Taller buildings may be coming to High, Broad streets

Buildings of up to 16 stories in Columbus could be pre-approved all the way up North High Street, through the Short North and Ohio State University, and on East Broad Street from Downtown to Bexley, under a proposal released Thursday by Mayor Andrew J. Ginther.

Other areas that would also transfer into the city’s proposed most dense “urban core” zoning designation include stretches of Lane Avenue north of Ohio State and west of High Street, the Brewery District, the area where East Main abuts Bexley, and parts of Franlinton both east and west of Route 315.

The “urban core” designation would automatically allow up to 12 stories in height, up from the current three stories, and would grant four “bonus” floors if projects meet affordable-housing requirements, making the maximum height without a variance 16 stories.

Other large stretches of the city would fall into the new “urban center” designation, with allowable heights of up to seven stories for projects meeting affordable-housing incentives, and five stories otherwise. They include large stretches of South High Street, Parsons Avenue, East Main Street west of Bexley, West Broad Street through Franklinton and the Hilltop, Indianola Avenue north of North Broadway, North High Street north of Lane Avenue, and other areas.

Residents of the Near East Side, where many of the most dramatic zoning changes will occur, have been in conversations with the city about the potential changes for many months, said Kate Curry-da-souza, chair of the Near East Area Commission.

“This is not necessarily any different than we already have experienced on the East Side,” Curry-da-souza said Thursday afternoon, noting several historic high-rises along East Broad Street.

“If it’s going to be on Broad Street it needs to be premier and it needs to be excellent,” and fit in with the historic neighborhood, Curry-da-souza said. And it needs to provide affordable housing, particularly if it is property-tax abated, she added.

“Broad Street has always been a commercial and residential corridor,” Curryda-souza said. “It’s always been a welltraveled section of Columbus,” and residents would rather see tall buildings there than further into the interior of neighborhoods.

But it could be troubling if developers were tearing down historic buildings to build high-rises, she said.

“Right now, unfortunately, there are very few rules when it comes to demos,” Curry-da-souza said. “...Where’s the middle ground going to be with this?”

Curry-da-souza said she hoped that City Council, as they’re fleshing out these plans, “there are future thoughts about ways to protect the historic nature of our neighborhoods.”