"Water Main Break Closes 4th Street" nbc4i.com

Link: Water Main Break Closes 4th Street
Jason Mays
nbc4i.com
June 1, 2008

4th St. is closed between 4th Ave. and 6th Ave. on Columbus’ north side as a water main break has closed the street. The street has buckled due to the pressure of the water...

"Medical offices new twist to old site" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Medical offices new twist to old site
Mark Ferenchik
The Columbus Dispatch
May 21, 2008

...Recchie's National Community Builders has applied for a $3 million Ohio Jobs Ready Sites grant to help finance the $35.9 million project, which he says could bring 600 jobs...

...National Community Builders would build a 52,000-square-foot building first, then one or two more buildings with 98,000 square feet. Recchie envisions 300 jobs moving to Jeffrey Place, while the physician groups create another 300...

...His company also plans to build an $8.2 million parking deck with up to 800 spaces, financed through tax-increment financing, where property taxes generated by new development are diverted to pay for improvements...

St. Joseph Montessori in Columbus, OH Students Break New Ground

Construction Will Begin, But The Children Will Dig In First

Groundbreaking, Montessori Style

COLUMBUS, OH. (May 12, 2008) –After years of planning to expand its campus, St. Joseph Montessori School (SJMS) in Italian Village is ready to break ground. The financing is in place, the plans have been approved, and at 12:30 on May 30th, ground will be broken. There will be no local celebrities with silver shovels at this event, however. The ceremonial ground breakers are those who will ultimately benefit from the new addition, the children.

“We want to make the children feel like they are part of this project and want them to celebrate the changes that will take place,” said Donna Barton, School Principal.

The changes will add about 8000 sq. ft. to the school. Plans include a new Library Center and new classroom space.  Terry Connor, a parent volunteer who has been working on this project from the beginning and who is co-chairing the Capital Campaign, says, “The design of these two areas allows for a flexible learning space that is consistent with the school’s educational philosophy.” It will also substantially improve the utilization of the school’s existing space. “We also plan to upgrade the existing 50 year old structure that will reduce utility costs, increase classroom area and allow more space for art and music,” said Connor.

Construction on the $2 million project will start after classes let out for the summer. Both portions of construction, the expansion and renovation, should be complete by early 2009.

For more information about the school or the construction project, contact Janet Dugas at
sjmsdev@cdeducation.org

"Librarians also urban trendsetters" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Librarians also urban trendsetters
Charlie Boss
The Columbus Dispatch
March 21, 2008

...The Columbus branch of Kent State University's library and information-science master's program is relocating to the state library, bringing with it about 150 students.

"We're going to be dead center in an exciting new area in Columbus," said Richard Rubin, the Kent State program's director. "I'd love to take credit for it, but it was a confluence of circumstances."

The library moved into the Jeffrey Mining building on E. 1st Avenue near N. 4th Street after spending years Downtown in a building now occupied by the Supreme Court of Ohio...

Kramer Place Apartments

As with a number of condominium developments in the downtown area that have taken a rental approach, the former Kramer Place Condominiums are now being offered as apartments.

One bedroom apartments start at $800 and two bedrooms start at $1250.

Coming from someone who lives about 2 blocks away, I can say firsthand that this neighborhood is a PRIME location for living a lifestyle with the best that Columbus has to offer in the way of restaurants and entertainment...bu then again, I'm biased.

ULI September Networking Event at The Jeffrey

33rd Annual Victorian Village Tour of Homes & Gardens Retruns to the Short North on September 16th

From High Victorian to High Rise, an intimate look into the diverse and exciting living options in Victorian Village and the Short North Neighborhoods.

(Columbus) – The 33rd Annual Victorian Village Tour of Homes and Gardens, presented by Dooley & Company Realtors, will open its doors and garden gates on Sunday, September 16, from 10:00AM to 6:00PM.

“This years Tour of Homes and Gardens will be one of our most exciting to date”, said Joe Spinelli, tour chair. “ The homes on this year’s tour will showcase the exciting and wonderful changes occurring in our neighborhood.” Anchored by beautiful turn-of-the-century architecture and parks, Victorian Village and the Short North neighborhoods are developing into “the” place to be. “With so many choices now available, you can find a style of living that’s best for you,” said Joe. In addition to Victorian Village, homes in the adjacent neighborhoods of Italian Village and Harrison West will be showcased.

Highlights of this year’s tour include a beautiful town home condominium with a furnished rooftop terrace and an incredible view of Goodale Park and the city skyline; an old machine shop that has been converted into ultra modern living space with a glass wall that disappears into the ceiling making the living room one with the open courtyard; a penthouse in The Dakota with 2700 square feet of indoor living space and another 1000 square feet of outdoor living space -- perfect for viewing fireworks all over the city.

Of course, no Victorian Village tour would be complete without our grand, century-old homes.  “ We are thrilled to showcase five wonderful home renovations in various Victorian-era styles,” said Pat Lewis, head of this year’s home selection committee. “Each caretaker has taken seriously the task of restoration while, at the same time, taking advantage of modern conveniences so the home is, to a great extent, historically accurate but also comfortable and livable.” said Pat. “We are truly privileged that these homeowners have allowed us to take a peek into their amazing homes. And there are pleasant surprises… two of the homes have beautifully-landscaped saltwater swimming pools in their courtyards. Who said you had to make sacrifices to live in the city!”

In total there are 12 unique homes on this year’s tour --  a wonderful snapshot into our exciting “century-old new neighborhood.”  In addition to the Sunday tour, there is a Preview Tour with Dinner  -- this year’s dinner theme being ‘A Taste of Broadway’.

Tickets may be purchased in advance for the discounted price of $15.00 on line (no service charge) at www.victorianvillage.org.  Tickets can also be purchased at the Urban Gardner, 940 North High Street or Spinelli’s Deli, 767 Neil Avenue beginning the week of September 1. Advanced purchase price at these two locations is also $15.00. Tickets can be purchased for $20.00 the day of the tour in front of Spinelli’s Deli. Tickets for the Preview Tour and Dinner event on Saturday can be purchased for $100.00. You can also call the Victorian Village Society at 614-228-2912 or via the Internet at www.victorianvillage.org for more information or advanced ticket purchases.   

Photo of the Day: Kramer Place

Kramer Place in Italian Village, across the street from Jeffrey Place and The Jeffrey, has pulled down their fence and installed their sidewalks. The project is shaping up and appears nearly complete on the outside.

Photo of the Day: "The Jeffrey" Courtyard

This is the courtyard of The Jeffrey, CitySpace Residential's latest project on the corner of E. First Avenue and Fourth Street in Italian Village. Contrary to popular belief, this building was NOT a school at one time...it was the headquarters building for the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company which occupied the 41.5 acres across the street from it.

Also, to clear up some confusion, The Jeffrey is not part of Jeffrey Place, which is the mixed-use neighborhood across the street being built on the 41.5 acres where the bulk of the company once stood which was torn down in 1987.

The Ohio Historical Society has a large historical image bank (click on the picture above, which is from their collection) of the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company's products and some of the actual site itself, like the one pictured above which is from 1935. It's interesting to see what types of things they made and where they were used.

"IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GREEN" The Other Paper

Link: IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GREEN
Joe Recchie thinks there’s big money in environmentally friendly condos
By Sara Smith
The Other Paper
May 10, 2007 

...“The North Block phase will be the largest solar array in a residential building in Ohio,” Recchie said as he strolled through the development, pointing to an empty clump of land. “It’s also the largest number of units with geothermal heating and cooling in Ohio.”

Recchie said the North Block is a natural extension of the development’s holistic approach to creating a green community. Other eco-friendly elements include shorter, more walkable blocks and carport roofs covered in plant material. And, he said, green isn’t just a figurative concept...

http://northblock.com

"Jeffrey Place project goes 'green'" Business First of Columbus

Link: Jeffrey Place project goes 'green' .
Brian R Ball
Columbus Business First
April 20th, 2007

...National Community principal Joe Recchie said the North Block project would feature solar-paneled roofs to produce electricity for the 72 residential and three commercial condos planned for the site. It would also have a geothermal heating and cooling system and a rainwater collection system to provide irrigation for the project...

...All those design and construction measures fit into recently announced standards for projects seeking the Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification under a pilot neighborhood development program...

"Developer seeks LEED certification for mixed-use project" The Daily Reporter

Link: Developer seeks LEED certification for mixed-use project
MELANIE MCINTYRE
The Daily Reporter
04/17/2007

Jeffrey Place's developer announced Friday that the housing project's North Block building is seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. The $17 million North Block building will be located at the corner of North Fourth Street and First Avenue when it breaks ground this summer.

"To the best of my knowledge, the North Block project is the first new construction of any size in Central Ohio that deliberately incorporates all of the key components that meet national standards for environmentally responsible, sustainable and energy efficient development," said Joe Recchie, president of National Community Builders, which is developing Jeffrey Place. The 41-acre master-plan community will have more than 1,100 residential properties ranging from lofts and flats to townhomes and single-family homes priced between $150,000 and $1 million.

Upon completion, the 88,800-square-foot mixed-use complex will have photovoltaic panels that turn natural sunlight into electricity, its 75 condominiums will be heated and cooled courtesy of almost three miles of geothermal pipe and the roofs of its carports will be covered with plants, which conserve energy and reduce storm runoff...

Young Professionals of Columbus to Host Second Annual "Taste of Columbus"

press release from the Mayor's office

Event to feature local ethnic restaurants, downtown living, and live music

February – Come network with over 200 of Columbus’ young professionals while experiencing ethnic foods, downtown living and the art of philanthropy all in one at, the Young Professionals of Columbus (YPC), second-ever ‘Taste of Columbus’ event on Wednesday, February 28th 2007.

“Taste of Columbus,” will be held from 6:00 pm  to 9:00pm at the Jeffrey’s Place condominium development in Italian Village, located at 350 East First Avenue, is being organized by YPC’s Diversity Committee.  Last year, the event offered attendees the opportunity to sample foods from local sponsors including Z Cucina, El Arepazo, and The Happy Greek, with similar restaurants participating this year, include Due Amici, Latitude 41, The 8, Torlita’s, Buca di Beppo, Rojo Tequileria and others.  Admission for participants will be $15 for current YPC members and $25 for all others.  Guests also have the option to purchase event admission and one-year memberships to the organization at a reduced price of $35.  American Electric Power  is a sponsor of this year’s event to benefit two local charities: Children’s Hunger Alliance and Central Community House.

“While our objective is to attract young professionals to this city, it is also our hope to recognize and promote the diversity within that group and inform the public about the new community at Jeffrey’s Place,” says Dana Brazwell, a Project Manager for Columbus-based OhioHealth and Special Events Chair for YPC.  ‘Taste of Columbus’ is distinctive in that it creates a mechanism to unite people through culture, food, and real estate opportunity all in one.”

Attendees will enjoy live jazz music from the Jimmy McGee Band and can participate in a drawing for gift certificates from various local businesses, including Shane’s Gourmet, Gift of Time Gourmet, Aveda 1400 and others.  Guests will also be given the opportunity to tour a model unit at Jeffrey’s Place.  Transportation will be provided to and from the model.  These townhome-style condominiums, the first of which were completed and occupied in 2006 are being marketed to young professionals like those that make up the YPC membership.

“This event encompasses several of YPC’s core objectives, namely bringing together a diverse group of young professionals in an exciting, urban-centric setting to enjoy great food and explore the growing downtown housing market,” said Nicole Farrell, PowerPhilanthropy Administrator for the Columbus Foundation and current YPC President.  “We are grateful for the efforts of our sponsors and volunteers who have helped make ‘Taste of Columbus’ possible.”

Young Professionals of Columbus is a non-profit service organization founded in 2004, with approximately 200 members.  Representing a broad cross-section of central Ohio’s talent pool, including professionals from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors, the group’s membership seeks to grow and influence the Greater Columbus region through a mission of volunteerism, philanthropy, and networking.  Young Professionals of Columbus strives to increase the visibility and attractiveness of Columbus as a place in which young professionals can live, work, and raise families.  The organization hosts monthly networking events and regularly scheduled guest speaker forums.  More information about Young Professionals of Columbus can be found at www.ypcolumbus.org.   

"Council approves condos, parking for Short North" The Columbus Dispatch

Link: Council approves condos, parking for Short North
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Mark Ferenchik
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

...Columbus City Council approved a new tax-incrementfinancing agreement last night that will help pay for a new $14 million parking garage in the area. It will be built as part of a 10-story, 179-unit condominium project at the northeast corner of N. High Street and E. Hubbard Avenue. The garage will be built across Pearl Alley from the condominiums...

"$1 million fundraising effort begins to rebuild Italian Village Park" The Columbus Dispatch

Another article that came out last month about a park in Italian Village. Private investment is being sought to fund a majority of this project at this point being that the city's funds appear to be tight for this type of project. Again, the reporting here lacks discussion of funding dolars from government sources and whether there are any at all and if not, why not.

Between the Short North Neighborhood Foundation trying to raise nearly they same amount for their Pocket Parks initiatives (with significant funding from the Short North Special Improvement District) and the Friends of Goodale Park raising funds for a waterfall sculpture called Tete-a-Tete Falls projects to the tune of $200,000, there is a lot of continued private investment being sought for the revitalized areas just north of downtown.

The big thing to pay attention to here is the fact that private investment is what has, and continues to pay for, the revitalizating of our urban neighborhoods:

Link: $1 million fundraising effort begins to rebuild Italian Village Park
Monday, November 27, 2006
Mike Pramik
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

...The Italian Village Society is attempting to raise nearly $1 million to rebuild its Italian Village Park at High and Hubbard streets. The changes would include a central lawn and a better-defined entrance to the park from High Street...

"Urban Oasis" First look

Here's a first look at a conceptual rendering of ARMS Properties' "Urban Oasis" (temporary name)  mixed-use development for the northeast corner of Hubbard and N. High St. in the Short North.  As you may notice in the image, the 6th through the 10th floors are set back (20ft) from the main body of the building which significantly lessens that building's immediate impact on the streetscape when you are at street level.

New project proposed for Short North/Italian Village

I attended the Italian Village Society's regular monthly meeting to hear about Rajesh Lahoti's (developer of The Dakota) latest project which is proposed for the north east corner of E. Hubbard St. and N. High St. directly to the north of Haiku in the Short North, currently home to AAA Rental. The project has been designed by George Acock, who is also redesigning the OSU library and a majority of Jeffrey Place. He is also responsbile for a number of buildings in the Arena District. I'm a huge fan of George's work.

This is mostly from memory and I'm sure there will be more specific information to come but I just wanted to get the preliminary info out there...and remember, as with any project, based off of approvals and city and neighborhood requirements, the plan may change over time.

The project as presented, temporarily named "Urban Oasis", is to be 170+, 10 story until of 1 and 2 bedroom condominiums. The main building which fronts High Street will also have a 2 level underground garage. At street level there will be retail (16 foot ceiling) along High and Hubbard Street, with residential on the 2 floors immediately above it with I believe approximately 10 foot ceiling. The facade design will be masonry to match much of existing architecture in the Short North with levels 4-10 being mostly glass and metal with balconies for every unit with about 9 foot ceilings.

Targeted pricing is projected to start at $150,000 for a 500-600 sf unit. Again, it's only a projection but Rajesh stressed the desire to keep the units affordable. 

The 4th level of the main building steps in 20 feet from the edge of the facade of the previous floors which means you won't be overwhelmed by a huge and ominous building. That step-back, similar to the one you can see on the top floor of The Dakota, greatly reduces the street presence of the building. Essentially you can think of it like a wedding cake where the second tier is substantially smaller in width than the first tier.

To the east of the main building will be an above ground parking structure which has 10(?) 3 story live/work townhomes planned that will face the Italian Village Park. Currently that space is an empty parking lot somewhat overgrown with weeds. Between this parking structure and the underground facility in the main building, there will be parking enough to accommodate 1 space per bedroom with a potential excess that could accommodate 250 public spaces. That amount of parking would alleviate 1/2 of the need that was determined to exist for parking as reported in a parking study done last year.

They are hoping to implement a number of "green" building elements and technologies in the project and LEED certification was mentioned but I'm not sure if they were going to go after that. This project is also slated to have an actual green roof, meaning a bed of seedum and soil which helps reduce heat put of by the roof of the building, helps insulate the building and absorbs what would otherwise be excess rain water that would normally go into the storm water system.

There was a model of the building and a number of illustrations and I of course did not go to the meeting armed with a camera or a recorded so we'll have to stick with oral tradition for the moment.

Again, just wanted to give you a hazy view of what I feel could be one of the most impressive projects to be undertaken if it goes forward. Between density, mixed-use, live/work units, green elements and parking...it is a very promising project for the area and also one of the most progressive.

Kramer Place launches new website

Kramer Place has a new website with more info and images about the project. I was glad to see plans for some retail on the ground floor.

If you haven't driven by the area at Fourth Street and East First Avenue it may be time for a drive-by. Kramer Place has its elevator shafts and parts of the foundation complete, CitySpace's "The Jeffrey" renovation project is framing walls in the building and Jeffrey Place has the foundation for their "Lofts at Jeffrey Place" nearly complete with the structural steel framing getting underway within the next week.

There are a number of reasons, all of this development included, that lends itself to my planning to make Italian Village my permanent home within the next couple of years. It goes far beyond just investment potential, but that never hurts:

Link: Kramer Place. Color your life. Urban Style.

Kramer Place will offer 46 distinctive condominium homes that blend the desirable amenities of new suburban homes with the unique aura of a hip and energetic urban environment. The four-story building incorporates a central gathering space with plans for a retail or dining venue, an open-air piazza for gathering and relaxing, and secure, onsite parking. Plus, commuting is a breeze with easy access to I-670 just a couple blocks away...

"Kramer Place among projects taking shape in Downtown area " The Columbus Dispatch

Italian Village continues to go vertical with new development as Kramer Place moves along with construction and nears a point of seeing "sticks coming out of the ground." The buzz in that area has been relatively quiet as of late but with Kramer's progress and with Jeffrey Place breaking ground on one of their loft projects across the street from the Berry Boltworks building, that corner of town will be one to keep an eye if you are into watching construction progress.

If you haven't been by that area of town in a while you might just take a swing by there:

Link: Kramer Place among projects taking shape in Downtown area
Monday, July 24, 2006
Mike Pramik
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

While the weighty Jeffrey Place development takes shape just outside Downtown, other projects are filling in some of the nearby streetscape.

The most recent is Kramer Place Condominiums, a residential project being built on the site of the former Kramer Paint warehouse at 803 N. 4 th St...

Kramer Place Rendering

Here's a rendering that has come across my desk of the 46-unit Kramer Place project which is currently being constructed in Italian Village on the west side of N. Fourth St. between E. First Ave. and Warren St. directly across the street from the first of the Jeffrey Place townhomes. Click on the image for a slightly larger version.

"Kramer Place Condominiums bring new life to Italian Village" Highland Management Group

PRESS RELEASE
Highland Management Group breaks ground on new condominiums

Columbus, OH - Just blocks away from downtown’s Short North art district and the newly added I-670 cap, Kramer Place Condominiums, a new three-story, 46-unit building currently under construction, will bring urban living to Italian Village.

According to developer Highland Management Group CEO Scott Mallory, Kramer Place takes its name while paying homage to the former Kramer Paints store whose space the condominiums replace. Kramer Paints provided Italian Village with gallons of hues for years until the property was sold to Highland Management Group for redevelopment.

Mallory said Highland recognized the historic presence Kramer Paints brought to the area and will maintain the architecture that represents the flavor of the former industrial space along with European architecture.  Kramer Place will “be historically responsive” said Highland’s Vice President Construction Services Dann Goodson.

Mallory said Kramer Place be open to residents in the spring of 2007 with pricing for a variety of floor plans ranging from $149,000 to $450,000. The first and second story condos will provide one and two-bedroom units ranging from 1,000-1,200 square feet. The third floor houses penthouse units featuring glass fronts and terraces.

Goodson explained the Fourth Street and First Avenue address, just across the street from Jeffrey Place, will make city living convenient for residents.

“A secure, gated garage will offer ample parking, often hard to find in other downtown or surrounding condominiums,” said Goodson. “Retail space with an outdoor piazza on the ground level aims to bring a sense of community to the area; an ideal rooted deep within Italian Village’s history,”  Goodson added.

Former denizens of Italian Village were able to work and live all within the same community. Wonder Bread, Jeffrey Manufacturing and the Smith Brothers provided thousands of jobs in the late 1800’s and through the Depression. Kramer Place Condominiums and other similar construction in the area will bring this livelihood back to Italian Village said Goodson.

Highland Management Group, Inc., established March 2000, is a full-service real estate development and construction company. Area projects include retail, office spaces and multi-family developments. Highland’s first project was Woodland Hall, a farm-like establishment of homes, situated on generous, pristine lots in Delaware County. This community established Highland’s standard for future residential and commercial development – a standard that raises the value and quality of life, environment and property. Creating communities both inside and outside the outer belt, Highland is the developer of Jerome Village, northwest of Dublin in Jerome Township and Hazelton Town Center in Pataskala, and Columbus downtown condominium projects such as Kramer Place in Italian Village and Littleton Square Condominiums in The Ohio State University district.

"More U.S. homeowners seek historic designation" The Wall Street Journal

Did you know...
That there are a total of 19 historic districts in Columbus? There are only 4 historical districts in the city of Columbus that are officially recognized by the City Council: Victorian Village, Italian Village, German Village and the Brewery District.

Owning a home in a historic neighborhood has pluses and minuses, some of which you should familiarize yourself with before you start house hunting. If you have big dreams of renovating a home in a historic of buying a lot and building a new home, there are explicit guidelines to which you must adhere to and get approval from the architectural review commissions for the specific neighborhood you are dealing with:

Link: More U.S. homeowners seek historic designation
Thursday, March 16, 2006
By Sara Schaefer Munoz
The Wall Street Journal
taken from www.post-gazette.com

...Experts say designation can affect home value because it leads to neighborhood pride and better upkeep of homes and yards. Most designations encourage repairs to be made with high-quality material, such as wood, rather than vinyl, and prevent a hodge-podge of styles by blocking any new construction that doesn't fit in. Historic designation can also bring financial incentives such as tax credits and matching grant programs for home maintenance. For example, homeowners in many California cities can save between 40 percent to 60 percent a year on property taxes with an historic-district designation. A matching-grants program in Scottsdale, Ariz., will reimburse homeowners in historic districts for 50 percent of the total cost of an improvement, up to $10,000.

But there are downsides to historic designation for many homeowners. Strict regulations on construction and home modification can make repairs costly and burdensome. The potential headaches are leading some homeowners to resist being included in a historic district. In Rockford, Ill., one resident recently led an unsuccessful charge to roll back part of a historic district after the town barred her from installing vinyl siding...

For more information on the 4 officially recognized districts, visit the Historic Districts page of the City of Columbus Planning Division's INFObase website.

To learn more about all of the historic neighborhoods in Columbus, visit the Council of Historic Neighborhoods website. There are only 18 historical neighborhoods shown on this website and the city's INFObase page says there are 19 so I'm not sure which one is missing.

If you are curious about how specific the guidelines get or how the commission's function check out the City of Columbus Department of Development's Historic Preservation section of the city's website on Architectural Review Commissions.

Jeffrey Place Reachs Big Milestone

Great news on the Jeffrey Place front.

At Monday's Columbus City Council meeting the project received approval of their plat. What's a plat you say? A plat is the detailed set of plans and engineering documents that specify exactly how the infrastructure for the 41.5 acre development will be constructed. That includes numerous items ranging from the rest of the underground utilities, to the streets, curbs and tree-belts just to name a few.

Since all of the streets are public, National Community Builders, the developer behind Jeffrey Place, has been working hand-in-hand with the city over the past several months finalizing all of the details and making the necessary adjustments required to meet city code.

The plat still has a few more stops to make on its "government processing path" before we see the construction equipment out there with both guns-a-blazin' on the site again but this is a major milestone to have reached.

Considering that Jeffrey Place has caused a boon in development in Italian Village and that it accounts for nearly 10% of the Mayor's plan for 10,000 units in the downtown area by 2012, I say its worth a little acknowledgment.

Jeffrey Place: Construction Progress Open House

If you've been watching the buildings go up on the east side of Fourth Street just above Warren Street and weren't aware of what they are, they are the first 11 of 74 Courtyard Townhomes being constructed at Jeffrey Place. They make up 74 of what will eventually be a wide array of 1100+ units of varying styles and floor plans at Jeffrey Place.

Construction is slated to be complete in March for these first 11 Courtyard Townhomes with the first residents moving in shortly thereafter.

This Saturday, the Jeffrey Place team invites you to stop by the Courtyard Townhomes to have a look at the units from the inside and see the progress:

Link: Jeffrey Place: Courtyard Townhome Construction Progress Open House.

Please join us this Saturday, January 28th between 12-5pm as we open our doors to the public for a construction progress update tour of our nearly completed Courtyard Townhomes. Experience firsthand these exquisitely designed townhomes created by George Acock of Acock and Associates Architects and constructed by APEX M&P construction. This will be your first opportunity to get a glimpse of what is on the way this year as the Jeffrey Place community continues to grow.

New Village Place & St. Joseph Montessori Panorama

Here is one of our first looks at the inner blocks of Italian Village. This is the intersection of Summit Street and East Second Avenue. From this spot we can see the New Village Place apartment development and St. Jospesh Montessori School. Directly to the rear of the starting postion of the panorama is a large parcel that has a number of homes planned for it. You can see one being constructed in the distance.

View: New Village Place & St. Joseph Montessori Panorama

"Second Avenue School to close" The Columbus Dispatch

Disappointing news for Italian Village as the Columbus Board of Education does a flip-flop on the decision as to whether or not the Second Avenue school will be closed. Students from the Second Avenue school will attend the new Weinland Park school that is currently under construction a few blocks to the north.

I'm curious to see what will happen with the facilities if the school does in fact close down:

Link: Second Avenue School to close
Columbus board OKs panel’s suggestion
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Bill Bush
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Deciding that a citizens’ task force was correct after all, the Columbus Board of Education abruptly voted yesterday to close an Italian Village elementary school, bringing to 12 the number of buildings that will close this summer...

Work on THE JEFFREY apartments underway

While often confused with Jeffrey Place, this unrelated Cityspace renovation project on the northeast corner of 4th Street and East First Avenue got underway in mid December. I grabbed a couple of photos to show progress.

While the first shot shows the main building, in the second shot you can catch the back half of the project which is attached and will also be converted into loft apartments:

Link: CITYSPACE: THE JEFFREY.

One of a kind, luxury apartments capture the quality and the sophistication of a great era and are re-engineered to meet the needs of 21st century living. The main building has been faithfully restored and much of the original materials will remain or be reconditioned with period reproduction fixtures and modern comforts such as high speed wiring and stainless steel gourmet kitchens. Additionally, there will be 25 classic loft style apartments in an adjoining building that served the mining company as the Industrial Research and Development Building.

"CPS board votes to close 11 schools" ThisWeek Newspapers

Just as a follow-up to the posting from Wednesday that had a list of 12 public schools to be closed, it turns out that the Columbus Public Schools Board of Education actually did vote to close 11 schools on the list, with one exception:

Link: CPS board votes to close 11 schools
Thursday, December 22, 2005
By SUE HAGAN
ThisWeek Newspapers

Just before unanimously voting Tuesday afternoon to close 11 schools at the end of the school year, the Columbus Public Schools Board of Education granted a temporary reprieve to Second Avenue Elementary School, a 12th school on the list...

"The Great American Melting Pot: A Walk Through the Past in Italian Village" Short North Gazette

As I read this walk down memory lane I could almost picture the neighborhood as it was back in the day. It does make me a little nostalgic for this long gone era. With the aims of RetroMetro to promote urban living in Columbus, one of my subtle undertones is try to help facilitate a revival of small and better connected communities. What was old can be new again:

Link: The Great American Melting Pot: A Walk Through the Past in Italian Village
Jennifer Hambrick
December 20005
Short North Gazette

“The streetcar would come down to where Summit Street ended and turn left onto Warren Street going for two blocks down to Fourth Street. It would turn right and then go down to Lincoln, then Russell, then Poplar Street, then Goodale Street and turn right and come back down to High Street and turn left (to go south) to get to the other side. That streetcar would also go all the way north to Oakland Park Avenue on Indianola.”

"‘Extreme challenge’ evolves into first of Jeffrey Place town homes" The Columbus Dispatch

I'd like to rewrite the title of today's Dispatch article: 'Overcoming an "extreme challenge" leads to extreme value'. But that's just me:

Link: ‘Extreme challenge’ evolves into first of Jeffrey Place town homes
Monday, December 05, 2005
Mike Pramik
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

...Recchie secured a $3 million Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund grant for most of that work in 2002.

Columbus has pledged $300,000 for street improvements and has provided a $600,000 loan that was used for site acquisition. In total, more than $6 million will be spent on roads, utilities and remediation. Recchie expects that the final value of the project will be $400 million...

...Jeffrey Place’s master plan calls for 1,120 residential units ranging in price from $150,000 to $1.5 million. About 85 percent of the residences will be purchased, including 32 detached homes...

This is a bit of a diatribe but follow me if you will:

Reading this article makes me think about the cursory perception that the general home-buyer may be getting about urban projects if their main resource is a billboard, brochure or a newspaper article. While these mediums give you a brief glimpse or flavor for a project, the rabbit hole goes much much deeper in this relatively new market in the Columbus area. The sales people, both for the project and your own realtor make the difference. If you aren't hearing a lot of questions and answers between your realtor and the project sales team, and you don't know what questions to ask...you should be a little nervous.

One of the largest challenges that I have faced over the past year as the sales manager for Jeffrey Place has been trying to communicate the immense story that is Jeffrey Place. It's partially a process of combining education with marketing. I'm almost certain if I talked to other sales people selling other projects, and I have talked to a few, that most would agree. As I mentioned, this is a new market with new terms, new products and a lot of fresh faces. The questions should be flying.

Some of the parts of the project that have seen the most work at Jeffrey Place typically go unnoticed by the casual consumer. It's that way with all the urban projects for that matter. Honestly, most buyers wouldn't be interested in those types of details regarding the construction of the homes. After the education I've received working on this project, I've learned that you, as an informed consumer, really should be interested in the details, most especially in the case of new builds or rehabs.

If you are looking at an urban property, either a rehab or a new build, you really need to get your nose in the details, from dirt to roof, to understand the what you are buying in order to adequately evaluate the differences between the projects you are interested in. Public vs. private streets, separated storm water and sewage lines, underground utilities, public services, heavy guage steel vs light guage steel, condo ownership vs. fee-simple...all of these terms should be coming up when you do your comparison shopping of urban projects.

If all you know is price-per-square-foot and you are using that to make your decision along with "I like the floor plan," you could end up with a home purchase that may leave you high-and-dry:

"I love my granite countertops and cherry cabinets but isn't it odd that I can hear my neighbor buttering his toast in the morning? He lives 3 doors down..."

"Whaddya mean I can't put my garden gnome out here? Says who?"

"My visitors have to park where?"

"C'mon! Does hearing my neighbor flush her toilet really count as Ambient Noise Therapy?"

You get the idea.

If you don't have the time and energy to do your homework, be sure to find yourself a Realtor that is doing it for you and filling you in on the details. I can honestly tell you, the details that you should be comparing are deeper in the designs of all the projects and can't all be discerned by price-per-square foot.

So I wrote all that just to spread my propaganda:

There is a tremendous amount of detail, design and planning that has gone into Jeffrey Place. Come on down to the sales center and get a tour of the Courtyard Townhomes. We'd love to show off what we're doing and take you through the very first fruits of our labor. It's good stuff :)

http://jeffreyplace.com

Jeffrey Place Courtyard Townhomes Rooftop Panorama

I know, I know, there is a whole great big city out their and I keep hanging out around Jeffrey Place but I had to get this shot in before I move on. Plus, when I went to get a pano in the Arena District last night it started to rain so we'll just have to wait another week :)

I should have the pano's integrated into the Google Maps before the week is out. I've already started but have a ways to go to develop a clean interface and multiple viewing options...take a look at the map on the Italian Village page of the site.

I've also been renovating content layout to be more efficient and make it easier to navigate. I just might make something out of this site yet...

View the downtown skyline from the Jeffrey Place Courtyard Townhomes QTVR (2.8MB)

Requires QuickTime.

Panorama - 3 for 1

This week's panorama give us a look at the first 11 Jeffrey Place Courtyard Townhomes, the future home of Kramer Place and futher down the street, The Jeffrey. This shot is taken from right in front of the former Kramer Paints space on Fourth Street.

When I redo this panorama in another year...things will not be looking the same from this spot. Keep your eye on this area...

Download the "3for1" panorama [5MB]

"Schmidt dusts off Jeffrey project for autumn start" Columbus Business First

The Jeffrey Manudacturing Company's former headquarters building at 274 E. First Ave, built in 1924, is back on the radar to begin its conversion into 93 luxury apartments. The developer of the building, Daniel Schmidt of Cityspace Development, noted that he was waiting for construction to begin on Jeffrey Place which is directly across the street.

Across the street to the west of Jeffrey Place is also another project that has moved forward simultaneously with the start of construction of Jeffrey Place's Courtyard Townhomes along Fourth Street back in August. Kramer Place, a Highland Management Group project, is a 54 unit condominium project which is currently working with the city on final zoning approval:

Link: Schmidt dusts off Jeffrey project for autumn start
Brian R. Ball
Business First
October 14th, 2005

Real estate developer J. Daniel Schmidt will move ahead to convert the former Jeffrey Mining Co. corporate offices into 93 apartments three years after he purchased the Columbus property...

Jeffrey Place in the News

Another hiden gem inside of a completely unrelated article, this time acknowledging the construction that is well underway at Jeffrey Place:

Link: Funding in place from Bank One for pocket park in Short North
Monday, October 10, 2005
Mike Pramik
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

...After several years of planning, the Courtyard Townhomes at Jeffrey Place, at the Jeffrey Mining and Manufacturing site, are going up. The first of the 11 townhouses are being framed, and there’s an intended move-in date of March, said Larke Recchie, a director with National Community Builders...

Visit the Jeffrey Place home page and click on the "view construction photos" link in the right-hand column of the page to see what's been going up.

"Urban home values soar" The Columbus Dispatch

I'm speechless. According to the following article in today's Dispatch, Italian Village now leads the pack as the neighborhood that has seen the highest rate of appreciation in Franklin County according to the preliminary reports form the county auditor's office:

Link: Urban home values soar
Italian Village, other neighborhoods see increases amid revitalization wave
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Debbie Gebolys
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Neighborhoods immediately north of Downtown are booming, making urban renewal a real moneymaker. Neighborhoods roughly between I-670 and 5th Avenue experienced the biggest jumps in home values in Franklin County, according to preliminary figures from county Auditor Joe Testa...

...One of every three houses in the area immediately east of High Street at least doubled in value. For 402 houses, apartments and condos there, the total value went up 61 percent, based on preliminary results of the auditor’s just-completed triennial appraisal...

I will have to ask that you pardon a small bit of shameless self-promotion as I show an Italian Village map before you read the rest of the article. Ahem...the dark green is Jeffrey Place...nice place to work, better place to live (soon since construction is moving right along).

So what does this mean for Italian Village? The news is compelling validation that from a number of avenues, Italian Village is a good place to put yourself and your dollars. Speaking as both a resident and an employee that lives and works in Italian Village...I am a little nervous that my well guarded secret is out (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

Setting my own bias aside as the Sales Manager for Jeffrey Place (I guess that makes me a paid endorser), the news is even greater for the entire urban movement as it highlights that "urban is in" and continues to see tremendous growth.

Of course, coming back down from cloud 9, I have to remind myself that these jaw-dropping appreciation figures are coming from the process of updating county records to put them in line with what has actually been going on in the real estate market. Keep in mind that the appreciation numbers that the county is coming up with are catching up and validating what has been going on with real estate values over the past several years. This is good news in the terms of home values actually being validated by the county.

The article also makes reference to parts of Victorian Village and Harrison West, 2 more highly appreciating neighborhoods.

What more evidence do you need? If you read this site regularly and aren't living urban yet, what are you waiting for? Do what I did, make the leap and do it. You aren't alone. I promise. Start as a renter and grow into home ownership.

Just as another tidbit of incentive, I used to go through $30 dollars a week in gas which in today's gas-dollars converts to $45 a week. I just filled up for the first time in 2 1/2 weeks on Friday.

Just a few years ago I never saw myself living or enjoying this lifestyle but I do...and I'm still in the process of removing the "sub" from my "urbanite". I drove on the highway for the first time in a week on Friday and it was weird. I used to drive on it everyday. Now it's a special occasion. Imagine that. "Weeee!, I get to go on the highway! Again, again. Let's do it again. Weee!Ok...that's enough"

Not many people are as fortunate as I am to be able to walk to work and walk to all my favorite restaurants, coffee shops and night spots, but with the continued growth of urban living, that it will become a reality for more and more people. Once I move to Jeffrey Place...it'll be even easier ;)

Italian Village Community Cookout

Just a friendly reminder for any current or prospective Italian Village residents:

ITALIAN VILLAGE SOCIETY COMMUNITY COOKOUT AND PARK PLANNING MEETING
August 9th, 2005
6:00 - 9:00pm
Italin Village Park (behind Haiku on N. High Street right on Hubbard)

Read the official annoucnement:
Download ivs_notice.pdf

Kramer Paints Condo Project Gets Green Light

News from the Italian Village Society meeting that was held tonight:

The 40 plus unit condo project slated for development across the street from Jeffrey Place on the former Kramer Paints site on 4th Street just below East First Avenue has received conceptual approval from the Italian Village Commission. The project is now moving to apply for zoning variances and construction permits.

The project had to go through a few revisions to deal with neighbors concerns regarding parking issues and traffic that would be created on the alley behind the project.

The project is slated to be condos with some retail space on the first floor.

New Jeffrey Place Website

Sorry that RetroMetro has been lacking in the way of postings over the past week. The duties of the paying job occasionally takes precedent over the part-time hobbies...but it was all for a good cause, and I'm back now with some catching up to do.

The good cause was the reconstruction and expansion of the Jeffrey Place website. Unless you've been by the Jeffrey Place Sales Center at 350 East First Avenue in Italian Village, you'll see some new home options on the revised site. Specifically The North Block and The Foundry that will have 1 bedroom units starting at $150k and 2 bedroom starting at $199K. The North Block will consist mainly of townhomes and lofts while The Foundry will be mostly single-floor Flats.

Both of these projects within Jeffrey Place will begin selling in a couple more months...but they are on their way. These projects have actually been in the works since the beginning keeping to the idea of having a mixed use neighborhood with a diverse combination of people with a variety of incomes and stations in life.

And you thought Jeffrey Place was too expensive :)

If you haven't signed up for the Jeffrey Place newsletter be sure to do so when you visit. Activity is beginning to pick up and we are very close to completing the process of getting the permits for the first 11 Courtyard Townhomes (I never realized it was such a long process), so keep a closer eye on the site over the next month or so.

Visit the Jeffrey Place website

"Jeffrey Place project under way" The Columbus Dispatch

Jeffrey Place is in the news this week...and things are really moving. If you have driven by the site in the past few weeks you've no doubt seen the activity. At the moment we are having the sewage lines installed throughout the site and we are having more concrete broken in the southern half of the development:

Link: Jeffrey Place project under way
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Mark Ferenchik
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

...After five years of promises, dirt is moving and in the next few weeks, town houses are to begin rising at the $400 million Jeffrey Place project north of Downtown.

A builder will begin putting up 11 town houses along N. 4 th Street in April, said Joe Recchie, president of National Community Builders, which is developing the 41.5-acre site in Italian Village. Another 13 town houses are to be built soon after, just south of the first 11, and then a total of 1,120 condominiums, apartments and houses, plus offices, shops and a fitness center...

While the article does have a bit of a pessimistic tone, the the title says it all. We are currently redesigning the Jeffrey Place website to reflect more of the information about the individual projects at Jeffrey Place and the plans for development of the community aspect of the project. Did you know we are going to have units priced from $150,000 all the way up to over $1.5 million? If you are even curious, just stop down by our sales center and get the tour. I like telling the story...and I won't make you buy anything...right away :)

Be sure to visit our website and sign-up for our e-mail list to get updates on Jeffrey Place. You'll also find our sales center hours on the CONTACT US page:

Visit the Jeffrey Place website

Jeffrey Place on the move...and I mean it.

If you've been by the Jeffrey Place construction site in the last week or so you may have noticed a bit of a buzz of activity, more so than you've seen in the last couple months with the crushing of all the concrete. Allow me to put you "in the know"...

The first phase of rock crushing of the huge pile of concrete that was sitting at the southern most edge of the site has been completed and the rock crushing equipment has been dismantled and removed for the time being. There is plenty more concrete to be demolished and crushed on the site, but the crusher equipment won't be back for another 6 weeks or so.

The concrete that was crushed once covered a large portion of the site as building foundations and parking lots and was demolished and then stored on site in order to be recycled back into Jeffrey Place as gravel for the utility and street infrastructure.

But that's enough rock-talk. Attention now moves to the first phase of street and utility construction.

The first delivery of concrete sewer connection pipes arrived on the site today and is being staged right next to the large pile of gravel. At the same time, additional heavy-duty digging machinery also arrived on the site today and was assembled for use in building the 1.7 miles of streets and utilities. The contracter for all of the infrastructure work is Corna/Kokosing.

Hockaden and Associates, the contracter that is doing the surveying for the streets and utility infrastructure in Jeffrey Place, was also staking out the locations of the streets in preparation for the excavation that will occuring in order to install.

Things are moving. No, really.

The first 11 townhomes that are going to be built on Fourth Street will start construction with in a couple of weeks. We are currently in the hands of the city in regards to permitting and anticipate being full-steam-ahead very soon. We choose to get all of our permits out of the way at once rather than going for one permit at a time (this is for the first 11 townhomes only) which in the short run takes a considerly longer amount of time, but in the long run allows up to keep moving continuously and much more efficiently.

A lot of the nay-sayers may be thinking "I've heard this all before", which is one reason I haven't posted too much information on Jeffrey Place up to this point. Being that I'm the sales and marketing director you may think I would have plastered news about Jeffrey all over the place on RetroMetro...but actually it has been quite the opposite. I like to keep quite until I know for certain things are happening so as not to start up a buzz, only to have it die down and disappoint all those who were interested.

Now you won't be able to shut me up. Now is the time. And to be completely fair, as you can see from previous postings, I'm completely willing to give equal air time to another other urban development in and around the downtown Columbus area. If you are a developer, that's an open invitation to send me press releases and what not. I post almost everything I receive if it fits into my criteria as a project that promotes the revitalization of our downtown and the immediately adjacent neighborhoods.

If you've been waiting to look into buying or investing in a home at Jeffrey Place, now is the time. Visit the Jeffrey Place website or e-mail me directly at paul@jeffreyplace.com

Watch for more articles on Jeffrey Place and Italian Village...

Jeffrey Place Sales Center Opening Reception

So you want to find out what's going on with Jeffrey Place? Here's your chance to get the whole scoop:

The Event:
Official opening reception for the new Jeffrey Place Sales center

The Time:
Friday, February 18th 4-8pm

The Place:
Jeffrey Place Sales Center
350 East First Avenue
Columbus, OH 43201
(in the historic  Berry Bolt Works building)

Hope to see you there.

View the official invitation

Cityspace: The Jeffrey

This was a little confusing...Cityspace, an urban real estate development company, is planning on developing luxury apartments called "The Jeffrey" in Italian Village. Why is it confusing? It has nothing to do with Jeffrey Place, the 41.5 acre development across the street, accept for a similar name. Regardless, the buidling they are planning on renovating was the former office building for the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company and has as much character as it does history. There isn't any more information other than a teaser graphic at the following link:

Visit CITYSPACE: RESIDENTIAL SPACE web page

Jeffrey Place Update

The latest news on the Jeffrey Place development in Italian Villiage has been reported by The Columbus Dispatch:

Jeffrey Place Start Date Near
The Columbus Dispatch
Debbie Gebolys and Mike Pra