SCP-785, Object Class: Keter has been sighted in the 5XNW?
This used to be a Greek Gyro shop, there were others in the area that probably did it better. After the KFC on Fifth closed (and became a Greek food place) this restaurant did the old switch-a-roo and became the only Fried Chicken place in the area. Reviews mostly say it is good.
Panera is moving the restaurant on Grandview Ave. over to Grandview Yard by the new Giant Eagle. This would put it north of third, outside Grandview (but because of the tax sharing agreement it would not be a total loss for Grandview taxes.)(later edit, I’m not sure if the agreement with Columbus contained tax sharing). The construction of more restaurants around the Giant eagle was in the plans announced back when the grocery was first mentioned, others may be on the way.
The building where the Panera is now sitting will be used by Cameron Mitchell to build a steakhouse. No word yet on the name, construction to be completed sometime after late 2015.
This is an interesting move. The nightmare outcome of the Grandview Yard development has always been for the Grandview Avenue strip to become a row of empty buildings as the shopping and dining moved into the Yard. If this plan by C.M. is firm, it shows that at least one restaurant owner is betting that the Grandview strip will continue to attract visitors.
It’s a Market District store
Giant Eagle finally confirmed that the store in the Yard will be a Market District. wow. such food. much districting.
Loeb Electric moving also
This was last year’s news but I missed the story. Loeb Electric has been in Grandview for years and has been a top 10 employer for number of jobs. The lure of money from the Yard has made them sell the Williams Ave. property and move to a west fifth location.
The taxes from those jobs will be replaced by new employers in Grandview Yard at some point. Probably. Cross fingers. No new commercial development in the Yard that would have a similar number of jobs is currently in the pipe.
Giant Eagle construction
Back in April of 2012 the question of what Giant Eagle will build in the section of Grandview Yard that is north of 3rd avenue seemed to be a settled question. NRI told us it would not be a Market District store, similar to the one Upper Arlington. Maybe it would have a Get-Go gas station, but not a Market District.
Brian Ball, a staff reporter for Business First is now saying that the building permits show 90,000 square feet on the main floor and 9,000 square feet on a mezzanine. That is the same size that was reported last year for the main floor, but the large mezzanine suggests something new, maybe a Mini Market District?
Here is some rank speculation based on no inside knowledge. The rapid construction of the Millers Ale House (may be open by this time next week) and the Pizza Cucinova next door on Olentangy has caused a shift in strategy. The old plans for the property around the new Giant Eagle included some restaurants, which may be on hold to avoid a restaurant war. The Giant Eagle will now have the cafeteria style food of the Market District, figuring the fast-casual market segment is filled but aiming lower will have some success.
Giant Eagle is not commenting until the store is ready to open.
(Jan. 23rd, confirmed it’s a Market District store)
Hofbrauhaus
The TVN says that a restaurant and German-style beer hall called Hofbrauhaus will be built in the southeast corner of the yard. This is now an empty field in front of the office building and Hyatt Place.
Yea, more development, more tax income for us Grandview residents, but – another restaurant? How many can the area support, after the Millers and the Pizza Cucinova are both completed? The story talks about another office building to be built in the future, we need more of those (plus the retail sales stores that have been so slow to appear).
The last “Great Idea” was “lets tear the place down”
First, a little review of the history of Grandview Yard and cooperation with Columbus.
When the plan for Grandview Yard was announced back in 2007 , there was a big sticking point. Access to the Yard is funneled by the rail bridges at Goodale and another at Third Ave., and the exit ramp off SR315 is not built for high traffic. All of the needed high cost road upgrades are inside the city of Columbus. All of the original plans for the Yard sited the buildings (and the taxes they generate) inside Grandview.
For two years Mayor Coleman balked at signing any agreement that had so much costs for his city, with so little upside. There was talk about the Yard helping the general area of Columbus on the periphery of the Yard, but with no real guarantees this would happen. The experience of the Arena District taught that new development can explode in one place, while leaving areas outside (the rest of the downtown) to wither.
In 2010, Columbus signed a deal to help with the construction of the Yard, after some incentives were offered. A big chunk of land that was inside the city of Columbus on the north side of Third Ave. was added to the plans (this is where the Giant Eagle is supposed to be built), and Nationwide promised to move 1,400 jobs to Columbus from Dublin. After the TIF agreement was signed, it was supposed to be full speed ahead for the Yard.
Where are the buildings?
The build up of Grandview Yard has been much slower than we were lead to believe. The great recession had much to do with that, but now that corporate profits are back up, we were supposed to see the buildings in the Yard jump up with great speed. Phase 1 had a hotel, an office and a fitness center. Then things stalled. The HealthSouth facility will employ more than 120 people, but the thousands of jobs that were promised have not arrived.
Instead we have an odd situation like the Giant Eagle, announced with much fanfare, utilities and parking lots built, then … nothing. We read stories about construction to begin soon, but no firm commitment.
Columbus takes the lead
Instead, the action is at the outskirts of the Yard, in Columbus, outside the land owned by NRI. Two large apartment buildings were built, at Third Ave. by the tracks, and on the Goodale connector past SR315.
Two new restaurants are planned for that section of Olentangy by Third that had an old bank and the former Lyons video production building. Millers Ale House, a casual-dining, sports-theme restaurant (a Florida based company with 64 locations) was announced early in May, and now Sbarro has said they will build a fast-casual food operation called “Pizza Cucinova” next door.
The general area of Olentangy seems to be successful for many businesses, the Fish Market always has a full parking lot, Cap City has a long and successful run here. If anything is questionable about this location, over-saturation of restaurants is an issue. Yes, the Yard may in the future provide a new locus of customers, but will the area support this many restaurants until the Yard has been filled?
Will these outlying food operations suck the life out of the yard before it has even been fully born?
I think Mayor Coleman is a pretty smart guy. I noticed that in that TIF agreement, parts of Olentangy near third were included. Which probably explains why the bank on the corner is now torn down, and two new restaurants are on the way up.
Watching Grandview Heights 