Photo by Hannah Bealer
This summer, residents and businesses at Grandview Yard can look forward to welcoming a new neighbor.
Northwestern Mutual is expecting to move from its location at 530 W. Spring St. into its newly leased, 19,000-square-foot space at Grandview Yard in mid-July. The larger space will give the central Ohio office the opportunity to expand and grow, potentially increasing its staff to around 80 employees.
Related: Grand on Grandview Ave.
Steve Childers, chief operating officer of the Columbus office, says the new facility will help Northwestern Mutual serve its central Ohio residents by attracting and retaining new associates.
“There were quite a few factors that went into our ultimate decision to move to (Grandview Yard),” Childers says. “Anything from tax incentives to other things that play into it, like availability of desirable space. Overall, (Grandview Yard) allows for potential growth because of the facilities that we’ll have. That’s the scenario that is a real benefit of moving there.”
Northwestern Mutual has been dedicated to helping clients achieve a lifetime of financial security through extensive planning and advising for nearly 160 years. The Columbus office has been active since 1886 and delivers expert financial guidance to about 40,000 central Ohio residents and businesses.
The new location at 800 Yard St. is part of a long-term plan to expand and improve the services Northwestern Mutual provides. Childers says the relocation from Spring Street to Grandview Yard is a strategic move that many businesses make.
“They also factor in the ability to grow and advance their market and attract new employees,” he says. “The move itself does not provide immediate growth in overall net jobs … but by going there, it gives us the potential to more readily grow.”
The Grandview Yard project began in 2007, when Nationwide Realty Investors began plans to convert more than 100 acres of land into a neighborhood full of offices, restaurants, retailers, apartments and hospitality units. The location is in a high-traffic area and is close to downtown Columbus, the Arena District and The Ohio State University’s campus. The location’s convenience attracts many Columbus residents to Grandview Heights.
When Northwestern Mutual relocates to Grandview Yard this summer, it will join tenants such as LA Fitness, Hyatt Place hotel, Wright-Patt Credit Union and OhioHealth Urgent Care. Ernst & Young has also leased 15,000 square feet of space and expects to begin moving into this new location in May 2015.
“It’s a great thing we’re moving there. It’s all very positive,” Childers says. “It’s going to be great for our business and great for our employees. Bottom line, we’re all very excited about it and hope Grandview Heights is happy to have us as a tenant.”
Taylor Weis is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
