Topiary Park apartments moving ahead
Planning for a project that will create about 100 new apartments overlooking Downtown’s Topiary Park is moving forward after a review Tuesday morning by Columbus’ Downtown Commission.
Representatives for Motorists Insurance and its partners showed renderings of the proposed five-story brick building that would face the park behind Motorists’ Broad Street headquarters. The building would include in-building parking and a corner retail space likely to be used for a lunch spot or coffee shop.
Developing that area was part of a 2010 strategic Motorists Insurance’s proposed five-story project, containing mostly housing, will overlook Topiary Park
plan released by the city of Columbus and the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation.
Mike Lisi, associate vice president of corporate services for Motorists, told the commission that the company is sensitive to keeping
the “community culture” of the neighborhood and Topiary Park in mind as it plans the development.
While the initial project would consist of a single building at Washington and Oak streets — made to look like a row of brownstones — future phases could include complementary buildings with additional housing units and other space, such as for offices or retail.
“We don’t know what the economy is going to do,” Lisi said, noting Motorists has an obligation to its shareholders. He said the company’s board has approved the first building, with the long-term goal of developing the other adjacent parcels.
Motorists has hired Columbus-based Moody Nolan to do the design. Former Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, now an attorney with Ice Miller, is Motorists’ attorney on the project.