After nearly 16 years, Broadway 1200 block space rents for retail

Downtown Columbus resident Jim Thorsen has waited nearly 16 years to lease the space under his 1200 block apartment.

The wait recently paid off when Lorelai’s, an Alpharetta, Ga.-based women’s clothing boutique, leased the bottom floor of 1236 Broadway.

“I could have leased it a dozen times over to people who wanted to put a bar there,” Thorsen said earlier this week. “But I wanted retail and that is what we were looking for.”

The reason is Thorsen and his wife reside in the loft apartment above the storefront and have since 2000 when they were the first private owners to move into a downtown loft.

“We finally have something that is compatible with us living above it,” Thorsen said.

Doug Jefcoat, with W.C. Bradley Co. Real Estate Division, was the listing agent and worked with Thorsen to lease the space. He credits the positive activity in the 1200 block with helping get the space leased.

“There is a lot of great activity in the 1200 block,” Jefcoat said.

Restaurants and retail are opening in advance of the January completion of the Columbus State University College of Education and Health Sciences building at the northwest corner of 12^th Street and Broadway, and a new 60-room Hampton Inn is planned at the southwest corner of that intersection. New restaurants, office space and retail have opened or plan to open in the 1200 block of Broadway in the coming months.

Thorsen made improvements to the facade of the 1,400 square foot space.

“Jim has invested in uptown by improving the facade to that building and making it more attractive,” Jefcoat said.

The boutique will be located in a cluster that is attracting new businesses. It will be next door to 501 Salon, a full-service hair salon. On the other side is KPL fitness, a workout gym that caters to women. Just to the south, a new restaurant and sweet shop will be opening before the end of the year.

This story was originally published August 2, 2016 at 5:55 PM with the headline "After nearly 16 years, Broadway 1200 block space rents for retail."