In late July, the Finance Authority was proud to participate in a project groundbreaking that will contribute to our community’s ongoing need for affordable housing inventory.
Named The Guild, this 365,000 sf mixed-use project by Marker Development will add 260 urban infill multifamily units to the Weinland Park neighborhood. Seventy-eight of the units are categorized as affordable, to be priced for 80% of the area median income level. Construction is underway, managed by Marker Construction.
The Finance Authority’s Capital Lease program will lower project construction costs. Additionally, Marker used Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing for qualifying energy-efficiency improvements. The PACE tranche of funding helped fill the project capital stack. The Finance Authority also serves as the contract ESID administrator for The Columbus Regional ESID, which approvals all PACE financing in our market.
“These tools moved the project forward at an extremely challenging time for development,” says CFFA Vice President Rose Roman, who spoke during the ceremony. “With financing and construction cost challenges, the creative financing provided by these programs made a real difference.”
Marker and the Finance Authority worked closely with the Weinland Park Community Civic Association to make this moment happen. “The Guild is the result of several years of engagement with neighborhood leaders and residents to build a mutual understanding of how the development benefits the surrounding areas,” notes Ryan Freet, Marker Development’s Director of Asset Management + Development. “The WPCCA was a great liaison to help build excitement about the growth in the area.”
The Architect of Record on the project was Moody Nolan. For firm CEO Jonathan Moody, the project is personal. “This project is being built at the end of the street where my dad (Moody Nolan founder Curt Moody) grew up,” says Jonathan Moody. “All of my aunts and uncles tell me stories of what it was like to grow up in the area and be near Ohio State, the Fairgrounds, and this site.”
The project is being built beside the Crossline development, also developed by Marker. That project, completed in June 2023, was a catalyst for additional development along the 5th Avenue corridor. The Guild continues that momentum. “Our vision is to develop places where there’s excitement around growing engaged communities,” Freet says. “Weinland Park is a fantastic location nestled between The Ohio State University and downtown and we’re proud to be a part of its growth.”
The project is expected to open in 2026. Built above a self-contained structured parking garage, apartments in the “E”-shaped building will face large amenity decks with access to a pool and curated gathering spaces. The name of the project is inspired by and honors The Godman Guild Association, a service agency that has contributed so much to this community for more than 125 years.
“My hope is that this project will be the beginning of so many more families having stories of growing up in this neighborhood and passing down those stories to their families,” says Moody. “It’s great that the Finance Authority can get involved to bring these things into reality.”
The groundbreaking event, titled “Build the Guild,” brought together a diverse collection of project partners, including Korda/Nemeth Engineering, Jezerinac Geers & Associates, Advanced Engineering Consultants, The Middlefield Banking Company, Nuveen Green Capital, Community Bank USA, TwinFocus, Ohio Valley Bank, , and Flat Black Commercial Visuals.