A new neighborhood will be making its debut in Italian Village soon.
Concorde Capital, a real estate company that has constructed 4,500 units of housing in five states, is developing Jeffrey Place.
Located within the boundaries of 1st Avenue to the north, I-670 to the south, 4th Avenue to the west, and the railroad tracks to the east, Jeffrey Place is Concorde Capital’s first large-scale project.
Doug Ervin, a representative of Concorde Capital, said the 41 acres of space will include 1,000 housing units, 40,000 square feet of retail, 80,000 to 90,000 square feet of office space and four acres of green space.
“We hope to begin construction in March at the latest,” Ervin said. “Sanitary and sewer work will be part of the first phase followed by vertical construction.”
Living options include apartments, condominiums, single family homes and lofts. There are plenty of amenities that excentuate the urban lifestyle and appeal to college students and graduates.
Kate Harkin, project manager of Jeffrey Place, said there will be green space, a fitness center, retail within walking distance of residences, rooftop gardens, unique retail and dining, ethnic restaurants, and a dog park.
“There will also be an Intranet on site allowing for communication between residents, retail and restaurants,” Harkin said.
“We will have great interconnectivity with Italian village,” Ervin said.
Harkin said it is necessary to be aware of what is in the surrounding environment.
“It is important to honor what is already in the area,” she said. “We have to integrate into the existing neighborhood.”
Kim Simpson, manager of the Coffee Table in the Short North, said Jeffrey Place will probably be beneficial to the Short North area.
“I do have concerns about the rising rent prices of retail space in the Short North,” Simpson said. “Small business owners unable to afford the rent are moving out and people will have to turn to the corporate retail and entertainment of Jeffrey Place.”
Harkin said that is not the case at all.
“The retail we are looking for is complimentary to the Short North retail,” she said. “There won’t be competition with the Short North and I think we can draw people from different parts of the city to our neighborhood.”
Mary Martineau, the executive director of the Short North Business Association, said she does not see Jeffrey Place as competition either.
“Jeffrey Place is just a part of the revitalization and renovation of Columbus and anything that brings residents into a pedestrian neighborhood is good for the area,” Martineau said. “The Short North is an established neighborhood that has been around for 20 years. We are the real deal and our draw is the arts district and support for the arts.”
She is confident Jeffrey Place will not steal business from the Short North shops and restaurants.
Ervin said there is no specific targeting of any class of people and the marketing department is working out prices.
“We hope to bring a host of different people to the area and have a host of different markets,” he said. “Affordable rental units will lend themselves to a certain student population.
Concorde Capital is anticipating a finished project in about four years.
“There are a lot of pieces that took a long time to put together, but now we have the momentum,” Harkin said.
There will also be many opportunities for employment for college students.
“Students can come get jobs in retail and restaurants, as well and internships with businesses,” Harkin said. “If students have an interest in public health, they can come work in our senior center.”
