The project will be comprised of the following:
- A seven-story senior housing apartment building (managed by Traditions Management), with 142 assisted and independent living units, located on the northwest portion of the site, with a 6,000 square foot restaurant, including outdoor dining, on the ground floor facing Tremont Road.
- A seven-story building to the east/center of the property (managed by Coastal Ridge), along Northwest Boulevard, with five floors of 325, one- and two-bedroom apartments and two amenity courtyards over a two-story parking garage.
- Eight, two-story townhouses fronting Northwest Boulevard that would back up to the two levels of structured parking for the seven-story building.
- A seven-story community center building, visit the Community Center Ballot Issue and UA Community Center pages for more information.
- The structured parking arrangements, combined with surface parking, would comprise a total of 674 new spaces. Additionally, Continental has secured a shared-use agreement for up to 150 existing parking spaces at the north end of the Giant Eagle Market District parking lot, bringing total parking to 824 spaces.
- Relocation of the existing traffic signal on Northwest Boulevard and a new traffic signal at Tremont Road and Ridgecliff Road as an entrance into the site from the west, as well as a north/south internal drive connecting Kingsdale Center through to the Chase Bank parking lot.
- Construction is expected to begin in the Fall of 2021.
BZAP approved the Final Development Plan application in March 2021, with the following conditions:
- That the Future Third Building include a minimum 50,000 square feet of dedicated medical or professional office space;
- That all required electric, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and water easements be dedicated or vacated by City Council prior to zoning approval of a Building Permit for either building;
- That the applicant secure a Stormwater Management Permit from the City Engineer prior to any earth disturbing activities on the site and utilizes best management practices to minimize stormwater pollution;
- That a final emergency access plan be reviewed and approved by the Fire Division, which includes, at a minimum, mountable curbs in tight locations and the addition of “No Parking” and loading/unloading areas, prior to zoning approval of a Building Permit for either building;
- That the final design of the parking garage, including clearance and access, be reviewed and approved by Staff, prior to a zoning approval of a Building Permit for the Apartment Building;
- That the screening of rooftop mechanical units from street view, be reviewed and approved by Staff, prior to a zoning approval of a Building Permit for each building;
- That the final landscape plan be submitted during the BZAP review of the Future Third Building or before September 24, 2021, for review and approval by Staff, whichever is sooner;
- That the pedestrian amenity plan be revised to include at least one bike rack location near the Apartment Building (in addition to the existing proposed locations) and that a site be identified for public art (to be programmed by the City), with these revisions submitted for review and approval by Staff prior to a zoning approval of a Building Permit for either building;
- That a CoGo bike share station be incorporated into the site plan for the Future Third Building, and the plans be submitted during the BZAP review of the Future Third Building;
- That a compliant outdoor lighting plan, free of landscape, traffic and utility conflicts, be submitted during the BZAP review of the Future Third Building or before September 24, 2021 for review and approval by Staff, whichever is sooner;
- That the applicant submit a (future) comprehensive graphics plan application, which includes signage that is subdued in nature with halo-lit signage and pedestrian-oriented blade signs prior to a final zoning inspection for either building;
- That LEED® scorecards be submitted with the Building Permit applications showing eligibility for certification and include the installation of at least one electric vehicle charging station on the property;
- That a post-construction traffic study be completed and any necessary adjustments be made; and
- That the City reserves the right to address additional items on this application, as necessary, in the best interest of the City.
DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
In November of 2020, City Council authorized a Development Agreement with Continental that has received the support of the Upper Arlington School Board. Since a portion of this property is under consideration as the potential location for a Community Center, the Development Agreement was drafted to accommodate either of the two options outlined above.
Under this agreement, the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) will enable the City to issue bonds for public improvements that will be paid by the new property taxes generated from the site’s increased value once the development is complete. For the Community Center scenario for the southwest portion of the site, by the Schools agreeing to participate in the TIF, all of the new taxes will be dedicated to these improvements – representing a critical component of the funding mechanism for a Community Center, along with other public improvements. The Schools would continue to receive their share of property taxes generated by the site’s current value, and any new taxes from future School levies.
The high costs associated with significant redevelopment projects regularly require City participation to be economically viable. Funds generated by a TIF are typically used by the City to make public improvements to support the redevelopment, such as traffic, parking and other associated infrastructure improvements. The use of a TIF enables the City to capture future property taxes generated as a result of a property’s increased value to pay off any upfront investment.
WAKEFIELD FOREST NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC MITIGATION
- November 17, 2021 Public Meeting Video
- February 3, 2021 Letter & Traffic Improvement Exhibits
- December 17, 2020 Public Meeting Video
- November 19, 2020 Public Meeting Video
- Presentation | Poll Results | Frequently Asked Questions
The City’s Engineering Division is taking a detailed look at potential traffic and parking impacts the proposed project might have in the immediate area and for adjacent neighborhoods, in particular the Wakefield Forest neighborhood to the east of the project. The division hosted two public meetings for residents in this neighborhood to better understand their concerns and questions, and to begin a discussion of possible traffic mitigation solutions. Engineering Staff is taking that information under consideration as they work to develop a set of potential solutions. Please watch for updates on the next steps in this process. After gathering feedback, Engineering Staff have developed an improvement plan for both the Wakefield Forest Neighborhood and the Kingsdale project as a whole. These plans have been shared with the neighborhood and will be included in the final traffic study as part of the Kingsdale Final Development Plan application, which is scheduled for BZAP review and action in March.
Additionally, the pilot project for one-way westbound traffic on Trentwood Road, between Brandon and Northwest will be implemented on March 1. Message signs will be installed in advance of the change.
- BZAP Final Development Plan Review – March 24
- BZAP Work Session – March 3
- BZAP Hearing – March 24 – View Zoom Meeting (Passcode: 8Hru5&5%) | View Presentation | Download Audio File | Staff Report
2020 PUBLIC HEARING DETAILS
- Special City Council Meeting – November 30: Development Agreement Approved | Meeting Video
- City Council Meeting – November 23: Public hearing | Meeting Video
- Council Conference Session – November 16: First Reading, public hearing
- City Council Meeting – November 9: Council questions, public hearing | Meeting Video | Kingsdale Development Update Presentation | Traffic Presentation
- Special Council Conference Session: November 2 – Presentation overview of the proposed Development Agreement, Council questions, public hearing | Meeting Video | Kingsdale Development Agreement Presentation
LINKS & ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS
To view documents associated with the Final Development Plans and BZAP Staff Reports, search our Archives Portal – Development Projects using the following Project Names: Kingsdale Center
- Final Development Plan Submission
- Community Center Ballot Issue
- Kingsdale Traffic Impact Study, September 2020
- Developer Announcement for Former Macy’s Site at Kingsdale Shopping Center
- Kingsdale Study Area Plans, March 2001
- Community Center Feasibility Task Force
- Recorded Meeting, Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Kingsdale Public Meeting, November 19 2020
- Presentation, Kingsdale Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Public Meeting, November 2020
- Poll Results, Kingsdale Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Public Meeting, November 2020
- Frequently Asked Questions, Kingsdale Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Public Meeting, November 2020
- Recorded Meeting, Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Kingsdale Public Meeting, December 17, 2020
UPDATED October 29, 2020
The following FAQ sheet has been prepared to provide Upper Arlington residents and stakeholders with quick answers to common questions about the redevelopment of the Macy’s site at Kingsdale. If you have additional questions or wish to share comments with us on this proposal, please contact us at [email protected].
Why are the buildings so tall?
The zoning for the Kingsdale Triangle Planned Mixed-Use District allows for buildings up to 96 feet in height. The Senior Housing building is 86 feet high, the Apartment building is 75 feet high and the Community Center will be around 110 feet in height. From a planning perspective, we believe this level of density is appropriate for several reasons:
- First, it is not out of scale with other buildings on Tremont and Zollinger roads – The Ohio State medical facility is 75 feet in height and the adjacent Arlington Crossing condominium building is 67 feet high.
- Second, the site is located within the Kingsdale triangle and is not adjacent to or even across the street from any single-family homes. The closest single-family home on the Northwest Blvd side of the development is 300 feet away, and behind a row of two-story apartments with significant tree cover. We believe there is one single-family home with a direct sightline to the development, and that home is more than 400 feet away on Trentwood Road. The closest single-family home on the Tremont side of the development is more than 1,000 feet away.
- Third, density that mixes in residential and office space with existing uses is key to increasing the vibrancy of the Kingsdale Shopping Center and surrounding restaurants, amenities and retail businesses. For retail and restaurants to thrive, you need to combine disposable income and density. We believe this development will help bring that to Kingsdale.
- Finally, a long-held goal for the City’s commercial districts emerging from the 2001 Master Plan has been to maximize their revenue-generating potential. To achieve this goal, and with just five percent of land in Upper Arlington zoned for commercial use, zoning is in place to encourage more dense redevelopment projects that maximize their income tax and property tax revenue potential, benefitting both the City and the Schools.
Why can’t the existing building be reused?
When the City looked at purchasing the property, we concluded that the existing building is in poor condition, with asbestos and has high ceiling heights and column spacing that would make re-use impractical. Continental, the site’s developer, has no use for the building as is.
What will happen to the blue bricks?
The Upper Arlington Community Foundation will be releasing plans for future fundraising..
Why didn’t the City just buy the property?
The City submitted two offers to Kroger in January/February 2020. One was to buy the property outright for $6.25 million, based on an independent appraisal of the property. The second offer was to pay Kroger $600,000 upfront to have them tear down the building and regrade the site, while giving the City two years to pursue redevelopment options and an option to purchase the property within that two year period for a total of $10.5 million (the price Kroger paid approximately six years ago).
Those offers triggered Kroger to pursue a Request for Proposal (RFP) process with private developers. It is our understanding that several developers offered above our $10.5 million offer and agreed to close by the end of the year. The selected developer – Continental Real Estate – has shared publicly that their offer is for $12.5 million.
Why isn’t there more retail/restaurant space identified in the plan?
The proposed development would strengthen the existing retail and restaurant environment within the Kingsdale triangle. Kingsdale already has significant retail and restaurant space in the shopping center, on Tremont, and in the general area. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had been seeing an increase in vacancy rates and a turnover of retail and restaurant tenants in the area. We believe this new development would increase demand and in turn enhance the types of businesses and restaurants in Kingsdale. The addition of several hundred residents would be a huge boost to the small businesses that operate in the area. If a community center is built at the site, it would attract even more people to the area, giving Kingsdale its best hope of attracting new businesses and keeping those already here healthy.
How does this deal compare to other projects in Upper Arlington?
If you look at the amount of TIF dollars reinvested in the project compared to the amount of revenue generated for the City, this project compares favorably to recent projects like the Lane II and Arlington Gateway. If you then consider the impact on the City if a community center is constructed, this would have a very broad community benefit.
The City has previously provided this kind of assistance for both projects across from the Shops on Lane, the Arlington Gateway project and Arlington Crossing on Tremont across from Kingsdale.
How many K-12 students would all the apartments generate?
Contrary to what many people would expect, similar apartment buildings both in Upper Arlington and across the region typically do not generate a large demand on schools particularly if the residential units are smaller in size. For example, the existing apartments on Lane Avenue currently have only three children living in a complex of approximately 100 one- and two-bedroom units. The proposed apartments at Kingsdale would be comprised exclusively of one- and two-bedroom units, or senior living units.
How much money would this take away from the Schools and would it increase my property taxes?
The schools would continue to receive the same property tax revenues from the Macy’s site that they receive today. There would be no impact on your property taxes.
Will there be affordable housing options in the apartments?
The City does not have any requirements related to rents for the residential units. Continental is not planning on targeting a price point that would qualify under state of federal affordable housing programs.
Can you prevent another bank from opening a branch at the site?
Within the proposed redevelopment plans, space is not available for a bank. Most bank branches require a drive through, which would likely require a variance, at which point the City would have strong influence over the design of a bank.
Can you redevelop all the way to the point?
The Chase Bank building and the small shopping center at the point are under separate ownership and are not part of this proposal. While it could be helpful to redevelop those parcels at the same time, an expanded development could be too much for the market to absorb right now. Letting the community absorb the Macy’s redevelopment first is a good outcome under these circumstances.
What impact would this redevelopment have on the Kingsdale Shopping Center?
This project would bring new vitality to Kingsdale and the surrounding area, at a time when retail and restaurants are struggling. While the property is well maintained, Kingsdale hasn’t undergone a significant update in almost 10 years. Vacancies are rising at the center and on surrounding properties. While we expect that Kingsdale will remain viable, all retail is going to need to adjust to a changing market. The addition of over 460 new housing units within the Kingsdale Triangle would represent an incredible influx of new customers and energy for the center and adjacent properties.