Granville Woods Lofts is officially open for business on Columbus’s East Side, with Woda Cooper Companies cutting the ribbon on Wednesday on what is billed as a roughly $21 million mixed-income multifamily project. The new Driving Park-area complex brings about 118 apartments across two nearby buildings, plus ground-floor commercial space and on-site community amenities, with developer leaders and city officials on hand as company president Jeff Woda addressed the crowd.
City records describe Granville Woods Lofts as a two-phase, 118-unit mixed-use development on the edge of the Driving Park neighborhood, with Granville Woods Lofts II listed at 860 Rhoads Avenue. The filing notes that the project sits just steps from COTA service along East Livingston Avenue and includes a dedicated community space, according to the City of Columbus.
Project Details And Financing
A final application to the Ohio Housing Finance Agency details the budget and unit mix, listing a total development cost of roughly $21.96 million for one phase and a 58-unit layout for that portion of the project. The documents also show the developer seeking low-income housing tax credits and planning to reserve most units for households earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income, per the Ohio Housing Finance Agency.
Property listings from Woda Cooper identify two addresses for Granville Woods Lofts, at 910 Rhoads Avenue and 860 Rhoads Avenue, and advertise in-unit laundry, a community room, and on-site management. The listings state that applications are now being accepted and provide leasing contact information, according to Woda Cooper’s property page.
Local Backing And Public Support
City documents show that Columbus signed off on the use of affordable housing bond funds and a grant agreement with a local CDFI to help close the project’s financing gap, moves officials said were aimed at preserving affordability and speeding up construction. The ordinance language and related bulletin spell out the city’s commitment across both phases of the development, according to the City of Columbus.
Local coverage reports that the opening ceremony featured remarks from Jeff Woda along with city leaders, who cast the project as a way to add income-restricted rental housing on the East Side. Coverage of the ribbon-cutting and the developer’s comments is available from Columbus Business First.
Why It Matters
Granville Woods Lofts is one of several recent affordable and mixed-income developments that local officials and funders say are needed to keep up with rising housing costs across Central Ohio. The Affordable Housing Trust’s Regional Impact Fund lists Granville Woods Lofts as a 118-unit project serving households in the 50%-80% AMI range and underscores the public-private financing structure behind the buildout, per the Trust.
Prospective renters and nearby residents seeking details on availability, income limits, or move-in timing can find leasing and application information on Woda Cooper's property website. For more context on the grand opening and the developer’s remarks, see the coverage from Columbus Business First.
