A Franklinton development is moving forward several years after it was first proposed, with significant changes to the building’s layout, programming, and to the population it is designed to serve.
The 103-unit, five-story apartment building at 640 W. Town St. will house formerly unsheltered individuals. The development team, which includes Arch City Development and Bianchi Development Company, has the support of groups that work with and help to find housing for that population, including YMCA of Central Ohio, Mid-Ohio Board for an Independent Living Environment, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, Salvation Army, Community Shelter Board, and HEER to Serve.
The East Franklinton Review Board (EFRB) approved the latest design of the building at its meeting on December 17. The final vote was three-to-two in favor, but the approval came with several conditions, like increasing the size of a mural on the Grubb Street side of the building, and adding canopies and fencing to the entrances of the first-floor units…