English: February 14, 2021 - "A trio of Columbus developers have bought the former Kroger bakery on Cleveland Avenue with plans to redevelop the buildings and its 10-acre site.

Three Columbus developers bought the closed Kroger bakery property on Cleveland Avenue on Friday with plans to redevelop the 10-acre site.

Casto, the Robert Weiler Co. and the Kelley Cos. paid $8.15 million for the site on the edge of Downtown, which includes two century-old buildings.

The developers have no immediate plans for the property but envision renovating the two old buildings while adding other buildings, said Brent Sobczak, president of Casto Communities.

“Right now, we have no plans,” Sobczak said. “We view it as a great redevelopment opportunity, with two historic buildings and the ability to create a campus environment.” The site, on the west side of Cleveland Avenue immediately north of Interstate 670, includes two four-story brick buildings: a 155,000-square-foot building erected in 1914 where Ford once built Model T cars; and a 250,000-square-foot building that opened in 1928 as a Kroger bakery.

Kroger operated the bakery for decades until closing it a year ago, ending the jobs of 411 workers and the unmistakable scent of baking bread that wafted throughout the neighborhood.

The sale also includes a 1.3-acre sliver of land on Buckingham Street that Kroger used as a parking lot. Sobczak and Michael Kelley, a partner in the Kelley Companies, said they expect the development team to apply for historic tax credits to renovate the buildings.

“The opportunity lies in the large window openings, the high ceilings, the visibility from the freeway, the views back Downtown and all the excess land that can complement the historic buildings with new ones,” he said.

Sobczak and Kelley said the team will start coming up with a plan for the site soon, which could include a combination of residential, office and retail or restaurant components.

“All those different uses have been in discussion; it’s all on the table at this point,” Kelley said. “I think the planning stages will take at least a year and we’re looking at 2021 before we understand what we’re getting from the tax credits.”

Developers also need to remove contaminated soil on the site, Sobczak said.

Casto and Kelley have developed a specialty in recent years in renovating old buildings.

In Columbus, Casto transformed the former Julian shoe factory and the former Barrett Middle School into residences. In Cincinnati, it converted the former Baldwin piano factory into apartments.

The Kelley Companies, meanwhile, turned the former Hotel St. Clair in the King-Lincoln District into apartments and is renovating the Open Air School at Neil Avenue and West Hudson Street, into a mix of uses.

“We really like this type of development, repurposing these historic sites,” Kelley said."

Previous text from an article published in the Columbus Dispatch on February 28, 2020 Link to article with additional photographs of the building over the years: www.dispatch.com/business/20200228/kroger-bakery-property...