Fireproof Building Redevelopment – News & Updates

[Walker Evans]

Just heard that the IV commission made a list of recommendations to the proposed project that includes preservation of the High-Street facade, the Fireproof sign, and a few other things, with the main issue being the proposed one-story addition. The commission recommended a three-story structure, if not taller. The developer is willing to make revisions and a new proposal will be presented at the next IV meeting.

[cbus11]

That is good to hear. Is anything happening to checksmart in VV on the other side?

[Walker Evans]

Not that I’ve heard…

[Jason Powell]

Walker said:
Just heard that the IV commission made a list of recommendations to the proposed project that includes preservation of the High-Street facade, the Fireproof sign, and a few other things, with the main issue being the proposed one-story addition. The commission recommended a three-story structure, if not taller. The developer is willing to make revisions and a new proposal will be presented at the next IV meeting.

That is great to hear and a sigh of relief. The Short North didn’t pass those new design guidelines for nothing. I can’t believe someone would actually propose a one story structure in the first place.

+1 ^^ on the Checksmart site. It needs a good bulldozing.

[zp945]

Who is the developer?

[futureman]

zp945 said:
Who is the developer?

Elford Development, Ltd./Mike Fitzpatrick – Applicant
Briar Gate Realty, Inc. – Owner

[futureman]

Apartments eyed at Wonder Bread, Fireproof Records sites in Italian Village
Premium content from Business First by Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter
Date: Friday, November 18, 2011, 6:00am EST

…

The other project on the table is a conceptual plan for turning the Fireproof storage building into 47 apartments. The project also calls for a 5,100-square-foot restaurant next door at 998 N. High St.

…

Cooke and other commissioners urged Elford to consider two more stories above the restaurant so the building would adhere to Italian Village development guidelines for multistory structures along North High Street in the Short North. But commission Chairman Rex Hagerling said one level of apartments above the restaurant would be enough.

“The Short North has a variety of heights,” he said. “I don’t think we can ban two-story buildings, but absolutely (we want) more than one story.”

Fitzpatrick said he will work with designers at Architectural Alliance on two- and three-story options before bringing the project back to the commission for another look. Each floor could accommodate three additional apartments.

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/11/18/housing-eyed-at-italian-village-sites.html?page=2

[Chris Sherman]

that looks fantastic! would love to tour the building in its existing condition.

[myliftkk]

Can’t really tour Fireproof as it’s currently in full use. Glad to see the Fireproof owners are moving forward one transforming it into a much more valuable use for the location it is in.

[Pablo]

Looks great! +1 for +2 stories.

I remember that about 20 years ago the IV commission rejected a McDonalds for that location.

[Walker Evans]

Looks good, but there should be an updated rendering next week that takes some of the IV Commission’s suggestions into account.

Either way, good news!

[ehill27]

Demand spurs new apartment projects
By Jim Weiker -The Columbus Dispatch
Saturday November 19, 2011 5:29 AM

Two new apartment projects are in the works near Downtown, adding to a flurry of rental development in central Ohio.

The latest proposals seek to convert a pair of venerable Italian Village buildings into apartments: the former Wonder Bread factory at 697 N. 4th St. and the Fireproof Records Center at 1024 N. High St.

The proposals join a string of apartment developments planned in or near Downtown and the Short North, including…

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2011/11/19/demand-spurs-new-apartment-projects.html

[fitz1]

I hope the management of the new apartment developments at the Fireproof Building and Wonder Bread building think twice before they allow Section 8/welfare housing into these new proposed units.

The fact that other Italian Village apartment complexes like Kramer Place and New Village that charge upwards of $1000+ for regular residents and virtually free (>$100/month) for low income residents is ridiculous when I can think of 5+ friends who would love to be in this location but cannot afford it.

If these recent studies’ numbers are true and show negative vacancy rates where demand outweighs available units then why are these apartments allowing Section 8/welfare residents? I wouldn’t have as much of an issue if I didn’t have so much first hand experience with living in mixed income housing where these drug addicts and wife beaters are my neighbors (I know this is generalizing and people will jump all over me on this message board but I have yet to meet one of these residents that is upstanding and employed). I’ve witnessed a number of friends who have moved out of the area because of this. These apartment complexes have done amazing things to gentrify Italian Village and I empathize with the difficulty of being able to maintain quality residents in this economy/ lousy housing market.

But while beautiful architecturally in their own right they are only exacerbating the problem of crime in Italian Village by allowing Section 8/welfare housing and allowing a deluge of drug activity and gang activity to happen amidst other renters that pay full price.

[dru]

Kramer Place has Section 8?

I know New Village reserves 20%, but that is because it used city land and replaced the old high rise psychiatric facility. So CMHA is involved and a specific percentage is reserved for subsidies.

But I doubt WonderBread and Fireproof would, and would be interested in any links to show that Kramer does?

[Jason Powell]

^^I highly doubt they will.

[Author]

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