Grandview Yard proposal outlines plans for 500,000-square-foot Nationwide campus, hotel and conference center
By: Katie Higgins
Projects represent more than $100 million in private investment
COLUMBUS, Ohio — In a meeting with members of Grandview Heights City Council on Monday evening, Nationwide Realty Investors (NRI) unveiled its latest development plans for Grandview Yard, including a new 500,000-square-foot Nationwide campus, 135-room hotel and 13,000-square-foot conference center. NRI President and COO Brian J. Ellis made the announcement.
“We’re pleased to have had the opportunity to present our plans to City Council and Grandview Heights,” said Ellis. “This is a great community and the proposed projects represent a tremendous opportunity for Nationwide and its associates, Grandview Heights and Grandview Yard.”
The new Nationwide campus, which would be located along Yard Street between Goodale Boulevard and Third Avenue, would include three, four-story interconnected office buildings with three adjacent four-level parking structures. The first building would include 320,000 square feet of space and open in 2016. The 160,000-square-foot second building would follow in 2017. The third building would open in 2019. Upon completion, the new campus is designed to support more than 3,000 Nationwide associates.
“This proposal represents a great win for our entire community, both the City of Grandview Heights and the overall Grandview area,” said Council President Anthony Panzera. “We are thrilled that Nationwide is willing to make this commitment and we look forward to working closely with NRI to finalize the details.”
The hotel and conference center would also open in 2016 and be located at the intersection of Goodale Boulevard and Yard Street. The hotel would be owned by NRI and operated by Columbus Hospitality, which also operates the Hyatt Place hotel at Grandview Yard. Also included in the plans is a new 2.5-acre public park that was presented as a neighborhood gathering place for both the project and the Grandview Heights community, featuring gently sloping topography, natural stone retaining walls and extensive landscaping.
“It is an important day in the history of Grandview Heights,” said Grandview Heights Mayor Ray E. DeGraw. “This development proposal is an outstanding catalyst for our community and for the future of Grandview Yard. Nationwide’s new campus project fulfills our city’s community planning vision that called for a vibrant mixed-use district offering professional jobs, an enticing residential lifestyle, vital businesses and an expanded tax base. It’s very exciting.”
NRI’s development plan and construction schedule would coincide with pending lease expirations in the Dublin and Westerville offices. Nationwide announced last week that approximately 3,600 associates currently located in these offices would transition to either the new Grandview Yard campus or Nationwide’s downtown offices in the Arena District over the next five years. Approximately 3,000 associates will transition to Grandview Yard and 600 associates will transition to offices downtown. Combined with the 1,800 associates that have moved downtown over the past two years, including those who moved to the 10 West Nationwide Blvd. building, Nationwide will have more than 10,000 associates located in downtown Columbus.
To view artist renderings of Nationwide’s development plans for Grandview Yard, click the images below.
Southeast view of Nationwide Campus showing from left to right, a parking garage and the first two buildings planned for the Nationwide campus.
Nationwide campus intersection of 1st Avenue and Yard Street showing from left to right, a parking garage and the first two buildings planned for the Nationwide campus.
Main Entrance to Nationwide campus off of Yard Street.
View of Nationwide campus main building looking northeast from Yard Street.
View of Nationwide campus facing the southeast corner of the park.
View of Nationwide campus main building entrance from Yard Street.
Northwest corner of the first building planned for the Nationwide campus.
About Grandview Yard
Located on the former Big Bear warehouse site at the intersection of SR 315 and I-670 in Grandview Heights, Grandview Yard is just minutes from Downtown Columbus, the Arena District, and The Ohio State University. Nationwide Realty Investor’s mixed-use Grandview Yard encompasses more than 100 acres, and when complete, will include a densely developed mix of uses, including office, restaurants, grocery, retail, hospitality and residential units. Grandview Yard is currently home to a variety of office tenants, the Hyatt Place Columbus/OSU hotel, LA Fitness and Buckeye Hall of Fame Grill. A Hofbrauhaus restaurant, Panera, and Giant Eagle Market District grocery store will open later this year. Grandview Yard is the first development in the Midwest to be pre-certified as a LEED-ND silver community, making it the highest rated neighborhood by USGBC. For more information about Grandview Yard, visit: www.grandviewyard.com.
About the City of Grandview Heights
The City of Grandview Heights is a full service city with a population of approx. 6,700 and a land mass of 1.3 square miles. The city is located within two (2) miles of the center of downtown Columbus. The Grandview Heights School District includes The City of Grandview Heights and The Village of Marble Cliff. As a typical “first ring suburb”, the city and its residents actively maintain the quality of residential areas, placing a high regard on the quality and diversity of housing options. The Economic Development Strategy recognizes that success requires adaptive reuse and redevelopment of its aging industrial areas, and major investment in public infrastructure in order to better connect adjacent state and federal highways. The city’s proximity to The Ohio State University, the Columbus downtown, and the emerging SR 315 Technology Corridor are key to its popularity, along with a vibrant pedestrian emphasis, entertainment, distinct variety of housing options, and vital neighborhood parks.
About Nationwide Realty Investors
Nationwide Realty Investors is the real estate development affiliate of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and the developer of the Arena District and Grandview Yard in Columbus, Ohio. Directly and through joint ventures, Nationwide Realty Investors owns more than $1.4 billion in real estate investments around the country. For more information visit: www.nationwiderealtyinvestors.com.
About Nationwide
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, commercial, homeowners and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; banking and mortgages; specialty health; pet, motorcycle, boat and farm insurance. For more information visit: www.nationwide.com.
Nationwide, On Your Side, Join the Nation and the Nationwide frame mark are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Tina Guegold
(614) 857-2336
[email protected]
Mark Winter
248.258.2333
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