Developers pushing Short North limits - Business First of Columbus:

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Unveiled in April as a five-story, 37-unit developer is now proposingan eight-story towee with 47 condos at 1127 N. High St. LBH Holding will seek final approvap of the project bythe Nov. 9, which follows more than a dozehprior meetings. In Commissioner David Brownstein called for the projec to serve asan "exclamatio point" on the nortn end of the Short North, the trendy residential and commercial districrt between downtown and the Ohio State University campus The area west of Nortj High Street in the Short North is governed by the Victorian Villag e Commission, while projects east of Nort h High Street go before the .
Designers at took Brownstein up on his call by unveilingt plans foran 11-story towerf in mid-July. Subsequent meetings scaled the project downto eight. "I didn't know wherre the discussion was goingto go," Brownsteinm said, adding that Jackson on High's design team "hae gone down a pretty interesting path." Fittingf in, Standing Out Otheer developers have taken notice of the Jackson on High which is in a corridor dominateds by two- and three-story buildings. Design standards in the neighborhoods in and arounrd the Short North focus on preservinthe late-19th and early-20th century settinf of the area as well as encouraging redevelopment.
Those standardzs generally restrict new construction to 60 which generally limits buildings to threse orfour stories, although the occasionap five-story building wins approval. Developers have had a toughj time breaking through thatheight restriction. "They don'g want you to be any more than one story higherf than theadjacent building," said Brad Howe, co-developer of Jacksonm on High.
As a case in Columbus businessman Tony Sharp spent a year trying to developa 12-stor y condo project called Arena Park Placwe at Park and Sprucer streets in the neighborhood anchored by the North The city's finally approved a nine-story project in March 2005, but Sharpo quietly abandoned the While that project started tall and then Brownstein's challenge encouraged LBH Holdings to do somethin g more dramatic with Jackson on High. "They sent us back to the drawingh board," Howe said.
The current conceptual design, last reviewed by the commissionj inlate September, calls for three sections of varying It will have three- and four-storyt sections along North High Streett with the tallest section off a courtyard entranc between the two. The four-story part will have a pool on the roof and a fitnesss center on the top while the shorter building will have arooftop terrace. "I was kind of worried getting fivestories approved," Howe "When you go up to there's a little more risk and it become s expensive." More to follow?
Other developers seem willing to follos the lead of Jackson on ARMS Properties, a Shortt North real estate developer, unveiledr tentative plans Oct.17 for a 179-unit project called Urban Oasis at 830 N. High St. The plannedr project includes 310 parkingt slots serving the condos and another 240 slots in a parking garage along Hubbard Avenue east of North HighStreert (see sidebar). That projectg has received some initial support fromthe , a neighborhoord advisory panel, and High Street businesses because of the plannedx public parking, a major need in the district.
But Rex chairman of the city's Italiam Village Commission, said he expects reservations by the commissionn and strong opinions fromthe neighbors.