Brewery District (Columbus, Ohio)

The brewery district's four sub-areas each has a distinct personality. They are the Northern Tier, the Transitional Tier, the Southern Tier, and the Whittier Street Peninsula.[1]

Schlee House, home to the Germania Society since 1927

The Northern Tier is bounded by 1–70 on the north, Pearl Street on the east, Sycamore on the south and Short Street on the west.[1] This tier is close to the Scioto River and has much of the district's earliest development. It is characterized by its remaining historic, industrial buildings featuring much brick and having very little to no setback. Some industry still remains in this tier, but the area has experienced large-scale re-development. The Germania Singing and Sport Society building, the former Schlee Mansion, is the oldest building on Front Street. This building, at 543 S. Front Street, (photo to the right) and its carriage house both appear in a 1870 city plat. The Schlee Brewery was recently adapted for mixed-use, including some residential units and specialty commercial spaces. This Schlee Brewery project and others have set the tone for this tier's re-development. In July 2019, it was announced that the L. Hoster Brewing Company site (including the former Wasserstrom Building) at Front Street and Livingston Avenue would have a $70 million redevelopment. The Hoster site is proposed to include a hotel and restaurant.

The Southern Tier includes the area south of Frankfort to Greenlawn Avenue, between Pearl Street and the Conrail tracks.[1] This area is primarily residential and is composed mainly of two- or three-story brick buildings with front yards, streets with side alleys, and other features common in residential neighborhoods. Architectural styles are similar to those in German Village. A loss of character has occurred in some areas of the district due to demolition and re-construction of homes.

The Transitional Tier is very much in transition, with large blocks of land purchased to make way for development. This tier is bordered by Sycamore on the north, Pearl Street on the east, Frankfort on the south and the Conrail tracks on the west.[1]

The Whittier Street Peninsula, also called the Oxbow, includes all of the area west of Short Street to the Scioto River, from 1–70 to Greenlawn Avenue.[1] The area is used for local government facilities, manufacturing and warehousing. In addition, much of this area is under public ownership and some has been proposed to be included in the 800 acre Park plan.[1]

Shadowbox live theater

In the late '90s to early 2000s the Brewery District again became a popular spot in Columbus. It was the destination for many young professionals on weekends, with many opportunities to drink or dance. This flourishing period was short-lived due to the opening of a few bars on Park Street near the new Arena District area. The remaining businesses in the Brewery District focused on “becoming more of a destination restaurant,” according to Doug Griggs, owner of CBC Restaurant, but the nightlife seemed over.

After 2011, a comeback appeared to be underway. The Worly Building was renovated into a theater and bar complex to house Shadowbox Live and World of Beer, which helped bring life back into the area. Between 2010 and 2016, the Brewery District gained a nightclub (Double Happiness), winery (Via Vecchia), live music venue (Outland on Liberty) and several places to dine (Backstage Bistro, T. Murray's Bar & Kitchen and Section 8 Yakitorium). Those with a hand in the Brewery District's redevelopment feel the prosperity will last longer because it focuses less on entertainment and nightlife and more on developing a historical, mature, and residential feel.[6]

The Scioto Audubon Metro Park is a 120-acre park featuring many activities including wetlands, a dog park, and a rock climbing wall. A significant feature is the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, which serves as a stop for migrating birds. The park backs up to the Scioto River.[7]

The Born Brewery Building

The Born Brewery building is the only remaining building of Born Brewery, one of four German breweries located on South Front Street during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and was constructed in 1895. The building, which was the brewery's bottling plant, was the Salvation Army Thrift store for a time. In 2007, the building was sold to developers for $2.3 million, who renovated it into 47 apartments. In 2009 the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[8]

King Gambrinus statue

Also known as the “Drunken King,” this statue in the Brewery District was located over the August Wagner Brewery. August Wagner, a Barvarian native, came to Columbus in 1900 and was the L. Hoster Brewing Company's brewmaster. After the Gambrinus Brewery was built, August Wagner bought all the stock and became the brewery's owner. He changed the name to August Wagner Brewery and adopted the statue of King Gambrinus as their symbol to maintain a connection to his Bavarian roots.[9] King Gambrinus, according to legend, invented beer to woo his boss's daughter while he was apprenticing under him as a glass maker. The brewery later closed and was eventually demolished, but the Columbus Dispatch saved the statue of King Gambrinus. They had him restored and placed in a pocket park on the corner of Front and Sycamore. He remained there until 2000, and he now sits in a new park at the front of the district.[10]

Located at the district's center on South Front Street, this architecturally out-of-place structure was built to house horses for the attached Hoster Brewery.[11] More recently, from 1996 to 2011 it was the home of WWCD, also known as CD101 or CD102.5, a local independent alternative rock station. In 2011 it was renovated to accommodate its most recent tenants: World of Beer, Shadowbox Live and the attached Backstage Bistro.[12]