A Buckeye Real Estate proposal calls for the redevelopment of two long-vacant apartment buildings south of the Ohio State University campus. New apartments, townhomes, and parking would be added to the back of the two structures – a three-and-a-half story brick building at 1509 North High Street and a two-story row house behind it that fronts West Ninth Avenue.
The High Street building sits across the street from the proposed expansion of the South Campus Gateway.
Wayne Garland of Buckeye Real Estate explained that the original facades of both buildings would be preserved, and that additional parking for the project would be accommodated by a one-level or two-level parking structure on Ninth just west of the alley (North Wall Street). That structure would be concealed behind new row houses, which would front both Ninth and Wall.
“We’re in the very preliminary stages,” said Garland. “We presented the concept to the University Area Review Board, and they said we were headed in the right direction, but we’ll be going back to them with some changes and more details.”
He said that the goal is to get approval from neighborhood groups this winter and break ground in early spring on the project, which would feature mostly one-bedroom and two-bedrooms units.
“Our model is based on repairing buildings worth saving, and these are both buildings worth saving,” Garland added. “They both have nice brick detailing, and we plan to improve on the elements that are not great, like the High Street entranceways and the first floor street frontage.”
Garland also said that they are taking inspiration for the project from recent Downtown and Short North developments, mentioning specifically the Edwards Companies’ Neighborhood Launch project.
“This is on the fringe of the transition to the Short North,” he said. “We would like to transition that property, so that in addition to students, maybe 20-somethings that like the Short North would be attracted to it.”
The three parcels west of the alley – as well as the two buildings to be renovated – were all purchased by Campus Partners in 2008. Buckeye Real Estate is now in contract on the properties, nearly four years after responding to a request-for-proposals put out by the OSU-affiliated non-profit organization.
Erin Prosser of Campus Partners said that the timing was right to move on the properties, and that the track record of Buckeye Real Estate played a role in their selection.
“They’ve been a trusted neighborhood partner and they do great work,” she said. “We’re excited about the project and the opportunity to preserve those buildings, which are really beautiful buildings.”
For more information, visit www.buckeyerealestate.com.