Franklinton has seemingly been rolling in new and future development in recent years, so I thought it was time to do a bit of a review as to what’s been built so far, as well as development that is yet to come.
Franklinton Development Timeline
March 15, 2004: Dedication of the new Franklinton Floodway occurs. Prior to its completion, the neighborhood had seen period and occasionally massive flooding since its founding in 1797. The worst floods, in 1913 and 1959, prompted the federal government to ban most types of new construction and made even renovations prohibitively expensive. This led to decades of stagnation and decline. 3/15/2004 can be called the beginning point for Franklinton’s revival.
December 19, 2005: Mount Carmel West Hospital announces that it will spend up to $80 million on landscaping, a new residence hall and inpatient tower, the first significant development announcement after the floodwall’s completion.
January 9, 2006: After virtually no development occurs in the neighborhood in the first 2 years post-floodwall construction, an article in Business First suggests that it may take another 15 years before the area sees any major projects or revitalization.
February 22, 2006: The first development proposal appears for the B & T Metals site at 425 West Town Street, which includes up to 134 condos.
August 8, 2006: Mount Carmel announces it will spend $3.3 million to build build 2 3-story residential buildings for students of its nursing college across Town Street from the college.
January 26, 2007: The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority announces it will build a 4-story, 100-unit senior housing complex called Worley Terrace at 99 Central Avenue.
January 28, 2007: The Columbus Dispatch reports that Franklinton has had fewer building permits issued each year since the completion of the floodwall than in the years prior, baffling many who thought the neighborhood would see increased activity.
April 16, 2007: The B & T Metals site proposal is updated to include 130 residential units, a small theater, art gallery space and retail space. The $23 million project is proposed to break ground later in 2007.
May 3, 2007: The now defunct The Other Paper writes and article questioning whether Franklinton may be “the next Short North” due to its cheap housing and beginning migration of artists into the neighborhood.
March 28, 2008: The B & T Metals site proposal still hasn’t begun, and The Dispatch writes an article questioning its progress. Its Los Angeles developer insists it’s still going to happen.
January 28, 2009: The B & T Metals project still hasn’t started, but it is announced that it may receive $750,000 to help clean up the site in preparation for construction.
May 8, 2009: It is announced that the 129-unit public housing complex, the Sunshine Annex, will be demolished later in the year.
May 15, 2009: The B & T Metals project wins the $750,000 cleanup grant, and the developer promises a mid-2010 construction start.
August 7, 2009: Another senior-housing project is announced for 768 W. Rich Street. The proposal is for a $9 million, 4-story, 54 unit apartment building.
Late 2010-Early 2011: The 400 West Rich project begins by renovating space in an existing warehouse for the artists, sculptors and others.
February 25, 2011: The Dispatch reports that the A.D. Farrow warehouse site at 435 W. Town will be purchased by the Franklinton Development Association to renovate into a 42-unit condo building with the help of $900,000 from the city.
Also updated are the B & T Metals site, which still hasn’t begun, and the continuing demolition of Sunshine Terrace and Riverside Bradley public housing complexes for later redevelopment.
May 16, 2011: The B & T Metals factory building, which had already partially collapsed, is demolished. The plans for the site remain.
July 25, 2011: It is reported that Development Committee Chair Zachary Klein is sponsoring an ordinance to authorize spending $250,000 to fund the creation of the East Franklinton Creative Community District Plan. The plan is meant to guide development in East Franklinton, the area bounded by 315 and the Scioto River.
January 24, 2012: Bonds are issued to build the $7.9 million, 3-story, 100-unit Franklin Station Columbus Metropolitan Housing Association Project at 524 W. Broad Street.
April 3, 2012: Planning for the redevelopment of the Scioto Peninsula is announced to begin as plans for the Scioto Greenways riverfront project are also announced to be moving forward.
April 20, 2012: Orange Barrel Media it plans to build its new $6 million HQ at 250 N. Hartford Avenue. The project includes renovating and adapting a former concrete factory.
June 2012: Dodge Park’s renovation is largely completed, including its new pool.
July 16, 2012: The East Franklinton Plan is completed. Although just a development guide, it calls for up to 4,300 condos and apartments, 400 single-family homes and 350,000 square feet of retail, office and artist space. The plan also proposes there be no parking requirements for new projects.
Rendering from the East Franklinton Plan.
August 22, 2012: The B & T Metals site project again rises, with the developer now proposing a 4-story, 42-unit apartment building called The Franklinton Art Lofts. However, the developer states that construction won’t begin for another 1-2 years.
Rendering for Franklinton Art Lofts.
