Plan Calls for Replacing Former Fort Rapids Waterpark With 420 Apartments
Minnesota developer Roers Acquisitions seeks council variances to build three apartment buildings at the vacant East Side property.
The 16.59-acre site at 4560 Hilton Corporate Drive, where the Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort is located, is proposed for redevelopment with a 420-unit apartment complex. The proposal calls for demolition and redevelopment because the hotel and waterpark failed, leaving the building vacant as a public nuisance.
A conceptual rendering illustrates the proposed 420-unit apartment community planned for the former Fort Rapids waterpark site at 4560 Hilton Corporate Drive.
Credit: Pique AI visualization; source: Atwell, LLC · Generated from retained filed drawings · Unofficial conceptual rendering — based on filed plans; proposal may change.
Unofficial conceptual rendering — based on filed plans; proposal may change.
Applicant Roers Acquisitions LLC, based in Plymouth, Minnesota, is the contract purchaser of the property through a court-supervised receivership sale. The property is zoned C-4 Commercial and L-M Limited Manufacturing, where neither district permits the proposed apartment use without a use variance.
Submitted site plans propose three four-story apartment buildings and a freestanding leasing and amenity center for residents in the current parking lot, alongside 653 parking stalls. The developer has requested a height variance allowing the four-story buildings to reach up to 55 feet in a 35-foot district, covering approximately 20% of the site while leaving the rest for parking, landscaping and stormwater management.
A previous 2020 plan to convert the site into 270 apartments was approved by the city but never built before the property was placed in receivership. The application notes that the existing variance is limited to converting the existing building into no more than 270 units and does not allow demolition and new construction of the proposed 420-unit development.
The application is undergoing accelerated staff review and will seek the recommendation of the Greater South East Area Commission before City Council may grant the zoning variances.
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https://www.kayak.com/Columbus-Hotels-Fort-Rapids-Indoor-Waterpark-Resort.13352.ksp
Supporting evidence (1)
The 16.59-acre site at 4560 Hilton Corporate Drive, where the Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort is located, is proposed for redevelopment with a 420-unit apartment complex.
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Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort is located at 4560 Hilton Corporate Drive, 6.7 miles from the center of Columbus.
CV26-113 · Council Variance — 4560 HILTON CORPORATE DR COLUMBUS OH
Supporting evidence (2)
The 16.59-acre site at 4560 Hilton Corporate Drive, where the Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort is located, is proposed for redevelopment with a 420-unit apartment complex.
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CV26-113 4560 Hilton Corporate Dr. (43232) 010-118862; 16.59 acres To allow redevelopment of the site with an apartment complex containing up to 420 dwelling units in the L-M, Limited Manufacturing and C-4, Commercial districts.
The application is undergoing accelerated staff review and will seek the recommendation of the Greater South East Area Commission before City Council may grant the zoning variances.
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Greater South East Area Commission Accelerate Staff Review
Supporting evidence (5)
The proposal calls for demolition and redevelopment because the hotel and waterpark failed, leaving the building vacant as a public nuisance.
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The hotel and waterpark failed, and the building has stood vacant and become a public nuisance. A 2020 plan to convert it into 270 apartments with commercial space (Council Variance CV20-102) was approved but never built, and the property was placed in receivership. Without a use variance, no realistic use of the property can support the cost of demolition and redevelopment.
The property is zoned C-4 Commercial and L-M Limited Manufacturing, where neither district permits the proposed apartment use without a use variance.
Read supporting passage
The property is zoned C-4 Commercial and L-M Limited Manufacturing, within a 35-foot height district. Neither district permits the proposed apartment use. The hotel and waterpark failed, and the building has stood vacant and become a public nuisance. A 2020 plan to convert it into 270 apartments with commercial space (Council Variance CV20-102) was approved but never built, and the property was placed in receivership. Without a use variance, no realistic use of the property can support the cost of demolition and redevelopment.
A previous 2020 plan to convert the site into 270 apartments was approved by the city but never built before the property was placed in receivership.
Read supporting passage
A 2020 plan to convert it into 270 apartments with commercial space (Council Variance CV20-102) was approved but never built, and the property was placed in receivership.
The application is undergoing accelerated staff review and will seek the recommendation of the Greater South East Area Commission before City Council may grant the zoning variances.
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with the recommendation of the Greater South East Area Commission.
The application is undergoing accelerated staff review and will seek the recommendation of the Greater South East Area Commission before City Council may grant the zoning variances.
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Columbus City Code Section 3307.10 - Variances by City Council. City council may grant the following zoning variances:
Supporting evidence (1)
Applicant Roers Acquisitions LLC, based in Plymouth, Minnesota, is the contract purchaser of the property through a court-supervised receivership sale.
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Nick Asta of (1) MAILING ADDRESS Roers Acquisitions LLC, 2 Carlson Pkwy N #400, Plymouth, MN 55447 deposes and states that (he/she) is the applicant, agent, or duly authorized attorney for same and the following is a list of the name(s) and mailing address(es) of all the owners of record of the property located at (2) per PROPERTY ADDRESS 4560 Hilton Corporate Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43232
Supporting evidence (2)
Applicant Roers Acquisitions LLC, based in Plymouth, Minnesota, is the contract purchaser of the property through a court-supervised receivership sale.
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The applicant is the contract purchaser of the property through a court-supervised receivership sale and is aware of the existing zoning.
The application notes that the existing variance is limited to converting the existing building into no more than 270 units and does not allow demolition and new construction of the proposed 420-unit development.
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The existing variance (CV20-102) is limited to converting the existing building into no more than 270 units under a specific 2020 plan, and does not allow demolition and new construction of the proposed 420-unit development.
Supporting evidence (2)
Submitted site plans propose three four-story apartment buildings and a freestanding leasing and amenity center for residents in the current parking lot, alongside 653 parking stalls.
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Multifamily residential use in three four-story buildings with no ground-floor commercial
The developer has requested a height variance allowing the four-story buildings to reach up to 55 feet in a 35-foot district, covering approximately 20% of the site while leaving the rest for parking, landscaping and stormwater management.
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3309.14, Height districts | 35-foot height district | Building height of up to 55 feet (four stories) | The added height allows 420 units on approximately 20% of the site, leaving the rest for parking, landscaping and stormwater management. CV20-102 previously permitted a height of up to 120 feet on this property.
Supporting evidence (2)
Submitted site plans propose three four-story apartment buildings and a freestanding leasing and amenity center for residents in the current parking lot, alongside 653 parking stalls.
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TO CONSTRUCT A FREESTANDING LEASING AND AMENITY CENTER FOR THE RESIDENCES WITHIN THE CURRENT ASPHALT PARKING LOT.
Submitted site plans propose three four-story apartment buildings and a freestanding leasing and amenity center for residents in the current parking lot, alongside 653 parking stalls.
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PROPERTY AREA (TO R/W LINE): ±16.58 ACRES PROPOSED APARTMENT UNITS: ±420 UNITS PROPOSED PARKING STALLS: ±653 STALLS