres to development

By Quan Truong
The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday November 23, 2011 4:40 AM

The orange barrels are gone and the traffic signals are active.

The city of Gahanna officially opened the Tech Center Drive extension and bridge yesterday, something that should be welcome news for congestion-weary motorists.

“An awful lot of traffic will be diverted,” said Karl Wetherholt, city engineer. “We’re anticipating it’ll cut in half.”

He estimates that up to 60,000 vehicles a day travel through the area near the I-270 interchange. During rush hours, some vehicles wait as long as three traffic signal cycles, he said.

Some of the heaviest traffic was at the intersection of Morrison and Hamilton roads. There will now be an alternate route since the $7 million construction project extends Tech Center westward, adding a bridge over I-270 and connecting Morrison to Hamilton south of the I-270 interchange.

It also opens access to about 200 acres of land that is ripe for development, said Anthony Jones, director of planning and development.

Being close to the freeway and Port Columbus, Gahanna officials have high expectations for the land.

One company, Central Ohio Urology Group, already committed to building an office there and will add 85 jobs by late 2012.

“We can now go to the market and advertise properties to businesses all over the country,” Jones said. “Saying there will be a road there one day is not enough to get people to commit. We are in a much stronger position to attract new jobs if they can drive by and see that space.”

The project is something that Wetherholt began pushing 10 years ago to address congestion problems in the area. The idea of adding lanes was rejected by residents and local businesses.

After several unsuccessful attempts to get funding, the project finally got the green light in 2007, when the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission awarded the city $5.2 million in federal funds. Gahanna paid the remaining $1.8 million.

qtruong@dispatch.com

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stor...-new-road.html

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Upper Arlington council OKs its first hotel on Lane Avenue

By Dean Narciso
The Columbus Dispatch Tuesday November 29, 2011 8:40 AM

As Upper Arlington’s economic spine, Lane Avenue is vital to the suburb. But a boom there is fraying the nerves of some of its cross-street residents.

First, it was a debate over spillover traffic and parking from the Wine Bistro near Brandon and Chester roads.

Then came the establishment of a Commercial Entertainment District, to create new liquor licenses that would attract restaurants.

Last night, the Upper Arlington City Council voted unanimously to uphold a decision by the planning and zoning board to permit plans for the city’s first hotel, along with upscale housing and more retail, on Lane Avenue.

The potential benefit that the Cambria Suites would bring to the city’s finances requires an aggressive posture, officials said.

“We all realize that it’s a very emotional issue,” said Frank Ciotola, council president. “And when you’re talking about people’s homes and where they live — that is paramount in their lives."

The city stands to gain about $135,000 a year in bed taxes alone from the hotel, based on an average 60 percent occupancy. It’s planned for the site of the Lane Avenue Baptist Church at Lane Avenue and Wellesley.

“With the bulk of the site currently occupied by a church, the increase in property tax generation would be sizable,” City Manager Ted Staton told residents on the city’s website.

He added that it would generate “more than $711,000 (a year) in new property taxes benefiting the schools, Franklin County, the city and the (Upper Arlington) library.”

The windfall is small consolation to Mallory and Simon Fraser, who, with twin 2-year-olds, moved into their new home on Mount Holyoke Road this summer, five homes north of the proposed 3.5-acre site.

“Devastated” is how Mrs. Fraser said she felt after last night’s final vote. “I’m sad mostly for the safety of our children and our privacy. It’s ruined why we moved to Arlington.”

Peter Whitehouse of Westmont Boulevard represented neighbors in arguing that the complex is too much.

“I think it will be busting at the seams and overflowing into residential areas,” Whitehouse said, citing extra noise, lights and traffic among the concerns. “It is an unwelcome intrusion in a solidly residential area.”

After their vote, council members urged city staff members to monitor growth.

The city has a poor record of responding to the traffic and parking concerns of residents, Ciotola said.

“They probably don’t have a lot of confidence that we’re going to get the job done,” he said. “I would share their concerns.”

dnarciso@dispatch.com

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stor...l-on-lane.html

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Bridge Street corridor nearing P&Z approvalBy Jennifer Noblit

ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Wednesday November 30, 2011

Rezoning and development regulations for the Bridge Street corridor could be in place by the new year.

Planning and Zoning Commission meetings are set for Dec. 1 and 8 and could have corridor recommendations before Dublin City Council this month.

Plans for revitalizing the Bridge Street corridor with walkable, urban-style redevelopment have been ongoing since 2009. The corridor includes Dublin’s core along state Route 161, from Sawmill Parkway to the Interstate 270 and U.S. Route 33 interchange.

The P&Z meetings, slated for 6:30 p.m. at the municipal building, will include a review of the draft development regulations and zoning map for the Bridge Street corridor.

“At this point, the Planning and Zoning Commission has been going through code, and they’ve reviewed proposed rezoning,” planner Rachel Ray said. “On Nov. 10, they heard from property owners (in the corridor) on whether they wanted to switch, and the commission reviewed the comments. On Dec. 1, they’ll continue their review, and at another on Dec. 8. Depending on how the review of code goes, they may be in the position to make a recommendation to council on code amendments and rezoning.”

The items P&Z has been working on include uses for different zoning districts, requirements for building types, landscaping and where buildings could be placed on land. The building-review process for the Bridge Street corridor also is being considered.

The approval process is designed “to ensure an efficient, predictable review process,” Ray said. “The commission is tweaking the process to make sure there is adequate public review.”

Dublin City Council has one meeting this month, slated for Dec. 12.

“At this point in time, the intent is to have a recommendation to council at the Dec. 8 meeting, and if not, by the first of the year so it can be to council early in 2012,” Ray said.

After the zoning and development regulations are approved, urban-scale, mixed-used development will be brought to the corridor.

“After (council approval), we will continue to work with property owners,” Ray said. “There’s a lot of momentum and interest in development in this area. We will be putting the pieces in place for development. É It will be market-driven; however, as with the capital improvement program, this will be revised each year, and we’ll look at what improvements may be needed in the Bridge Street corridor for development. That’s something the city will be working towards.”

For more information on the Bridge Street corridor, look online at Dublin.oh.us/bridgestreet/.

jnoblit@thisweeknews.com

www.ThisWeekNEWS.com

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/...-approval.html

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Grove City officials primed for progress

By KRISTIN CAMPBELL
Published: Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Progress will continue to be the watchword in Grove City in 2012, with city officials pushing forward with projects they say will improve quality of life for residents.

"We will continue to strive to be a life long community for our citizens," Mayor Richard "Ike" Stage said.

"The hallmark of our community has been our long term strategic planning and execution without sacrificing the small town feeling."

Stage said the city will continue along the same path in the coming year, with increased employment opportunities, diverse housing choices, high quality educational opportunities and a focus on outstanding medical facilities and services.


Among the highlights, Stage said he looks forward to a continued effort to establish the much-debated Center of Learning. He said that includes finding a home for multiple schools to offer full-day college classes.

Another project is what Stage calls the "reboot" of the Town Center revitalization. Officials have been working for a number of years to redevelop the entire downtown, with a focus on the parcel behind City Hall, where the Grove City lumberyard once stood.

The city has contracted with the Pizzuti Companies to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the city's historic district, and offer a plan for redevelopment. The city is on the hook for up to $30,000 for the planning process, whether the project goes forward or not. Any and all proposals will come to council before city leaders proceed.

City officials also plan to lend support to senior housing options. Both in 2010 and 2011, council members passed resolutions in support of affordable senior housing, to be made possible through tax credits from the state government.

Creative Living, an assisted living facility, received the tax credits, but the developers of Lamplighter Village are still attempting to secure approval. Both developments would be located on Lamplighter Drive near Parkway Centre.

Lamplighter Village is designed as an independent living community of up to 50 apartments on seven acres. The units would be rented to seniors only, and would be limited to those making 60 percent or less of the local median income.

"Obviously, cities exist to serve all segments of the population," City Administrator Phil Honsey said.

"Having people be able stay their lifetime in the community is certainly a goal."

Roadways

Officials are also planning improvements to the arteries that keep people moving to and through the city. The major reconstruction of the I-71/Route 665 freeway interchange is moving along ahead of schedule and will likely wrap up in December 2012.

City officials are working to complete White Road, a project that has been tackled in cooperation with both Jackson Township and Franklin County. Improvements to the intersection of Holton and Hoover roads are slated for 2012.

"That will add turn lanes and signalization at a high traffic area that serves several schools," Honsey said.

Another section of Stringtown Road will get a major makeover, this time between McDowell and Hoover roads. The project will include the addition of a dedicated turn lane, as well as curbs, gutters, and separate lanes beyond the curb to be used as sidewalk and bike path.

The project will begin at the end of March, and officials expect to wrap it up by December 2012.

"We will maintain traffic throughout the process," Director of Public Service Les Spring said.

Honsey said officials also hope to get rid of some of the overhead utility wires, burying them when possible.

Officials have also planned to repave 26 to 28 streets this year, most of which are in residential neighborhoods. The design life of asphalt is 12 to 15 years, Spring said, which means many of the neighborhoods are due for new pavement.

Police

The Grove City Division of Police will add one new officer this year, bringing the department's ranks to 62 sworn officers and 24 support staff. The department will also conduct its regular schedule of maintenance and scheduled replacement, which this year will include four new police cruisers and one SUV.

Chief Steve Robinette said the department will also make some improvements to the radio dispatching system, and will purchase software that will allow officers to complete reports electronically from their cars rather than by hand.

Robinette said officials are also looking at the possibility of adding a few new crime fighting tools, which aren't in the budget, but could be purchased with drug seizure funds. When property is used in the commission of a drug-related crime and the owner is found guilty of that crime, the property is forfeited and the proceeds can be used for any purpose that furthers the war on drugs.

"We are weighing our options," Robinette said.

"There may be things we purchase this year, or we may spend this year studying them for inclusion in next year's budget."

One of the items the department is interested in is an AFIS machine -- an automated fingerprint identification station.

"What we have now allows us to take a print from a criminal suspect," Robinette said.

"An AFIS workstation would allow us to take prints from a crime scene and enter them into the system for comparison."

Currently, Grove City police have to collect prints and send them off to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation or the Columbus Division of Police for evaluation.

"This workstation would allow us to compare prints against those in the database and allow us to improve our solvability rates," Robinette said.

Department officials also have plans to increase communication with the public in the coming year. Surveys, alerts and other means of communication are being worked out.

"We want to increase our external focus and push more information out into the community," Robinette said.

"It's important because we can't be everywhere and do everything. We depend on people to see things and report them to us so we can have greater impact."

Warnings and crime alerts can also play an important role, Robinette said.

"We would much rather prevent a crime than report on a crime," he said.

Good communication also helps ward off misinformation, he added.

"Sometimes I think the age of information can be problematic," Robinette said.

"You hear about a burglary in your neighborhood, but you hear about it from three different people, and all of a sudden there is the perception that there were three burglaries, not one you heard about three times."

He said statistics show that violent crime rates continue to fall, but information overload often gives citizens the opposite impression.

"The bad thing is there is a perception of more crime, but the good thing is that perhaps people are taking steps to protect themselves," Robinette said.

http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/art..._1025am_12.txt

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Yard evolves further, fiscal trials await city in 2012

By MARK DUBOVEC
Published: Friday, December 30, 2011

Grandview Heights faces some tough fiscal challenges in 2012, but the city has the opportunity to have a little fun this year as well, leaders say.

The city enters the new year with uncertainty about its service contract with the village of Marble Cliff. The village has yet to decide whether to continue with Grandview or contract with Upper Arlington instead.

Revenue from Marble Cliff accounts for about 6 percent of the city's budget, said Mayor Ray DeGraw. This year, the city will see cuts of about $194,500 to the Local Government Fund, the money the state gives to municipalities to fund their operations. Last year, the city lost about $64,500 and potentially could lose $259,400 in 2013 if the present rate of reduction continues.

This also is the last year the city will receive estate tax revenue, which will be eliminated in 2013. Since 2002, the city has received anywhere from $10,000 to $420,000 from estate taxes and has used it to fund capital improvements.


"Marble Cliff is an important source that we really need," DeGraw said. "We won't be able to maintain what we currently do (without it)."

Preliminary discussion has begun with the Grandview Heights Fire Division firefighters union for the next three-year contract, but both sides are waiting for Marble Cliff's decision, DeGraw said.

"We can't do much more until we know what's going on over there," he said.

(Editor's note: See Page X for the full story on the Marble Cliff contract.)

While the state cuts and the potential loss of income from Marble Cliff will be difficult, the city expects good news elsewhere this year, DeGraw said. The city, he said, has developed a reputation as a good place in which to live and do business.

"We've got a strong, positive image," he said. "The level of service has been excellent."

On Dec. 14, DeGraw was among the 10 Central Ohio mayors and city managers to sign an agreement designed to curb job poaching as well as promote shared services among communities.

"It's a commitment to work together and bring new businesses to the region," DeGraw said. "Hopefully it'll bear some fruit and new jobs."

There still are details to work out, DeGraw said, but a major component will be the combined purchasing power of the cities for the likes of street signs, fleet maintenance, communication, court and legal services and, especially, health insurance.

"(For) simple things like oil filters, we can band together and create a bigger purchasing group," DeGraw said.

While shared services and purchasing remain possibilities, DeGraw said he does not see anything that could be privatized. Grandview is a full-service city, and DeGraw said he believes in trying to keep it that way.

"We operate very efficiently," he said. "Everybody here works hard to control costs."

Development at Grandview Yard remains important to Grandview's long-term financial health. Nationwide Realty Investors has said the apartments currently under construction are expected to welcome residents in the third quarter of the year and be fully occupied by early 2013. NRI also is expected to submit plans for future projects at the Yard. By year's end, Yard Street, which NRI intends to be the center of the development, likely will be extended to Third Avenue, DeGraw said

"I'm optimistic we'll see something in retail," he said.

A planning group also is meeting to discuss civic space at Grandview Yard.

"We need an area of community purpose down there," he said

City leaders are considering a bond issue, DeGraw said. While the details still are being formulated, the bond likely would be used to fund improvements at Pierce Field, the municipal pool and Wyman Woods. DeGraw said he would like to talk with the school district, Bobcat Boosters and other community groups about them pledging money on a yearly basis that would help to pay for park improvements and create a larger financial pool to leverage the bond.

"Council has set up some funds for capitals," DeGraw said. "I think we'll see some things emerge from that."

The city will see other changes in 2012 as well.

The Parks and Recreation Department will transition to online registration for its programs, and the city website itself will be redesigned to be more efficient and provide more effective communication between the city residents, DeGraw said.

"That's actually ongoing," he added.

New sanitation rules will be implemented. Residents will be required to bag their trash and use lids on their containers, DeGraw said. In addition to keeping garbage organized and from blowing into the streets, the mayor said it will help to keep sanitation workers safer.

"We have a lot of high-risk jobs," he said. "We think that's important."

Grandview also has applied for a Safe Routes to School grant that could give the city up to $500,000 to help construct crosswalks, safety signs, warning lights, speed lights, ramps and safe crossings for children walking to school. The plan is to have some of the construction work completed in late summer or early fall, DeGraw said.

"That's pretty exciting," he said.

The city also will install a new traffic light and reconfigure the intersection of Grandview Avenue and Dublin Road, as well as at least complete the preliminary engineering for another sanitary sewer study.

http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/art...9_1202pm_8.txt