Millennials are the future, they’re concerned about the future and they’re bringing all of us into the future. This generation wants to live where they do their “living.” They want green space, bike paths, access to transit or shared transportation and an active neighborhood. In short, they want to live in downtown Columbus. Not the downtown of years ago, where the streets rolled up at 5 p.m. and you’d be hard-pressed to find a coffee shop open on the weekend. But the downtown of today, where green space is king, rooftops have followed, retail is popping up and there’s so much to do that sometimes it’s hard to decide what to choose. In 2002, the Columbus Downtown Development Corp. (CDDC) was formed and tasked with reshaping and revitalizing downtown Columbus into an urban hub. But would it work? Fifteen years later, we have the answer: the Millennials are coming, and they’re bringing everyone else with them. CDDC was created to lead game-changing city projects. Our ultimate goal is to give people and companies reasons to live, work and play downtown. We took an empty mall and turned it into an activated, mixed-use hub in the center of the city. We …
Ohio
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Grandbridge Real Estate Capital has arranged a $10.1 million loan for the refinancing of a student housing property in Columbus. The property consists of 45 units and 127 beds. The 15-year, fixed-rate loan includes a 30-year amortization schedule. An insurance company provided the capital.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — The Columbus Downtown Development Corp. is seeking a national developer for a 21-acre mixed-use project at the Scioto Peninsula along the city’s waterfront. A request for qualifications (RFQ) was released on Friday. The Scioto Peninsula mixed-use development will include residential, commercial, office, retail and cultural amenities. The goal is to transform downtown Columbus and its waterfront areas into an active live, work and play environment for residents and visitors. The project will encompass 3.1 million square feet, including 1,575 to 1,800 apartments, up to 840,000 square feet of office space, 180,000 square feet of retail space and up to 240 hotel rooms. The Scioto Peninsula, located near the Scioto River, will be anchored by the National Veterans Memorial & Museum, which is slated to open in 2018, as well as the COSI science museum. The development site is adjacent to the Scioto Mile, Columbus’ system of waterfront parks, with easy access to recreational trails connecting to The Ohio State University, Victorian Village and other Columbus neighborhoods. RFQ submittals are due on March 27. A developer is expected to be chosen in July, and the project is expected to break ground in the first half of 2018.
CINCINNATI — Einstein Bros. Bagels has signed an 1,850-square-foot at the Gwynne Building for its third location in Cincinnati. The Colorado-based bagel shop has 735 locations throughout the United States. The new location will be situated along the Cincinnati Streetcar route in the former Richter & Phillips space at 202 East 6th St. The store is expected to open at the end of this month. In addition to in-store breakfast and lunch options, Einstein Bros. will also offer catering throughout downtown. Jason Gibson of Anchor Associates represented Einstein Bros. Bagels and CBRE’s Tori Sunderman represented the landlord in the lease transaction.
CINCINNATI — Pillar has originated an $11.3 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of The Gramercy on Garfield. Built in 1992, the Class A multifamily property is located in downtown Cincinnati. The property consists of 148 studio, one- and two-bedroom units, as well as amenities such as a swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, clubroom and a parking garage. The Gramercy on Garfield also includes 16,000 square feet of street-level retail space. The 10-year, fixed-rate loan features a 30-year amortization schedule. Joe Markech of Pillar originated the loan. The borrower was a developer and manager of multifamily properties in Southwest Ohio. Chip Kupferberg of BlueMark Capital was the mortgage banker.
CINCINNATI — NorthMarq Capital has negotiated a $7.5 million loan for the refinancing of Montgomery Gateway in Cincinnati. The 39,560-square-foot property consists of retail and office space, and is located at 9366-9386 Montgomery Road. The 10-year loan features a 30-year amortization schedule. Noah D. Juran and Susan Branscome of NorthMarq arranged the financing through a CMBS lender.
COLUMBIA-TUSCULUM, OHIO — Fit Food Stop has signed a 2,400-square-foot lease at 3528 Columbia Parkway in Columbia-Tusculum, a neighborhood east of downtown Cincinnati. The company produces pre-cooked, individually portioned food that is organic and gluten-free. This is the second location for the company, which opened its first store in Oakley last year. The store in Columbia-Tusculum is set to open this spring. Tori Sunderman of CBRE represented the landlord in the transaction.
CLEVELAND — Home2 Suites by Hilton Cleveland Beachwood has opened in Cleveland. The hotel features 91 suites with fully equipped kitchens. Amenities include a laundry and fitness area, indoor and outdoor pools and a grill area. The hotel is located at 3589 Park East Drive. Beachwood Hotels LLC is the owner and Atlantic Hospitality and Management is the manager.
SYLVANIA, OHIO — Eidi Properties is redeveloping a 2.3-acre property into a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Sylvania, along the Michigan border. The property, located at 6636 W. Central Ave., will be Chick-fil-A’s fourth freestanding location in the Toledo market and the first location in the Sylvania market. Demolition of the retail building currently at the site is slated for mid-March, and the restaurant is set to open in the summer of 2017.
HEBRON, KY. — Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) plans to build a centralized air hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG) in Hebron to support its fleet of Prime Air cargo planes. The Seattle-based company expects to create more than 2,000 new jobs at the new $1.5 billion facility. “As we considered places for the long-term home for our air hub operations, Hebron quickly rose to the top of the list with a large, skilled workforce, centralized location with great connectivity to our nearby fulfillment locations and an excellent quality of living for employees,” says Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations. Last year, Amazon entered into agreements with Atlas Air Worldwide and Air Transport Services Inc. to lease 40 cargo airplanes to support members of its Prime program, which offers its members free two-day shipping. Sixteen of those cargo planes are currently in service, and the e-commerce giant plans to roll out more planes over time. Amazon’s Prime Air hub at CVG will support Amazon’s fleet of Prime Air cargo planes by loading, unloading and sorting packages. “We’ve worked hard to ensure CVG is a great place to do business, and we couldn’t be more pleased that Amazon recognized …