Business First of Columbus wrote
Developers have preservation in mind as projects get new life
Friday, August 1, 2008
by Brian R. Ball
When city officials closed down 8 E. Broad St. for code violations in early 2000, Columbus developer Richard Solove said it wouldn’t make any economic sense to pump $2 million into adding sprinklers and a second set of stairs to make the building safe.
At the time, Solove still hoped to redevelop the site for a high-rise office building. But the prospect the 17-story tower close to Broad and High streets could face the wrecking ball without immediate redevelopment plans did not sit well with those who sought to preserve the handiwork of famed Columbus architect Frank Packard.
Fortunately, Solove had recently merged his R.J. Solove & Associates development firm with the Casto real estate organization, whose partner Bill Riat had a history and expertise in redeveloping historic properties. “Buildings like that should be preserved if at all possible,” said Riat, “because they add to the character and fabric of the community.”