A proposal to replace The Little Bar with housing failed to pass its second vote by the full University Area Commission Wednesday. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
A proposal to replace The Little Bar and University Baptist Church with housing failed to pass its second vote by the full University Area Commission Wednesday.
The proposal by a Texas-based student housing developer, American Campus Communities, was denied partly due to concerns of the project developer’s reputation. The project would have stretched across the current lots of the bar and the church. The building facing Lane Avenue and the building on the corner of Norwich Avenue and North High Street were proposed to stand at 100 and 68 feet, respectively.
The group has worked with UAC since August 2022 to get the project passed but came up short in the 10-6 vote. A passing vote would have granted ACC the parking and height variances it recently modified after the last denial Jan. 18 and the ability to present the project to Columbus City Council.
Unlike the UAC voting session for the last iteration of the project — centered around the height, parking and affordability of the buildings — the commissioners’ conversations Wednesday focused on affordability, height and community concerns over Blackstone, a large investment group, which bought ACC last year.
“If I’m going to make exceptions for these variances, then I want to think about the reputation of the developer we are making those exceptions for,” UAC Planning Commissioner Chair Katie McDevitt said Wednesday.
Two of the three public speakers who opposed the project mentioned Blackstone before the commissioners’ vote. Leslie Hempson, who lives just outside of the University District, said Blackstone’s housing record is “abysmal.”
Blackstone, the largest owner of commercial real estate in the world, has a history of forcing rent hikes, neglecting maintenance and charging unfair fees on tenants in their properties, according to The Guardian. The company owns more family rental homes in the U.S. than any other company.
“I would also urge all of you — who I know are working really, really hard for this community — to prioritize things like affordability, decent landlords and decent developers when you’re making decisions about what developments to recommend to city council,” Hempson said.
Vice President of Development for ACC Sam Newman responded to the concerns, saying Blackstone provides capital for ACC to continue their business model, which has not changed since the acquisition.
“Blackstone has never been a developer. They have been an operator and owner of landlords,” Newman said. “We as a company at ACC — our personnel, our resources and our expertise in the industry remains the same and will not change.”
Zaida Jenkins, a commissioner representing the Undergraduate Student Government and fourth-year in public management, leadership and policy, said she was concerned with the accusations against Blackstone but voted for the proposal in an effort to create safer and cleaner places for students to live.
Similarly, UAC commissioner and treasurer Seth Golding said he voted for the project mainly because of ACC’s ability to meet parking standards for the buildings.
In regards to affordability, Newman and an architect for the project, Mitch Acock, said they were unable to provide a set number of beds or estimated rent for the project at this time since it would be completed in 2026 at the earliest.
Following the meeting, Newman said in a statement, on behalf of ACC, the commission is looking forward to “future collaboration with the community.”
“We are focused on building high-quality student housing that can help alleviate supply and demand imbalances and appreciate the ongoing dialogue around this potential development,” Newman said.
