The development of Coughlin’s Crossing continues to move forward as final development plans for a trio of mixed-use commercial and office buildings were approved April 27 by Delaware City Council.
Located north of Meeker Way and east of Columbus Pike (U.S. Route 23), Coughlin’s Crossing was initially approved by council in 2017. The site, which totals approximately 80 acres, is divided into six subareas that will feature both residential and commercial buildings.
Proposal one by Delaware Development Plan LTD called for a 16,000-square-foot building to be constructed on the northwest portion of the Coughlin’s Crossing property, which faces U.S. Route 23 and is known as the “U.S. 23 Quad.” The building, which will sit just south of the recently finished Blue Sky Car Wash, will encompass approximately 2.64 acres and will include up to 10 tenant spaces.
Plans for the mixed-use building show a drive-thru existing as part of the northern portion of the building. Delaware Planning and Community Development Director Dave Efland said the drive-thru has “sufficient queuing lanes for many vehicles, many more than the code requires.”
A patio is shown as part of the southern edge of the building. However, while the patio is part of the preferred plan, Efland said there is an alternative plan that would include a second drive-thru being constructed on the southern portion rather than the patio.
“Having the alternate really allows the applicant to have some flexibility in marketing the property,” Efland said, adding that he didn’t feel the alternate option would change the “high-quality design” shown with the preferred option.
No tenants have been finalized for the building yet, although the development team indicated there has been no shortage of interest, and they are currently in discussions with possible suitors.
In addition to the mixed-use building in subarea 6, council approved a final development plan for two more mixed-use buildings in the southwest subarea 5 of Coughlin’s Crossing, known as the Southern Gateway and sitting south of the newly constructed Hawthorn Boulevard extension and traffic signal.
The two buildings in the Southern Gateway encompass approximately 5.75 acres of land and will each span 19,000 square feet. Each building could include as many as 12 tenants, although some of the spaces carry the potential for tenants to combined spaces.
The design of the buildings will mirror that of the building in subarea 6, with a drive-thru on the northern edge of each building and a patio on the southern edge.
Efland said the building designs will create “a handsome entrance into the city of Delaware along U.S. (Route) 23.”
Both final development plans were sent directly to council for final approval following city staff’s review, bypassing the Delaware Planning Commission. Last month, as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, council approved an emergency ordinance giving it the power of the boards and commissions as a way of reducing the number of necessary meetings.
Mayor Carolyn Riggle thanked the development team for its persistence with the project, saying, “It’s nice to know that things are still moving forward even though it feels like the world is stopped right now.”
