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    East Franklinton Still Waiting for Residential Development to Break Ground

    The artist studios at 400 West Rich are fully occupied, the Idea Foundry is working on building out its second floor, Land Grant is cranking out craft brews, and Glass Axis is fully established in its new space. But despite all of the activity and buzz surrounding East Franklinton, residents and neighborhood leaders are still waiting for the first of a number of proposed residential projects to break ground.

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    Urban Smart Growth’s 69-unit Lucas Lofts project was approved in May, after first being brought to the East Franklinton Review Board (EFRB) in February. An expected ground-breaking this fall did not happen, and no date has been set for construction to start.

    Chris Sherman, project manager at 400 West Rich — which is also owned by Urban Smart Growth — said that lenders are still not sold on the neighborhood.

    “It’s pure lack of financing, not lack of market,” he said. “I think the market is there for 60 to 120 units to absorb quickly.”

    Sherman added that their project may be on hold until construction starts on one of the other planned developments in the neighborhood.

    “Banks are just hesitant about the project’s marketability… they don’t understand the neighborhood,” he said. “It may make lenders more comfortable with the area and project once they see another project move forward.” Urban Smart Growth Principal Lance Robbins recently expressed similar concerns in an interview with Columbus Business First.

    A 310-unit, mixed-use development on the former Riverside-Bradley public housing site will likely be the first to break ground, although no updated timeline has been provided by the either the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority or developers Casto and the Robert Weiler Company, all partners on the project.

    Nationwide Realty Investors is the other major player in the neighborhood, having obtained 74 parcels as part of its purchase of the former Byers Chevrolet on West Broad Street.

    NRI President and COO Brian Ellis said that, while the plan is to take as much time as necessary to find the right mix of commercial and office tenants for prime locations on Broad, he remains encouraged by the energy and promise of the neighborhood.

    “We are having some good conversations with people that may be interested in relocating to Franklinton,” he said. “We want whatever we do there to add to the momentum that’s in place and brewing… and if we find the right user, there’s nothing standing in our way.”

    On a much smaller scale, a plan for a new, three-story single family home with a retail space on the first floor was recently approved by the EFRB. See our recent article for more on that project, which is located on West Chapel Street next to vacant lots owned by the city and across the street from the NRI-owned parcels.

    For ongoing discussion on Franklinton development, CLICK HERE to visit our Messageboard.

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    Brent Warren
    Brent Warrenhttps://columbusunderground.com/author/brent-warren
    Brent Warren is a staff reporter for Columbus Underground covering urban development, transportation, city planning, neighborhoods, and other related topics. He grew up in Grandview Heights, lives in the University District and studied City and Regional Planning at OSU.
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