Link Ahead with the City of Dublin, Ohio
Link Ahead with the City of Dublin, Ohio
From Vision to Vibrancy: The Next Era of Bridge Park
A half-empty strip mall and old driving range transformed into an internationally acclaimed mixed-use marvel! That's the Bridge Park story, and it's only getting better.
Ten years into this groundbreaking development, Crawford Hoying executives Matt Starr and Jessica Rexer reveal the secret ingredients behind Dublin's dynamic 30-acre neighborhood that cities nationwide are eager to replicate. The recipe? Flexibility, community responsiveness, and a powerful public-private partnership that earned Bridge Park a gold award from the International Economic Development Council.
Currently home to 456,000 square feet of office space, nearly 750 residential units, and 200,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, Bridge Park continues to evolve beyond its original footprint. Two more major projects are now taking shape as Matt and Jessica dive into those details with Lindsay and Bruce.
The Link—the world's longest single-tower S-shaped suspension bridge—has become both a physical connector and symbolic centerpiece for Dublin, though interestingly, Bridge Park operated for three years before this architectural gem was completed. This carefully curated neighborhood continues to thrive with dynamic, year-round programming, from the Dublin Market (now in its seventh season with 125+ vendors every Saturday) to seasonal celebrations like Boo and Brew, Harvest Market, and holiday festivities.
What's next for this thriving destination? With ongoing expansion expected to continue for another five to seven years and a newly refreshed website at bridgepark.com, Bridge Park stands as a testament to what happens when visionary planning meets passionate execution. Come experience it for yourself!
Hello and welcome to Link Ahead the City of Dublin podcast. At the City, we rely on strong partnerships to deliver the services amenities our residents expect, whether with businesses, residential communities or in mixed-use developments, where Dublin brings together the best of both worlds.
Speaker 2:And boy do we have a model for that. It's not only a destination for Dublin and central Ohio, but cities all over the country want to replicate it. We're talking about Ridge Park, of course, and with us today to talk everything happening this summer and beyond are Jessica Rexer and Matt Starr, both executive vice presidents from Crawford Hoyne. Welcome to Link Ahead.
Speaker 3:Thanks for having us.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having us. Well, let's jump right into this summer, tell us about the summer calendar and maybe highlight some of the real biggies. For example, 4fest for the Memorial Tournament was another huge hit, right.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so it's hard to believe, but we're already well into our summer programming at Bridge Park. Like you mentioned, we kicked things off with a bang with 4Fest in partnership with Memorial Tournament, presented by Workday, and this free event was a blast for everyone. We had more than 15,000 visitors per day. There was live country music, a great drone show, fun activations and really just a ton going on for the whole family to enjoy.
Speaker 1:So someone who doesn't know about Bridge Park says, okay, I want to come in for the day. How should I take it in? So what is your answer?
Speaker 3:Well, it depends, because we can appeal to so many different ages and groups of people, but for me, I think one of the best experiences is to come on a Saturday morning and to park on the West side and to walk across the link to the Dublin market. That's a great way to experience the energy that exists in the neighborhood. I think after that you could take in brunch, stroll the neighborhood and then maybe end up in Riverside Crossing Park with a Dora beverage, although if you haven't done it, kayaking down the river is a really great experience that a lot of people haven't had. That you can see so many different perspectives and so much wildlife down there. That's really enjoyable.
Speaker 2:Okay, then you dock the kayak and you get out. You dry off, Jessica, why don't you pick it up from there? What do you do the rest of the afternoon and evening?
Speaker 4:Assuming this is adults only evening, I think that we'd probably go over to Penn's. I mean, we have some fantastic entertainment establishments at Bridge Park, so you want to experience that for sure. Maybe check in at the AC Hotel and then grab a bite for dinner, maybe cross that bridge again and go over to the Avenue, have some great views, a nice drink and then cap it off at Faso for a nightcap Right.
Speaker 2:There's so much to do, but let's dive a little bit into the backstory. This property was once famously a half-empty strip mall and an old driving range. Crawford Hoying had a transformational vision and started construction on Bridge Park a decade ago. Today, bridge Park is 30 plus acres of dynamic retail living, restaurant, office space and entertainment venues. That's really become the mixed use development to emulate. I want to ask first, sort of what is the secret sauce, so to speak, and how has the plan evolved? I know at first you didn't think you would need as much office space and weren't planning on multiple hotels. How have you been able to, you know, just stay so in tune with the market?
Speaker 3:First and foremost, flexibility is really key to what we do. We listen to what people like, what they ask for. We try to follow trends. I think we're all in tune to what's happening in the local market and we all travel at least our leadership team does pretty extensively. So we see things we like and we try to respond to that, and it's been received very well by the community and they continue to challenge us to do more.
Speaker 1:I mean I can't believe it's been 10 years. I mean you lived it every day during this. We lived it trying to tell the community what this was going to be like. But you know we and we talked about this before on the podcast that we've had aerials and we had videos to show what it's like and if you go back and watch that it looks just like the fly through. I mean it's super well planned.
Speaker 3:Modern technology helps a little bit, but I'm really proud of our entire team on what we've accomplished, because, while there was only a handful of us at the beginning, it doesn't become a place without the whole team right, and so we have to activate these spaces. You just can't build buildings, and I think that's what I'm most proud of is how we all come together to pull off these great activities that happen in the neighborhood. I think that's what I'm most proud of is how we all come together to pull off these great activities that happen in the neighborhood.
Speaker 1:I think that's a good tee up. We can dive into various sections of Bridge Park. So how much space is dedicated to office, residential and retail entertainment?
Speaker 3:So, as it stands today, we have about 456,000 square feet of office. We have just under 750 residential units it's about three quarters of that is for rent and then the remainder for sale and we have about 200,000 square feet of retail restaurant space.
Speaker 1:So overall, how much is of Bridge Park is built out?
Speaker 3:So when you think about Bridge Park, I always think about what the original footprint was. So that's about 30 acres, so about 90% of that is built out. There's about two acres behind the North Market and you'll see development activity happening there starting in about 60 days.
Speaker 2:All right, let's talk about that. I think you might be talking about Block J on that one. Can you give us the lowdown on that development?
Speaker 3:So block J is about five acres. It is outside of the original footprint of Bridge Park. We have a hundred thousand square foot office building. That will start first You'll see that happen across the street from Spring Hill Suites. Half of that is already committed to a tenant, so we're very excited about that. We're also going to build the first phase of condominiums in that block called the ellis. That has approximately 90 units and then there's a parking garage to support both of those uses plus a future potential future building is that tenant announced?
Speaker 2:are you going to announce that here today?
Speaker 3:that tenant has been announced synovus energy is the tenant and they, they, um. They already exist in the city of Dublin. They have an economic development agreement with the city to expand, so we're excited to bring them into the neighborhood.
Speaker 2:I heard a lot about that. Also heard a lot about Block Y, the next development sort of on the horizon. This one's gotten a lot of buzz given the partnership with Cameron Mitchell for the first Cameron Mitchell Hotel. So tell us about this block and the timeline for development on that one.
Speaker 3:So we're very heavy into the planning stage. This is a complex project because if you can imagine that site at the roundabout and people drive by it and probably don't pay that much attention to it there's a lot of grade change because the site will have to build up to the existing grade where the former Montgomery Inn sits. So we will be in planning and zoning for our preliminary development plan in mid to late September. That would be our second meeting. We've already been there for concept plan. There's three components to this project. There's the hotel, but there's also a condominium building and there's also an office building plus the associated parking. So it is a long development planning process. With our design team I expect it'll take about another year to get to that point where we can start construction and we're hopeful to open in mid-2029, which seems a long way away. There's a timeline always with those projects, but if we keep expanding outside the original boundaries it could be another five to seven years of development.
Speaker 2:So are there leasing opportunities available right now, and what opportunities are coming?
Speaker 3:There's always leasing opportunities. We're always open for business. If we don't have the space now, we might have it later. So if anyone is interested office, retail, restaurant, other please call. Please write.
Speaker 1:The letters will come pouring in. I know. All right, let's get to some of your big, exciting recent announcements. Palm Valley Cocktails opened this summer. Bristol is getting a lot of buzz. What is the latest that you can share with us?
Speaker 4:Palm Valley has been such a great addition to the Bridge Park neighborhood and Bristol is certainly the live venue. Music venue is going to be a fantastic addition as well. Unfortunately, we don't have anything new to report just yet, but it's important to say, or to let you know, that we say no a lot more than yes to potential tenants. We always want to get the right fit and be additive to the neighborhood and the community.
Speaker 2:Well, we want to take a moment to really appreciate the partnership between Crawford, hoying and the city. We know how special it is, and that's not just our opinion Bridge. Park has been internationally recognized, including earning a gold award in public-private partnerships from the International Economic Development Council. So can one of you talk about the shared vision, energy and sophistication it takes to accomplish something huge like this?
Speaker 3:I think it's important to note that the vision started with the city of Dublin. Before Crawford Hoyne came to the table with Bridge Park, the city was smart enough to identify shifts in population and demand around 2010. So the Bridge Street District vision was really led by the city of Dublin and without that vision, bridge Park would not have happened. Similarly, what we have been able to accomplish does not happen without a very close partnership with the city of Dublin. They're always available to have a conversation, the back and forth that happens. It is critically important to be able to have the success that we've had and there have been obviously changes in leadership that have happened over the course of the last 10 plus years. But that consistency of partnership has never wavered and that support from council, that support for planning and zoning, has always been there.
Speaker 1:All right. So we've heard you get calls, emails back to letters and visits from other municipalities. So how frequent are they calling you up and what is their number one question they ask you?
Speaker 3:It's pretty frequent I would say more, from surrounding states that have been here for business or some other reason Usually they're here for football games, or whatever the case may be. They're always asking the same question how can we do this in our community? The answer is it's really difficult. Obviously, dublin has tremendous financial resources to be able to execute projects like the Link, like Riverside Crossing Park, and also to be able to support the development as they have. So I always talk about that, first and foremost, with potential partners.
Speaker 2:You mentioned the link, matt, and that is the longest single tower S-shaped suspension bridge in the world, a literal connector of new to historic Dublin, and really sets us apart. We at the city obviously love the link and we assume you do too. Can you both talk just a little bit about how central it is to Bridge Park's identity?
Speaker 3:I'll say first that one thing you have to remember is that Bridge Park opened three years before the link. So while we planned on it coming, it wasn't certainly assured and the timeline was not certain, but it absolutely has enhanced the neighborhood.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think it's such an incredible connection and symbol for the city of Dublin as a whole. Being somebody that's from the city of Columbus and seeing what this was prior and then seeing that actual downtown Dublin connection from historic Dublin over to Bridge Park has just been an incredible thing to experience and it truly has become the symbol of Dublin.
Speaker 1:Jessica, can you talk about a preview of the rest of this year? And then the fall and winter comes.
Speaker 4:So we're already halfway through the Dublin market season. This is our seventh season which is crazy to hear about.
Speaker 4:It runs 9 am to 12 pm every Saturday throughout the streets of Bridge Park. We're up to 125 plus vendors every week. Lots of fun activations, live music a ton to do. This year we've brought the Columbus Zoo, the Columbus Crew, fitness on the street with yoga and Pilates, and you're going to continue to see additional activations happening. New this year we are doing Summer Thursdays, which is five to seven every Thursday throughout the season at Bridge Park. Live music, again, lawn games, door activations, drinks and specials. And then every other Thursday, North Market hosts its Night Market from six to nine, which has vendors, a closed down street or closed down portion of Longshore Street. Just a really fun experience.
Speaker 4:In addition to the fun summer activities that we have planned, we're also programmed all the way through fall and looking into winter as well. Fall we've got Boo and Brew, which is one of my personal favorite events, happening on October 22nd from 5 to 8 pm, which is family friendly, free for all to attend. Halloween treats from businesses, DJ and more. And then the Harvest Market, which will be back on Saturday, November 8th, from 9 am to 12 pm, which is autumn-themed Dublin Market, and then, looking into winter, 12 Days of Bridge Park is back Merry Market on December 6th from 12 to 3 pm. Our 30-foot holiday trees throughout the district, Santa and a lot more happening.
Speaker 2:There's so much going on every season and a great way to stay informed is bridgeparkcom. I know you just did a big refresh of your website. That's a complete guide to everything, so tell us more about that, jessica.
Speaker 4:Yes, thank you so much for asking about that.
Speaker 4:We are incredibly excited about the newly launched Bridge Park website, which is wwwbridgeparkcom. It's been a few years in the making. It was quite the undertaking, as you can imagine. Dot com it's been a few years in the making. It was quite the undertaking, as you can imagine. But the new website includes an interactive map, a tenant directory, information about parking, the partnership with the city of Dublin and our other communities organizations, a blog and event calendar. So just please go check it out. Let us know what you think.
Speaker 1:All right, we wrap every episode by asking our guests a few rapid fire questions, so we hope that you two are ready.
Speaker 2:They look ready.
Speaker 1:They look very ready. Jessica, let's start with you. We know picking a favorite restaurant is like choosing a favorite child, but give us some of your favorite lunch and dinner spots in Bridge Park.
Speaker 4:I could never choose a favorite child Restaurant though. Restaurant fine, I her child Restaurant, though Restaurant fine, I was going to say I think Kitchen Social is a crowd favorite throughout Bridge Park. I mean Breakfast, lunch, dinner. It's always good.
Speaker 4:And it's always busy, so I'll throw out a few others. I think North Market Bridge Park has been, like I mentioned earlier, just a great addition to the community. It gives you a ton of variety and options, and so it's a great spot if you've got picky eaters or select choosers, so that's always a go-to All right, Matt.
Speaker 3:For me I would say the bar at Cap City is a great place to have lunch. It's always busy and active. You always see somebody you know in there, Although I do love La Nviade in the North Market for dinner the Pearl.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right For that lunch. Do you get the chocolate cake or no chocolate cake? No chocolate cake.
Speaker 3:Okay, all right, just a fair question. I want to know what are your favorite restaurants? The?
Speaker 2:Avenue is great, jeans is amazing.
Speaker 1:Heard about that today.
Speaker 2:I love that place. I love Fido. Honestly, I love Fido. I think they're underrated, especially for brunch, and just like going and hanging out. Rebel North Market hits it out of the park if you're going with a group of people.
Speaker 1:I love Rebel, I love everything.
Speaker 2:If we could eat Rebel every day. All done, I know it's good and it's good for you. All right, After 10 years of this truly groundbreaking project, what's been the biggest surprise in this last decade with the entire development?
Speaker 3:For me, it's the demand for office space. In a post COVID world, I would not have imagined that we would build as much as we're building. Obviously, we're getting ready to start another building. There will be more, because it's what companies demand. If they're going to come back to work, these are the types of environments they want to come to.
Speaker 4:Specifically a walkable mixed use, lots of options and things to do.
Speaker 1:All right, matt. Sometimes success can bring a downside in that, how do you top this? So the question is how do you do?
Speaker 3:this Well, the good thing is is that none of us are ever satisfied with where we're at right. It's the old adage If you stay still, things will move past you. So we are always looking to think about how we can be better and what's going to be next. So we're always watching those trends and tenants that might want to come to the neighborhood.
Speaker 4:If you see us picking up trash yes, that's us and just to piggyback off of what Matt said, we want it to feel authentic and relevant. So always chatting about like what are we missing, what do people want to hear, what's the newest thing? And and just making sure that we continue to think about what's relevant.
Speaker 2:On that note, if you both could bring your one dream retailer, one dream restaurant or one dream event to Bridge Park, what or who would it be?
Speaker 3:As a resident. I get lots of recommendations, but it's probably an Apple store.
Speaker 4:He took mine. He took mine.
Speaker 2:Okay, so you said you're looking for recommendations. I think Cooper's Hawk would do really well in. Dublin and also on North Star. So there are a couple of suggestions to add to your list and I think on my side.
Speaker 4:She had never heard those before it's like if you can pull some of these. Yeah, honestly, I think we'd love just more retail in general, but you know it's difficult because we can't do it at scale, or it's best to be done at scale, and at this point in the development process it's, you know, very difficult to pull off. But we're really proud of the restaurant, dining and entertainment destination that we've created at bridge park.
Speaker 1:Absolutely All right, right back at you here. Besides link ahead, obviously, what's the best podcast TV show or movie you're watching or listening to lately?
Speaker 3:I'm watching the waterfront on Netflix, but it's definitely not family friendly.
Speaker 4:Do we have a family friendly option?
Speaker 3:It might be the Quarterback.
Speaker 4:Oh yes, I actually was watching that Very good. Do either of you have recommendations for us?
Speaker 2:Oh, good question. You know what, since I kind of associate Bridge Park with foodies and great restaurants, I'm watching the Bear. I think it's in season four, maybe three or four, and I'm watching that. So if you haven't watched the bear, great um food, restaurant, vibe, uh, what is it A comedy? Is it a drama?
Speaker 1:Nobody, really understands it, but yeah, I would recommend that. I was super excited today because I saw a promo for Ted Lasso season, season four, not that they've even filmed a second of it but just that they showed him sitting around at a table and I was very excited because I love how positive that show is. Jessica Reckler and Matt Starr, thanks to both of you for being here and truly being partners with us here at the city.
Speaker 4:Thank you so much for having us.
Speaker 3:Appreciate your time today.
Speaker 2:All right, come back soon and to our listeners, thank you as well for taking the time to connect with your city. Tune in next time as we continue to explore the many personalities and experiences that make Dublin a thriving place to live, work and grow.
Speaker 1:Thank you.