Construction on Bridge Park could start in August.
Dublin City Council members last week heard the first reading of an economic development agreement with developer Crawford Hoying and the passage of the agreement would trigger the start of construction.
"We're waiting anxiously to get started, specifically on block C," said Brent Crawford, principal and founder of Dublin-based developer Crawford Hoying.
The company has been planning and preparing for Bridge Park for about three years and once an economic development agreement is inked aggressive construction work could start within a week or two, he said.
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Building demolition and land moving has already been going on to get the site ready, Crawford said.
"We want to make sure we hit the ground running," he said.
Bridge Park could bring a lot of action to the east and west sides of the Scioto River over the next few years.
Condominiums, offices, retail and restaurant space is planned for the west side of the river on about 2.4 acres east of High Street and north of North Street in Historic Dublin.
Plans for the area, called block Z, gained approval from the Architectural Review Board April 15. That project is in building permit review, pending the approval of the development agreement between the city and Crawford Hoying.
Across the river on about 31 acres of land east of Riverside Drive and north of state Route 161, block C is expected to get work rolling.
Plans for that block were approved by the planning and zoning commission June 11 and building permits are also waiting on economic development agreement approval.
Beside block C, block B is expected to get started later this summer or in fall once it gains approval from the planning and zoning commission.
Blocks B, C and Z are all part of the first phase of Bridge Park, which would include 152,000 square feet of office, 106,000 square feet of restaurants, 19,000 square feet of retail, 376 apartments and 40 condominiums, according to a July 10 staff memo to council.
Interest in the first phase of Bridge Park has been high, Crawford told council last week.
"We feel good about those first blocks because we have a lot of people signed up," he said of those who have signed leases.
Bridge Park East will follow the guidelines of the Bridge Street District with walkable, dense, urban-style development, and Crawford said outdoor space has become important both for residents and offices.
"A number of office tenants came not specifically because we have outdoor space, but it is one of the reasons," he said, adding those business officials said they have interest in holding outdoor meetings when the weather allows.
Another aspect of the design in the first phase of Bridge Park will be a pedestrian bridge spanning the street to connect a building with apartments to a parking garage.
"The parking garages won't look like traditional parking structures," Crawford said.
On the west side of the river, Bridge Park will follow the character of Historic Dublin, with two-story buildings along High Street.
The buildings facing the river will have significant patio space, Crawford said, to see the Scioto River and the planned pedestrian bridge.
Bridge Park West will also house a Cameron Mitchell restaurant, Crawford said.
If construction starts as anticipated, block B could be finished by next fall with block Z following at the end of 2016 and block C opening at the end of 2016 or beginning of 2017, Crawford said.
