Mark Longstreth hopes that the renovation of a two story building at the southeast corner of Whittier Street and Parsons Avenue is the first of many such projects in the neighborhood — he sees potential in the historic commercial buildings that line the avenue, and thinks that the neighborhoods on both side of Parsons represent an underserved retail market.
Longstreth purchased the property in March along with an adjacent one-story building to the east and the former Whitt’s End/Avenue Bar to the south. Renovations have been ongoing and have involved completely redoing the upstairs apartment units — refinishing hard wood floors and exposing brick walls — and updating the interiors and exteriors of the four storefronts along Parsons.
“I think Parsons is the natural commercial corridor for the south side… there are a lot of old, nice commercial buildings that are built up to the street,” he said. “It has that feel of an urban, walkable corridor.”
Longstreth thinks that a number of factors are working in the street’s favor — its proximity to German Village and Merion Village, the investment in the neighborhood from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and the new Village Pointe building, which is home to the Fitness Loft and the Crest Gastropub.
“Over the last couple years, more and more folks have stepped up to invest, both big and small, on Parsons,” said Bob Leighty, Executive Director of the Parsons Avenue Merchants Association. “We have a variety of buildings that just need someone to do some creative remodeling,”
Longstreth, who is from Columbus but based in New York City, is partnering on the project with John Mally and Nicholas Evans, two friends he’s known since their days at Bishop Hartley High School. Mally is an agent at NAI Ohio Equities and has been marketing the properties, while Evans is an artist and designer who conceived of the buildings’ new look, which includes a fresh coat of paint to the exterior that serves to tie the four storefronts together.
“Over the last 20 or 30 years, there’s been a stigma around Parsons, but I think a tipping point is coming soon,” said Longstreth, adding that he’s fielded a number of inquiries from businesses that “have been priced-out of the Short North and other neighborhoods.” The first new tenant, a Metro PCS outlet, moved in in April, and he is optimistic that they can find the right mix of retail tenants for the other spaces to serve the wide range of existing residents on both sides of Parsons.
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