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Council approves University District mixed-use redevelopment with brick condition
Summary
On July 24, the Columbus City Council approved a conditional permit for a two-building mixed-use project in the University District, requiring additional brick on the south elevation between the second and sixth floors.
On July 24, the Columbus City Council approved a conditional development application for a two-building redevelopment in the University District near Lane Avenue and High Street that includes student-oriented housing and street-level space for University Baptist Church.
The council’s approval requires the project team to extend masonry (brick) on the south elevation from the second through sixth floors as a condition of staff sign-off. City staff and commissioners discussed building massing, façade materials and pedestrian setbacks before the vote.
City staff’s presentation described the proposal as a coordinated redevelopment of two adjacent buildings that together create student housing and ground-floor institutional space. The plan calls for a new nine-story mixed-use tower connected to an existing building by a third-floor connector, vehicle and bicycle parking, and indoor and outdoor amenity space for residents. Staff said the submission included site plans, demolition plans, elevations and floor plans and that the proposal had been reviewed in earlier May and June hearings.
Commission discussion focused on exterior materials and how the façade treatments affect perceived mass and pedestrian experience. Project representatives described a mix of materials, including a primary metal panel system on portions of the tower and masonry (Georgian-style brick) at the base to break up large wall planes. Commissioners questioned color and profile choices, long façades facing an adjacent Domino’s restaurant and the visual transition between brick and metal panels. One staff estimate cited roughly 1,500 square feet of surface where a heavier masonry treatment would be added; a panelist estimated the incremental installed cost at about $30,000 (figures provided in the meeting and described as approximations).
Other details discussed at the meeting: the development site is an approximately 80-by-150-foot lot (about 12,000 square feet); the alley adjacent to the building was described as roughly 5 feet wide; and staff referenced the University District plan and applicable zoning standards, including a noted district height context that the staff said includes references to a 12-story limit in parts of the district.
After deliberation, a council member moved to approve the application “as submitted with our condition” that the south elevation be built out in brick from the second through sixth floors; a second was recorded and the motion passed. The motion was approved subject to staff review and finalization of the condition. The meeting transcript does not record a roll-call vote tally or name all members who voted in the affirmative.
The approval is conditional on the brick extension and any final technical edits required by staff. Staff and the project team indicated they will return final construction details and material samples for administrative review and sign-off.
