Two local developments were awarded Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits today. One of them – a proposal to renovate the former Continental Centre at 150 E. Gay St. – actually received credits last summer. The developers of the project reapplied for credits this round in order to take advantage of changes to the program resulting from Senate Bill 225, which was signed by Governor DeWine in June and went into effect in September.
Toledo-based Welltower and the Bernstein Companies (based in Washington DC) bought the Continental Centre in early 2021. The building was constructed in 1972 to hold the headquarters of Ohio Bell Southwestern.
Plans for the conversion, which were approved by the Downtown Commission in March, call for 336 apartments, first floor retail, and a rooftop pool.
The project was also submitted for the state’s Transformational Mixed-Use Development tax credit program, but was not one of two local developments awarded those credits earlier this month.
The other Columbus project to receive historic preservation tax credits this round is 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.
The historic credits are awarded twice a year.
See below for more information on the four central district projects receiving credits, as provided by the Ohio Development Services Agency and the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office:
Ohio Bell Southwestern Headquarters (Columbus)
Total Project Cost: $107,658,074
Total Tax Credit: $5,000,000
Address: 150 E. Gay St.
The Ohio Bell Southwestern HQ building in downtown Columbus was constructed in the early 1970s to house offices for the company. The currently vacant building will be reactivated as 336 studio, 1-, and 2-bedroom apartments with commercial space on the first floor and mezzanine. The rehabilitation project will retain historic features such as original windows and quartzite wall cladding on the interior.
West High School (Columbus)
Total Project Cost: $29,166,888
Total Tax Credit: $2,000,000
Address: 120 S. Central Ave.
Originally constructed in 1908, West High School is a former Columbus Public School building. The building has been vacant since 2014. The former school property will be repurposed into 45 affordable residential units. New construction on the site will add 52 other units.
Masonic Block Building (Caledonia)
Total Project Cost: $1,030,000
Total Tax Credit: $201,500
Address: 107, 109 and 111 E. Marion St.
The Masonic Block Building, constructed in 1897, is an anchor of the 1890’s Public Square within Caledonia. Prior to its vacancy in 2008, the site housed the area’s Masonic organization and its related businesses. The rehabilitation project seeks to revitalize three retail storefront spaces and encourage area residents and visitors to shop local.
McKinley Building (Mt. Vernon)
Total Project Cost: $73,720
Total Tax Credit: $20,500
Address: 6 W. Chestnut St.
The McKinley Building is a brick building near the historic Mt. Vernon public square. With its name carved into stone on the front elevation of the building, the Victorian-style building has served for decades as apartments in downtown Mt. Vernon, but now requires rehabilitation to, once again, provide six apartments to the neighborhood. The project will preserve the building’s historic façade and unique remaining historic fabric on the interior including woodwork, tile, and fireplaces.