A new seven-story mixed-use residential building is being proposed by Lifestyle Communities for the northwest corner of High and Rich Streets Downtown, across from Columbus Commons. The C-shaped building will house 23,000 square feet of ground floor retail, six stories including approximately 88 apartment units and a 60-space parking structure accessed from Wall Street. A courtyard space faces south toward Rich Street.
“This proposal is a continuation of what was originally envisioned for the RiverSouth neighborhood,” said Amy Taylor, chief operating officer at the Columbus Downtown Development Corportation (CDDC), which is the current property owner of this development site. “Adding new residents creates vibrancy and a critical mass of people that will allow retail to follow rooftops.”
The new development requires the demolition of two existing buildings. One is a three-story building at 221 South High Street, and the other is the Trautman Building at 203-213 South High Street. The Trautman Building was considered in 2007 as a candidate for artist live/work space, but the plan was scrapped. The building has been empty since 2008 when tenants were abruptly vacated.
Lifestyle Communities previously built the Annex at River South apartment community several years ago, which is located directly west of this proposed new development. Directly east of the site is the new mixed-use 300-unit Columbus Commons apartment and retail development, which is currently under construction.
“The two parks have been cited as critical amenities by multiple developers,” said Taylor. “When Lifestyle Communities made their initial investment with The Annex, they said that it was key to have the Scioto Mile being their front yard and Columbus Commons being their backyard.”
The conceptual design is by Brian Kent Jones, Architect of Record is Meleca Architecture and the Architectural Rendering (above) is by Paul Kelley.
Ongoing discussion about this new development can be found HERE on our messageboard.
Photo of the existing buildings, below.
