The Downtown Commission has approved demolishing the historic Spaghetti Warehouse building at 397 W. Broad St. The over a century old and iconic space in Columbus's fabric will be dismantled to make way for a new development. According to Columbus Underground, the Commission's decision came after reviewing the building's deteriorating condition and a plan for its redevelopment.
Despite the site's conceptual plans, with no detailed rendering presented, the commission greenlit the demolition principally over safety concerns and a belief that the developer will provide more complete plans soon. In a statement obtained by Columbus Underground, attorney Mike Shannon detailed how a recent exploration of the structure with a structural engineer revealed how "people have been in the building recently and inflicted significant damage," including the theft of antiques and destruction of interior elements like copper pipes and stained glass windows.
The current plans involve the construction of two new six-story buildings with around 235 apartment units, 30 percent of which are promised to be affordable housing. Speaking to WBNS, the developers also assured that they would provide a Historic American Buildings Survey as part of the conditions before demolition. The same source reported that there is no definitive date for the demolition, as the conditions imposed by the Downtown Commission must first be met.
This action signals the end of an era, recalling the building's legacy as the Spaghetti Warehouse restaurant from 1978 until its closure in 2022 due to a roof collapse. FOX28 echoed the commission's safety concerns, citing the structural unsoundness that led to unknown individuals causing further damage inside the storied building. WBNS further reported that the site will initially serve as a parking lot, with additional construction plans featuring apartments and parking facilities underneath the pipeline.
