After 84 years in their headquarters at 555 W. Goodale St., White Castle is ready for some new digs. A groundbreaking ceremony is taking place this afternoon to kick off construction on the first phase of development, which has been officially named “The Reach on Goodale.”
“We realize that it’s really important to have a name that gives us a sense of place,” explained Jamie Richardson, VP of Government and Shareholder Relations at White Castle, describing the location as connecting the areas between Downtown Columbus and Grandview Yard. “This is going to be our home for White Castle, but we also needed a great expression of what others get to experience when they call this their own home.”
The full master plan for the 15-acre site calls for the construction of eight new three-to-five-story buildings that will include offices, residences, structured parking, and other amenities. The area also features a centralized greenspace and pathways that connect to the adjacent Olentangy riverfront.
The first phase of that development — and the focus of today’s groundbreaking ceremony — is a single building and parking deck on the southeast corner of the site that will be home to the new White Castle company headquarters.
“We have a really fun groundbreaking event today that includes a town crier in full regalia who will read off a proclamation before we christen the ground with a ladel and onions,” said Richardson. “We’ll hear from Mayor Andrew Ginther and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty and some others who have been instrumental in making this possible.”
Richardson said that construction timelines have the company slated to move into the building by 2019, ahead of the company’s centennial anniversary in 2021. There are no specific timelines on future phases of development at “The Reach on Goodale” but Richardson added that they’ll continue to be “marching ahead thoughtfully.”
“With everything going on in Downtown Columbus, it feels like a great time to contribute what we can to make Columbus great,” he added. “We also think this will be beneficial to future generations, as repurposing this land allows for the diversification of revenue streams. From a strategic point of view, it’s a good time to move forward with this type of project.
In related White Castle news, the flagship Short North store at 965 N. High St. is scheduled to reopen sometime in early June, which will coincide with the initial residential move-in dates in the new building. Richardson said that he hopes the new location will become a tourist destination of sorts.
“We really hope that anyone visiting Columbus for any reason doesn’t go home without stopping by,” he said. “We’d like for it to be a welcome place for those on a White Castle pilgrimage.”
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Renderings via Architectural Alliance / M+A Architects / POD Design.
