Construction crews have officially rolled into the long-vacant Kroger bakery and the neighboring former Ford assembly plant on Cleveland Avenue, signaling the long-awaited start of a major mixed-use overhaul that will convert the century-old brick warehouses into housing and hospitality space. The high-profile site on the north edge of downtown has been the subject of talk and speculation for years, and now it is finally tipping from planning into active construction.
As reported by Columbus Business First, work is underway, and the development is pegged at roughly $155 million. The outlet notes that the corner building at 457 Cleveland Ave. is specifically included in the renovation plans, a key piece in stitching the overall project together.
Who’s Behind The Project And What’s Planned
A local developer team of Casto Communities, the Kelley Cos., and The Robert Weiler Co. is steering the redevelopment, having acquired the complex after Kroger shut down the bakery in 2019 and then shepherded a mixed-use vision through city review. Plans submitted to city agencies call for preserving and rehabilitating the existing bakery and assembly structures and pairing them with new construction, with the goal of delivering several hundred apartments along with office space and ground-floor retail, according to Columbus Underground.
State Backing And Project Costs…