Topic: Columbus: Italian Village: Wonder Bread Building redevelopment

[Columbo]

Art amalgamated
Wonderland will be a one-stop shop for Central Ohio artists
By Garth Bishop, Columbus Local News
Published: Monday, February 8, 2010 - 4:47 PM EST

Artist space. Retail shops. Co-working offices. A recording studio. A performance venue. A business incubator.
These are just a few of the ideas the visionaries behind Wonderland have for the forthcoming creative enclave in the former Wonder Bread factory near downtown Columbus -- and they're still looking for more.

The project had been announced weeks before, but its leaders held a kickoff event, providing a great deal of additional details Jan. 29 at Junctionview Studios in Grandview Heights. Current plans call for:

* Studio space, exhibition space and shared workshops for visual artists;
* Rehearsal space, a recording studio and a performance venue for performing artists;
* Office and co-working space for startup businesses and entrepreneurs; and
* Shops, a business incubator, a convenience store, a coffee shop and bars for retail opportunities.

For more information on the project, visit its Web site, www.wonderlandcolumbus.com.

Full article plus photos and video at http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/articles/2010/02/09/tri-village_news/news/tvallwonde_20100208_0425pm_2.txt

[kingfish out of water]

All great ideas! This is EXACTLY what we need (and need more of) in Columbus. I really hope this goes forward as planned, and I will be pleasantly surprised if there is no push back from the IV Society/Commission.

[Columbo]

Columbus Alive recently featured a rundown of the Wonderland redevelopment of the former Wonder Bread Building. 

• Next stop, Wonderland: An exclusive sneak peek

• Wonderland plans: The bread-and-butter

• Wonderland Q&A

• Wonderland Photo Gallery

[so it goes]

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111710708852702&ref=mf

[so it goes]

This is the first I'm reading about this. These all sound like nice ideas but lets be honest, it's hard to pull off one of these ideas (shared office space, artist space, business incubator, etc) let alone 4 or 5. It would be awesome if it works, but does any have any idea about who is behind the project, their track record etc. Also, though I've driven by the area before I'm not super familiar with it, is it a good place for something like this? There just seem to be a lot of questions.

[kingfish out of water]

I've been told that the folks behind the financing for this are the same players behind the Buggyworks development. The business model is basically gentrification in a bottle: bring in the artists, establish commerce, elevate perceptions/value, cash in, drive out the artists. It may well be the leading edge of the conquest of Milo Grogan and/or Weinland Park.

[Keith M.]

I agree with the idea behind a standard 5-step plan for gentrification, but in this case the area is already gentrified and much of N 4th here is made up of empty lots. By "leading edge" do you mean a frontier base from which gentrification is to spill over? I've got to do another more comprehensive Milo-Grogan thread, because as I mentioned before I recently saw the first rainbow flag I had ever seen there (though I don't regularly ride on many streets there) and you know what that means.

[kingfish out of water]

I agree with the idea behind a standard 5-step plan for gentrification, but in this case the area is already gentrified and much of N 4th here is made up of empty lots. By "leading edge" do you mean a frontier base from which gentrification is to spill over? I've got to do another more comprehensive Milo-Grogan thread, because as I mentioned before I recently saw the first rainbow flag I had ever seen there (though I don't regularly ride on many streets there) and you know what that means.

If nothing else it's a slightly more organic attempt at what Jeffrey Place seems to be struggling with.

[Columbo]

This is the first I'm reading about this. These all sound like nice ideas but lets be honest, it's hard to pull off one of these ideas (shared office space, artist space, business incubator, etc) let alone 4 or 5. It would be awesome if it works, but does any have any idea about who is behind the project, their track record etc. Also, though I've driven by the area before I'm not super familiar with it, is it a good place for something like this? There just seem to be a lot of questions.

All good questions.  I’ll try to address them with information condensed from this site and other relevant websites. 

(FYI: I am not involved with the Wonderland project.  This is simply part of my life-long on-going personal interest in Central Ohio urban development projects.  I have no inside knowledge of the project and all the following information is from publicly available information that is web-linked to the best of my ability.) 

So, with those caveats, here we go.


People involved in Wonderland:

(From post #27 in this thread) 
Press Release about the Wonder Bread bakery site redevelopment:
From http://www.columbusunderground.com/wonder-bread-factory-reborn-as-wonderland
Artists, Musicians and Small Businesses Team up to Take Over Former Wonder Bread Factory

“Getting things off the ground are Adam Brouillette (Couchfire Collective), Andrew Dodson (Central City Recording), David Hunegnaw (The Sandbox Columbus), Kevin Lykens (Lykens Companies) and Josh Quinn (Tigertree).  The group is forming a non-profit organization to manage the property, to keep rent costs down and to provide a vehicle to seek donations and grants to encourage growth and job creation within the creative community.  They will each focus on a specific area – arts, music, business, retail – and provide business counseling and information resources for tenants as well as day-to-day management of the property.”


Timeline from Junctionview to Wonderland:

It seems that two events occurred that led to redevelopment proposal that would convert the Wonder Bread property into the Wonderland project. 

February 2008 - The existing Junctionview Studios location at 889 Williams Avenue in Grandview is purchased by Nationwide Realty Investors (NRI).  The property is located within the Second Phase of the Grandview Yard redevelopment project.  The Grandview Yard project thread is located here and news of Junctionview property purchase was reported here, as follows:

“No mention of Junctionview Studios at all in this thread? Weird. Once of the city's premiere independent artist destinations is located in one of those buildings that NRI just closed on last week. Thankfully NRI is playing nice and renewing their lease for awhile before they start tearing this place apart, but everyone needs to haul ass over there to Junctionview before it's gone to enjoy some of the best that Columbus arts culture has to offer.”

NRI is not forcing Junctionview out immediately because its Grandview Yard’s second phase won’t begin until around 2014.  However, the clock is ticking on Junctionview to find a new suitable location.

March 2009 - Wonder Bread announced they will shut down their bakery at 697 N. Fourth Street on May 9, 2009 after nearly a century at that location. 

The Wonder Bread property at 697 N. Fourth Street has a two-level, 64,400 sq. ft. bakery/warehouse building.  The building consists of a functional concrete construction with brick exterior.  The property occupies three quarters of a city block bordered by Fourth Street, Warren Street, Hamlet Street and Lincoln Street.  The Wonder Bread property is approximately 1.75 acres and has a small surface parking lot.  (Info from Franklin County Auditor’s site)

The Junctionview property at 889 Williams Avenue has a one-level, 22,000 sq. ft. industrial warehouse building.  The building consists of a functional concrete block construction with brick exterior.  The property is approximately 1.29 acres and has a small surface parking lot.  (Info from Franklin County Auditor’s site)

January 2010 - Junctionview Studios plus others listed below announce the Wonderland redevelopment project for the Wonder Bread property at 697 N. Fourth Street.


Track Record:

Arts: Junctionview Studios
   - Events: http://www.junctionviewstudios.com/index.html
   - Info: http://www.junctionviewstudios.com/info.html

Arts: Couchfire Collective - http://www.thecouchfire.org/

Music: Central City Recording - http://www.centralcityrecording.com/

Business: Sandbox Columbus - http://www.sandboxcolumbus.com/
   - There was also more about this business and co-working in general in this Urban Ohio thread “Co-working locations in Columbus“.

Retail: Tigertree - http://shoptigertree.blogspot.com/ and http://shoptigertree.com/

Property Management: Lykens Companies - http://www.lykenscompanies.com/


Summary:

That’s most of the information on the Wonderland redevelopment I’ve been able to pull together and condense into this reply.  There is more information available in a non-condensed form.  Such as at Columbus Underground, which has a discussion thread on it here.  All of the businesses and organizations involved have websites for more information. 

And then there’s the Wonderland website itself at http://www.wonderlandcolumbus.com/ which has videos of the information presentations on the project, photo tours of the building and general information on the project.

Finally, the people behind Wonderland have posted their January redevelopment presentation on YouTube at columbusvideos divided into five parts.

If going thru all the five parts is too much, there’s also a condensed version of the presentation that was posted on YouTube:

Wonderland Presentation 1.29.10

[Columbo]

Wonder Bread bakery sliced up for artists
Business First of Columbus - by Brian R. Ball
Friday, April 23, 2010

Real estate investors have joined with a new nonprofit organization to create an eclectic mix of arts-oriented retail, exhibition, office and rehearsal space at the former Wonder Bread bakery in Columbus’ Italian Village. 

Kevin Lykens and Chris Schnetzler led the March purchase of the former bakery for $800,000 –­­ less than half the original asking price of $1.7 million.  Records show Lykens and Schnetzler’s real estate affiliate, LS Development Systems LLC, financed $350,000 of the deal through Italian Village Breadbasket LLC, a consortium of other Columbus investors.  The discounted acquisition cost will help get the project moving.  “I think it was a great price for the building. We’re trying to keep the (rental) price right for our future tenants.”, Lykens said.

Arts entrepreneur Adam Brouillette formed Wonderland Columbus to serve as the master tenant that will go about filling the 64,600-square-foot building that was abandoned last year.  Brouillette said he expects to sign arts organizations and individual artists, including those wanting to hone their retail and business skills.  The developing business plan also calls for musicians and performing artists to share rehearsal space as well as host workshops at the building.  But the project will require about $2.5 million in renovations before artists and their businesses can sign leases at artist-friendly rates.  “(The goal) is to become financially profitable,” Brouillette said, “so we don’t have to rely on grants for the long-term.”

MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/04/26/story2.html

[Columbo]

Maps, photos and images of the former Wonder Bread Building from the previously posted Business First article and the Franklin County Auditor's GIS website:



Parcel Map (Auditor's website)



Wonder Bread Building - Fourth & Warren - 7-24-08 (Auditor's website)



Wonder Bread Building - Fourth Street elevation

[Columbo]

From the Columbus Underground thread:  Wonderland Launch Party 4/23/10

pics from the event!
http://s526.photobucket.com/albums/cc349/coreroc/

Some more pics here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebarbashphotos/sets/72157623928712800/

[Columbo]

A report on the Wonderland meeting from Columbus Alive:

Artscape: What's new at Wonderland?
Thursday,  April 29, 2010
By Chris DeVille, Columbus Alive

An estimated crowd of nearly 1,000 people filtered into the former Wonder Bread factory in Italian Village last Friday for the first public look at Wonderland, the multipurpose creative facility set to open in the space later this year.  The event primarily functioned as a fundraiser and pep rally for Wonderland, which is projected to include artists' studios, rehearsal rooms, a boutique mall, a state-of-the-art recording facility, shared and private office space, a midsized performance venue, a yoga studio and other amenities.

Wonderland managers Adam Brouillette, Andrew Dodson, Josh Quinn and investor Kevin Lykens hopped on a makeshift stage to solicit funds, unveil a new address plate emblazoned with the Wonderland logo and walk the crowd through a slideshow of proposed architectural adjustments.  They invited an architect from BBCO Design on stage to show some artist renderings of proposed layouts for the space.  Among the proposed adjustments:

• A mezzanine level will be added for art studios, with a playground-style tube slide as one way to return to ground level.
• The roof will be transformed into a public deck area.
• Blocked-up windows will be reopened to improve natural lighting.
• Hallways will be curved, not straight, to increase anticipation.

Rendering of exterior entrance and canopy

Rendering of interior with new mezzanine level and tube slide

Full article: http://www.columbusalive.com/live/content/features/stories/2010/04/29/artscape-whats-new-at-wonderland.html?sid=108

[Columbo]

Wonder Bread plant gets preservation tax credit
Business First of Columbus
Friday, June 25, 2010

The former downtown-area Wonder Bread plant being developed into an artists’ haven is getting $597,000 in historic preservation funding from the state. 

Gov. Ted Strickland’s office on Friday announced $28.3 million in Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit awards to 13 projects, one of which is the Wonder Bread building.  The latest announcement is the fourth and final preservation award under the state’s $1.57 billion job creation stimulus package, which set aside $120 million for such credits.

Full article: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/06/21/daily45.html

[WalkerEvans]

Excellent news!

[Columbo]

The Wonderland Columbus website now has a pretty detailed set of plans, elevations and renderings for the Wonder Bread Building renovation project.  Here is the link: WONDERLAND PROJECT PLANS



The project architect also has a set of renderings of the project at BBCO DESIGN.

[Columbo]

News: Central City heading to Wonderland
Thursday, August 26, 2010
By John Ross, Columbus Alive

The location will change, but the mission and the music will remain the same.  On Nov. 1, Central City Recording will vacate its storefront at 3335 N. High Street to begin building a bigger, better space inside Wonderland, the mixed-use arts complex taking shape in Italian Village.

Central City President Andrew Dodson didn't have an exact date for when the new space would be up and running.  In the meantime, he said, his staff would be able to pick up new projects on a case-by-case basis.

Full article: http://www.columbusalive.com/live/content/features/stories/2010/08/26/news-central-city-heading-to-wonderland.html?sid=108

[Columbo]

From Columbus Underground:

Wonderland Gets Exec. Director: Adam Brouillette
By Walker | October 5, 2010 3:20pm

Adam Brouillette, local artist, community organizer and one of the founders of Wonderland Columbus, has been chosen by Wonderlandʼs board of directors to lead the project in the role of Executive Director.  The offer was made to Brouillette following a unanimous vote of confidence from the board.  His agreement to accept the position was finalized in a meeting of the boardʼs executive committee on Thursday, September 30.

Current construction plans call for the building to be open to the public at the beginning of 2012.  Progress updates will be reported regularly at Wonderlandʼs website, www.wonderlandcolumbus.com, and via the projectʼs Facebook and Twitter pages.

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/wonderland-gets-executive-director-adam-brouillette

[WalkerEvans]

Don't forget to vote! Daily!

http://www.refresheverything.com/wonderland

[Columbo]

Wonderland project lands $50K grant from Columbus Foundation
Business First
Wednesday, December 22, 2010, 2:14pm EST

The organizers behind the artists’ colony going into the former Wonder Bread plant downtown have landed $50,000 to help their efforts.  Wonderland Executive Director Adam Brouillette and Chairman Brady Konya said they received the grant from the Columbus Foundation, which put no restrictions on its use.

Columbus Foundation CEO Doug Kridler said in a release that the grant was notable for its size going to a startup and for its flexibility, as Wonderland “can direct use of the capital based on greatest need, as determined by its board and staff.”

This is the first major grant award for the nonprofit, although in June it also was approved for $597,000 in historic preservation funding from the state.

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2010/12/22/wonderland-project-lands-50k-grant.html

[Columbo]

Pretty comprehensive article from the Sunday Dispatch about the Wonderland redevelopment at the former Wonder Bread factory (697 N. Fourth Street in Italian Village).  The article reviews the past history of the project, those involved with the project and gives a current status report.  Full article and larger photos and renderings of the Wonderland project at the link below.

Old bakery inspires rising hopes: Despite delays, planners enthusiastic about turning vacant building into creative multiuse space

   

[Jeffery]

I'm really looking forward to this.

Yet another parallel between Columbus and Louisville (two cities one wouldn't think would have any parallels at all).  They have something in Lou called the Mellwood Arts Center, which, like Wonderland, was an old food processing place, in this case a meatpacking plant and slaughterhouse (Fishers Meats, home of Mellwood hams and bacon),

..though I thnk this old Wonder Bread site is in a much better location vis a vis the city than the Mellwood site in Louisville.

BTW, whatever happened to that Milo School art colony in Milo/Grogan.  I thought that was going to be something similar to this?  Or was that more a live/work thing?

[Columbo]

Interesting info on the Mellwood Arts Center in Louisville.  Thanks for the link.

The Milo Arts Center - which has been operating since 1988 - does seem somewhat similar to the Wonderland idea.  However, Milo is a live/work model and Wonderland is not.  Plus, Wonderland is in a more desirable location then Milo.  Also, it looks like Wonderland is going for a more well-funded professional type of management of their facility instead of the more shoestring management style at Milo. 

Here's a link to the most recent article about the Milo Arts Center in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood development:  Artists' haven saved, perhaps now for good - October 18, 2010

[Keith M.]

Aside from the location, Wonderland is going to be a destination. Milo Arts *should* include a destination aspect in addition to the live/work model to increase interest/money in the program and the neighborhood which could use it. It's actually just down the street from Wonderland in the best quadrant of the neighborhood which provides quick, easy access to the Short North/IV.

I'm hoping Wonderland will be the opposite of Milo Arts, which so far demonstrates how not to use art to revitalize an area. Case in point is their gallery page where they're about to announce the opening of a gallery (presumably open to the public) in the Summer/Fall...of 2004. Who knows? Maybe Wonderland will shift enough interest out east to the bordering section of M-G, due in part to there being lots of empty lots east of 4th in IV while existing infrastructure already exists just past the bridge.

[Columbo]

Another encouraging sign for the Wonderland redevelopment:

Wonderland hires theater building vet to lead project to construction
Business First - by Brian R. Ball
Friday, January 28, 2011, 6:00am EST

Leaders in the Wonderland Columbus project in Italian Village have hired an owner’s representative who is anchored in the Columbus arts community to move the project toward construction.  As owner's rep, Jay Panzer of Facility Strategies Ltd. will oversee hiring a construction manager as early as March to renovate the former Wonder Bread bakery at 697 N. Fourth Street.

Panzer’s duties will include reviewing recently completed design documents and evaluating comments from the community that were gathered during a series of focus groups on the scope and impact of the project.  He also will work with the construction manager on a budget.  Wonderland Executive Director Adam Brouillette said Panzer put together the request for proposals that went out Jan. 21 to potential construction management companies. 

“Wonderland is doing something incredibly creative,” Panzer said in a news release, “and it’s exciting to be part of guiding the adaptation of an historic structure into such a unique purpose for the city of Columbus.”

Panzer is a member of the American Society of Theatre Consultants and has worked nationally analyzing facility needs and creating strategies for nonprofit organizations.  The client list includes the Columbus Foundation, King Arts Complex and Columbus Children’s Theatre.  Prior to forming Facility Strategies, he spent more than 10 years as director of facility development for CAPA, the area’s arts facilities management organization, where he helped in the renovations of the historic Southern, Ohio and Palace theaters.

Investors paid $800,000 in March 2010 for the 64,600-square-foot building on the edge of downtown.  The bakery shut down in 2009.  The redevelopment efforts received a $597,000 state historic tax credit in June.

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/01/28/wonderland-hires-theater-building-vet.html

[Columbo]

Well, this is disappointing.

Wonderland abandons Wonder Bread factory
BY JON THEISS, THE OTHER PAPER
Posted: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 8:03 pm 

Wonderland's ambitious plan to transform the site of Columbus's old Wonder Bread factory into a mixed-use Mecca for artists and musicians won't come to fruition.

That's according to an email that Wonderland executive director Adam Brouillette sent to supporters -- that was then leaked to The Other Paper Wednesday afternoon.

In a story published Feb. 24, Brouillette told TOP: "We're trying to ...drive home the point that Wonderland is a concept," adding, "If the building goes away, the project doesn't go away."

READ MORE: http://www.theotherpaper.com/news/article_df3b90e6-b32d-11e0-928d-001cc4c03286.html

Columbus Underground also published Wonderland's full press release:  Wonderland Plans to Relocate from Wonder Bread Building

[GCrites80s]

"Initial plans to locate the project within the former Wonder Bread factory in the Short North ultimately proved unfeasible, as the building could not be secured at a rate that would be fiscally defensible for a tax-exempt organization seeking public support," Brouillette wrote."

The Rent Is Too Damn High Party's Jimmy McMillan at the NY Governor Debate

[Columbo]

More about the Wonderland development from The Dispatch and Business First.  Better information than TOP with interviews from the Wonderland arts initiative director and the owner/real estate developer of the Wonder Bread building.

Wonder Bread factory no longer future home of Wonderland
Updated: Thursday, July 21, 2011-  05:30 PM
By Kevin Joy, The Columbus Dispatch

The former Wonder Bread factory will no longer be the future home of Wonderland - an ambitious mixed-use project intended to house studio space for local artists, musicians, actors and entrepreneurs - but the dream will likely find new life elsewhere.
 
Negotiations over the 64,000-square-foot Italian Village building, 697 N. 4th St., fell apart last week after Wonderland Columbus board members failed to secure feasible terms with real-estate developer Kevin Lykens. Lykens purchased the factory last year for $800,000, intending to lease the space to as many as 150 Wonderland tenants.

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/07/21/wonderbread-factory.html?sid=101


BUSINESS FIRST:  Arts initiative can’t seal deal for old Wonder Bread plant

[Columbo]

The Wonderland concept has gone away from the former Wonder Bread Building in Italian Village.  But it looks like the owner of the building, Kevin Lykens, is moving forward with a redevelopment plan of his own.  His redevelopment plan for the building consists of 57 apartments along with a restaurant and reception hall venue space.  Below is the text and a pdf link to the upcoming (Nov. 15) Italian Village Commission Agenda published by the City of Columbus Historic Preservation Office:

From the published Italian Village Commission Agenda for its Tuesday, November 15, 2011 meeting:

Item #6 / Application #11-10-14
697 North Fourth Street
Kevin Lykens (Applicant/Owner)

An application, site plan, and drawings have been submitted.

Exterior Alterations
• Fencing on west and north elevations.
• Replace glass block with anodized aluminum industrial style windows.
• Open previously closed windows and install new windows.
• Install entry awnings.
• Install a gated entry
• Install additional window and door openings.
• Signage change from Wonderland to a new name.

Change of Use
• Change of use from M – Manufacturing to Residential/Commercial
• To include 39 one bedroom and 18 two bedroom apartments and restaurant and reception hall venue space.

Parking Variance for Minimum Required Spaces
• Proposed site plan to provide seventy-one (71) onsite parking spaces, including three (3) ADA spaces and one (1) loading dock.
• Loading zones to be eliminated on Warren and Fourth streets, providing additional on street parking.
• Some curb cuts on Warren Street are being eliminated providing additional on street parking.

[jbcmh81]

It's good to see that the Wonderbread building is going to be put to good use afterall.  The area along 4th has been somewhat unlucky since the whole Jeffery Place development ground to a halt.  Hopefully this will spur other development in that giant empty field across the street. 

[Columbo]

Report about the Wonder Bread Building redevelopment proposal and its reception at last Tuesday's Italian Village Commission meeting from Columbus Business First:

Apartments eyed at Wonder Bread, Fireproof Records sites in Italian Village
By Brian R. Ball, Business First Staff reporter
Date: Friday, November 18, 2011, 6:00am EST

Short North developer Kevin Lykens wants to redevelop the former Wonder Bread bakery at 697 N. Fourth St. into a mix of 39 one- and 18 two-bedroom apartments.  The new plan for the Wonder Bread building follows the July collapse of a proposal to transform the 64,600-square-foot complex into a center for arts businesses and organizations, to be dubbed Wonderland.

Italian Village Commission members voiced support for an adaptive reuse of the building this month, but expressed concern about the number of one-bedroom apartments and the effect of redevelopment on parking in the neighborhood.  Lykens said his real estate experiences in the Short North have told him tenants in one-bedroom apartments are less transient than those in two-bedroom units.  Tenants in two-bedroom units stay an average of 14 months, he said, but those renting one-bedroom apartments typically stay for two years or longer.
 
He said the project offers 71 on-site parking spots for residents, and eliminating loading zones around the former bakery would create 22 on-street parking spaces.  He also has arranged for 100 off-site parking slots at a nearby property.  Lykens’ plan also calls for a 2,000-square-foot retail space along North Fourth Street for a cafe or delicatessen and an event venue that could host up to 200 guests for wedding receptions and other gatherings.
 
The commission voted to delay a decision on the project while Lykens works further on the plan.

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/11/18/housing-eyed-at-italian-village-sites.html

[Columbo]

The redevelopment of the former Wonder Bread factory building at 697 N. Fourth Street was approved by the Italian Village Commission in two separate meetings.  Here are the approvals listed in the Italian Village Commission Minutes from December 20, 2011:

11-10-14a
697 North Fourth Street
Kevin Lykens (Applicant/Owner)

Following the presentation by the Applicant and ensuing discussion and review, a motion was made, vote taken, and results recorded as indicated.  Request for recommendation for five (5) variances related to the renovation of the existing building at 697 North Fourth Street.

1) Change of Use (3363.01)
• The Italian Village Commission (IVC) supports the change of use from Manufacturing to Mixed Use (residential/commercial).

2) Building Setback (3363.24)
• The zero (0) setbacks on North Fourth Street and Warren Street conform to the Short North Design Guidelines for building setbacks (3.12).

3) Parking Setback (3312.27)
• This is an existing parking lot that has been part of support for this building in the long term. Allowing the existing parking lot to remain enables the reuse of the historic building.

4) Stacked Parking (3312.29A)
• The IVC has no objections to the five (5) stack parking spaces that will be designated for two-bedroom units.

5) Minimum Parking Spaces Required (3312.49C)
• The IVC views the sixteen (16) space deficiency as related to the restaurant, which requires twenty-three (23) spaces. Generally, the IVC has advocated for at least one (1) parking space per dwelling unit, but has recommended approval of zero (0) spaces for restaurants based on the economic advantage a restaurant brings to the neighborhood. In addition, while they are not part of the project, new on-street parking spaces may be available adjacent to the building.

MOTION: Sudy/Boyer (4-0-0) RECOMMENDED

11-10-14b
Exterior Alterations

Following the presentation by the Applicant and ensuing discussion and review, a motion was made, vote taken, and results recorded as indicated.  Approve Application #11-10-14b, 697 North Fourth Street, as submitted, with all clarifications noted:

• Replace existing glass block with anodized aluminum industrial style windows.
• Open previously closed windows and install new windows.
• Install additional window and door openings. (Cut sheets for all new windows/doors to be submitted to Historic Preservation Office staff for final review and approval, in consultation with the Italian Village Commission, prior to installation.)
• Install new aluminum storefront entry systems and entry awnings. (Cut sheets for lighting fixtures beneath the awnings to be submitted to Historic Preservation Office staff for final review and approval, in consultation with the Italian Village Commission, prior to installation.)
• Infill existing loading dock on west elevation, and install new fencing. Install new fencing on the north elevation. (Cut sheet for fencing to be submitted to Historic Preservation Office staff for final review and approval, in consultation with the Italian Village Commission, prior to installation.)
• Install new wrought iron gate on the north elevation. (Cut sheet for gate to be submitted to Historic Preservation Office staff for final review and approval, in consultation with the Italian Village Commission, prior to installation.)
• Install new overhead garage doors on the north elevation. (Cut sheet for overhead doors to be submitted to Historic Preservation Office staff for final review and approval, in consultation with the Italian Village Commission, prior to installation.)
• Install new goose neck light over doorway on the north elevation. (Cut sheet for light fixture to be submitted to Historic Preservation Office staff for final review and approval, in consultation with the Italian Village Commission, prior to installation.)
• Install new cut steel numbers “697” over doorway on north elevation canopy.
• All work to be completed per the submitted drawings, stamped and dated December 20, 2011 by the Historic Preservation Office.
• No windows, doors, or other details are approved at this time for the storefront for the venue/entertainment space on the south elevation or for the interior elevations facing onto the courtyard.  Applicant is to return to a future Italian Village Commission hearing for further review and approval of all details and finishes on these elevations.

MOTION: Cooke/Sudy (4-0-0) APPROVED

The December meeting took care of the majority of the approvals for the Wonder Bread building redevelopment.  The itialicized portion above notes that the IVC wanted the venue/entertainment space approvals to return to the IVC for futher approval.  The project developer returned to their February meeting.  Below are the approvals issued for the venue/entertainment space from the Italian Village Commission Minutes from February 21, 2012:

11-10-14c
697 North Fourth Street
Kevin Lykens (Applicant/Owner)

Following the presentation of the Applicant and ensuing discussion and review, a motion was made, vote taken, and results recorded as indicated.  Approve Application #11-10-14c, 697 North Fourth Street, as submitted, with all clarifications as indicated:

Exterior Alterations
• Complete exterior alterations on the interior courtyard elevations and the south elevation of the venue, per the submitted drawings.
• The existing “Wonder Bread” wall sign at the corner of East Lincoln and North Fourth streets and the pole sign at the corner of Warren and Hamlet streets are to remain, as is. Any maintenance of the signs is to return to the Italian Village Commission for review.
• Any/all new signage is to return to the Italian Village Commission for review.

Remove Existing Sidewalks and Install New Sidewalks
• Remove any/all damaged and deteriorated, concrete public and service sidewalks, and dispose of all debris in accordance with Columbus City Code.
• Install new concrete in the exact same location and of the exact same dimension, as necessary.
• All work to be in accordance with industry standards and all applicable City Building Codes.
• Maintain any/all existing sandstone curbs, and repair, as necessary, in accordance with all applicable industry standards, and/or replace with like sandstone curbing.

Landscaping
• The placement of new street trees is to be generally as shown on the submitted drawings.
• New trees should be significantly sized and planted in a substantial tree pit.

MOTION: Sudy/Clark (4-0-1) [Cooke] APPROVED

The five zoning code variances approved at the December IVC meeting still needed to be approved by the City's Board of Zoning Adjustment.  I don't have the minutes for the BZA meeting - but it looks like that approval was also granted because construction and renovation work has begun this month at the former Wonder Bread factory building. (More about that in the following article.)

[Columbo]

Wonder Bread Lofts will be Home to Mixed-Use Redevelopment
By: Walker Evans, Columbus Underground
Published on May 18, 2012 - 7:00 am

Three years ago, Wonder Bread closed their Columbus bakery located at 697 North Fourth Street in Italian Village.  For a time it looked like the proposed Wonderland art studio redevelopment project would be located in this space, but those plans fell through last summer.  Since then, rumors have circulated that property owner Lykens Companies would be rehabbing the building to make way for a new residential development, and today we’ve confirmed that this project is moving forward.
 
The 70,000 square foot Wonder Bread building will be converted into 56 apartment units dubbed “Wonder Bread Lofts”.  The building will also be home to a 2,500 square foot restaurant space, a 7,000 square foot event venue space, and the site will contain dedicated parking spaces for both residents and guests. ... Work on the building began several days ago, signaling the start of a new era for this historic property.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/wonder-bread-lofts-will-be-home-to-mixed-use-redevelopment

[Columbo]

‘Wonder Bread’ complex gets under construction
Business First by Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter
Date: Friday, June 22, 2012, 6:00am EDT

Redevelopment of the shuttered Wonder Bread bakery at 697 N. Fourth St. in Columbus has advanced to the construction stage.  Developer Kevin Lykens began demolition in May and will begin the $5 million reconstruction project in late this month.  The 56 apartments dubbed the Wonder Bread Lofts should be completed by spring 2013.
(. . .)
Lykens and an investment partner paid $800,000 for the former bakery building in 2010.  Back then, the developer had a tentative deal to turn the old bakery into a collection of arts-oriented workspace and retail outlets under the Wonderland Columbus banner.  That effort collapsed in mid-2011, when Lykens and a master tenant couldn’t agree to terms of a real estate deal.
 
Lykens said he has hired real estate agent Randy Sokol of Smith Realty Partners to market a 2,400-square-foot space in the development for a restaurant or cafe.  Sokol also will market a 7,000-square-foot event area to catering companies and event operators.

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/06/22/wonder-bread-complex-gets-under.html

[Columbo]

Two construction photos of the Wonder Bread Lofts (aka renovation of the former Wonder Bread bakery building) from the June Construction Roundup at Columbus Underground: