A "cargominium" housing development on Columbus' Northeast Side, which was built from reused shipping containers, is coming down before a single resident moved in.
Three years after construction began on the site, a wrecking machine on Tuesday tore into the cargo containers on Old Leonard Avenue, flattening them and stacking the pieces.
The complex was supposed to be the first of its kind, and an answer to Columbus' affordable housing problem. But work stopped two years ago after conflicts with the first developer, AES Development, and general contractor Chelsi Technologies. Refunds were issued to hopeful homebuyers, who already put down deposits on the units.
In 2019, Opportunity Zone Development Group took over the project from non-profit Nothing Into Something Real Estate. CEO Brian White says the site was included in a federal "Opportunity Zone," which grants tax incentives to developers.
White says he doesn’t fault Nothing Into Something for the delays. He says apartment homes will be built on the location, and the goal is to finish by the end of the year.
White declined to say why the cargominiums were being disassembled.
