‘Grand Central’ project scrapped

A Columbus company has abandoned plans for a 23-acre Main-Street-style development in the Arena District after bumping into several roadblocks on the site.

In announcing its decision to back off the development, the Schottenstein Real Estate Group also revealed that talks fell through with Columbus Crew SC to build a stadium on the site.

Schottenstein announced the development, called Grand Central, in August. The plan called for two residential towers, a conference center, two hotels, a grocery store and a mini downtown lined with shops and restaurants on a largely empty site north and northwest of Huntington Park.

The ambitious plan, which was never formally presented to the city, drew skeptics from the start. City officials and other developers wondered in particular how the site would be accessed.

In its statement, Schottenstein acknowledged that access was one of several reasons it abandoned its plans.

“The property has severe development restrictions including: A) defective access; B) railroad tracks in impeding locations with no ability for any crossings; C) major area traffic problems which would greatly limit approvals for desired land uses and adequate density for a (development) of its size.”

Schottenstein said it offered to give the land to the Crew for a new soccer stadium, but the plan “was not pursued by the Crew due to the inability for a stadium to fit on the site and/or probably because of the issues stated above.”

The Crew, however, released a Nov. 7 text

“The Schottensteins were working hard to come up with something spectacular on that site. If you put the parcels together, a stadium would fit well there.”

— Martin Savko, owner of 9 of the 23 acres

exchange between Andy Loughnane, president of business operations for the Crew, and Schottenstein Real Estate Group President Brian Schottenstein that suggested the soccer team was, in fact, interested in the site.

In the exchange, Loughnane tells Schottenstein that he provided stadium dimensions to “overlay on your arena district parcels,” and he suggests following up once that is done.

Schottenstein responds: “Per your email it didn’t look like it could fit on the property.”

Loughnane then thanked Schottenstein for the chance the discuss the option.

Crew officials declined to comment further.

Corey Schottenstein, managing director of Schottenstein Real Estate, said the Crew had previously suggested, in the email referenced in the text, that the stadium “was unlikely to be a fit.”

Martin Savko, who owns 9 of the 23 acres with his brother Stephen, said it was “a shame” that the site wasn’t pursued more aggressively for a stadium.

“The Schottensteins were working hard to come up with something spectacular on that site,” Savko said. “If you put the parcels together, a stadium

would fit well there.”

Savko said the train tracks running through the site are rarely used.

CSX, which owns most of the site, confirmed the property is for sale.

Savko said he was approached by former Mayor Michael B. Coleman a decade ago with the idea of building a stadium for the Crew on the site.

Cynthia Rickman, assistant director of the city’s Department of Development, said the city had informally discussed developing the site with the Schottensteins.

“The site obviously has potential, but the next development has to be really carefully planned because of the access issues,” she said.