Developers like Brewery District sites
The Brewery District continues to attract investment from developers looking to add apartments, offices, storefronts and a hotel.
Preliminary plans for 477 S. Front St. and the historic Maennerchor site at 966 S. High St. have been presented to the Brewery District Commission, although both projects will need to return to the commission with more specifics early next year before proceeding.
The Maennerchor property, near German Village at Pearl Street, was sold at auction by the Columbus school district last month to Galbreath Properties for $460,000. The district had originally hoped to knock down the building to accommodate the expansion of Stewart Alternative Elementary
across the street.
Justin Bird of Casto Residential Realty made the presentation to the commission along with a representative for Galbreath Properties and Columbus Maennerchor President Werner Niehaus. Bird said the plan is to convert the 6,500-square-foot building to office and residential use with the help of a connected new three-story addition.
The Columbus Maennerchor, which now meets next door, had hoped at one time to buy back the property from the school district, but it lacked the money. It would get some space in the new development to meet.
Developer Dwight McCabe gave an overview to commissioners of his plan to revamp several buildings at 477 S. Front St. vacated by Wasserstrom Co., which moved its headquarters to Whitehall this
year. McCabe did not submit renderings, but he said he plans to keep and add onto the existing buildings. He said planned changes to the entrance to Interstate 70 a block away will make the property’s location a “front door” to Downtown that could boost his plans for ground-floor retail along with a hotel and offices.
The projects would join others announced this year. At 500 S. Front St., investors
recently launched a $1 million renovation and expansion of an office building that has attracted affordable-housing developer Woda Group as a tenant. And several months ago, developer Kyle Katz bought two commercial buildings, at 555 S. Front St. and 551 S. Front St., as what he called a long-term investment.