Legislation Authorizes $500,000 Contract With Columbus Next Generation Corporation
The legislation authorizes an expenditure up to $500,000 from the General Fund Budget and the advancement of funds on a pre-determined schedule.
Columbus City Council is scheduled on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, to introduce 30-day legislation authorizing a municipal redevelopment service contract for property acquisition.
Under Ordinance 2707-2026, the Director of the Department of Development is authorized to enter into a non-profit service contract with the Columbus Next Generation Corporation for the purpose of purchasing, acquiring, and developing key urban real property assets in targeted central city areas in an amount up to $500,000 contract. The legislation authorizes an expenditure up to $500,000 from the General Fund Budget and authorizes the advancement of funds on a pre-determined schedule advances.
Distributing municipal dollars through scheduled cash advances provides funding up front for real property acquisitions rather than reimbursing expenditures after transactions close. Because the measure was introduced as 30-day legislation, it will undergo committee review following its first reading before council takes a final vote.
Mayoral Appointments and Board Oversight
Columbus Next Generation Corporation is a 501(c)(3) redevelopment corporation formed by the City of Columbus in 2012 entity.
NextGen was created by the vision of former Mayor Michael Coleman history. Coleman wanted an organization to focus daily on how to incentivize private developers to make an investment in the older parts of the city history. Established by City Council as a nonprofit organization, NextGen has seven board members, six appointed by the mayor and one by council governance. The mission of the organization is to acquire undervalued land in the older neighborhoods and transform the land that will increase in value and make a positive impact on the neighborhood mission.
NextGen is guided by civic, legal, and development leaders from across Columbus leadership. The organization is led by Executive Director Boyce Safford, while Continental Building Company president Joshua Corna serves as board president and City of Columbus Department of Development Director Mike Stevens serves as an ex-officio board member.
The Intermediary Model and Public Land Assembly
NextGen identifies underutilized land, secures control of the property, builds a master plan, completes feasibility studies, and gathers community input, then positions the project for developers to complete construction model. This structure allows the nonprofit to serve as a specialized acquisition intermediary, assembling and repositioning properties in coordination with municipal departments and the city's land bank.
The City acquired the closed Carl L. Brown grocery site in 2014 after years of vacancy and deeded it to NextGen in 2015, and the site was sold to Columbus Metropolitan Housing in 2017 to complete the rebuild of Poindexter Village poindexter.
NextGen also renovated four City of Columbus–owned properties in Franklinton to support East Franklinton revitalization franklinton.
Portfolio Holdings and Active Neighborhood Corridors
NextGen currently holds more than 20 parcels, valued at roughly $3 million, primarily in the Linden area holdings. NextGen’s targeted area falls within the 1950 boundaries of the City of Columbus, with emphasis on Linden, Franklinton, the Near East Side, Parsons Avenue, and the Southside corridors.
In 2017, NextGen acquired approximately three acres along Cleveland Avenue at its intersection with Myrtle Avenue in the North Linden community, removing several dilapidated buildings to make way for new development, and partnered with Homeport to help build a 100-unit senior housing complex that includes affordable housing and commercial space mulby.
In 2020, city legislation authorized a grant agreement with NextGen for construction costs associated with renovating 1464 Cleveland Ave., the former Eagle Market, to establish a fresh foods market and pharmacy facility using $1.5 million from Community Development Block Grant funds.
NextGen also purchased property on the west side of Cleveland Avenue, between Briarwood, Myrtle, and Arlington avenues, for future development, with the goal of providing workforce housing along with office and retail opportunities cleveland. At the corner of Cleveland and Hudson avenues, NextGen positioned a site in 2025 for future development along the commercial corridor.
On the Near East Side, NextGen in 2016 acquired a historic property that once housed a funeral parlor and Adelphi Savings and Loan, the city’s first African American–owned financial institution, before Borror completed a mixed-use residential and retail development on the site in 2021 adelphi.
Along Parsons Avenue, NextGen purchased a former adult bookstore in 2018 and redeveloped it into a vegan restaurant in 2019, supporting local corridor revitalization efforts.
In the Hilltop community, NextGen purchased an entire city block that includes the historic Ohio National Bank building along with other retail and residential space hilltop. The goal for the Hilltop property is to construct approximately 70 units of affordable senior housing to serve the Hilltop community hilltop.
How we know this
The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.
Columbus City Council · 2026-10-19
Supporting evidence (2)
Under Ordinance 2707-2026, the Director of the Department of Development is authorized to enter into a non-profit service contract with the Columbus Next Generation Corporation for the purpose of purchasing, acquiring, and developing key urban real property assets in targeted central city areas in an amount up to $500,000 contract.
Read supporting passage
2707-2026 · To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a non-profit service contract with the Columbus Next Generation Corporation for the purpose of purchasing/acquiring and developing key urban real property assets in targeted central city areas in an amount up to $500,000.00; to authorize an expenditure up to $500,000.00 from the General Fund Budget; and to authorize the advancement of funds on a pre-determined schedule. ($500,000.00)
The legislation authorizes an expenditure up to $500,000 from the General Fund Budget and authorizes the advancement of funds on a pre-determined schedule advances.
Read supporting passage
2707-2026 · To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a non-profit service contract with the Columbus Next Generation Corporation for the purpose of purchasing/acquiring and developing key urban real property assets in targeted central city areas in an amount up to $500,000.00; to authorize an expenditure up to $500,000.00 from the General Fund Budget; and to authorize the advancement of funds on a pre-determined schedule. ($500,000.00)
https://columbusnextgen.org/our-board/
Supporting evidence (2)
Columbus Next Generation Corporation is a 501(c)(3) redevelopment corporation formed by the City of Columbus in 2012 entity.
Read supporting passage
A 501(c)(3) redevelopment corporation formed by the City of Columbus in 2012.
NextGen is guided by civic, legal, and development leaders from across Columbus leadership.
Read supporting passage
NextGen is guided by civic, legal, and development leaders from across Columbus — people who bring the City’s priorities and the private sector’s expertise to the same table.
Supporting evidence (4)
NextGen was created by the vision of former Mayor Michael Coleman history.
Read supporting passage
Next Gen was created by the vision of the former Mayor Michael Coleman. Former Mayor Coleman wanted an organization to focus daily on how to incentivize the private sector (developers) to make an investment in the older parts of the city of Columbus. Established by City Council as a nonprofit organization, Next Gen has seven board members, six appointed by the Mayor and one by Council. The mission of the organization is to acquire undervalued land in the older neighborhoods and transform the land that will increase in value and make a positive impact on the neighborhood.
Coleman wanted an organization to focus daily on how to incentivize private developers to make an investment in the older parts of the city history.
Read supporting passage
Next Gen was created by the vision of the former Mayor Michael Coleman. Former Mayor Coleman wanted an organization to focus daily on how to incentivize the private sector (developers) to make an investment in the older parts of the city of Columbus. Established by City Council as a nonprofit organization, Next Gen has seven board members, six appointed by the Mayor and one by Council. The mission of the organization is to acquire undervalued land in the older neighborhoods and transform the land that will increase in value and make a positive impact on the neighborhood.
Established by City Council as a nonprofit organization, NextGen has seven board members, six appointed by the mayor and one by council governance.
Read supporting passage
Next Gen was created by the vision of the former Mayor Michael Coleman. Former Mayor Coleman wanted an organization to focus daily on how to incentivize the private sector (developers) to make an investment in the older parts of the city of Columbus. Established by City Council as a nonprofit organization, Next Gen has seven board members, six appointed by the Mayor and one by Council. The mission of the organization is to acquire undervalued land in the older neighborhoods and transform the land that will increase in value and make a positive impact on the neighborhood.
The mission of the organization is to acquire undervalued land in the older neighborhoods and transform the land that will increase in value and make a positive impact on the neighborhood mission.
Read supporting passage
Next Gen was created by the vision of the former Mayor Michael Coleman. Former Mayor Coleman wanted an organization to focus daily on how to incentivize the private sector (developers) to make an investment in the older parts of the city of Columbus. Established by City Council as a nonprofit organization, Next Gen has seven board members, six appointed by the Mayor and one by Council. The mission of the organization is to acquire undervalued land in the older neighborhoods and transform the land that will increase in value and make a positive impact on the neighborhood.
https://columbusnextgen.org/about/
Supporting evidence (4)
NextGen identifies underutilized land, secures control of the property, builds a master plan, completes feasibility studies, and gathers community input, then positions the project for developers to complete construction model.
Read supporting passage
NextGen identifies underutilized land, secures control of the property, builds a master plan, completes feasibility studies, and gathers community input — then positions the project for developers to complete construction.
NextGen also renovated four City of Columbus–owned properties in Franklinton to support East Franklinton revitalization franklinton.
Read supporting passage
Renovated four City of Columbus–owned properties in Franklinton to support East Franklinton revitalization.
NextGen currently holds more than 20 parcels, valued at roughly $3 million, primarily in the Linden area holdings.
Read supporting passage
NextGen’s targeted area falls within the 1950 boundaries of the City of Columbus, with emphasis on Linden, Franklinton, the Near East Side, Parsons Avenue, and the Southside. The corporation currently holds more than 20 parcels, valued at roughly $3 million, primarily in the Linden area.
NextGen’s targeted area falls within the 1950 boundaries of the City of Columbus, with emphasis on Linden, Franklinton, the Near East Side, Parsons Avenue, and the Southside corridors.
Read supporting passage
NextGen’s targeted area falls within the 1950 boundaries of the City of Columbus, with emphasis on Linden, Franklinton, the Near East Side, Parsons Avenue, and the Southside. The corporation currently holds more than 20 parcels, valued at roughly $3 million, primarily in the Linden area.
https://columbusnextgen.org/projects/
Supporting evidence (6)
The City acquired the closed Carl L. Brown grocery site in 2014 after years of vacancy and deeded it to NextGen in 2015, and the site was sold to Columbus Metropolitan Housing in 2017 to complete the rebuild of Poindexter Village poindexter.
Read supporting passage
The City acquired the closed Carl L. Brown grocery site in 2014 after years of vacancy and deeded it to NextGen in 2015. The site was sold to Columbus Metropolitan Housing in 2017 to complete the rebuild of Poindexter Village.
In 2017, NextGen acquired approximately three acres along Cleveland Avenue at its intersection with Myrtle Avenue in the North Linden community, removing several dilapidated buildings to make way for new development, and partnered with Homeport to help build a 100-unit senior housing complex that includes affordable housing and commercial space mulby.
Read supporting passage
In 2017, NextGen acquired approximately three acres along Cleveland Avenue at its intersection with Myrtle Avenue in the North Linden community, removing several dilapidated buildings to make way for new development. Partnering with Homeport, NextGen helped build a 100-unit senior housing complex that includes affordable housing and commercial space.
NextGen also purchased property on the west side of Cleveland Avenue, between Briarwood, Myrtle, and Arlington avenues, for future development, with the goal of providing workforce housing along with office and retail opportunities cleveland.
Read supporting passage
NextGen purchased property on the west side of Cleveland Avenue, between Briarwood, Myrtle, and Arlington Avenues, for future development. The goal is to provide workforce housing along with office and retail opportunities.
On the Near East Side, NextGen in 2016 acquired a historic property that once housed a funeral parlor and Adelphi Savings and Loan, the city’s first African American–owned financial institution, before Borror completed a mixed-use residential and retail development on the site in 2021 adelphi.
Read supporting passage
This historic Near East Side property once housed a funeral parlor and Adelphi Savings and Loan — the city’s first African American–owned financial institution — before sitting vacant for years. NextGen acquired it in 2016; Borror completed a mixed-use residential and retail development in 2021.
In the Hilltop community, NextGen purchased an entire city block that includes the historic Ohio National Bank building along with other retail and residential space hilltop.
Read supporting passage
NextGen purchased an entire city block that includes the historic Ohio National Bank building along with other retail and residential space. The goal is to construct approximately 70 units of affordable senior housing to serve the Hilltop community.
The goal for the Hilltop property is to construct approximately 70 units of affordable senior housing to serve the Hilltop community hilltop.
Read supporting passage
NextGen purchased an entire city block that includes the historic Ohio National Bank building along with other retail and residential space. The goal is to construct approximately 70 units of affordable senior housing to serve the Hilltop community.