Category Archives: Columbus History

2013 Residential Projects and the Year Ahead

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2013 residential projects

2013 was a pretty significant year for Columbus, if only because it saw its busiest residential developmentyear in and around the urban core in many years. Here are the highlights of some of the biggest 2013 residential projects.

1. The South Campus High Rise and Addition Project
# of New Units: 360
Project Cost: $171.6 Million
Project Height: 7-8 Stories in Multiple Buildings
Some might suggest that this isn’t strictly a residential project because it was student housing. However, I disagree with that. The projects added significant additions to already existing Park, Stradley, Steeb and Smith Halls by connecting the pairs together with what essentially amounted to a brand new building stuck in-between. It also involved significant renovations to other residential buildings in South Campus. This was the first part of a major renovation and expansion project for housing on OSU’s campus.

Some links to this project complete with site maps and construction photos:
http://fod.osu.edu/projects/s_res/2010_7-26.htm
http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/south-campus-high-rise-additionrenovation

2. HighPoint at Columbus Commons
# of New Units: 302
Project Cost: $50 Million
Project Height: 6 Stories in 2 Buildings
HighPoint was a rather unexpected surprise for Downtown. When Columbus Commons was being constructed, the plan called for residential buildings running along High Street on the west side of the park. Unfortunately, that plan was not supposed to happen for perhaps a decade or more, depending on development interests. Within a year of the completion of the park, however, HighPoint was being proposed. While not exactly the most inspired design or preferred height for such a prominent location Downtown, the projects potential 450+ residents will greatly help the neighborhood’s goal of increased vitality and 24-hour activity. In fact, it may not be too much to assume that this project has encouraged others, such as the 12-story 250 High Project and LC’s double 8-story tower project, both of which will begin construction soon just across the street from HighPoint and the park. Collectively, they will add, at minimum, over 650 new residents.

Links for the project:
http://www.highpointcolumbus.com/columbus/highpoint-on-columbus-commons/photos/

3. Liberty Place, Phase II
Address: 250 Liberty Street
# of New Units: 207
Project Cost: $25-$30 Million
Project Height: 4 Stories
Liberty Place, in the Brewery District, was completed in 2006, the last of a slew of development projects in the Brewery District beginning in the 1990s and came in the middle of a relative quiet period that began when the Arena District stole some of the neighborhoods momentum. That momentum has returned in recent years as urban living has gained significant traction in public opinion. Phase II of Liberty Place was supposed to have been built years ago, but the recession and the uncertainty regarding the exact layout of the rebuilt I-70/I-71 split which runs past the site put the project on hold. All told, Liberty Place now has 342 units.

Links for the project:
http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/phase-2-of-liberty-place-apartments
http://thelibertyplaceapartments.com/

4. Tribeca
Address: 700 West Third Avenue
# of New Units: 205
Project Cost: Unknown
Project Height: 4 Stories
Tribeca, from Edwards Communities, was built along Third Avenue in the 5thxNW neighborhood. While adding significant density to the area, the project is mostly known for its strange layout. Dubbed the “Fortress” or the “prison”, the project has a long, blank wall along Third Avenue with tower-like structures along it, resembling the fortifications of a prison. The ugly design and lack of interaction with Third because of this layout caused the project to receive a lot of criticism.

A link to the project, the criticism and photos:
http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/gowdy-field-development

5. Lennox Flats
Address: Kinnear Road, Lennox Town Center
# of New Units: 194
Project Cost: Unknown
Project Height: 3 Stories
Lennox Flats was built over two phases, the first with 92 units and the second with 102. Built in a mostly vacant lot just to the west of Lennox Town Center (across the railroad tracks), these were built in modern-styles and were targeted at students from OSU.

Link with photos:
http://www.columbusunderground.com/phase-two-of-lennox-flats-wrapping-up-this-summer-bw1

6. 600 Goodale
Address: 600 West Goodale Street
# of New Units: 174
Project Cost: Unknown
Project Height: 5 Stories
600 Goodale is likely the most strangely located new project of 2013. It was built on a small strip of land located north of Goodale Street across from White Castle’s HQ building. The location is strange because the land is bordered by the Olentangy River on the west and a highway exit ramp to the north and east sides. In fact, the site sits on a section of land between 315, 670 and major ramps for both to the north. The land is not directly connected to any major neighborhood. Despite the strange location, the modern building was, at last count, 96% leased.

Photos of the project:
http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-to-wrap-soon-on-600-goodale-bw1

So those were the top 6 largest projects from 2013. More than 2,200 total units were completed in the urban areas of Columbus.

But what’s coming for 2014? Here are the top 5.

1. Jeffrey Park Phase 1
Address: E. 1st Avenue and N. 4th Street, Italian Village
# of New Units: 334
Project Cost: $180 Million+ For all phases.
Project Height: 4 Stories
The Jeffrey Manufacturing site has long been planned for redevelopment. It is, by far, the largest undeveloped site in Italian Village or anywhere in the Short North. Previous plans from the early-mid 2000s fell through, but were revived by a new developer in recent years. The first phase calls for the completion of a mix of townhomes and apartments in a mix of styles. A community center is also planned with a gym and pool. Although this project was supposed to start in the fall of 2013, calls are now for it to begin before winter is over. This may delay the finish for this project into 2015, but for now, it’s still the biggest project for 2014. The entire Jeffrey site will eventually have more than 1,300 new units.

Photos and project information:
http://www.columbusunderground.com/jeffrey-park-will-add-over-1300-new-residences-to-italian-village

2. Taylor House
Address: 5005 Olentangy River Road
# of New Units: 329
Project Cost: Unknown
Project Height: 4 Stories
This project along Bethel Road will go into the site of a former K-Mart. Construction began over the fall and should wrap up toward the end of the year.

Renderings and more information:
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/09/24/former-kmart-site-at-olentangy-and.html

3. View on 5th
Address: 965 West 5th Avenue
# of New Units: 285
Project Cost: $50 Million
Project Height: 6 Stories
The View on 5th, in 5thxNW, is a 2-building complex along 5th and Holly Avenues. The 6-story building along 5th will contain 153 apartments with ground-floor retail, while the Holly Avenue building would be 3-stories and contain 132 units. The project is scheduled for completion this coming summer.

Link with info and renderings:
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2013/06/28/top-end-housing-for-w-5th.html

4. Berkeley House
Address: Bethel Road and Riverside Drive
# of New Units: 256
Project Cost: Unknown
Project Height: 4-5 Stories
Berkeley House is being built by the same company as Taylor House, only on opposite ends of Bethel Road. This will be a mixed-use complex featuring apartments and offices. There was some controversy surrounding this project as it sought to demolish a small stone house from around 1808. Unfortunately, no one seemed to realize the historical significance or age of the structure until the project was set to begin construction. The lack of time made it impossible to raise the money to move the house, so it was demolished. The Upper Arlington Historical Society saved the stone from the house and plans to build some type of marker with it.

Unfortunately, I have not seen any renderings for this project yet, but it has begun construction.

5. Neighborhood Launch
Address: East Long Street, Downtown
# of New Units: 130
Project Cost: Unknown
Project Height: 5 Stories
Neighborhood Launch is an ongoing project Downtown. About 200 units have already been completed along and near the Gay Street Corridor. The project is continuing with the first of 2 buildings, each containing 130 units, along Long Street. The first of these 2 should be complete later this year, with the 2nd beginning construction over the summer.

Renderings can be found here:
http://www.columbusunderground.com/neighborhood-launch-to-build-260-new-downtown-apartment-units

So there you have it. 2013′s and 2014′s largest projects. These, of course, represent just a small sample of what’s being built.



The Blizzard of 1996

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The first two weeks of January 1996 proved to be a very wintry period, culminating in the severe Blizzard of 1996. Although this storm was made famous for its effects on the Eastern Seaboard, it also had a significant impact on areas to the west of the Appalachians, and was one of the worst winter storms the state had seen in nearly 20 years.

This storm developed in the Gulf of Mexico on January 6th and moved up along the East Coast through the 7th. Forecasts for Ohio were not especially indicative of an impending major storm. A weak low pressure moving through the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys was supposed to die out as the main storm on the Coast took over. Therefore, Ohio was not forecast to be hit especially hard from this storm, as the Area Forecast Discussion goes into on the after of January 5th.
FORECAST COORDINATION MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
243 PM EST FRI JAN 5 1996
AGAIN HVG TRBL GETTING GRIDDED DATA. CLDY SKIES WILL KEEP TEMPS FROM PLUMMETING AGAIN OVRNITE. SCT SW– AFT 00Z AS S/W APPCHS FROM
WEST…SEEMS TO BE RIGHT OUT AHD OF NOSE OF S/W. THEN FOR SAT…
SFC TROF SETS UP ON WEST SIDE OF APALACHIANS…WAITING FOR STRONG VORT TO SWING AROUND BASE OF 500 TROF. AFT COORD W/ CLE WILL FOLLOW ETA…WHICH BRINGS MOIST AND RAIN BIT FARTHER NORTH. SFC LO FAR SOUTH…WITH 500 /700 LO TRACKING CLOSE TO OUR REGION. RH FIELD SHWS NRN EDGE OF 90% MVNG OVR NRN KY/SRN OH ON DURING THE DAY SAT. MOIST HOLDS THRU SUN W/ 700/850 LO/S TRACKING SOUTH OF THE REGION. ETA QPF SHWG ABT .10 TO .25 INCH ACROSS SRN PART OF REGION…AFT COORD W/ CLE/IND/SDF ALL THINKING ABT SAME. NRN KY 4-5″ TOTAL THRU SUN…SRN OH 2-4″ AND 2-3″ SE INDIANA. FROM DAY TO CMH NORTH AROUND AN INCH OR LESS. IND HAS SNOW ENDING LATE SAT NITE…W/ ENZDING SPREADING EAST ON SUNDAY.

As the highlighted section shows, the Wilmington office was thinking 1″ or less for the I-70 corridor and points north, including Columbus, with only 2″-4″ in far Southern Ohio.
The first weather advisories for the storm went up at 5:20AM on Saturday, January 6th. For Ohio, this only included a Winter Storm Watch for far Southeast and far South-Central parts of the state, where 4″-6″ were predicted. No advisories were issued for the Columbus area until 4:10PM on the 6th.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
410 PM EST SAT JAN 6 1996
…WINTER STORM WARNING FOR TONIGHT AND SUNDAY FOR SOUTHERN OHIO AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY…
…SNOW ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST INDIANA FOR
TONIGHT AND FOR THE DAYTON AND COLUMBUS AREAS FOR TONIGHT AND
SUNDAY…
TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS BY SUNDAY MORNING WILL BE IN THE 8 TO 12 INCH RANGE OVER NORTHEAST KENTUCKY…4 TO 8 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE PORTSMOUTH AREA AND ALONG THE OHIO RIVER TO COVINGTON AND DRY RIDGE.
VERSAILLES…CINCINNATI…HILLSBORO AND CHILLICOTHE SHOULD SEE 3 TO 5
INCHES TOTAL ACCUMULATION. ACROSS RICHMOND…DAYTON…LONDON AND
COLUMBUS 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED.
AN INTENSE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE
APPALACHIANS TODAY. PLENTY OF MOISTURE WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW AND WILL RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OVER SOUTHERN OHIO…SOUTHEAST INDIANA AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY.
SNOW WILL FALL THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. EXPECT ROAD CONDITIONS TO
DETERIORATE THIS EVENING. DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN HAZARDOUS OVERNIGHT WHEN HEAVIER SNOW BEGINS. VISIBILITIES WILL BE REDUCED TO NEAR ZERO BECAUSE OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

The Snow Advisory was only for 1″-3″ for Columbus even as the storm approached from the south. Later forecast updates at 5:55PM and 9:35PM on the 6th, and 12:35AM on the 7th still called for 1″-3″ for Columbus. Snowfall would begin in Columbus around 8PM on the 6th.

I have very vivid memories of seeing the afternoon and evening news on the 6th and being disappointed that the forecasts called for the storm to pass us well to the south and east. However, by the morning of the 7th, it was clear that the forecast had gone very wrong. Heavy snow and strong winds affected mainly the southern 2/3rds of the state, and the I-70 corridor was already reporting 3″-5″ by 6AM. By 11AM, Columbus had 4″-7″. Curiously, Wilmington wouldn’t add the I-70 corridor to a Winter Storm Warning until that time, after more than half of the snow had already fallen.

Blizzard conditions, however, raged across central, west-central and northwestern sections of the state, where winds gusted over 55mph in places. Blowing and drifting snowfall piled drifts several feet deep, and travel across the state was made impassible, particularly on country roads. For many, this was one of the greatest January snowstorms ever, and in some cases, the worst storm since the Great Blizzard of 1978. 8-10″ was common in the southern 2/3rds of the state, but there was as much as 15″ in parts of the Ohio River communities, as well as areas in west-central Ohio.

Some snowfall totals around Ohio:
Cincinnati: 14.4″
Circleville: 9.0″
Columbus: 9.8″
Dayton: 8.0″
Delaware: 7.0″
Mansfield: 8.0″
Westerville: 8.0″
Zanesville: 7.9″

So why had the forecast gone so wrong? The weak low pressure that was supposed to die off as the larger system wound up along the East Coast did not die out as expected. Instead, it moved into the lower Ohio Valley and essentially stalled as it slowly spun itself down. This low helped suck moisture over the mountains and into Ohio. Temperatures were cold enough for this moisture to fall as all snow, and a tight gradient brought with it strong winds. The result was a paralyzing winter storm and one of the all-time forecast busts.



October and November 2013 Jobs Data

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November 2013 jobs data

October and November 2013 jobs data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data includes up-to-date employment and unemployment figures.

October 2013

Columbus City
Unemployment Rate: 6.2%
Unemployment Rate Change since October 2012: +0.6%
Unemployment Rate Change since January 2013: -0.6%
Civilian Labor Force: 430,800
Civilian Labor Force Change since October 2012: +1,300
Civilian Labor Force Change since January 2013: +4,400
Employment: 404,000
Employment Change since October 2012: -1,600
Employment Change since January 2013: +6,700
Unemployment: 26,800
Unemployment Change since October 2012: +2,900
Unemployment Change since January 2013: -2,300

Franklin County
Unemployment Rate: 6.2%
Unemployment Rate Change since October 2012: +0.6%
Unemployment Rate Change since January 2013: -0.6%
Civilian Labor Force: 630,000
Civilian Labor Force Change since October 2012: +1,700
Civilian Labor Force Change since January 2013: +6,300
Employment: 590,900
Employment Change since October 2012: -2,400
Employment Change since January 2013: +9,900
Unemployment: 39,200
Unemployment Change since October 2012: +4,200
Unemployment Change since January 2013: -3,400

Columbus Metro Area
Unemployment Rate: 6.1%
Unemployment Rate Change since October 2012: +0.6%
Unemployment Rate Change since January 2013: -0.9%
Civilian Labor Force: 975,506
Civilian Labor Force Change since October 2012: +2,253
Civilian Labor Force Change since January 2013: +7,601
Employment: 915,686
Employment Change since October 2012: -3,699
Employment Change since January 2013: +15,230
Unemployment: 59,820
Unemployment Change since October 2012: +5,952
Unemployment Change since January 2013: -7,629

Ohio Overall
Unemployment Rate: 7.5%
Unemployment Rate Change since October 2012: +0.6%
Unemployment Rate Change since January 2013 : +0.5%
Civilian Labor Force: 5,727,346
Civilian Labor Force Change since October 2012: -2,337
Civilian Labor Force Change since January 2013: -12,946
Employment: 5,300,458
Employment Change since October 2012: -33,230
Employment Change since January 2013: -40,394
Unemployment: 426,888
Unemployment Change since October 2012: +30,893
Unemployment Change since January 2013: +27,448

Metro Non-Farm Jobs
Total: 969,600
Change from October 2012: +9,600
Change from January 2013: +26,000

By Industry
Mining/Logging/Construction Total: 31,800
Change from October 2012: +1,200
Change from January 2013: +4,900

Manufacturing Total: 66,200
Change from October 2012: +700
Change from January 2013: +1,200

Trade/Transportation/Utilities Total: 184,500
Change from October 2012: +1,800
Change from January 2013: +1,300

Information Total: 16,100
Change from October 2012: -300
Change from January 2013: -400

Financial Activities Total: 72,400
Change from October 2012: +1,000
Change from January 2013: +700

Professional and Business Services Total: 161,800
Change from October 2012: +700
Change from January 2013: +6,200

Education and Health Services Total: 141,500
Change from October 2012: +3,500
Change from January 2013: +2,000

Leisure and Hospitality Total: 98,300
Change from October 2012: +3,400
Change from January 2013: +9,800

Other Services Total: 35,800
Change from October 2012: -1,500
Change from January 2013: -400

Government Total: 161,200
Change from October 2012: -900
Change from January 2013: +700

November 2013

Columbus City
Unemployment Rate: 6.1%
Unemployment Rate Change since November 2012: +0.7%
Unemployment Rate Change since January 2013: -0.7%
Civilian Labor Force: 433,700
Civilian Labor Force Change since November 2012: +4,500
Civilian Labor Force Change since January 2013: +7,300
Employment: 407,100
Employment Change since November 2012: +1,000
Employment Change since January 2013: +9,800
Unemployment: 26,600
Unemployment Change since November 2012: +3,500
Unemployment Change since January 2013: -2,500

Franklin County
Unemployment Rate: 6.1%
Unemployment Rate Change since November 2012: +0.7%
Unemployment Rate Change since January 2013: -0.7%
Civilian Labor Force: 634,400
Civilian Labor Force Change since November 2012: +6,800
Civilian Labor Force Change since January 2013: +10,700
Employment: 595,400
Employment Change since November 2012: +1,400
Employment Change since January 2013: +14,400
Unemployment: 39,000
Unemployment Change since November 2012: +5,400
Unemployment Change since January 2013: -3,600

Columbus Metro Area
Unemployment Rate: 6.1%
Unemployment Rate Change since November 2012: +0.8%
Unemployment Rate Change since January 2013: -0.9%
Civilian Labor Force: 981,927
Civilian Labor Force Change since November 2012: +9,454
Civilian Labor Force Change since January 2013: +14,022
Employment: 921,937
Employment Change since November 2012: +1,470
Employment Change since January 2013: +21,481
Unemployment: 59,990
Unemployment Change since November 2012: +7,984
Unemployment Change since January 2013: -7,459

Ohio Overall
Unemployment Rate: 7.4%
Unemployment Rate Change since November 2012: +0.6%
Unemployment Rate Change since January 2013 : +0.4%
Civilian Labor Force: 5,734,909
Civilian Labor Force Change since November 2012: +6,424
Civilian Labor Force Change since January 2013: -5,383
Employment: 5,307,912
Employment Change since November 2012: -30,979
Employment Change since January 2013: -32,940
Unemployment: 426,997
Unemployment Change since November 2012: +37,403
Unemployment Change since January 2013: +27,557

Metro Non-Farm Jobs
Total: 975,000
Change from November 2012: +9,000
Change from January 2013: +31,400

By Industry
Mining/Logging/Construction Total: 32,300
Change from November 2012: +1,900
Change from January 2013: +5,400

Manufacturing Total: 66,000
Change from November 2012: +300
Change from January 2013: +1,000

Trade/Transportation/Utilities Total: 189,200
Change from November 2012: -700
Change from January 2013: +6,000

Information Total: 16,200
Change from November 2012: -300
Change from January 2013: -300

Financial Activities Total: 72,100
Change from November 2012: -500
Change from January 2013: +400

Professional and Business Services Total: 161,800
Change from October 2012: +700
Change from January 2013: +6,200

Education and Health Services Total: 143,700
Change from November 2012: +4,700
Change from January 2013: +4,200

Leisure and Hospitality Total: 95,600
Change from November 2012: +2,700
Change from January 2013: +7,100

Other Services Total: 35,800
Change from November 2012: -800
Change from January 2013: -400

Government Total: 162,600
Change from November 2012: -900
Change from January 2013: +2,100



Housing Market Update November 2013

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housing market update November 2013 Columbus, Ohio

November home sales were down in Central Ohio for the 2nd straight month according to the Housing Market Update November 2013 data from Columbus Realtors. One main reason seems to be the culprit: There just aren’t enough houses to go around. Hot urban markets simply have a limited stock of homes with very few going up for sale at any one time, and builders still have not been building very much since the recession. Combined, the total number of homes for sale has declined to levels not seen since the early 2000s. This explains why most markets are still seeing gains in home prices while overall sales have fallen from the year before.

The bottom line is that demand is outpacing supply, and that situation doesn’t look to change anytime soon, especially in the urban core.

Here are the stats for the 21 major areas of Franklin County that I look at housing stats for.

Top 10 November 2013 Sales Totals
1. Columbus: 701
2. Dublin: 52
3. Clintonville: 49
4. Gahanna: 38
5. Upper Arlington: 38
6. Hilliard: 36
7. Reynoldsburg: 36
8. Grove City: 35
9. Westerville: 31
10. Canal Winchester: 20

Top 10 November 2013 Sales Increases over November 2012
1. Downtown: +50.0%
2. Grandview Heights: +14.3%
3. Clintonville: +6.5%
4. Hilliard: +5.9%
5. Minerva Park: +0.0%
6. New Albany: +0.0%
7. Obetz: +0.0%
8. Gahanna: -2.6%
9. Reynoldsburg: -5.3%
10. Grove City: -5.4%

Top 10 Year-to-Date Sales Through November 2013
1. Columbus: 9,561
2. Dublin: 747
3. Upper Arlington: 678
4. Clintonville: 656
5. Westerville: 580
6. Grove City: 568
7. Hilliard: 533
8. Gahanna: 494
9. Reynoldsburg: 466
10. Pickerington: 291

Top 10 Year-to-Date Increases Through November 2013 Over 2012
1. Minerva Park: +46.2%
2. Pataskala: +31.3%
3. Gahanna: +30.3%
4. Reynoldsburg: +28.0%
5. Whitehall: +27.3%
6. Hilliard: +27.2%
7. Clintonville: +24.2%
8. Grove City: +23.7%
9. Westerville: +23.4%
10. Bexley: +22.5%
10. Downtown: +22.5%

Average Sales November 2013
Urban: 79
Suburban: 28.7
Urban without Columbus: 16.8

Average % Change November 2013 vs. November 2012
Urban: -7.1%
Suburban: -11.6%
Urban without Columbus: -6.5%

Average YTD Sales Through November 2013
Urban: 1,097.7
Suburban: 435.9
Urban without Columbus: 251.4

Average YTD % Change YTD Through November 2013
Urban: +14.9%
Suburban: +19.9%
Urban without Columbus: +14.4%

Top 10 Average Sales Price November 2013
1. New Albany: $614,687
2. Bexley: $456,365
3. Dublin: $344,341
4. Upper Arlington: $326,913
5. Downtown: $302,464
6. Worthington: $296,328
7. German Village: $271,656
8. Grandview Heights: $257,001
9. Pataskala: $196,158
10. Hilliard: $193,756

Top 10 Average Sales Price % Change November 2013 Over November 2012
1. Worthington: +59.6%
2. Pataskala: +38.0%
3. Downtown: +36.7%
4. Bexley: +32.5%
5. Obetz: +30.8%
6. New Albany: +28.6%
7. Dublin: +21.6%
8. Whitehall: +10.1%
9. Minerva Park: +10.0%
10. Pickerington: +10.0%

Top 10 Average Sales Prices YTD Through November 2013
1. New Albany: $541,931
2. Upper Arlington: $364,369
3. Bexley: $351,282
4. Dublin: $335,164
5. German Village: $297,832
6. Downtown: $286,470
7. Worthington: $249,979
8. Grandview Heights: $226,458
9. Hilliard: $215,966
10. Gahanna: $198,612

Top 10 Average YTD Sales Price % Change Through November 2013 vs. 2012
1. Whitehall: +17.2%
2. Minerva Park: +17.1%
3. Downtown: +15.5%
4. Upper Arlington: +13.0%
5. Obetz: +12.3%
6. Gahanna: +11.6%
7. Reynoldsburg: +8.5%
8. New Albany: +8.3%
9. Worthington: +8.1%
10. Bexley: +4.9%

Average Sales Price November 2013
Urban: $227,811
Suburban: $229,942
Urban without Columbus: $238,166

Average Sales Price Change November 2012 vs. November 2012
Urban: +12.5%
Suburban: +6.0%
Urban without Columbus: +13.7%

Average Sales Price YTD
Urban: $217,072
Suburban: $223,394
Urban without Columbus: $226,041

Average Sales Price % Change YTD
Urban: +6.3%
Suburban: +4.9%
Urban without Columbus: +6.6%

Top 10 Fastest Selling Markets November 2013 (Based on Average # of Days for Listings to Sell)
1. Grandview Heights: 15
2. Westerville: 38
3. Clintonville: 40
4. Upper Arlington: 44
5. Hilliard: 47
6. Bexley: 49
7. Worthington: 57
8. Whitehall: 61
9. Dublin: 62
10. Minerva Park: 65
10. Obetz: 65

Top 10 Fastest Selling Markets YTD
1. Worthington: 40
2. Grandview Heights: 44
3. Upper Arlington: 45
4. Clintonville: 50
5. Westerville: 52
6. Hilliard: 54
7. Bexley: 58
8. Gahanna: 59
9. Dublin: 62
10. Grove City: 64

Average # of Days Before Sale, November 2013
Urban: 57.4
Suburban: 89.4
Urban without Columbus: 56.3

Average # of Days Before Sale YTD
Urban: 60.6
Suburban: 62.7
Urban without Columbus: 60.2

Top 10 Lowest Market Housing Supplies (Based on # of Months to Sell all Listings)
1. Worthington: 1.6
2. Upper Arlington: 2.1
3. Hilliard: 2.2
4. Minerva Park: 2.2
5. Bexley: 2.3
6. Clintonville: 2.4
7. Westerville: 2.4
8. Gahanna: 2.6
9. German Village: 2.6
10. Grandview Heights: 2.6

A healthy housing supply is considered to be around 5 months. Anything less than 3 months is considered very low. All of the 21 areas I looked at were below 5 months, indicating a county-wide shortage.

Average # of Months to Sell All Listings, November 2013
Urban: 2.8
Suburban: 3.6
Urban without Columbus: 2.7

Average % Change of Single-Family Home Sales November 2013 vs. November 2012
Urban: -1.7%
Suburban: -12.6%
Urban without Columbus: -0.5%

Average % Change of Single-Family Home Sales YTD vs. YTD 2012
Urban: +9.3%
Suburban: +19.4%
Urban without Columbus: +8.2%

Average % Change of Condo Sales November 2013 vs. November 2012
Urban: +23.3%
Suburban: +52.8%
Urban without Columbus: +26.6%

Average % Change of Condo Sales YTD vs. YTD 2012
Urban: +27.6%
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The 1901 Mega Cold Front

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1901 mega cold front

The 1901 mega cold front was a massive wake-up call after a relatively tranquil, if not cool, fall. Temperatures through November and early December 1901 had been persistently below normal. 24 days in November had been below normal, and but for a few days very early in December, this pattern continued. However, beginning on December 11th, temperatures began to rise ahead of an approaching weather system. By the 13th, temperatures reached record highs in Columbus when they spiked at 65 degrees. The following day started equally warm with a record high of 65. However, a change was coming.

To the northwest of Ohio, temperatures were plunging rapidly as a deep, cold high pressure system was being pulled south. Dispatch headlines warned of the record-breaking cold.

A powerful cold front would move through late on the 14th, and temperatures began to plummet. By midnight, the temperature had dropped all the way down to just 14 degrees, a single day drop of 51 degrees! A driving rain accompanied the frontal passage, but quickly changed over to heavy snow that accumulated 3″-5″ across the area.

On the 15th, the temperature continued to fall, albeit more slowly, and by midnight the reading was -4. This mega-cold front had produced a 69-degree total drop in Columbus, which made it one of the strongest cold fronts ever to move through the Ohio region.

The weather map on December 14, 1901, as the front began pushing through Ohio.

The front would bring a major pattern change. Every day from the 15th-21st featured highs in the teens, which set many daily low maximum records, some of which still stand more than 100 years later.

The winter of 1901-02 was generally cold and snowy in the Ohio Valley, but no future front that winter would come close to December 14-15th of 1901.

To view more local and current weather, visit: Wilmington National Weather Service
And for more historic December records, check out: December Weather Records