Plans for the development of 13 acres between West Rich Street and the Scioto River in East Franklinton now call for two five-story, 110-unit apartment buildings with enclosed parking and ground floor commercial space in the first phase.
The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) selected a team led by Casto and the Robert Weiler Company to develop the site. Design work is underway on the two initial buildings, which will sit on the easternmost portion of the site (now vacant after the demolition of the Riverside Bradley public housing complex).
Also in the design phase is the redevelopment of two existing warehouses into about 25 apartment units. The warehouses sit at 373 and 375 West Rich Street, in between the larger development site and the railroad tracks. CMHA has selected the Woda Group to oversee the renovation, which will including applying for state and federal historic tax credits.
Future phases of the project will fill in the vacant land to the west and could eventually bring hundreds of additional units to the neighborhood.
We recently spoke with Bryan Brown, Senior Vice President of Business Development at the CMHA, to get an update on the development. He emphasized the collaborative nature of project – as owners of the land, CMHA will be involved in every aspect of planning, but they will be working closely with the development team, the city, the Franklinton Development Association, and Urban Smart Growth, the company headed by developer Lance Robbins that owns 400 West Rich Street and many parcels surrounding it.
See our full interview with Brown here for more details on the project, including target rents, a possible affordable component of the development, and his thoughts on how this project fits within the mission of CMHA.
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