As we usually do at this time of year, we’ve compiled a list of projects – mostly in urban Columbus – that were either completed, started, or announced this year. After going back and sorting a year’s worth of stories, here are some of our take-aways about 2016:
- Downtown was humming all year, with more projects under construction than any other neighborhood.
- In the Short North, lots of projects wrapped up this year, but the number of units and square footage offered by those developments will be dwarfed by the large-scale projects still in the pipeline.
- Large, multi-phase developments like Grandview Yard, Bridge Park, Jeffrey Park and Poindexter Village continued to steadily fill in.
- With more announcements this year and work set to begin soon on at least one major project, 2017 could be the year that the dirt really starts moving in Franklinton.
Downtown – The renovation of the Leveque Tower is mostly complete; Hotel Leveque is scheduled to open in January, the first apartments are on track to be delivered before the end of the year, and the first condos are likely to be ready by the spring of 2017.
The new Main Library downtown opened to the public in June, as did the new Parsons Branch. Also completed this year were new Northern Lights and Shepard branches.
A former Lazarus warehouse on the Whittier Peninsula was converted into office space.
Short North – The first residents moved into the Diplomat at Buttles and High and the Jerome on Dennison Avenue.
A two-story building at the northeast corner of First and High was completed, with new businesses opening up.
Work on Burwell Court at Fifth and Summit is wrapping up, but stayed tuned for an update on the rest of the project in the new year.
Six single family homes at Second and Summit were completed.
The first for-sale townhomes in Jeffrey Park were finished as were the first units at 25 Jeffrey Park.
Westminster Thurber completed a major addition to their senior community in Victorian Village.
An 800-space parking garage serving convention goers and visitors to the Short North opened in February.
University District – One Pearl Place, a 250-unit apartment project between Eighth and Ninth avenues, opened this year, as did the adjacent 60-unit, four-story building that holds affordable housing. On the other side of High Street, Buckeye Real Estate completed its renovation of 1509 North High Street.
In Weinland Park, many new single family houses have been completed as part of the Grant Park development, and Middle West completed a major expansion.
The northern end of OSU’s campus has been transformed, with students moving into the last of the completed North Residential District buildings this fall. The Doric on Lane also opened this year across the street from the new dorms.
The affordable housing nonprofit Homeport finished a number of projects this year.
Nationwide Insurance employees started moving into two new office buildings at Grandview Yard this fall, and other office space in the development has been filling up. The Grand Event Center on Goodale Boulevard also held its first events this year.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital completed two six-story buildings on Parsons Avenue.
Bexley’s two-story Giant Eagle opened on Main Street as did a new condo building featuring an independent bookstore on the first floor.
Work is wrapping up on a unique affordable housing development in the King Lincoln District.
A small mixed-use development in Clintonville opened this year.
READ MORE: 55 Urban Development Projects Under Construction in 2016