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ULI Columbus to Honor the Legacy of Civic Leader John F. Wolfe
John F. Wolfe has been named the 2019 recipient of the ULI Columbus John W. Galbreath Visionary Award.
ULI Columbus recognizes city’s leading projects and honors John F. Wolfe in biennial awards program
November 22, 2019
COLUMBUS, OHIO (November 20, 2019) — ULI Columbus is pleased to announce the honorees of the Awards for Excellence, the first and only program recognizing the individuals, real estate companies and developments shaping central Ohio.
The ULI Columbus Visionary Award honors the late John F. Wolfe for innumerous contributions to the Columbus community. Wolfe is recognized for his significant positive impact on our region and the many achievements throughout his lifetime that exemplify the ULI mission and principles of creating and sustaining thriving communities. Former Mayor Michael B. Coleman presented the award to the Wolfe family at the awards ceremony.
“John F. Wolfe was the quiet leader who was content to let others take the credit,” said ULI Columbus chairman Keith Myers. “He approached all community decisions with a north star guiding him, which was to consider the best interests in the long term for the city and those who live and work here.”
ULI Columbus, a District Council of the global Urban Land Institute, recognizes three additional Awards for Excellence honorees for exemplifying the ULI mission and principles of creating and sustaining thriving communities:
Photo By Cory Klein Photography
Excellence in Development Large Scale: Bridge Park
Bridge Park, an entirely new neighborhood built on 30 acres along the Scioto River in Dublin, is more than just the keystone project of the city’s Bridge Street District—it is an example of how new urbanism can respond to changing demographics and lifestyles in suburban communities. The City of Dublin collaborated with Crawford Hoying and Elkus Manfredi to establish a public-private partnership, utilizing a Tax Increment Financing Structure combined with a New Community Authority to creatively finance public streets and parking structures. Today, the neighborhood has become a model for high-density, mixed-use development in a creative way, mixing retail, restaurant, office, and residential uses—often in the same building.
Photo By UA Creative Studios
Excellence in Development Small Scale: Aston Development
The Aston Development is masterfully woven into the surrounding Victorian Village neighborhood, situated between a hospital and a residential street with historic properties. The project’s three residential phases all possess their own unique stylistic identity while accommodating the unique challenges presented by the restrictions of the site. The first phase, Aston Place, consists of a 3-story apartment building over a parking garage. The garage was creatively designed as a semi-recessed basement, made to feel like a raised foundation, helping to maintain the scale of the neighborhood. The second phase, Aston Row, is a single long row of townhomes facing the courtyard across an alley, which was made to feel like a street. In the third phase, the Aston Estates condos were perfectly blended into the residential and historic nature of West Starr Avenue.
Photo By Erin Prosser
Community Impact: Weinland Park
Weinland Park is an example of responsible and respectful integration of a neighborhood—a sustainable development that is exemplary of the ULI mission. The first step in the transformation of Weinland Park was taken in 2003 when The Ohio State University and Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing acquired and stabilized more than 325 affordable Section 8 housing units through effective management and renovation. Recognizing that Weinland Park’s proximity to Ohio State’s campus and the Short North neighborhood made it susceptible to gentrification, the Weinland Park Collaborative was formed in 2008 with an innovative strategy. It provided families with affordable opportunities for rental, lease-to-purchase, and homeownership, while making critical investments in workforce development, education, health, and more. The turning point in the housing market came in 2014 with Weinland Park Collaborative’s private partner, Wagenbrenner Development, renovating 90 market-rate apartments and selling the first market-rate home. An unprecedented collaboration among 21 public and private entities has transformed Weinland Park from a distressed neighborhood into a true mixed-income, racially diverse community. Today, Weinland Park is a desirable neighborhood, experiencing its first population increase in 70 years.
For photographs of each project selected, please click HERE.
The honorees were selected by the ULI Columbus Awards for Excellence jury, comprised of real estate professionals from outside of the state of Ohio: Lizanne Galbreath, managing director of Galbreath & Company; Robert Lieber, executive managing director of Island Capital Group; Gretchen Milliken, director of advanced planning and sustainability for Louisville Forward, a division of Louisville Metro Government; Robbie Nichols, assistant project manager, The Nichols Partnership, Inc.; Local Jury Advisor: Squire Galbreath, president of Galbreath Investments.
ULI Columbus would like to recognize the finalists in each category for the 2019 Awards for Excellence:
Excellence in Development Large Scale
- 80 On the Commons
Excellence in Development Small Scale
- East Public
- The View on Grant
Community Impact
- Columbus Metropolitan Library 2020 Vision Plan Phase I
- Downtown C-Pass
- The Long Street Bridge Cap and Cultural Wall
At the Columbus event, the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation(CDDC) was acknowledged as a recipient of the 2019 ULI Global Award for Excellence for the Scioto Peninsula Cultural District. Eleven outstanding real estate development projects from around the globe, including projects in China, Russia and Singapore, were honored with the Award for Excellence, widely recognized as one of the development industry’s most prestigious awards programs.
ULI Columbus’ Awards for Excellence is supported by Turner Construction Company, Easton Community Foundation, L Brands Foundation, M/I Homes, Huntington, The Robert Weiler Company, Vorys, Alex Fischer and Lori Barreras, Charlotte and Jack Kessler, Pat and Yaromir Steiner, and Joy and Bruce Soll.
About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute (www.uli.org) is a global nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has over 40,000 members representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.