The Columbus City Council has approved designating the former St. Bartholomew Church location as an Economic Development Target Area.
Rubicon Development Group plans to develop the block into a 60-unit, market-rate apartment complex with six townhomes. The nearly $9.3 million proposed project would include 42 units in a newly-constructed four-story building, 12 units in a three story building and six units inside the former church.
Council members also approved a nearly $1.2 million tax abatement on Tuesday for the site at the 700 block of Sycamore Street. The building has been vacant since 2001.
The owners will not have to pay taxes on the cost of improvement — just what currently exists — for a designated period of time. The project join others such as those approved for tax abatements including Kroger Marketplace, Upland Columbus Pump House, Zaharakos and the old City Hall near the Bartholomew County Library.
The market-rate apartment complex is being proposed for the former St. Bartholomew Church site and surrounding property near Central Middle School. The site had been targeted for affordable-housing units on at least two occasions, but previous developers were unable to obtain the state tax credits necessary to make the projects financially feasible.
