Emma G. Wozniak

Columbus-based journalist with a firm belief we all have a story to tell — and a passion for being the mouthpiece through which those stories can be shared with the world.

The Columbus Dispatch •

Work starts on first part of 38-building multifamily complex near OSU Airport

Construction has begun on the first part of a 35-building, multifamily community located near the Ohio State University Airport that will add nearly 500 residences to Columbus' Northwest Side.

OSU East, situated on a 27.5-acre site in the 2500 block of West Dublin-Granville Road in the Linworth area, broke ground Aug. 5, according to a press release from the Cleveland-based developer, The NRP Group. The market-rate housing community will include 11 three-story residential buildings with 336 uni...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Franklin County leaders challenge private sector on homeless funding

Some Franklin County commissioners are turning their frustration over a looming homelessness funding shortfall toward the Columbus business community.

After learning at their Aug. 6 administrative session that private fundraising was expected to account for 9% of the Community Shelter Board's upcoming budget, county Commissioners John O'Grady and Erica Crawley questioned why The Columbus Partnership – a private economic development organization made up of more than 80 CEOs from Columbus' leadin...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Downtown LeVeque Tower's luxury penthouse sells in auction for $609K

The two-story penthouse atop the historic LeVeque Tower in downtown Columbus has sold for $608,999.

The nearly 2,100-square-foot condominium, with two bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms and panoramic views of the city and Scioto River, was recently listed in an auction that closed at 7 p.m. Aug. 6. Bidding opened at $580,000, and the property received 21 number of bids before the winning bid of $608,999 secured the penthouse.Mandy Reeves, an auctioneer and Realtor with Auction Ohio, previously to...
The Columbus Dispatch •

'Boutique' student housing proposal advances for OSU-area Tommy's Pizza site

The former Tommy's Pizza site near Ohio State University is one step closer to becoming a six-story luxury student apartment complex following a unanimous vote from the area's zoning committee.

The former Tommy's Pizza site near Ohio State University is one step closer to becoming a six-story luxury student apartment complex following a unanimous vote from the area's zoning committee.
The Columbus Dispatch •

Industrial-inspired German Village home with rooftop deck for sale for $3.15M

Beyond their signature burnt-orange brick and flower-filled window boxes, German Village homes are perhaps best known for their history, with most dating back to the late 19th century.

In fact, Realtor Marilyn Vutech said only a handful of the neighborhood's houses have been built in the last few decades.And one of them just so happens to be for sale.The three-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom home at 252 E. Beck St., custom built in 2003, is on the market for $3.15 million. According to Vutech w...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Nationwide eyes surface parking lot for new Arena District apartment building

The Arena District's dominant developer wants to convert one of the area's remaining surface parking lots into a new Vine Street apartment building.

Nationwide Realty Investors, the real estate branch of the financial services company, is seeking to redevelop the block bounded by Vine, Spruce, Armstrong and Kilbourne streets with a 242-unit apartment building at 120 Vine St., according to preliminary site plans filed with the city of Columbus on July 24. The project would replace an existing surf...
The Columbus Dispatch •

ACLU demands OSU end chalking ban, says it targeted pro-Palestine speech

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio is demanding Ohio State University rescind its "flatly unconstitutional" campus chalking ban, claiming it was enacted specifically to suppress pro-Palestine viewpoints.

In a letter sent to Ohio State President Ravi Bellamkonda on July 30, the ACLU of Ohio urged the university to immediately revoke its 2025 ban against leaving chalk messages on campus, saying it violates the First Amendment by suppressing speech. The civil rights organization also repor...
The Columbus Dispatch •

California-style 'oasis' home in Upper Arlington hits market for $2.7M

Perched atop a hill in the city of Upper Arlington is a house that looks more at home on the West Coast than in central Ohio.

That property, 1980 Hillside Drive, is a five-bedroom, four-bathroom "private oasis" spanning more than 4,400 square and recently listed for $2.695 million, according to Realtor Brad Clarizio with Red 1 Realty. Built in 1958, the home showcases mid-century modern architecture, most notably through its dramatic rooflines, walls of glass and split-level design.

"The home...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Trader Joe's, new mall tenants to boost Polaris business boom

Polaris' shopping list is getting longer.A proposed Trader Joe's and six new Polaris Fashion Place tenants are the latest additions to a growing retail corridor that continues to make headlines for new investment.

By the end of August, the mall, located at 1500 Polaris Parkway, will have added a handful of new businesses ranging from a children's boutique and fruit snack bar to an interactive craft workshop.About a mile away, California-based grocery retailer Trader Joe's has filed plans to open...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Downtown LeVeque Tower's two-story, luxury penthouse heads to auction

A chance to own a coveted piece of the Columbus skyline is on the auction block.

The two-story penthouse atop Downtown's storied LeVeque Tower is a two-bedroom, 2½-bathroom condominium with panoramic views of the city and Scioto River. Online bidding is underway now and will close at 7 p.m. Aug. 6. Bidding opens at $580,000, and each bid is accepted in $1,000 increments.Renovated in 2017, part of the penthouse's appeal is its modern finishes and amenities; but it's the home's location within one...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Police identify, arrest suspect in fatal Columbus Southeast Side shooting

Columbus police homicide detectives have identified and charged a suspect in a fatal shooting that took place late July 13 on the city's Southeast Side.

Rickey Harmon, 49, has been arrested on an aggravated murder charge in connection with the death of 43-year-old Aubra Groom, according to a July 22 news release from the Columbus Division of Police Homicide Unit.Officers responded at 11:42 p.m. on July 13 to the 2700 block of Brandy Drive, near Refugee and Noe Bixby roads, after a woman called 91...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Traffic crash leaves 1 dead, 2 injured in Columbus' Weinland Park

A pedestrian is dead, another is critical and a person sitting inside a parked car was injured during a multivehicle crash the afternoon of July 22 in Columbus' Weinland Park neighborhood.

Columbus police and fire medics responded to a report of a crash around 2:40 p.m. in the 1300 block of North High Street, near King and East 7th avenues and the Kroger store, according to Columbus police dispatchers.

Deputy Chief Justin Coleman later told The Dispatch that a driver crashed their vehicle into...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Teen dead, adult critical after shooting at South Franklinton apartment complex

A teenager is dead and an adult was in critical condition after a late afternoon double shooting on July 22 in South Franklinton, Columbus police said.

Officers responded to a call about a shooting around 5:48 p.m. in the 700 block of Canonby Place in the Southpark Apartments complex, according to Columbus police dispatch.Columbus police Lt. April Redick said two people were found shot and transported by medics in critical condition to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, where a 15-year-old was late...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Federal housing overhaul could reward Columbus. Here's how it may help

Central Ohio may be uniquely positioned to benefit from a new, sweeping federal housing law – one that local leaders say aligns with strategies already underway across the region.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which became law July 11 despite President Donald Trump's refusal to sign it after gaining overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress, has been hailed by housing advocates as a landmark effort to address housing affordability. The law includes dozens of provisions designed to boo...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Columbus' historic C.E. Morris House with church relics, library hits market

It was the search for a grand, Victorian-era home worthy of restoration that brought Brian Webb and his wife Michele to Columbus' historic C.E. Morris House.

But it was the mansion's Queen Anne-style architecture, its towering stepped chimneys, corner turret and striking stonework, that drove the Webbs – including, of course, their 12 cats and two dogs – to make it their own.Now, more than two decades later, that mansion is back on the market. Located at 875 E. Broad St. in Olde Towne East, the C...
The Columbus Dispatch •

National aerospace company to bring 2,000 jobs to Springfield aircraft factory

After a year-long competitive process, American aerospace company Electra has chosen Springfield, Ohio out of more than 140 potential locations to be the site of its next aircraft production facility.

The company's $850 million investment in Clark County is expected to create 1,975 new jobs. The new 96-acre facility will be located at AirPark Ohio near the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, and design work on the new space will begin immediately. Construction is slated to begin next year....
The Columbus Dispatch •

G&J Pepsi grows Columbus bottling plant with new jobs, warehouse space

When most people hear "Pepsi bottler," they probably picture a facility full of, well, Pepsi.

But inside G&J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers' sprawling plant on Columbus' North Side is a dizzying assortment of drinks – countless flavors and varieties of Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Muscle Milk, Poppi and Celsius, to name a few – with more than 50,000 cases moving through the 24-hour operation each day.

And this summer, that operation got even bigger.

Columbus' G&J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers, located at 1241 Gibbard Ave...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Air quality rebounds in much of Ohio after record smog, but still hazy

After shattering Columbus' worst-ever air quality record July 17, the statewide smog is slowly subsiding in central and southwestern Ohio – but it's not entirely gone, and areas in the northeastern part of the Buckeye State remain in the "unhealthy" category.

A statewide Air Quality Advisory remains in effect as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to spread through Ohio. The air quality index reached 554 at 6 a.m. July 17 on Columbus' Southwest Side. A "good" AQI ranges from 0 to 50, while...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Canal Winchester estate with guest cottage, water slide hits the market

Most central Ohio homes don't come with a water slide.

But at 3450 Winchester Southern Road in Canal Winchester, it's just one piece of an 8,800-square-foot puzzle that also includes two libraries, a music room, basketball half-court, detached guest cottage and nearly nine gated acres.

The seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom estate was recently listed for $2.5 million. Built in 2022, the home is full of details not often seen in today's local market, according to its listing. And if you ask Realtor Mand...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Rally House looks to raze, rebuild Lane Avenue store across from Ohio Stadium

A shopping staple for Buckeye fans near Ohio State University may be trading its modest footprint for something much larger, as its owners pitch a plan that could more than triple the store's size.

Rally House, a specialty sports chain that sells branded apparel and other merchandise, wants to demolish its Lane Avenue location to build a larger store in its place, according to preliminary site plans recently filed with the city of Columbus. The two-story, 3,300-square-foot existing building is si...
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