Changes that are coming soon to Downtown Columbus

Aaron Burd
·4 min read
4
Changes that are coming soon to Downtown Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus is a rapidly developing city and with that growth a variety of projects are coming soon to Downtown.

A February study released by the Bank of America Institute showed Columbus is the fastest growing city in the country. Keeping up with that rapid growth, multiple projects throughout the city will help facilitate its increasing population.

Here are recent and incoming developments in Downtown Columbus.

Capital Line

A two-mile bike and pedestrian path through the heart of Downtown called The Capital Line is coming to Columbus. The trail will go from the Gay Street District, over the Broad Street Bridge to The Peninsula, to Belle Street, over the Rich Street Bridge, to Rich Street and along Fourth Street, connecting back with Gay Street.

  • (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)
    (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)
  • (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)
    (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)
  • (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)
    (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)
  • (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)
    (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)
  • (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)
    (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)
  • (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)
    (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)
  • (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)
    (Photo Courtesy/Columbus Downtown Development Corporation)

The design stage for the project is set to happen over the next year. Construction will begin in 2025, according to the City of Columbus.

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Downtown and Franklinton DORA

A way for adults to get their alcoholic drinks to go is coming soon to Downtown and Franklinton. The Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, will allow those 21 and older to walk around the area with alcoholic beverages served by participating businesses and sold in designated cups.

It will go in effect in late May, pending state approval.

Center for Creative Collaboration

Columbus College of Art and Design is in the conceptual stages of a project called The Center for Creative Collaboration. The $15 million project would renovate Battelle Hall at 101 N. Washington Ave. -- a former Chrysler dealership converted into art and design studio spaces in the 1970s -- into the building that will house CCAD's digital fabrication and design innovation labs.

The renovation project is expected to be completed by 2026, according to CCAD.

Scioto Mile Fountain reopening

The Scioto Mile Fountain has been a part of summers in Columbus for more than 12 years. Currently undergoing construction, it is set to re-open in late May.

A rendering of proposed renovations to the Scioto Mile Fountain. (Courtesy Photo/CDDC)
A rendering of proposed renovations to the Scioto Mile Fountain. (Courtesy Photo/CDDC)

The construction, which started in 2023, is a $15 million makeover project. Among other changes, the fountain will now look different depending on the season.

Library Park apartments

The Pizzuti Companies is continuing to expand its Library Park apartments with a fourth phase. A two-story apartment building will be removed for the construction of a seven-story, 160,000-square-foot building on South Ninth Street, which will feature 149 units, a 30-space parking garage, and more.

A rendering of a new apartment building coming with phase four of the Library Park project. (Courtesy Photo/The Pizzuti Cos.)
A rendering of a new apartment building coming with phase four of the Library Park project. (Courtesy Photo/The Pizzuti Cos.)

Earlier phases featured nearly 300 units. With the 149 coming from the fourth phase, the Library Park apartments will top 400 in total.

Demolition on the two-story building is set for later this year.

Center of Music Innovation and Education

Columbus Symphony Orchestra is planning a $275 million project it has called the Center of Music Innovation and Education. The 200,000-square-foot facility would have nine spaces to be used for performances and educational opportunities.

The new venue would give opportunities for local music acts to perform, as well as more nationally known acts.

200-plus unit apartment building

A Downtown parking lot is expected to be turned into a 12-story building with 221 apartment units. The high-rise multi-family building is expected to sit over a three-story parking garage, according to preliminary building plans.

Because the Columbus Dispatch's printing plant was once on the site, the building is set to be called Dispatch Tower.

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Columbus zoning changes

The City of Columbus is seeking public opinion on significant proposed changes to the zoning code, which it has been said could reshape the city for "generations." The 60-day period for public comment began in April.

Eighty-eight thousand homes are expected to be built in the next 10 years because of the plan. The proposed changes would create six zoning districts, prioritize taller buildings and focus less on parking.

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