The original Long’s Bookstore saw the beginning of its demolition today, as crews began to dismantle the structure located at the southeast intersection of High Street and 15th Avenue. The store operated as a student-centric textbook and supply shop from 1909 to its closure in 2005, when the name (and signage) transferred to the Barnes & Noble store at The Gateway.
The building, owned by Campus Partners, has sat empty for the past 11 years, and is being removed as a part of a larger plan to remake several blocks of the central University District in what is known as the 15th + High plan.
“The process of preparing the 15th + High location for redevelopment is also underway and that includes the take down of the building that formerly housed Long’s Book Store,” confirmed Erin Prosser, Director of Community Development at Campus Partners. “There are no plans yet for a building on the site. It will be used for staging during the infrastructure construction.”
Currently, the only announced new development at 15th + High is The Wellington Building, to be located a block north between 16th and 17th Avenues, which will contain apartments, a parking garage and ground floor retail that includes the city’s first urban-scale Target store. WOSU also announced plans to move offices and recording studios to 15th + High, but has not confirmed plans yet on where exactly that will be.
“The redevelopment of the 15th + High Street intersection is a process that will continue to unfold,” stated Prosser. “We are currently focusing on the critical infrastructure planning as we prepare for the much needed updates.”
For more information, visit campuspartners.osu.edu.
Photos by Walker Evans.