Columbus may commit more than $30 million to North Market makeover
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Columbus City Council is expected to vote on six North Market-related proposals at its meetings Monday night, as the merchant hub on the edge of the Short North is set to undergo a serious makeover.
For months, archaeologists have turned over soil in the former surface lot attached to the North Market, excavating centuries-old bones. They are making way for what will be an addition to the city skyline.
A mixed-use facility -- dubbed the North Market Merchant Building -- will tower 32 stories and feature hotel rooms, apartments, and a garage, according to city documents. It will also grow out North Market’s footprint with a public atrium and a patio. The project is being funded by a mix of city, county and state funding, from grants to tax credits.
Various funding; advisory board to be considered
For its part, the city has committed to more than $31 million in funding. The vote Monday is on whether to pay out the Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority over the course of three years.
That $31 million will go to different parts of the project: expanding the market itself, building out public structures like an atrium and a patio, construction a parking garage, and properly removing and retiring the human remains in the market’s former parking lot -- which will serve as the ground floor for the North Market Merchant Building.
Council members will vote on a grant agreement worth $950,000 to assist current North Market vendors affected by construction, and an additional $1 million for surrounding street design work. They will also decide on reimbursements to private utility providers, like AEP and AT&T, that will have to relocate their infrastructure underground.
The creation of a new project board is also under consideration. The North Market Mixed-Use Project New Community Authority would consist of nine members.
Surrounding businesses voice concerns
When the ordinances were introduced a week ago, at least two owners of nearby businesses told council members they felt less-than-satisfied with the developer’s progress because of how the project could continue to affect them.
“We developed the area, and we are all for further development, as long as our businesses are protected,” said Josh Greenberg, the principal owner of Broad Street Capital. “It is not fair for the big guy to be able to control the little guy.”
The property owners were worrying about how easy it would be for them to take out their trash, get deliveries and do maintenance, Arnold and Clifford attorney Stefanie Coe told council members. What they were looking for was a “clear and enforceable agreement.”
As of Friday afternoon, none of the ordinances had not been amended, according to the city’s legislative website. A memorandum of understanding also had not yet been reached, Coe said Thursday.