Toyota negotiating to buy historic building, bring 200 jobs downtown

Toyota Material Handling is making plans to bring about 200 jobs to downtown Columbus and to purchase the historic Irwin Office Building.

The company and the city of Columbus are making a deal to secure parking for those employees, in a measure approved Monday by the Columbus Redevelopment Commission.

Heather Pope, redevelopment director for the city, said that Cummins and Toyota are negotiating for the sale of the historic building, with Cummins working to make sure that there will be a good steward for the historic building it no longer needs.

A Toyota representative at the meeting said that the biggest issue in the negotiations has been ensuring employee parking.

To that end, the city will be renting 75 spaces in the Jackson Street Parking Garage to the company at a discounted rate over the next few years. Pope said that the going market rate for unreserved spaces in the garage is $65 a month, but for the first few years Toyota would have the spaces for free. In 2026, the company would only pay $25 a month for each space and $50 starting in 2027. After that, the company would pay the full market rate.

Al Roszczyk, president of the redevelopment commission said that he believes the company will save about $108,000 over the course of the initial three years of the agreement.

Pope said that the company is committing to being a long-term renter, with the option for four five year renewals of the lease.

The commission approved the agreement Monday. The agreement would go into effect once the deal for the Irwin building is complete.

Earlier this year, Toyota unveiled plans for a major expansion of its footprint in Columbus, with the $100 million dollar factory to be built on Deaver Road.

Photo: Jackson Street Parking Garage photo courtesy of Columbus Redevelopment Department.