Bulldozers are finally headed for Sugar Run. Steiner + Associates is moving from plans on paper to actual construction for the Hamlet at Sugar Run, a compact mixed-use neighborhood just outside downtown New Albany. The project is designed to weave new housing, small-scale retail and public green space along the Sugar Run stream corridor. Early site work has already started, and the developer says the first phases are expected to open later this year.
As reported by Columbus Business First, Steiner has moved from permitting into construction on the roughly 33-acre development. The report notes that the team is shifting from demolition and site preparation into full construction this spring, which should mean more visible activity along the New Albany-Condit Road corridor. That timeline lines up with recent permitting and site-work updates that the city and developer have circulated.
The City of New Albany project page outlines the master plan and unit mix for about 32.6 acres at the southwest and southeast corners of New Albany-Condit Road (State Route 605) and Central College Road. The current plan calls for 40 flats, 128 townhomes and 27 detached single-family homes. It also describes an 8-plus-acre park and a civic green, to be named Resch Commons, that will run along the Sugar Run stream. The page notes that initial site preparation began in March and that openings are projected to begin in summer 2026.
Steiner + Associates markets the site as roughly 35 acres and lists up to about 200 residential units and as much as 40,000 square feet of commercial space, positioning the hamlet as a walkable, pedestrian-oriented center. The developer emphasizes a compact street grid and a central green as the organizing feature of the neighborhood. Those numbers are described as targets that could shift with final leasing and construction sequencing.
What Will Be Built
The hamlet is planned to combine multiple housing types with ground-floor retail scaled to nearby residents. The City of New Albany hamlet standards call for roughly 200 square feet of commercial space per dwelling, a ratio meant to keep street-level activity steady. The design focuses on smaller, service-oriented businesses such as cafés, neighborhood groceries, offices and personal services rather than regional retail. Public amenities in the plan include playgrounds, art installations and a half-mile leisure trail loop within the streamside park.
Timeline and Approvals
New Albany approved rezoning for the site in December 2022, and the Planning Commission signed off on a final development plan in 2024, clearing key regulatory hurdles for construction. Archived meeting materials and Planning Commission video document the rezoning decisions, design conditions and public comments that shaped the final plan. With those approvals in hand, Steiner is set to progress through staged road and utility work before vertical construction begins.
Why It Matters
Planners say the hamlet is intended to knit a compact, walkable center into New Albany’s expanding neighborhood fabric and to capture more everyday spending in and around downtown. The site is being marketed as shovel-ready and close to downtown amenities, according to a Cushman & Wakefield listing, while Steiner points to a long record of mixed-use development in the region on its own development pages. That combination of ready land and an experienced developer helps explain why the project is moving forward now.
Residents can expect staged roadwork and park improvements along Sugar Run over the summer as infrastructure is installed and foundations go in. City staff and Steiner officials say they will post updates to municipal and developer channels as construction phases and timelines are refined.
