Campus Partners has named itself the developer of the University Gateway Center.
Campus Partners, founded by Ohio State and the city of Columbus to bring new commerce and a new environment to the university district, has also identified Jones Lang LaSalle, a company specializing in corporate real estate and investment services management, as the development manager of the Gateway Center.
The company’s other projects include the Technology Square at Georgia Institute of Technology. Ken Markgraf and Herman Bulls are the managing directors for Jones Lang LaSalle.
Jones Lang LaSalle’s expertise with retail-oriented, mixed-use developments, particularly in university environments, will help Campus Partners and other University District stakeholders to successfully restore High Street as a hub of activity, entertainment and commerce, the company said in a statement.
Jones Lang LaSalle will work on a fee basis.
“We are working on a fee basis to be compensated for the resources we can provide and our thought processes, with no intention of earning revenue from the completed Gateway Center,” Bulls said.
Terry D. Foegler, president of Campus Partners, said his organization has confidence in Jones Lang LaSalle. It manages millions of square feet of market and will help create the right mix of retail, entertainment and living experiences, he said.
“Our job as development managers is to make sure Campus Partners’ needs are taken care of and be a single point of contact to keep things on track in a hands-on manner. As adviser to Campus Partners, our job is to concentrate on strategic issues and implement those strategies,” Bulls said.
As the model for the Gateway Center evolved it became apparent that Campus Partners should name themselves developer and use Jones Lang LaSalle as the overseer of the project, said Steve Sterrett, spokesman for Campus Partners.
Jones Lang LaSalle has been working with Campus Partners since September.
“We wanted to reach an agreement with Jones Lang LaSalle, but didn’t want to make an immediate announcement and then come to a roadblock,” Foegler said.
The University Gateway Center will present a mix of local and national retailers, restaurants, bars, office spaces, living spaces and a parking garage, Sterrett said.
The next step will take place in March, as Campus Partners plans to begin public improvements, such as construction work on curbs and utility lines. Construction is to begin late this year, and Campus Partners anticipates an opening date of Aug. 1, 2005.
“I want to see a finished product of a vibrant active avenue for people to live, work, play and have fun and create meeting places for social gatherings,” Bulls said.
The Gateway Center will be a visible symbol of improvements of the University District and help change the perception of the South Campus area with implementations of strategies to improve the vitality of High Street, Sterrett said.
