Topic: Columbus: Jeffrey Park (Italian Village/Short North)

[noozer]

‘Extreme challenge’ evolves into first of Jeffrey Place town homes
Monday, December 05, 2005
Mike Pramik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
  
Standing inside one of the partially completed town houses at Jeffrey Place, developer Joe Recchie finally is comfortable. "We’re really just executing our master plan," Recchie says matter-of-factly as he steps out of the chilly December air. "This project involves zoning, engineering, underground utilities and now our vertical construction."

Yet events leading up to the first structures rising at the former Jeffrey Mining and Manufacturing site north of Downtown have been anything but routine. Recchie acquired the bulk of the 41.5 acres at Jeffrey Place more than five years ago.  At the time, Recchie called it an "extreme challenge," but he predicted construction would begin in spring 2001. He was right only about the challenge.  Beset by funding problems, the project had several false starts and stagnated until last year, when Recchie took on Gerald Jacobs as a partner.

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/12/05/20051205-F6-00.html

[noozer]

One nice thing about the location of this project: it is right next to the proposed corridors for both the Ohio Hub and COTA light rail (if that ever happens).  The developer has set aside land for both future bus and light rail service.

[spenguin10]

It'll be great to see what this all looks like when it's finished!  Hopefully more development will be encouraged by the success of this project.

As far as the Ohio Hub plan goes, where are they proposing for the trains to stop in Columbus?

[buildingcincinnati]

Merged with existing thread.

[buildingcincinnati]

Apparently they're having an open house for the townhomes tomorrow (Sat., Jan 28) from 12-5.  It might be a good opportunity to go get some pics!

http://nationalcommunitybuilders.typepad.com/jeffrey_place/2006/01/courtyard_townh.html

[noozer]

Jeffrey Place Gets Final Plat Approval

March 03, 2006
Final Plat Approval
Jeffrey Place passed a major milestone on Monday February 27, 2006 with the passage of the final plat approval by a unanimous vote of the Columbus City Council. This legislation is the culmination of many months of work of financing, re-zoning, remediation, and site planning. The developers needed to obtain 17 city departments review and sign off on all the intricacies of the largest urban subdivision plat in over 50 years. 

The final plat approval paves the way for the Jeffrey Lofts and the rest of the Courtyard Townhomes to begin construction and for the North Block and single-family homes to get closer to beginning the reservation and contract phase. Corna Kokosing Construction will also be able to finish internal infrastructure work and begin street construction.

Watch the site, as things will be humming this spring!
 
http://nationalcommunitybuilders.typepad.com/jeffrey_place/2006/03/final_plat_appr.html

[posty-mcpost]

Posty -
Do you ever get tired of the bread smell over there?  I know that fresh baked bread is generally thought of as pleasent. I'm just wondering if the constant smell would drive someone to the Atkins diet.

Depends which way the wind is blowing. I really don't smell them as much up on 1st as I did down on Hamlet & Warren. I love doughnuts but havent had one in all the time I've lived down there. If they opened an outlet there might be trouble though. I've been deliquent in posting pictures but I'll get some soon. They finished the first row a long time ago but the interiors don't seem to be quite done. No further constuction has started.

[buildingcincinnati]

Might be worth checking out:

OPEN HOUSE

HOP ON OVER TO JEFFREY PLACE SATURDAY JUNE 17TH AND SUNDAY JUNE 18TH FROM 1-6 PM FOR AN OPEN HOUSE AND TOUR OF OUR COURTYARD TOWNHOMES.

CHECK OUT DOWNTOWN VIEWS FROM THE ROOFTOP TERRACE WHILE NEVER LEAVING THE QUAINT NEIGHBORHOOD OF ITALIAN VILLAGE. GRAB A REFRESHMENT IN OUR SALES CENTER LOCATED AT 350 EAST FIRST AVE. AND SEE THE PROGRESS WE ARE MAKING IN THIS UNIQUE URBAN COMMUNITY.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 614-297-7448

http://nationalcommunitybuilders.typepad.com/jeffrey_place/2006/06/open_house.html

[JohnOSU99]

I went to the Jeffrey Place open house during last year's City Hop and it was a lot of fun.  (Can't beat free beer!)

[buildingcincinnati]

According to the builder, the first loft building is supposed to break ground in July.

[Keith M.]

A rendering of Kramer Place on 4th across from Jeffrey Place from Columbus Retrometro



http://columbusretrometro.typepad.com/

[buildingcincinnati]

From the Jeffrey Place website, 8/14/06:


Jeffrey Place Lofts LLC. breaks ground with new residences in Italian Village

In the Italian Village District of Columbus, just blocks from the Short North entertainment and arts district, a new residential site called Jeffrey Place Lofts is in steady progression since construction started in June.  The Jeffrey Place development marks an innovative approach to life in Columbus because of its unique attitude toward urban living.  A hallmark of this vision is its loft space, designed by Acock Associate Architects and being built by Albert M. Higley Construction.

The project feels contemporary; with features such as skylights and exposed structural bracing that make the lofts’ communal spaces unique.  Acock says that, “Richness in materials and flexibility of use are the keys to the building’s aesthetic.”  Glass walkways through the center of the building ensure the presence of natural light and a distinctive ambiance for residents.  Each unit boasts eighteen-foot glass walls, customized design options, in-building heated parking, and large private roof-top terraces, where residents have the space and opportunity to garden—a luxury uncommon in the usual constraints of urban settings.  Heavy steel construction with glass, metal, and brick exterior bring modernity to the space and a new look to the city of Columbus.

At the project’s conception, its developers had a specific vision that included the aforementioned modern edge and new attitude.  But the spokeswoman for the company, Joe Recchie, says that they also believed, “The unique advantage of a master-planned community is the ability to design the block and building with the best unobstructed views and natural light access.”  With a clear span for construction, buyers can easily customize their own spaces and merge their vision with the larger Jeffrey Place vision. Yet another bonus to a “master-planned community” is area across from the lofts with a park and public plaza, conceptualized and soon-to-be built by the design and construction team of National Community Builders , Acock Architects, and Albert M. Higley Construction.

The lofts are a $12 million project that span over a total of 51, 850 square feet, with an average unit price of $398,900, but starting as low as $298,500.  There will be thirty residential units, as well as three boutique and retail spaces.  The current marketing of the lofts runs out of Jeffrey Place Sales Center at 350 E. First Ave.  The project also has a useful website: www.jeffreyplace.com.  Information on the architect, the construction company, and the neighborhood can be accessed at www.acock.com, www.amhigley.com, and www.shortnorth.org, respectively.

http://nationalcommunitybuilders.typepad.com/jeffrey_place/2006/08/jeffrey_place_l.html

[CMH_Downtown]

Construction of Jeffrey Place Lofts is now in full swing, literally. The construction crane for the building is up, and groundwork is underway. Also, there is another project under construction along N. 4th St. on a parcel of land across from Jeffrey Place. The elevator shaft looks to be completed, and I only just now noticed it after seeing the crane at Jeffrey Place from I-670 on my way home from work. Anyone know the name of the aforementioned project?

[Keith M.]

Funny, I just posted the new website. Coincidence? http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=4196.0

[kingfish out of water]

Construction of Jeffrey Place Lofts is now in full swing, literally. The construction crane for the building is up, and groundwork is underway. Also, there is another project under construction along N. 4th St. on a parcel of land across from Jeffrey Place. The elevator shaft looks to be completed, and I only just now noticed it after seeing the crane at Jeffrey Place from I-670 on my way home from work. Anyone know the name of the aforementioned project?

Kramer Place. Whoops, Columbusite beat me to it.

It'll be good to see Jeffrey Place moving forward. I drive past that lonely little bank of model lofts every day. I was beginning to smell housing bust. Seems it was merely Wonder Bread.

[buildingcincinnati]

^^^ Here's the info from the project website:


Loft Building Grows Skyward

After several months of underground preparation the loft building is stretching to the sky. Passers-by have the opportunity to view the 78 foot tower crane from North Fourth Street, which will be used for the erection of the steel frame and glass structure. This remote control crane is cable of hoisting 55 ton of steel and has a wing span distance of 140 feet. The crane was built in Germany and has only been used in Ohio three times. This is its first project in Columbus.

On Monday, October ninth we received five semi truck loads of fabricated structural steel, including beams, columns and steel decking. The first columns were erected on Tuesday and the building will continue to expand up and out for the next several weeks. The erectors are on track to enclose the building by the first of the year.

Over the past couple of months much preparation was made to place the foundation for this multi-story complex so the steel erection could begin. A basement which incorporates much of the building utilities is complete with underground plumbing and electric. The foundation and pit for the elevator are also within the basement walls. The basement walls are poured concrete and have been waterproofed and insulated on the outside, provided with a foundation drain and backfilled with porous material. Upon completion of all that work the actual 6 inch concrete slab was poured inside the basement creating the lower floor.

In addition to the basement, the strip footings and concrete column pads were placed for the balance of the building foundation. There is block work continuing on the retail level of the foundation and the plumbers are completing underground floor drains in the area that will become the ground level parking deck within the building. The retail level slab on grade will be poured in the next couple of weeks as we move forward.

The Loft Building, designed by Acock Associates of Columbus, consists of thirty luxury residential condominiums on two levels. The lower level will have about five thousand square feet of retail space for three commercial tenants. The building will actually be the height of a five story building as there is an intermediate loft level on each of the two residential levels. This is the first of two such buildings within the Jeffrey Place project site.

In addition to The Loft project, we are current designing the North Block condominium project. This project will be built in the reserve on the corner of North Fourth Street and First Ave. The project consists of 70 entry level condominiums, both two bedroom townhomes and one bedroom lofts.

The next phase of Courtyard Townhomes is going through planning, zoning and permitting requirements and is projected to start before years end. The next phase includes sixteen additional luxury townhomes.

We invite you to come visit our sales center at 350 East First Ave, open from 10:00 to 6:00 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on the weekends you can catch us at the Jeffrey Town Home model. We can escort you through our recently completed Luxury town home model. To receive more information call for an appointment (614.297.7448) or visit our website WWW.JEFFREYPLACE.COM.

Mark W Dodd
Vice President Construction

http://nationalcommunitybuilders.typepad.com/jeffrey_place/2006/10/loft_building_g.html

[Keith M.]

Jeffrey Place to become ‘home’
Move-in date nears for first residents of often-delayed project
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Debbie Gebolys, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

In the time it’s taken to build the first 11 condos at Jeffrey Place in Italian Village, other developers have built more than 1,500 condos and apartments Downtown.  But Jeffrey Place devotees say the wait will be worth it.  Joe Recchie and his company, National Community Builders, spared little fanfare in announcing plans to bring an eventual 3,000 new residents to 41.5 acres of barren land at 1 st Avenue and N. 4 th Street. It started in 2000 with three public forums to solicit ideas and grew to plans for 1,100 housing units, parks, shops, a grocery and a school.

Read much more at http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/26/20061226-B1-01.html

[Keith M.]

Kramer Place now has a construction gallery.

http://www.kramerplace.com/

[Indy2Miami2Columbus]

I took a stroll this afternoon to see the progress at Jefferey Place and Kramer Place. Here are a few pics that I took. I really like the new loft building in Jefferey Place, lots of glass and great proportions. I don't care for the architecture of the Kramer Place building, but it definitely creates a much improved urban environment. Along with these developments, if we could just get 4th street and Summit streets converted back to two-way traffic the Italian Village would really be on its way!!

(sorry these pictures are a little mixed up. The first picture with all the white Tyvec is Kramer Place. The finished brick buildings are the Jefferey Place Townhomes, and the glass and steel beauty is the new Loft building.)

[LAsam]

It's about time this project got underway!  It seemed like JP's lot was dirt for the longest time.

[X]

Those townhouses would be really cool if they had REAL balconies.  How much do they actually save not having them project out a few feet?

[kingfish out of water]

^They probably saved themselves a cumbersome variance for building over the public right-of-way.

By the way, here's a photo from last October. Progress indeed!

[surfohio]

People drive way too fast on that road....I was in Columbus last week thinking I would be nervous walking on that sidewalk, or having my front door so close to the steet.

[posty-mcpost]

People drive way too fast on that road....I was in Columbus last week thinking I would be nervous walking on that sidewalk, or having my front door so close to the steet.

They may eventually make the street 2 ways.

[noozer]

Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/04/23/story4.html 

Jeffrey Place project goes 'green'
Business First of Columbus - April 20, 2007
by Brian R. BallBusiness First
Illustration: Courtesy Acock Associates Architects LLC

The next phase of the developing Jeffrey Place in Italian Village may be in line for national recognition as an environmentally friendly Columbus neighborhood.  National Community Builders Inc. plans to begin construction in June on a $17 million housing and commercial project at Jeffrey Place that would employ energy-saving technology and stormwater reuse strategies. Those efforts could earn it kudos from the U.S. Green Building Council.

National Community principal Joe Recchie said the North Block project would feature solar-paneled roofs to produce electricity for the 72 residential and three commercial condos planned for the site. It would also have a geothermal heating and cooling system and a rainwater collection system to provide irrigation for the project.

[ColDayMan]

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_image/79340-400-0.jpg?rev=3

[CMH_Downtown]

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GREEN
Joe Recchie thinks there’s big money in environmentally friendly condos
By Sara Smith / May 10, 2007 

Joe Recchie isn’t an epiphany kind of guy. The CEO of National Community Builders, developer of the sprawling Jeffrey Place community north of Downtown, Recchie plans for everything; he watches the market and studies consumer trends.  So, seven years ago when he purchased the vacant slab of Italian Village concrete where the Jeffrey Manufacturing Co. once turned out mining machinery, he already knew he wanted to build an eco-friendly neighborhood.

Read more at http://www.theotherpaper.com/TOP5-10/5-10_coverstory.html

[noozer]

Simply Living Exclusive!

Tour Columbus' newest, greenest, most sustainable community development project –Jeffrey Place
 
Thurs. June 14, 6:30PM, 350 East First Ave. 

SL members Joe and Larke Recchie are hosting a cookout and tour for us of their strikingly beautiful Neighborhood Development Community. They'll furnish a vegetarian and meat entre; you bring a side dish and your table service. RSVP required to 447-0296 by June 12.
 
They are Integrating the principles of green buildings, smart growth and new urbanism into their Jeffrey Place North Block 1 development, houses feature geothermal heating and cooling, solar photovoltaic panels, stormwater runoff and retention, green-roofed carports, and more!! We'll tour the Jeffrey Loft building, soon to be completed. Not only is this project a first for Columbus, but nationally they anticipate being one of the first residential communities to receive LEED-ND certification. (Translation: LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Neighborhood Development.)
 
 
 
Come and be inspired!

[Columbo]

Kramer Place Apartments
Columbus RetroMetro
Posted by Paul Bonneville on March 6, 2008

As with a number of condominium developments in the downtown area that have taken a rental approach, the former Kramer Place Condominiums are now being offered as apartments.

One bedroom apartments start at $800 and two bedrooms start at $1250.

Coming from someone who lives about 2 blocks away, I can say firsthand that this neighborhood is a PRIME location for living a lifestyle with the best that Columbus has to offer in the way of restaurants and entertainment...but then again, I'm biased.

http://columbusretrometro.typepad.com/columbus_retrometro/2008/03/kramer-place-ap.html

[Columbo]

Love the photos that Indy2Miami2Columbus posted above.

[Columbo]

STATE LIBRARY OF OHIO
Librarians also urban trendsetters
Monday, March 31, 2008
By Charlie Boss, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

For more than seven years, the State Library of Ohio has quietly operated on the outskirts of Italian Village.  For a number of years, the library, located in the former Jeffrey Mining Machinery building, was separated from the neighborhood by abandoned buildings and barren land.

But a lot has changed, and the historic neighborhood is beginning to flourish. Now, the library sits on a prime spot in what developers call the next vibrant urban community. More traffic is coming this summer.

Read more at http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/31/KENTPRO.ART_ART_03-31-08_B1_5N9PQ0O.html?sid=101

[Columbo]

Medical offices new twist to old site
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
BY MARK FERENCHIK, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Where Joe Recchie once planned condos and apartments on the old Jeffrey Mining site near Downtown, the developer now wants a medical office park.  Recchie's National Community Builders has applied for a $3 million Ohio Jobs Ready Sites grant to help finance the $35.9 million project, which he says could bring 600 jobs.  The plan is to build two or three buildings, each three stories, totaling 150,000 square feet.  OhioHealth would lease space for support services including MRI, radiology and lab services, according to documents Recchie provided to the state.

The city continues to support Recchie's efforts, Safford said, though the Jeffrey site remains mostly vacant after eight years "because we have been supportive of the concept in the past, and we want to continue to support it somehow." For Recchie it's another bid to fill space at Jeffrey Place, which has languished at times after he announced the effort eight years ago. 



Read more at http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/05/21/JEFFREY.ART_ART_05-21-08_C8_CLA8PJQ.html?sid=101

[Columbo]

Jeffrey Lofts condos delayed again
Business First of Columbus - by Doug Buchanan
Friday, January 23, 2009

The Jeffrey Lofts condominium project in Italian Village has stalled again over a dispute about $923,257 for construction work.  General contractor Albert M. Higley Co. filed a mechanic's lien for that amount in December against project owner Jeffrey Loft 1 LLC, an affiliate of Columbus developer National Community Builders Inc.

Joe Recchie, the developer's president, said Cleveland-based Higley completed the building about five months late.  "There is a dispute and it is sizable," he said. "... The issue is time, not quality."  Work on the Jeffrey Lofts condo project has stopped while the developer and contractor go through mediation over a payment dispute.



http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/01/26/tidbits1.html

[kingfish out of water]

This is an ambitious project made Herculean by the economic crisis. I feel bad every time I drive past it.

[Columbo]

As if Jeffrey Place didn't have enough problems...

Tax break slips through cracks
Developer's 6-figure abatement missing after city paperwork stalled for years
Sunday,  February 1, 2009 - 3:34 AM
By Mark Ferenchik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

When the developer of the Jeffrey condominium project opened his December tax bill, he was expecting to see a 75 percent tax abatement.  Instead, he was charged the full amount, "several hundred thousand dollars."  "Startling" was developer Dan Schmidt's exact word, especially as the city had five years to send the necessary paperwork to have the county deduct the abated tax.

The city is correcting the problem for Schmidt's 98-unit project at E. 1st Avenue and N. 4th Street in Italian Village.  He has sold 10 units and was on the hook for the full tax on the other 88.  Columbus Development Director Boyce Safford III said Friday that he has ordered an audit to ensure that proper documentation has been filed with the Franklin County auditor and Ohio Department of Development for similar tax-abated projects.  "This is not how we're supposed to do business," Safford said of the Jeffrey abatements. 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/02/01/JEFFREYABATE.ART_ART_02-01-09_B1_U9COMC9.html?sid=101