Orange barrels, sidewalk closures, vacant lots and enormous holes in the ground have been quite prevalent on Ohio State’s campus and surrounding neighborhood over the years.
And they’re not going away anytime soon.
Construction is underway on the the beginning of the 15th and High redevelopment plan, the brainchild of Campus Partners, OSU’s nonprofit development arm. While many of the details are still up in the air, the zoning codes for the different portions slated for redevelopment shed light on what the future of North High Street will look like.
The area at the north corner of East 15th Avenue and North High Street is to be zoned for public square. East 15th Avenue itself is to undergo a realignment so that it intersects into North High Street at 90 degrees.
The area behind the square, labeled “Signature Building,” is zoned to allow a hotel, but a hotel is not guaranteed. No architects or developers have been hired yet, said Erin Prosser, director of community development for Campus Partners.
The space east of the signature building is to be a garage, currently set to include 500 spaces. Minimal mixed-use development, for housing or office space along North Pearl Street or along the sides of the building is allowed.
North Pearl Street and is to run two ways between East 15th and East 16th avenues, with stop signs at the four-way intersections. The areas surrounding North Pearl Street are zoned so that businesses can face the street.
The area on North High Street between East 17th and East 16th avenues is slated for one building, The Wellington, currently under construction. Edwards Communities, the developer, said in a news release that the six-story development, to be open in time for Fall Semester 2017, will have 448 beds.
A Target is slated to fill part of the first floor of The Wellington, which is slated for retail space. NPR station WOSU is also putting offices somewhere in the 15th and High redevelopment, although the exact space hasn’t yet been announced.
The Wellington is the only building currently under construction.
Following the completion of The Wellington, Campus Partners will address the parking garage first, followed by further projects, said Prosser.
There are no plans to demolish the building that houses OSU Hillel, on East 16th Avenue immediately east of The Wellington. However, Campus Partners has agreed to handle the exterior changes that need to be made following the restructuring of North Pearl Street.
The area immediately south of the corner of East 15th Avenue and North High Street is slated for mixed-use office and retail space. No housing is zoned for that area.
Directly east of that area, on East 14th Avenue, is a space zoned for offices and retail. It’s possible that there could be housing, but it would be through OSU, not through a private company. The former Kappa Kappa Gamma building will remain untouched, but the final design plan is unknown at this time.
Correction: Sept. 22: A previous version of this article misstated the area where North Pearl Street will run two ways.
