Downtown’s Citizens building apartments to be converted into condos

COLUMBUS, Ohio (COLUMBUS BUSINESS FIRST) — The apartments at the historic Citizens building are being converted into condos.

Jeff Edwards of Edwards Cos., who developed the building, said there is more appeal in that location for a for-sale product. He also said he always planned to turn the building’s apartments into condos, but he needed to own the property for five years first to comply with tax credit rules related to the building’s historic status.

There are 63 units at 51 N. High St., which will be called The Citizens Condominium. The building has access to the bar on the ground floor and a rooftop amenity. Residents can also make use of the pool at the neighboring Edwards apartment complex, The Nicholas. The Nicholas and the Citizens building are connected by an underground tunnel.

The renovation of the historic Citizens Trust and Savings building was Edwards’ first project in the High and Gay area.

His firm then developed The Nicholas, a six-story, mixed-use development at the northwest corner of the intersection of Gay and High streets. That project includes 232 market-rate apartments, 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, and a 400-space parking garage. It opened in 2019.

The Nicholas will remain apartments, Edwards said.

Pat Perkins, a Re/Max Affiliates agent who is listing the condos, said there has been good activity and interest in the condos. A variety of real estate agents have given tours of the new condos. All tenants were given the option to buy their unit, Perkins said.

“It is really clear that the tenants love the building,” Perkins said.

Edwards said with many new jobs coming to the region attracting out-of-state employees, people coming from an urban environment might enjoy living in a place like the Citizens Condominium.

“It is a special location and it is very desirable for someone who wants to be an urban dweller,” Perkins said.

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