Explanation
Background:
Pursuant to Ordinance No. 2822-2017, the City and Wagenbrenner Development, Inc. (the “Developer”) entered into an Economic Development Agreement dated December 22, 2017 (the “EDA”) for the Developer’s approximately 55.707-acre Grandview Crossing project that will redevelop property located at the northeast corner of Dublin Road and Grandview Avenue (the “Initial Property”). In the EDA, the City committed to cooperating with the Developer to establish a new community authority pursuant to R.C. Chapter 349 to support the redevelopment of the Initial Property. On April 12, 2019, an affiliate of the Developer, 810 Grandview LLC, submitted to the Clerk of City Council the Petition for the Organization of the Grandview Crossing Community Authority. By Resolution Nos. 0144X-2019 and 0183X-2019, City Council, as the “organizational board of commissioners” for all purposes of R.C Chapter 349, established the Grandview Crossing Community Authority and the Grandview Crossing New Community District over the Initial Property following prior notices and a public hearing held on May 15, 2019. Ordinance No. 1742-2019 authorized the Director of the Department of Public Utilities, aka Columbus Water and Power, to execute a Utility Cooperative Agreement by and among the City of Columbus, the Grandview Crossing Community Authority, and the Developer, or its designee, related to the ongoing operation and maintenance of water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer infrastructure for the redevelopment of the Initial Property.
Pursuant to the EDA, 810 Grandview LLC and the Grandview Crossing Community Authority desire to add adjacent territory to the Grandview Crossing Community District encompassing the rear portion of the Franklin County Engineer’s Office’s property at 970 Dublin Road (the “Additional Property”). On or about May 1, 2026, 810 Grandview LLC and the Grandview Crossing Community Authority submitted to the Clerk of City Council a written consent for the Additional Property pursuant to R.C. Section 349.03 (the “Consent”). By Resolution No. 0122X-2026, City Council, as the aforesaid organizational board of commissioners described and required by R.C. Chapter 349, determined the sufficiency of the Consent, set a public hearing date on the Consent, which was held June 4, 2026, and authorized notices for such hearing. This resolution certifies that the public hearing was held in compliance with the requirements of R.C. Chapter 349. Therefore, this resolution also: authorizes the expansion of and defines the boundaries of the District by adding the Additional Property to the Initial Property; expresses City Council’s authorization that the Consent is approved and will be conducive to the public health, safety, convenience, and welfare; and declares that the Additional Property is intended to result in the development of a new community without jeopardizing the plan of the new community. This resolution will authorize an amendment to the aforesaid Utility Cooperative Agreement for the same purposes therein but to now also include the Additional Property. The City is submitting separate legislation for City Council consideration to authorize a first amendment to the existing Tax Increment Financing and Cooperative Agreement dated June 1, 2020 by and among the City, the Authority, and 810 Grandview LLC.
Fiscal Impact: No funding is required for this legislation.
Title
To approve the consent to add property to the Grandview Crossing Community Authority’s new community district under R.C. Chapter 349; to authorize the expansion of such district and define the boundary of the district to include those properties identified in the consent; to certify compliance of the required public hearing on the consent to add property to such district; and to authorize an amendment to the Utility Cooperative Agreement with the Grandview Crossing Community Authority and Wagenbrenner Developer, Inc. or its designee, to include the additional property. ($0.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Wagenbrenner Development. Inc. (the “Developer”) is redeveloping approximately 55.707-acres of property located at the northeast corner of Dublin Road and Grandview Avenue (as depicted on Exhibit B attached hereto, the “Initial Property”); and
WHEREAS, the Developer planned a mixed-use commercial and residential development known as the Grandview Crossing project consisting of approximately 200,000 square feet of Class A office space, 900 apartment units, a 260-unit senior living facility, a 120-key hotel, 29,000 square feet of retail space, additional site improvements and amenities for the office and residential uses including surface and structured parking, roadway improvements, utilities, and green space; and
WHEREAS, to support the redevelopment of the Grandview Crossing project, Ordinance No. 2822-2017 authorized the City to enter into the Economic Development Agreement dated December 22, 2017 (the “EDA”) with the Developer to thereafter cooperate in the establishment of the Grandview Crossing Community Authority (the “Authority”) and the Authority’s new community district for the Initial Property (the “District”); and
WHEREAS, an affiliate of the Developer, 810 Grandview LLC, submitted the Petition for the Organization of the Grandview Crossing Community Authority under R.C. Chapter 349 (the “Petition”) with the Clerk of City Council on April 12, 2019; and
WHEREAS, City Council, as the “organizational board of commissioners” within the meaning of R.C. Section 349.01(F), adopted Resolution No. 0144X-2019 to determine that the Petition complied as to form and substance with the requirements of R.C. Section 349.03(A), fixed the time and place for a hearing on the establishment of the Authority and the District, and authorized notices for such hearing, which was held on May 15, 2019; and
WHEREAS, City Council adopted Resolution No. 0183X-2019 to determine that the Authority and its District would be conducive to the public health, safety, convenience and welfare and that it was intended to result in the development of a new community as described in R.C. Chapter 349 of, and to declare the Authority is organized as a body corporate and politic in the State of Ohio; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 1742-2019 authorized the Director of the Department of Public Utilities, aka Columbus Water and Power, to execute a Utility Cooperative Agreement by and among the City of Columbus, the Authority, and the Developer, or its designee, related to the ongoing operation and maintenance of water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer infrastructure for the redevelopment of the Initial Property; and
WHEREAS, the Petition and the EDA describe the initial boundaries of the District, which are coextensive with the Initial Property, and the Petition and the EDA allow for the addition of adjacent property to the District from time to time pursuant to R.C. Section 349.03(B); and
WHEREAS, 810 Grandview LLC and the Grandview Crossing Community Authority control the rear portion of the Franklin County Engineer’s Office’s property at 970 Dublin Road through leases of at least forty (40) years’ duration, options, or contracts to purchase, which includes a portion of the new parcel depicted on Exhibit A and such portion of that new parcel as more clearly depicted on Exhibit B (both exhibits are attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, the “Additional Property”); and
WHEREAS, 810 Grandview LLC and the Grandview Crossing Community Authority, authorized the written consent (the “Consent”) to be filed with the Clerk of City Council on May 1, 2026 to request that the Additional Property be added to the District under R.C. Section 349.03(B); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to R.C. Section 349.03(A) and Resolution No. 0122X-2026, City Council, as the organizational board of commissioners for the Consent, determined that the Consent was sufficient and in compliance with the required statutory requirements, and therein fixed a time and place for a public hearing on the Consent and cause notice of such hearing as required by statute; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Development certifies to City Council that the public hearing was held as advertised on June 4, 2026 as attested on the Certificate of Compliance with the Public Hearing Requirements attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Certification”); and
WHEREAS, this resolution will authorize an amendment to the aforesaid Utility Cooperative Agreement for the same purposes therein but to now also include the Additional Property; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development to approve the Consent and the Additional Property to the District as the City is also submitting separate legislation for City Council consideration to authorize a first amendment to the existing Tax Increment Financing and Cooperative Agreement dated June 1, 2020 by and among the City, the Authority, and 810 Grandview LLC; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That this Council finds and determines that it is the “organizational board of commissioners” of the Authority for all purposes of R.C. Chapter 349.
SECTION 2. That this Council further finds and determines that the owner of the Additional Property or other person who controls the Additional Property through leases of at least forty years' duration, options, or contracts to purchase has consented to the inclusion of the Additional Property in the District, and 810 Grandview LLC, as statutory developer of the Authority that signed the Petition, has not filed any written objections with the Clerk of City Council.
SECTION 3. That this Council approves and accepts the Consent, and the Consent shall be recorded, along with this Resolution, in the journal of this Council, pursuant to R.C. Section 349.
SECTION 4. That this Council finds and determines, pursuant to R.C. Section 349.03 that the expansion of the District to include the Additional Property: will be conducive to the public health, safety, convenience and welfare; will be consistent with the development of the Authority’s “new community,” as described in R.C. Section 349.01(A); will not jeopardize the plan of that new community; and is intended to result in the development of the new community.
SECTION 5. That this Council defines the boundaries of the District to now also include the Additional Property described in the Consent as well as the Initial Property described in the Petition as altogether collectively depicted on Exhibit B attached hereto.
SECTION 6. That this Council finds and determines that the public hearing was held as advertised on June 4, 2026 as attested by the Department of Development on the Certification.
SECTION 7. That this Council authorizes the execution and delivery of an amendment to the existing Utility Cooperative Agreement to include the Additional Property within the scope of the Utility Cooperative Agreement, so that the Authority may provide water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer infrastructure to the Additional Property in accordance with the terms of the Utility Cooperative Agreement; the Director of the Department of Public Utilities, aka Columbus Water and Power (together with his or her designee, the “CWP Director”), for and in the name of the City, is authorized to execute the amendment to the Utility Cooperative Agreement presently on file with the CWP Director, along with any changes or amendments thereto that are not inconsistent with this Resolution and not substantially adverse to the City, and which shall be approved by the CWP Director and the City Attorney, as evidenced conclusively by the execution and delivery thereof.
SECTION 8. That this resolution shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.