Italian Village’s next step
New apartment building extends development to north
A few years ago, a new apartment building would have been a shock at E. 5th Avenue and Summit Street, a neighborhood of storefront churches just outside the hubbub of the Short North.
But now, The Beeker, a fivestory apartment and retail building that just opened on the southwest corner of that intersection, seems like the natural next step for Italian Village development.
A 14-unit condominium complex called the Four X Five is rising a block away, a five-story apartment building is planned across 5th Avenue, and a meadery and distillery are a short stumble away.
The Beeker, built by the development company Borror, includes 89 apartments above commercial
space that in the fall will include a Zaftig Brewing Co. brewpub, Dicarlo’s pizza and another tenant to be named.
With purple velvet chairs, bright-yellow doors, big and bold art, and gray and black paint, The Beeker’s common spaces are designed to be edgy.
“We want a cool, funky vibe,” said Kaileigh Steiner, director of marketing for Borror. “It’s urban living, and we want to reflect that.”
In keeping with Italian Village’s crowd of young singles, 40 of The Beeker’s 89 apartments are studios. At 525 square feet, the studios are large enough to allow a kitchen island and a partial wall between the sleeping and living areas.
“They’re incredibly popular
for those who want to live Downtown and live alone,” Steiner said.
All apartments include washers and dryers, walk-in closets, granite countertops, rainfall shower heads and stainless steel appliances. Some come with balconies.
In another sign that the neighborhood around The Beeker has changed, rents range from $995 for studios to $3,295 for the three-bedroom penthouse. Covered parking costs an additional $100 to $150 per month, depending on whether the space is reserved.
For a view of the rapidly changing neighborhood, The Beeker includes a rooftop terrace with an indoor clubroom that can be opened — with garage doors — to an outside deck overlooking Italian Village and Downtown.