A year ago we reported on the addition of more artist studios in Franklinton — and while that project has not yet come to fruition, it’s still in the works. 400 West Rich project manager Chris Sherman provided an update on the new project at 289 West Walnut this weekend, explaining that a roof replacement project turned into a much larger expense and time commitment than originally anticipated, which caused the delays.
“We’ll have 28 new units there when it’s finished,” he said. “We weren’t originally going to do the second floor, but we have an architect now that’s doing revisions for that.”
He said that restaurants and brewpubs have expressed interest in the building as well, but they’ve decided to stick with the original plan for artist studios.
“There’s been a lot of demand for space around here, but there’s a lack of it at the moment,” he said. “We’re looking at being finished by the end of the summer, depending on how we roll it out.”
In addition to overseeing ongoing updates at the nearby 400 West Rich art studio building, Sherman said that Urban Smart Growth Principal and Manager Lance Robbins has continued to acquire property in both East Franklinton and West Franklinton.
“Lance picked up a half a block on Broad between Yale and West Park, so we’re working on renovating apartments over there,” said Sherman. “We’re trying to create more workforce housing for our staff at 400. We’ve got around 50 people now between the restaurant and the building, and we always have someone looking for nearby housing. Lance also bought eight homes at Grubb and State, so we’re renovating those too.”