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    New Plan Floated for River & Rich Phase Two

    A new plan for the second phase of the River & Rich development in Franklinton has been making its way through the approval process.

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    The East Franklinton Review Board will weigh in on the latest iteration of the proposal at its meeting on September 22.

    Although an earlier plan called for a 12-story building, a four-story building and a parking garage to be built to the west of the existing development, the new proposal features two buildings (one five stories, the other four), and leaves about a third of the land empty to be developed in the future.

    The new buildings would occupy land at the southwest corner of Rich and McDowell Streets that is now vacant (the parcel once held Sunshine Terrace, an 11-story public housing tower). The Riverside Bradley public housing complex was torn down in 2012 to make way for the first phase of the development, which sits to the east of McDowell Street.

    Brent Sobczak, President of CASTO Communities, told the board in June that the more ambitious 2019 plan for the site was downsized after the development team “took a step back during the pandemic” to reevaluate the project in light of market changes.

    The new proposal calls for a total of 234 residential units, a 224-space parking garage, and about 7,500 square feet of commercial space. Outdoor dining space would extend down McDowell Street, although both of the project’s commercial storefronts would be located on Rich Street.

    A private pedestrian walkway would separate the two buildings and provide access for tenants to a second floor amenity deck. Townhomes along McDowell would feature stoops and street-level entrances.

    A staff review prepared by the city’s Planning Division states that the project will contain affordable housing units, although no further details were provided.

    The proposal will be reviewed conceptually by the board, meaning it will need to be brought back to a future meeting for a vote of approval.

    More information on the East Franklinton Review Board is available at www.columbus.gov.

    A view of the proposed building looking east down Rich Street, with the existing River & Rich development visible in the distance.
    The corner of McDowell and Rich.
    Townhomes along McDowell Street.
    A diagram showing the McDowell Street side of the two proposed buildings.
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    Brent Warrenhttps://columbusunderground.com/author/brent-warren
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