Columbus has contracted with David Doup of Taylor Bros. Construction to guide the city through a test fit stage in the FairOaks Mall redevelopment.
Mary Ferdon, Columbus executive director of administration and community development, said the city has determined its priorities for the mall space and is now completing a test fit to allocate square foot usage, determine adjacency and identify any mechanical, plumbing and electrical issues.
As the city works through the test fit process, Ferdon requested that the Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety approve a contract not to exceed $10,000 with Taylor Bros. Construction and David Doup to provide input and ensure everything squares up with what the city’s hired design firm, MKSK, is doing.
MKSK, based in Columbus, Ohio, is a collective of architects, urban designers and planners with studios in Indianapolis and several other cities. In April, the FairOaks Community Development Corp. Design Committee selected MKSK to help guide the city through the process of defining the future of FairOaks Mall and Donner Center.
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Local residents received a first glimpse of a preliminary conceptual master plan for the mall property earlier this month during the third public-input meeting at the mall, revealing rough ideas for where certain types of facilities might be located.
The redevelopment could include an air-supported dome or conventionally-built field house to house indoor soccer, basketball and other sports facilities, said Tom Brosey, a consultant working with the city on the project.
The former JC Penney store, which faces 25th Street, could be repurposed into a main entrance to the mall property, according to a drawing of the plan presented at the meeting.
The rough plan also showed Columbus Regional Health occupying the former Carson’s store. Currently, CRH is in the process of defining what types of facilities and programming the health care system would locate at the mall, said Jim Bickel, hospital president and CEO.
“We see an opportunity here to really look at where we have a lot of services sprinkled around the community at various locations that have evolved over the years where we might now be able to consolidate, bring them together for ease of access, convenience and to better serve our patients and customers,” Bickel said.
Other proposed facilities included in the rough plan included group fitness and exercise spaces, hydrotherapy, multi-purpose meeting and activity spaces, retail, child care spaces, among other possibilities.
On Dec. 14, 2018, the city finalized the purchase of the 35.36-acre mall property at 25th Street and Central Avenue for $5.9 million. The city put up approximately $4 million, or 75 percent of the property’s appraised value.
Columbus Regional Health contributed $1.3 million, or 25 percent of the appraised value. Additionally, the Heritage Fund — The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County committed to providing $450,000, which is the difference between the selling price and the appraised value. Under state law, the city could not pay more than the appraised value.
The impetus behind the purchase is to transform FairOaks Mall into a community wellness and sports tourism complex. Multiple uses for the FairOaks Mall property have been discussed.
Ferdon said Doup is familiar with the City of Columbus, having assisted in an extensive look at Donner Center in 2017 and 2018. Taylor Bros. Construction has also been involved in work at the mall during the last 30 years, Ferdon said.
“They know the ins and outs of all the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, both in and out,” Ferdon said. “So it’s really helpful to have their input.”
A final public-input session has not yet been scheduled, but is expected to be held in the first quarter of 2020.
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The fourth and final public-input session for the FairOaks Mall project has not yet been scheduled, but is expected to held in the first quarter of 2020.
Visit reimaginefairoaksmall.com for more information about the project.
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