Nationwide building 5-story office at Front and Nationwide

[MichaelC]

Another surface lot bites the dust!

—

Nationwide to build more offices near arena

By Marla Matzer Rose

The Columbus Dispatch Friday September 2, 2011

Nationwide said yesterday that it will build an office building near Nationwide Arena to house 1,000 employees it plans to relocate Downtown.

The $26 million building, 10 W. Nationwide, is expected to be completed by the end of 2012.

Most of the workers moving to the 200,000-square-foot building are employed by Nationwide Retirement Plans and work in Dublin. By the end of next year, Nationwide expects to have 8,600 workers Downtown.

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2011/09/02/nationwide-to-build-more-offices-near-arena.html

[columbusmike]

Looking forward to seeing the renderings. This is one of the most important puzzle pieces, in my opinion, to visually connecting the Arena District with downtown. I know the master plan called for covering the sunken train tracks with a public plaza – let’s hope that makes it into this design – could be a great public space right there on High Street.

[Walker Evans]

At the very least, I hope that a pedestrian walking path cuts through the middle of that block between Front & High, running parallel to the train tracks (but at street level). It’s an extremely large block to walk around in either direction as currently configured.

[Jason Powell]

(shaking my head) Here we go again. Another brick box. And, it looks like they didn’t even include any retail, on such a prominent corner at that. Between this, the brick box FBI building, the brick box Columbia Gas HQ, the brick box Abigail, the brick GY apartments, the brick Ibiza site (which Waggenbrenner just got awarded), the brick box Hilton, the proposed brick boutique hotel and the brick Lane Avenue project, I’m all bricked out. Where do they find these architects? I know I sound like I’m complaining but this is getting ridiculous.

At least another surface lot will be gone, which I can be thankful for.

(

[mbeaumont]

Eh, I dont’ mind the design. It’s not a parking lot. There’s retail space that is still available in the Arena District that isn’t being utilized, I don’t see a major need to add more at this point, though I do agree it’s an ideal location for it.

[Stewz]

The one good thing on this is that if you notice on the left side of the image above that there is what appears to be a glass structure behind this building. That is the back of the building and from the rendering I saw, the rear of the building will be a glass “wing” of sorts. The other thing that I like about this project is that they will add to the parking garage by the Battleship building to accomodate more hotel guests as well as the workers in this building.

[RoundTowner]

Looking from High Street the building will have an L shape, mostly of glass with some brick, but, the plans do not show retail or how/if the tracks will be covered.

[Shonuff]

RoundTowner and Stewz are correct. Part of the back of the building will be all glass with a patio. There are currently no plans to add retail. The building’s main occupant will be Nationwide Retirement. Also, I do not believe this development will have anything to do with covering the tracks below.

[columbusmike]

Looks like there is a walkway on the north side of the building that connects with High Street.

They already built this building — go take a look at it over on Marconi. At least this has a glass element to it…

[dru]

jpizzow said:
Where do they find these architects? I know I sound like I’m complaining but this is getting ridiculous.

i do believe the architects draw plans according to the wishes of who has contracted them.

[Pablo]

dru said:
i do believe the architects draw plans according to the wishes of who has contracted them.

+1 Architects serve their clients. They can propose alternates (I’m sure several schemes were studied for this site) and the owner makes a decision. It’s the Owner’s money, after all.

[columbusmike]

I’m mostly disappointed they aren’t “capping” the railroad tracks and using that space in front of the building as a lawn/park for concerts, etc right there on High Street…

[Pablo]

Isn’t that space the location of an eventual train station?

[columbusmike]

I don’t know that a train station really needs that much space. The platforms would be below and you don’t necessarily need a big enclosed building for anything. You just need several kiosks, escalators, some turnstiles, and elevators. I think we, in the midwest, always think of a grand train station…but that isn’t really necessary.

[Walker Evans]

jpizzow said:
(shaking my head) Here we go again. Another brick box.

(shaking my head) Here we go again. More complaints about new Downtown development.

:P

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