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    Plan for Former Starling Middle School Site Moving Forward

    Affordable housing developer Woda Cooper Companies is moving forward with a plan to renovate the former Starling Middle School in Franklinton. The historic building, constructed in 1908, served as the original West High School and was listed on Columbus Landmarks’ Most Endangered list in 2021.

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    A more recent addition to the building will be torn down, and two new buildings will be constructed on the three-acre site. The historic building will be converted into a 45-unit apartment building, while the new-build portion of the project will hold 52 units.

    The property was one of five that the Columbus Board of Education voted to sell in January of 2020.

    Jon McKay, VP of Development for Woda Cooper, said that he expects work to start before the end of the year on the project, and that construction will proceed on both the renovation and the new buildings at the same time.

    The apartments will range in size from one to three bedrooms and will be affordable to renters making between 30% and 80% of Area Median Income.

    (Read More: Here’s What ‘Affordable Housing’ Means in Practice in Columbus)

    City council approved a zoning variance for the project, to be called Starling Yard, last year.

    The company has several other projects at various stages of completion:

    • A grand opening celebration was held in July for Wendler Commons, a 62-unit complex at 4860 Wendler Blvd, which sits on the other side of I-270 from Easton.
    • Construction started in March on Lockbourne Greene, a 60-unit apartment complex at the corner of Lockbourne and Smith Roads. Healthy Homes, a collaboration between Community Development for All People and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, is a partner in that project.
    • Work could start soon on McKinley Manor, a 44-unit complex at 1034-1048 W. Broad St., in Franklinton, that is being developed with the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority.
    • City Council approved a zoning variance in June for a 134-unit development at 1826 E. Livingston Ave. that will require the demolition of the former Farm Crest Bakeries building. That building was listed on Columbus Landmarks’ 2022 Most Endangered list.
    A rendering shows the two new buildings that will be constructed on the site – by PCI Design Group.
    Another view of the historic building – photo by Brent Warren.
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    Brent Warren
    Brent Warrenhttps://columbusunderground.com/author/brent-warren
    Brent Warren is a staff reporter for Columbus Underground covering urban development, transportation, city planning, neighborhoods, and other related topics. He grew up in Grandview Heights, lives in the University District and studied City and Regional Planning at OSU.
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