Short North businesses continue to fluctuate
More changes are afoot for the Short North, with new stores preparing to replace empty storefronts on High Street.
At least 16 businesses have left the Short North in the past year as realestate values and rents have continued to soar, and as longstanding street construction wound down. Children’s store Cub Shrub and Blick Art Materials have been two of the latest stores to announce their departure from High Street.
Local Cantina, a growing Columbus chain of tacos and drinks, and Kilwins, a franchised sweets shop known for its fudge and ice cream, plan to open in the same block of High Street between Russell and Brickel streets. Local Cantina will open in the former Stack City Burger Bar space at 600 N. High St. on the Cap on Feb. 19 for dinner, and soon after for lunch as well. Kilwins has a “coming soon” sign in the window of the former Second Sole store at 660 N. High St.
Frankie Heath, operations manager for Local Cantina, said workers have been prepping the new space since late last year. He said they’re planning to start offering lunch the week that the annual Arnold Sports Festival brings thousands of visitors to the area around the Greater Columbus Convention Center at the end of February.
“This is kind of coming home for us,” said Heath of the chain, which launched from Local Bar at 913 N. High St. seven years ago. The Short North location will be the ninth for Local Cantina, which also plans to open a Dayton location this year.
The Michigan-based Kilwins franchise opened its first Columbus location at Dublin’s Bridge Park development in late 2017. An employee who answered the phone at the Dublin location Wednesday referred questions to Ernie Malas, who owns the local franchise with his wife. Malas did not respond.
Just up the street at 750 N. High St., Graduate Hotels is readying its Columbus location in the former Bollinger Tower building. Graduate specializes in hotels near major colleges, themed to reflect the college and the people and things it’s known for.
Developer AJ Capital Partners purchased the property, a former public-housing project, in September 2017. The opening has been pushed back to fall from the original summer expected opening.
“With wallpaper and curtains in scarlet and gray plaid, there’s no mistaking this guestroom is geared toward fans of The Ohio State University,” the hotel chain says on its website, where it has unveiled photos of a sample room for the Graduate Columbus hotel.
The hotel will celebrate “notable OSU alums including Olympian Jesse Owens, astronaut John Glenn and artist Roy Lichtenstein,” the site states. “You’ll also spot a nod to everyone’s favorite spooky series, Goosebumps. Yep, author R.L. Stine is a Buckeye, too.”
The sample room features scarlet and gray decor; an upholstered chair bearing the image of Glenn in an orange spacesuit; and lamps with bases echoing pop art of Lichtenstein, who attended and taught at Ohio State before achieving international fame. Glenn, an Ohio native, attended Muskingum College as an undergraduate but later developed strong ties with Ohio State; the John Glenn College of Public Affairs was founded at OSU in 2015.
Stine grew up in Bexley and attended Ohio State in the 1960s.