RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
From Business First of Columbus:
Offices on tap for High and Nationwide?
by Brian R. BallNationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and its realty development business could fill the gap between Nationwide Arena and the Hyatt Regency hotel with office buildings and a park as plans get under way for a 500-room hotel on North High Street. The conceptual drawings show three mixed-used properties with a combined 290,000 square feet of offices and 58,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space.
Interesting point raised in the article about the railroad tracks underneath. This has been raised before, but what an opportunity those tracks would present to any sort of light rail plans in the future.
I think that adding the hotel and this mixed-use development will add a whole new dimension to the convention business. That is a pretty boring/intimidating walk btw Char Bar and Nationwide Blvd.
I thought the train station was going here?
Hopefully both can go here. ;)
I was under the impression that the hotel was to be built on the corner of Nationwide and High, Nationwide expansion on the corner of Nationwide and Front and the train station next to Char Bar.
No, the new hotel is being planned in the parking lot north of Ohio Center Way (next to Char bar):
http://www.columbusunderground.com/new-convention-center-hotel-moving-forward
I don’t think there has ever been anything concrete on the location of the train station.
I know the train station location wasn’t finalized, but I think this location is superior to the alternatives due to the central location. It would make transfers to so many buses (and the streetcar) so easy. I don’t think as many people will use it if it’s on Neil Avenue.
I guess I don’t see why there’s not enough room for both there. There’s a lot of empty land in that one block.
Besides, the train “station” is likely to just be a boarding platform next to the rail tracks. If NRI can get involved and help build the infrastructure around it for office & retail space at street level above it, then I think it would end up looking better than if it were just left up to Amtrak to build as a simple platform. We’d probably get something that more closely resembles a subway or a station entrance that takes you into a covered tunnel underground for boarding.
I think there’s room for both. It would be great to have a high-rise office building on top of the train station. Talk about TOD. I just want to make sure that Nationwide is thinking about this option. The article (or the portion I could read for free) didn’t mention anything about it.
I would venture to guess that NRI is aware of the rail plans and have had discussions in the past with COTA, ORDC, ODOT, Amtrak, etc about a possible station location. I think that the mid-90s Multi-Modal Transportation Terminal report by COTA had representatives from NRI (or Nationwide) on the stakeholder list.
I’ll be interested to see what the upcoming Amtrak report indicates as a terminal location for downtown Columbus. The location in that report should give insight into where the city/state leaders would like a station to be located.
When does the Amtrak report come out?
August I think.
I am sure Nationwide will wait till they need the space that would require a new office tower. The rail study placing a station at this site could certainly speed up the timeline. I would love to see what conceptional drawings have been done with this site.
I don’t think Nationwide is looking to build more office space for their own use. This is NRI looking to do more of the same with the Arena District and build office space to lease to other companies.
I just hope it’s not another 7 story brick box of cubicles.
I was stating from what NRI said in a meeting a couple years back when asked about this very plot. Stated the company had envisioned a second office tower on this land. Hence the reason why I would love to see what conceptional drawings they have had for the land in the past and currently.
Nationwide recently released info on this building. Here is a quick blurb from our internal website.
The five-story, 200,000 square foot building is the final piece of last year’s announcement to move 1,900 associates into Nationwide-owned buildings in downtown Columbus. Food service will be available in the new building, which will include an outdoor patio space. Additionally, the Columbus Convention and Facilities Authority recently announced plans to expand the adjacent parking garage to support this move and the construction of a new hotel, providing additional parking resources for associates.
Construction on the Nationwide building will begin immediately, with completion scheduled for the end of 2012.
It is going to be brick in the front, like the rest of the Arena District, but looks like there is going to be a large amount of glass on the back side of the building which will overlook the small park at Nationwide and High.
wow, they better get started soon, that’s a quick timeline!