Topic: Columbus: Yankee Trader Building Renovation

[Columbo]

Is the party over for The Yankee Trader?
Landmark store's possible closing is no laughing matter to loyal customers who have sought out its costumes, and prank and novelty items, for decades
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
By Gina Potthoff
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

A well-known novelty and costume shop is selling the last of its fake vomit, whoopee cushions, plastic bugs and masks.  But what the future looks like for Yankee Trader is up in the air.  "We might move. We don't know yet," said Lynette Howard, who co-owns the store with her sister Debby Williams.

The two inherited the store at 463 N. High St., across from the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 10 years ago from their late mother, Edith Holler.  It has been a landmark there for 44 years and was on Front Street for 20 years before that.

Customers have noticed far less on the shelves recently.  Williams said they hope to sell the 55,000-square-foot building and move to a smaller place with better parking.

Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2010/08/18/isthepartyover.html?sid=101

[LAsam]

Wow, so they actually own the building.  Guess it isn't the rents driving them out then.

[Columbo]

A sad update for an unique Downtown/Short North business...

Yankee Trader closes
Saturday, November 6, 2010
By Tim Feran
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Novelty and costume shop Yankee Trader has sold its last whoopee cushion.  A posting on the store's website yesterday read "store closed," and calls to the shop went unanswered.  Signs on the shop saying "out of business" were posted after the final Halloween sales.

The store, at 463 N. High St., across from the Greater Columbus Convention Center, has been a landmark at that address for 44 years and was on Front Street for 20 years before that.

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2010/11/06/none-of-its-kind.html?sid=101

[Columbo]

Schiff buys loan on former Yankee Trader site
Business First - by Brian Ball
Tuesday, December 7, 2010, 11:51am EST

Columbus deal maker Michael Schiff has a “heads-I-win, tails-I-win” real estate play in the works for the former Yankee Trader by the North Market.  He may be close to winning, in fact.

The Schiff Capital Group principal has purchased the Fifth Third Bank mortgage ($350,000 as of November 2006) on the two buildings at 457 and 461-465 N. High St., under the YT Acquisition LLC affiliate.  Schiff confirmed the transaction but declined to reveal details on how much he paid.

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2010/12/schiff-buys-loan-on-former-yankee.html

[CMH_Downtown]

Yankee Trader building sold; plans call for apartments, offices, restaurant
Friday, July 1, 2011  10:52 AM
By Marla Matzer Rose
The Columbus Dispatch

The building that housed the Yankee Trader, a fixture for decades in the Short North, has been sold to a local firm that plans to renovate the building as offices, apartments and ground-floor restaurant space.

Westerville-based Triad Architects hopes to move its offices to the site at 463 N. High St. in the fall of 2012.  The company also plans to renovate the top three floors of the five-story building into upscale one- and two-bedroom apartments.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/07/01/yankee-trader-building-sold-apartments-restaurant-planned.html?sid=101


Yankee Trader building sold with offices, restaurants, apartments on tap
Business First - by Brian R. Ball
Date: Friday, July 1, 2011, 6:00am EDT - Last Modified: Thursday, June 30, 2011, 3:15pm EDT

The former home of the Yankee Trader costume and novelty store near the North Market in downtown Columbus is going to be dolled up for reuse.
 
Henry Price Investments LLC, a real estate affiliate of Triad Architects Ltd. , bought the building at 463 N. High St. for $900,000.  The Westerville company plans to move into 4,200 square feet on the second floor, while renovating the top three floors for a dozen apartments, said Triad Principal Zach Price.

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/07/01/yankee-trader-building-sold-with.html

[Columbo]

^ That is some great news for the Yankee Trader Building.  In fact, it's hard to envision a more ideal situation than what is being planned.  First, it is being bought by a group of architects that want to keep and renovate this beautiful old building.  Second, the architects will be moving their 10-man office from Westerville into the second floor of the building.  Third, the ground floor will be renovated as a restaurant.  Fourth, the upper floors will be renovated into apartments.

You couldn't write up a better renovation plan for the Yankee Trader Building!  Kudos to Triad Architects!  And this will be a serious upgrade for this area too.  For as much fun as the quirky Yankee Trader business was, it really did underutilize the building.  A restaurant, an architect's office and three floors of apartments will bring much more activity to the area. 

Below is a 2008 photo of the Yankee Trader Building.  Isn't it a beautiful old building that just needs some shining up?

[jbcmh81]

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/06/01/flip-side-commits-to-yankee-trader.html

Not really Arena District exactly, but close.  The Yankee Trader building just north of the new Hilton on High St. has been vacant for awhile, but will now be redeveloped with office space, 11 apartments and a ground floor burger place.

[ColDayMan]

Flip Side commits to Yankee Trader site, clearing renovation plan

Redevelopment of the former Yankee Trader building in Columbus will begin this summer, bringing apartments and a Flip Side gourmet burger restaurant to the site near the North Market.

The property at 463 N. High St. was sold to an affiliate of Triad Architects Ltd. in mid-2011. The design firm plans to renovate the second floor for its offices and the top three floors will be divided into 11 apartments.

More below:
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/06/01/flip-side-commits-to-yankee-trader.html

[Columbo]

Great news for the Yankee Trader Building renovation.  The project received an historic preservation tax credit award from the state.  Below is the news reported by Columbus Business First and an excerpt of the press release from the Ohio Department of Development:

Business First: LeVeque, Yankee Trader lead list of historic tax credit recipients

From the press release: The Ohio Department of Development Announces Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Awards

Yankee Trader Building (Columbus, Franklin County)
 · Total Project Cost: $3,895,700
 · Total Tax Credit: $664,900
 · Address: 463 North High Street, 43215
Sandwiched between North Market and the Greater Columbus Convention Center, the Yankee Trader Building was originally constructed as a furniture store for the Parish family.  Previously used for more than four decades by Yankee Trader, a novelty and costume shop, the building was vacated in 2010.  Redevelopment plans include a fast-casual hamburger restaurant on the ground floor, office space for Triad Architects on the second floor, and 12 high-end apartments on the upper three floors.  The property will house more than 70 jobs upon completion of the rehabilitation project.

[Columbo]

More about the renovation of the five-story Yankee Trader Building from Columbus Underground:



Columbus Underground: Former Yankee Trader Will See New Life as Mixed-Use Apartment Building

[jbcmh81]

Now for the two buildings to the left of the YT.  I can't imagine that they'll remain undeveloped for too much longer.