Local Entrepreneurial News
Lifestyle Communities Ltd. will spend $25 million to build 130 apartments and 76 condos on 2.8 acres along South Front Street between West Town and Rich streets.
The project will target a market of young, professional workers with condos selling for less than $200,000 on average and rent beginning at $750 a month.
Launched in August 2010, TheMetropreneur.com is a local online resource devoted to small business development and entrepreneurship. Its aim is to tell the stories of Central Ohio’s business community, foster regional economic development and assist entrepreneurs with its resource-heavy focus. Click here to visit TheMetropreneur.com.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
First, I’m not concerned about bringing suburbanites downtown. Some people are set in their ways, and that’s fine. There are thousands of students that have to move somewhere when they graduate, so how about here.
LifesSyles Communities building downtown should be the 1st clue. This smells like a rat to me. The site adjacent to the Lazarus Building shouldn’t be used for suburban residential development.
Build something that will last and also be architecturaly pleasing. According to Joe Testa’s records, this is a combined 1.756 acres that could be used for something else. County records don’t disclose the sale price.
The downtown office market is in the tank (but not as much as the suburban office market is). Bringing in downtown jobs = office development / absorption + retail and then some residential, + then some more retail. Economic stimulus is the key, but so is patience.
There’s no crime in waiting for more demand for downtown land. This 2012 business is fine, but let’s not get caught up in a date and throw the principles out the window.
I don’t understand, you want affordable housing downtown but when it comes it is not the right style or size or whatever. This is a first step. There is a ton of undeveloped land downtown for all the future dream projects you want. Unfortunately you don’t get to decide what Lifestyle Communities build there. We will just have to wait and see how the market responds to this. Why can’t there be a variety of projects downtown. So that anyone no matter what their style preference has something that appeals to them. IMO for now anybody living downtown is good.
I’m happy about this development, too. It’s a step in the right direction to offer affordable condos downtown while filling in some of the awful parking lots between the depressing courthouse complex and the depressing City Center shell. If Columbus’ grow accelerates and these buildings become architecturally too basic or buyers lose interest in them because their builder is Lifestyle, the buildings can be knocked down and replaced, but for now we should all take the progress and run with it.
And as for the attacks on suburban developers when they turn to downtown (see also the Edwards community posts)…shouldn’t we be happy that developers are recognizing the interest downtown rather than being too scared to go there (as they were not too long ago) and shouldn’t we be happy that the developers are investing their money downtown?
Plus, things might turn out better than you fear. Remember, Rockford Homes developed Harrison Park, and I don’t hear many people complaining about that development (except those who hate traditional architecture).
That’s setting the bar awfully low, isn’t it? I’m racking my brain trying to think of what could possibly be worse than surface lots. A sewage pond?
I was ruffled about the Edwards Development, but the location of this development is even better! I feel like Coleman might be sacrificing too much of the future to get a few more bodies downtown.
Sure there are more surface lots, but none are in this good of a location.
It’s just that easy? Just knock them down and replace them? I never would’ve guessed that. I would’ve figured it would have been almost impossible to buy out 200 owners and redevelop this suburban apartment complex into something that adds vibrancy to downtown.
If the location were really that awesome for housing, wouldn’t it have become that already?
If the location were really that awesome for housing, wouldn’t it have become that already?
That brings up the big question, how is land value so high Downtown yet no wants to touch it? It’s so desirable, but it’s not? If anyone can explain this I’d appreciate it. Well, I’m off to check out an ongoing Scientology protest on High south of Gay.
If the location were really that awesome for housing, wouldn’t it have become that already?
How many housing units have been added downtown in the past 10 years? How long has the Capital South hung onto this property?
I remember the original RiverSouth neighborhood meeting about 4 years ago. They could have easily given this property away to a developer who would have built something with density a long time ago, but it seems like they’re scared that the market is setting the price at $200-300/sqft. That might be what it would have taken to build a mid-rise residential tower.
Instead, Capital South wants to build subsidized low-density housing on prime real estate. That’s fine. I’ll sure be there to buy up a place and flip it at market rate.
It’s also ok to disagree with something the city is doing every once in awhile.
I wasn’t trying to be facetious. I wasn’t aware that this property was owned by Capital South. Must have over looked that somewhere in the mess of news stories to come out of all of this.
From a personal stance, I’m not a huge fan of this project. It’s not really my personal taste in housing design, and as I said on page one, I too was hoping for something denser.
But I also realize that my ideals are not always the most practical solution and things are never as simple as they are in Sim City. I’m just happy we’re seeing progress in some way, shape or form.
And if a developer comes along in a few years that is itching to build something taller/denser in RiverSouth, is there not going to be anywhere left to build? This Lifestyle project hardly seems like the end of the road to me.
Aesthetics and density of this are really non-factors. What is a factor is the wood frame instead of steel, etc. There are other ways to reduce the cost of units instead of going this route. We don’t all want or need granite countertops and glossy hardwood floors.
I’m with gram on that actually. I think the wood frames are a blessing in disguise. At least these won’t be a drag on the riverfront 100 years down the road.
Density is the issue here. No people = no vibrancy…and you need a lot of people!
Just think of those corner groceries that everyone keeps clamoring for…do you think anyone is going to build a corner grocery to serve 200 people? How many will stop in on a given night? 10? 20?
nothing wrong with a 2 to 3 story wooden structure… i dont know why everyone thinks its a poor construction method….. there will be steal integrated into the floor system im sure. its all fire treated and rated. now from a sustainable stand point….. i think steal and concrete construction is a better way to go.
and how do we know its panelized wood construction? it could very well be panelized steel construction. yeah got ya’ll there…. :lol:
but the building looks hideous…. we need some high rises there to fill the gap from the rife to the municiple building/jail complex.
but the building looks hideous…. we need some high rises there to fill the gap from the rife to the municiple building/jail complex.
The dispatch article specifically says: that Lifestyles is excited to bring “the town house Downtown, with wood construction….”
well that was what some CEO said for the company.. who knows maybe so but i still want to hear valid complaints about wood construction. any builders or architechs on here……
there mind is in the rite spot as far as affordable , but I will have to note that down town columbus is still surrounded on all 4 sides by ghetto , do tell me that its not true i live in the hilltop it is ghetto. so why on earth would people want to move in something that in ten years will accept subsidized vouchers? i mean the nicest of places do now becouse it is a automatic check and payment. thing is there slowly going down hill and turning in to shit , will the dam tenets that dont know what it means to clean up after them selfs .
i think thats the issue someone said they should get paid more so they can live down town I agree compleatly .
cause if it is too cheap it will be welfair queen city I promis . I know someone who collest 2k a month just in SSI becouse her kids are hyper thats a whole diffrent subject though lol :P
i think thats the issue someone said they should get paid more so they can live down town I agree compleatly .
cause if it is too cheap it will be welfair queen city I promis . I know someone who collest 2k a month just in SSI becouse her kids are hyper thats a whole diffrent subject though lol :P
im sorry but downtown is not surrounded by ghetto, do you make it off the hill often?
First, I hate to be the grammar police, but that was painful to read.
Second, I wouldn’t really classify the Short North or German Village as ghettos.
Third…what was your point?
even parts of OTE i wouldnt deem as ghetto…. now franklinton, thats ghetto!!!
I think it was supposed to be in the LOLcat thread. :lol: The name was Miss Kitty?