The long-vacant Carl L. Brown IGA Foodliner building may not remain standing for much longer. Columbus City Council approved legislation on Monday night that will lead to the demolition of the building and the redevelopment of the two acre site. The City of Columbus purchased the property in February 2014 for $600,000, and is transferring the property at no cost to Columbus Next Generation Corporation, a nonprofit development group established by the City of Columbus to spearhead community redevelopment initiatives.
While redevelopment plans for the site are very preliminary, the “The Blueprint for Community Investment” created by PACT in 2013 highlights the intersection of Champion Avenue and Mount Vernon Avenue as a future retail center for the neighborhood. The plan also calls for a grocery store to be added to the Near East Side, though a specific placement has not yet been determined.
“A new grocery store can fit on this site, but we have to convince a developer that it’s a viable option there,” said Next Generation Executive Director Boyce Safford. “It would be a challenge, but we’ve got to make the invite to ask and see. And if it doesn’t work there, there may be alternatives. The demand for food service is high for this community.”
Safford says that regardless of the use of the land in the future, the current buildings (both the grocery store and a former carry out building next door) on this property are not suitable for redevelopment, and that demolition could begin in the next 45-60 days.
“We have to make the site attractive for developers,” said Safford. “Then we can proceed with what the highest and best use for that site would be.”
Safford says that Next Generation has no intention to act as a developer, and would be working with a private partner so that private investment can take place in the neighborhood.
“Our belief is that the site will likely end up as some mix of retail and maybe small office, medical office or professional services,” added Steve Schoeny, Development Director at the City of Columbus. “Honestly, I think that retail will always lag housing development, but not too much.”
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For more information, visit www.columbusnextgen.org and www.eastpact.org.