Why a construction crane briefly loomed over Grandview Heights

GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A construction crane rose near Grandview Heights as another step in two sizable residential projects being built on demolished properties.

More specifically, the crane was positioned near West Fifth and Grandview avenues in the Fifth by Northwest neighborhood of Columbus. As of Tuesday, however, workers had disassembled the crane and it disappeared from the work site. A separate construction crew doesn't have cranes, but has deployed boom lifts as they work on a property next door to Meister's Bar on Chambers Road.

Before the crews could begin on their respective projects, they had to bulldoze existing structures at both properties starting in August. The 1350 W. Fifth Ave. project has been called Fifth X Northwest Apartments, and the Chambers Road project has been dubbed the Langham Community.

Both of the projects -- launched by separate owners -- share a common goal of whittling away at a housing shortage in Columbus, thanks to its growing population. With analysts predicting another 700,000 people will move to the city in the next 25 years, the Fifth by Northwest apartments and affordable housing downtown are examples of attempts to address growing demand.

Fifth X Northwest Apartments

Photos tell the story of the 1350 W. Fifth Ave. property over the course of the year, demonstrating its quick conversion. An excavator sat outside the property, which had its windows removed, at the end of August. After flattening the property, a concrete and wooden framework slowly appeared through the beginning months of 2024. The crane was visible as recently as April as concrete stairwells rose from the retail floor of the property.

The local developer Effler Commercial set its sights on what it called a "functionally obsolete" 1950s office building in 2023. It traded hands for $0 in a pattern seen over two decades, with the last owner to take it being Fifth X NW Property, LLC. The last group to spend money to acquire it was Grandview CBS Limited, which paid $1.5 million in 2000, according to records from the Franklin County auditor.

Effler's president, Erwin Effler III, told NBC4 that his company's Fifth X Northwest project will come with 164 residential units, 194 parking stalls and 10,000 square feet of ground retail space facing the street. The building will also include attractions like a second-floor pool and rooftop lounge.

Effler III told NBC4 that crews should finish the new apartments in the summer or fall of 2025.

The Langham Community

A series of property takeovers from 2021 to 2022 led to a wide patch on the north side of Chambers Road getting flattened. Chambers Road Holdings bought multiple spaces and cleared them out, including the former home of Westwood Cabinetry and Millwork and a bracelet shop called DLJQY, according to Franklin County auditor records.

Since then, a single property called the Langham Community has risen in their place. It will be next-door neighbors with Meisters Bar, which was left untouched.

Photos taken Monday showed concrete arches forming on the east side of the new building, with some windows also having glass installed. The southwest corner of the building is in a much earlier stage of development, as its wooden skeleton remains exposed.

A marketing director for the developer, Preferred Living, previously told NBC4 that the structure will contain 180 apartments spanning four levels. The building will also have two levels of parking.

The company predicts the apartments will be completed in early 2025.