A proposal to build a 15-unit condominium building at the northwest corner of Bryden Road and Ohio Avenue is moving forward after being reviewed by the city’s Historic Resources Commission.
Historic Preservation Officer Randy Black said that the project was “viewed favorably” by the commission at its meeting on April 20, with the requested variances receiving a positive recommendation. He added that the developer, Gallas-Zadeh Development, will still need to return to the commission for approval of final construction drawings and materials.
The project went before the Historic Resources Commission because the site, at 1080 Bryden Road, is in the Bryden Road Historic District. It was also reviewed by the Near East Area Commission.
Plans call for a two-and-a-half story building that wraps around one green courtyard and two paved ones. The paved courtyards provide access to garages for each unit, which range in size from 1,300 to 2,100 square feet.
“The design cues are taken from existing properties on Bryden Road and were inspired by the property located at 878 Franklin Avenue, the home of Florence Kenyon Hayden Rector, the first female architect licensed in the State of Ohio,” said Black. The architect for the development is Brian Kent Jones Architects.
A mansion belonging to Fred Lazarus sat on the site from 1906 to 1924, according to AllColumbusData.com, and the zoning application submitted for the project stated that a 51-unit apartment building later stood on the lot, although it has been a vacant for decades.
Gregory Gallas of Gallas Zadeh Development said that they hope to start construction in September or October, and to deliver the first units by spring of 2018.
“We haven’t firmly established pricing, and price points will vary because unit sizes will vary,” he said. “But we are planning to be consistent with the market, and with transfers in the immediate vicinity of the project.”
Gallas said that his company also plans to build three new single family homes on nearby lots on Ohio Avenue.