New buildings to add more than 600 apartments Downtown

Five new apartment complexes are expected to open in Downtown Columbus in 2019, continuing the wave of new housing in the center city.

Together, they will add more than 600 apartments, topping the 500 or so that opened in 2018.

Developers hope the new apartments and ones on the horizon finally add some nightlife to a Downtown that still largely rolls up the carpet at 5 p.m.

“Once this big onslaught of available units gets filled, we’re going to see more vibrancy and more foot traffic,” said Brad DeHays, project developer of Connect Real Estate. “This creates a well-rounded mix of housing Downtown."

DeHays' Microliving at Long & Front will welcome its first residents in February or March, offering 37 apartments ranging from 307 square feet to 735 square feet and $929 to $1,289 in rent.

Driving the revival of downtown living, in Columbus and elsewhere, is a desire to be in a walkable environment, said Rob Vogt, managing partner of the Columbus-based apartment consulting firm Vogt Strategic Insights.

“I think it’s a completely changed from when Baby Boomers were growing up and they drove to everything," he said.

Also pushing the construction is the ability to walk to work.

“People that are living in Downtown are working Downtown and don't have to deal with a commute," said Adam Trautner, vice president of Stonehenge, the developer of 330 E. Oak Street Apartments.

The nine-story complex, scheduled to open the end of the summer near OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, will include 93 apartments and a three-story parking garage. Rent has not been set.

The three other downtown projects set to open in 2019 include two prominent High Street projects: the Edwards Companies' project at 85-111 N. High St., which will include 231 units when it opens in the spring; and Lifestyle Communities' Beatty Building, at 245 S. High St., which will include 146 apartments when it opens in the spring.

The Matan at 261 S. Front St., also developed by Lifestyle, is expected to include 117 apartments when it opens in the winter, according to Vogt.

The number of people living Downtown has been on the rise in recent years and the population as well as the number of housing units have more than doubled since 2004. There were 8,400 people living Downtown in 6,084 housing units in 2017.

“I think the apartments will add to the vibrancy of downtown,” said Tony Lococo, president of the Downtown Residents Association.

He hopes the new apartments and residents will usher in not only more bars and restaurants, but also services such as corner markets and pet stores.

mhenry@dispatch.com

@megankhenry