The Wall Street Journal - 08.11.2019

M8| Friday, November 8, 2019 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

Good-Buy

Columbus

Developer Brett Kaufman, top left, in the Blue Room of his newly renovated home in the Columbus suburb of Bexley. He added 4,000 square

feet to the original 1928 layout. Outside, the property features a tennis court, basketball court, pool and pool house.

Families are drawn to single-family homes in
the suburbs, while empty-nesters are buying
condos in walkable areas downtown or in the
Short North, she says. German Village, with
its large inventory of historic homes, com-
mands the highest per-square-foot prices,
about $300, she adds.
“The job growth in the urban areas is re-
ally extending the run,” says Mark Wagen-
brenner, 52, president of Thrive Cos., a devel-
oper specializing in rehabbing neglected land.
In some neighborhoods, buyers have seen
their houses nearly double in value since
2015, which stimulates more buying, he adds.
But there are
growing pains. De-
velopers, including
Mr. Wagenbrenner,
worry about the in-
ventory exceeding
demand. And while
neighborhoods are
walkable, many don’t
have sufficient public
transportation. That
means traffic conges-
tion, particularly in
dense corridors like
High Street in the
Short North, he says.
After buying a
run-down building
for $680,000 in 2008
in the Short North,
Brady Konya and his
husband, Kyle
Boettcher, worked with the city to rezone the
warehouse area to include residential proper-
ties. Once that was successful, they took their
time before starting a nearly $1 million project
to transform the former buggy-storage space
into a 3,000-square-foot condo, says Mr.
Konya, 47, co-founder of the local Middle West
Spirits distillery. Coming from Seattle, he was
surprised by the affordability. “I sold my
condo in Seattle and said, ‘Wow, we could buy
a building,’ ” says Mr. Konya.
Inside the one-bedroom with two baths,
they installed modern skylights, metal kitchen
cabinets and a sliding garage door that func-
tions as an oversize window. “We tried to be
consistent with some of the aesthetics of the
neighborhood,” adds Mr. Boettcher, 37.
The two-story building includes another
unit on the same floor and a commercial space

Continued from page M1

Columbus is the
14th-largest city in
the U.S. and the
fastest-growing in
the Midwest. Annual
increases:

2018 – 892,533
2017 – 881,763
2016 – 866,918
2015–855,012
2014–841,740
2013–827,824
2012 – 812,711
Source: Census data

POPULATION
ON THE RISE

Interior designers Catherine and Bryan Williamson did most of the remodeling themselves in

the vintage Olde Towne East home, keeping the original floors and adding classic molding.

RYAN KURTZ FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (5)

Renovation cost: estimated $2.15 million

AARON M. CONWAY FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (2); CATHERINE WILLIAMSON (HOME EXTERIOR)

Renovation cost: $200,000

2-TO 4- BEDROOM RESIDENCES FROM $1.5M

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for the condominium and no statements should be relied upon unless made in the prospectus or in the applicable purchase agreement. In no event shall any solicitation, offer or sale of a unit in theThese materials are not intended to be an offer to sell, or solicitation to buy a unit in the condominium. Such an offering shall only be made pursuant to the prospectus (offering circular)

condominium be made in, or to residents of, any state or country in which such activity would be unlawful. FOR NY RESIDENTS ONLY, SEE CPS-12 OFFERING PLAN FOR ADDITIONAL TERMS.FILE NO. CP18-0139. Image Copyright DBOX. Created by CATAPULT13

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