Retail returning to Downtown at 2 sites near Columbus Commons

View Larger The Bottom Line Other Business Features Local Stories from ThisWeek More Articles By Steve Wartenberg The Columbus Dispatch Friday October 31, 2014 2:04 AM

The pace of retail development Downtown is picking up, as two projects near Columbus Commons revealed plans to add tenants.

Highpoint on Columbus Commons has signed up its first three tenants: a fast casual restaurant; a new cold-press juice company that does not yet have a name; and a mobile-phone store. They are expected to open in the spring.

Todd Schiff, vice president of the Robert Weiler Co., co-developer of Highpoint with Atlanta-based Carter, declined to name the restaurant.

He also said space remains on the first floor of the mixed-use project for two additional and larger restaurants.

In a separate development, the creator of the popular Harvest pizzerias will open a nonpizza restaurant in the 250 High building, a 12-story, $50 million Daimler and Kaufman Development project at 250 S. High St. The mixed-use building is expected to be finished in June.

The Downtown resurgence is being fueled by millennials, empty nesters and others who want to live and work in amenity-filled urban centers.

About 70 percent of Highpoints 302 upscale apartments have been leased.

The interest has grown significantly over the past year (since Highpoint opened), Schiff said. Were having to turn people away and are looking at only the stronger retail tenants.

Meanwhile, the 250 High building includes retail space on the ground floor, topped by five floors of offices and then six residential floors with 120 apartments.

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Retail returning to Downtown at 2 sites near Columbus Commons