The final permits have been secured and finishing touches are being applied to the apartments and common areas of the Diplomat, the historic four-story building at the southwest corner of Buttles and High.
When we last checked in on the Diplomat – which is being renovated by the Wood Companies in partnership with Schiff Capital Group – framing was just starting to go up for the new interior walls that would transform the former medical office building into a 34-unit luxury apartment building.
Wood Companies President Mark Wood and Schiff Capital COO/CFO Joel Lilly recently provided Columbus Underground with another look inside the building just prior to the first residents moving in.
The Diplomat had served as an apartment building since at least the 1970’s, but “the apartments were not laid out very nicely, they had bathrooms taking up exterior walls where these nice big windows were,” said Wood.
The new layout features a unique floor plan for each unit, each with original Terrazzo floors and views of the busy streets below.
Many of the original features of the building, like the common areas on each floor and the first floor lobby’s ornate ceiling, have been preserved. The project received both state and federal historic preservation tax credits.
The apartments, which range in price from $1,450 for a 900 square-foot one-bedroom to $2,695 for a 1,450 square-foot two-bedroom unit, are being marketed under a new brand that is distinct from the Wood Companies’ existing inventory of mid-range apartments in the neighborhood.
“This is part of the new Boutique Collection that we’re rolling out,” said Wood. “We think these projects have the best locations, historic character throughout the building, and the finishes too, are being done at a very high level. We like to say it’s the best of its class in both the location and finish.”
Some of those finishes include 36″ gas ranges imported from Italy and custom-designed closets with built-in shelving.
Other projects included in the Boutique Collection brand are completed developments like the Dennison and the Wood Cos Building, Hubbard Park Place and the Brunner Building (which are currently under construction), and Parkside on Pearl, which Wood said should break ground in 2017.
For more information, visit www.woodcompanies.com.
