Downtown Commission: Plans Heard for Salesian Building, Continental Centre, PNC Tower

Plans to convert three different buildings to residential use were heard by the Downtown Commission this morning, although the projects are each at different stages of development.

PNC Building

Work has already started on the renovation of the PNC Building, at 155 E. Broad St. The Edwards Companies bought the 24-story office tower in 2016 and later got the go-ahead from the commission to remove the two-story glass atrium in front of the building and replace it with a new landscaped plaza that would include a large sunken garden, complete with waterfalls and a pond.

Today, Tony Thornton from Stantec Architecture presented a revision to the design of the plaza – instead of landscaping and outdoor seating along Lazelle Street, a new glass-enclosed structure would hold a restaurant space. Several commissioners praised the design of the new building and the revision passed unanimously.

(see also: Elevated Park Concept Proposed for Downtown)

Continental Centre

Toledo-based Welltower and the Bernstein Companies (based in Washington DC) bought the Continental Centre last year and plan to convert the 27-story building from office to residential use. Sean Beasley from Strada Architecture told the commission that the plan is to apply for historic preservation tax credits for the project, and that they have submitted it to the State Historic Preservation Office for review.

The commission approved the design of a rooftop amenity area with a swimming pool, but apart from that addition, the exterior of the building will not be altered in any significant way.

Beasley told CU that the current plan is for the building to hold a total of 344 residential units.

Salesian Building

A plan to renovate the former Salesian Boys and Girls Club at 80 S. Sixth St. was also presented to the commission at today’s meeting. Connect Realty bought the historic building in 2018 but had yet to come forward with a concrete plan to redevelop it.

Michael Polite, Senior VP for Boston-based Beacon Communities, said that “about nine months ago we were approached by the owner of the property who had for some time been trying to market it as a market-rate development.”

“Given our speciality [in affordable and mixed-income housing] we thought we would look at it as an affordable housing resource, and so we’ve been working with community stakeholders to build support and identify an appropriate market for that,” he added. “Specifically, we have been working with the YMCA, and we would expect and plan that about half the apartments would be used for permanent supportive housing.”

Plans submitted to the city call for a total of 75 units in the building, which would be preserved with an eye toward eligibility for historic preservation tax credits.

The six-story building was built in 1927 as a home for the Knights of Columbus. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was also listed on the 2018 Most Endangered list by Columbus Landmarks.

The project was reviewed conceptually, meaning no vote was taken, but commissioners were largely supportive of the proposal. The applicant indicated that they would likely return in two months for final approval.

For more information on the Downtown Commission, see columbus.gov.