Plaza Properties Proposes 180 Apartments on Winchester Pike

A developer is seeking city approval to construct a 180-unit multi-family apartment community on 9.6 acres in southeast Columbus.

Plaza GRB Hamilton Road LLC, an entity affiliated with Plaza Properties Inc., filed council variance application CV26-024 with the City of Columbus on Feb. 24, 2026. The application requests zoning relief on a 9.6-acre parcel at 4515 Winchester Pike, near South Hamilton Road, to permit a multi-unit residential development in the L-C-4, Limited Commercial district with reduced development standards.

A preliminary site plan prepared by architecture firm Lusk LLC lays out seven residential apartment buildings totaling 180 units. The proposal includes five 24-unit buildings and two 30-unit buildings arranged around surface parking and drive aisles. Plans call for 272 parking spaces, exceeding the minimum code requirement of 270 spaces. Site amenities depicted on the plan include a community building, swimming pool, dog park, and two stormwater retention ponds measuring 1.09 acres and 0.32 acres. The layout also incorporates a multi-use path linking the complex to the adjacent Big Run Trail and Elk Run Park.

The variance filing requests specific relief under Columbus City Code Sections 3356.03 and 3370.05 to allow apartment residential uses on the first floor within an L-C-4 commercial district. The developer also seeks a variance from Section 3333.255 to reduce the required perimeter yard setback along the eastern property line from 25 feet to 1 foot adjacent to an existing private drive aisle.

The proposal remains under municipal review. City records show the application entered accelerated staff review under city planner Joe Rose. Attorney Jackson B. Reynolds III of Smith & Hale LLC submitted the filing on behalf of the developer. Before Columbus City Council can consider or vote on the council variance, the proposal must go before the Greater Southeast Area Commission for review and a formal recommendation.

The initial public application does not detail the project's bedroom breakdown, whether any units will carry affordability restrictions, the total building heights and story counts, exterior architectural elevations, or an anticipated construction timeline.