Explanation
Background: The City has leased its property located at 229 Civic Center Drive as a restaurant within Bicentennial Park since 2010. The lease expired at the end of 2024 and in order to procure a new restaurant tenant in the most thorough and efficient fashion the City wishes to lease the facility and the spaces designed to accommodate two (2) food trucks to the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (“CDDC”) which would allow them to secure operators as subtenants. CDDC’s sublease agreements will require City approval. This legislation authorizes the Director of Finance and Management to execute a Lease Agreement with the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation, a non-profit corporation, as Tenant, whose primary purpose is to identify and secure a restaurant operator and food truck vendors at 229 Civic Center Drive, Columbus, Ohio.
Fiscal Impact: The Lease Agreement will generate an amount that contemplates the reimbursement or pass through of operational expenses paid for by the City including utility costs, property insurance and real estate taxes estimated to be $20,000.00 in the first lease year ($20,000.00). The proceeds shall be deposited with Recreation and Parks in the 2294 Fund ($20,000.00).
Emergency Justification: Emergency action is necessary to enter into lease agreement between the City of Columbus and Columbus Downtown Development Corporation in order to facilitate the financing of tenant improvements to secure a new end user of the vacant facility. Emergency action is also necessary to support short term programming for the 2025 spring and summer park season.
Title
To authorize the Director of Finance and Management to execute a Lease Agreement with the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (“CDDC”) for facilities located at 229 Civic Center Drive, and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the Department of Finance and Management, through its Real Estate Management Office, leased the City-owned property located at 229 Civic Center Drive to a restaurant operator whose lease expired on December 31, 2024; and
WHEREAS, in order to identify, secure and manage a restaurant operator and food truck vendors, the City is to enter into a Lease Agreement with the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation; and
WHEREAS, the initial term of the lease is to be ten (10) years commencing on or about July 1, 2025; and
WHEREAS, the Parties have agreed that any sublease agreement between the Tenant and the restaurant operators will require the approval of the Department of Finance and Management and the Recreation and Parks Department; and
WHEREAS, the Recreation and Parks Commission met on May 13, 2025 and voted to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to enter into a lease agreement with CDDC for the facilities located at 229 Civic Center Dr; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Department of Finance to enter into a Lease Agreement by and between the City of Columbus and Columbus Downtown Development Corporation in order to locate a tenant for the facility as soon as possible, thereby providing for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE;
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Finance and Management be, and hereby is, authorized to execute those documents, as approved by the Department of Law, Division of Real Estate, necessary to enter into a Lease Agreement with the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation, as Tenant, in order to secure and manage operators for the facilities at 229 Civic Center Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43215.
SECTION 2. That for the reason stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.