By Mike Pramik

Not too long ago, histo-ry buffs were stumpingfor the preservation of

the old Ohio Penitentiary.Columbus Mayor Michael B.

Coleman wasn’t one of them.The mayor said yesterday that

Nationwide Realty Investors’announcement of a flashy, 20-story condominium tower isfurther evidence that the ArenaDistrict has transformed theformer pen site.

“The state penitentiary was aplace where people were jailed,where the electric chair wasused,” Coleman said. “It was inrubble. It was decaying, and itpulled down the rest of the city.”

Nationwide Realty Investorssaid yesterday that it plans tospend more than $50 million tobuild the Condominiums atNorth Bank Park, a 109-unitresidential project that will beacross Neil Avenue from wherethe old pen once stood. Theproject’s backers think it willadd a healthy dash of bling tothe district.

“It’s a huge shot in the armfor Downtown,” Coleman said.

In addition to the tower, theproject will include rehabilita-tion of the adjoining BundyBuilding at the northwest cor-ner of Spring Street and NeilAvenue.

The tower portion of thecomplex will be six storiesshorter than Miranova, the lux-ury highrise that opened in2000 on the southern edge ofDowntown.

“In this current wave ofDowntown housing we haven’treally seen anything aside fromMiranova go that high,” saidMarc Conte, with theDowntown DevelopmentResource Center.

Nationwide Realty Investors,the developer of the ArenaDistrict, plans to begin workMarch 1 and have the first unitsopen in about a year, pendingapproval by the DowntownCommission.

Nationwide Realty presidentBrian Ellis said his firm almostturned the Bundy Building intoan office structure. But negotia-

North Bank toweris next up for Downtown

Arena District condos to be near old Pen site

The planned Condominiums at North Bank Park

Friday, February 17, 2006

tions with a tenant broke down.“We had committed to the

prospect, but in hindsight itwas fortuitous,” Ellis said.“We’re going to do a much bet-ter project.

“I think the best use is resi-dential, and that’s what we’regoing to do.”

Ellis said the company willbegin to set prices for the con-dos in March, but they’ll likelystart at more than $300,000 andtop $1 million.

The Dispatch PrintingCompany, publisher of TheDispatch, is a 10 percent part-ner in the project.

Owners’ property taxes willbe waived for the first 10 years,consistent with how otherDowntown condo projects havebeen structured. That incentivehas helped lead to more than1,100 units being built

Downtown since 2002. About2,500 more are in the pipeline.

The tower will contain 88twoand three-bedroom con-dos. The 80-year-old, five-storywarehouse will be renovated toinclude 21 loft-style condosand parking for owners of allthe units.

The tower will offer ownershuge walls of glass in their con-dos and a fitness center, confer-ence room, guest residenceand movie-screening room inthe common areas. The ware-house will be encased in brickto fit in with other ArenaDistrict buildings.

But the star attraction isexpected to be the view fromthe lofts and most of the towercondos.

“You’ll be able to see the Le-Veque Tower from 90 percentof the units,” said Scott Ralston,

a principal with 360 Architects.To give the warehouse con-

dos only Downtown views,architect Dan Hanes concealedparking spaces in the west sideof the warehouse. The entirefirst and second floors of thewarehouse will be parking, aswill the western sides of thethird and fourth floors, allow-ing condos on those floors toface Downtown.

The entire fifth floor will beloft-style condos.

“The moment we showed it,it was very clear to everyone onour team, including the devel-oper, that this was a unique andgrand solution,” Ralston said.“The key was not focusing oncars but keeping the focus onthe views from the units.”

Ellis said a handful of thecondos in the tower will faceHuntington Park, the planned

home for the ColumbusClippers.

Nationwide Realty plans todemolish a small building onthe north side of the BundyBuilding.

The condominium projectwill be the third residentialcomponent of the ArenaDistrict. The others are the 252-unit Arena Crossing apartmentcomplex, which Ellis said is 99percent leased.

Nationwide Realty Investorsalso has developed BurnhamSquare, a 98-unit condomini-um project. Ellis said the 74 thunit was sold this week.

“We want to make sure westay in the market by unveilingthis new project,” Ellis said.�

mpramik@dispatch.com