# Trolley District

Columbus, OH · industrial · tier: draft · Retrofit Atlas record `n-3b129e4e07` · release 2026-10-21

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/industrial/oh/columbus-trolley-district/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/n-3b129e4e07.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/n-3b129e4e07.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/n-3b129e4e07

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | built | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Strategy | redevelop, reinhabit | none |
| New use | entertainment, housing, mixed, retail | none |
| What is there now | East Market, a public market and food hall, as well as two bars, restaurants, a brewery, and event space, with plans for neighboring apartments. | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Opened | 1882 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Closed | 1980 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Retrofit year | 2021 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Acres | 3.0 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Original developer | Columbus Railway & Light Co. | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | Brad DeHays of Connect Realty | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Zoning change | The city classified the site as a "downtown redevelopment district" (DRD) (downtown redevelopment district (DRD)) | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Public subsidy | historic tax credits; divert 70% of the site's property taxes for 30 years | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Entitlement year | 2019 | none |
| Planning notes | Approved by the city. | none |

## Parties

- Brad DeHays of Connect Realty — developer (2021–)

## Timeline

- 1882: Opened
- 1980: became vacant
- 1980: Closed
- 2007: first redevelopment project began
- 2014: new redevelopment project began
- 2018: received historic tax credits
- 2019: city approved tax agreement
- 2020: construction began
- 2021: first two bars opened
- 2021: Retrofit: redevelop, reinhabit
- 2022: East Market opened
- 2023: Columbus Brewing Company opened
- 2023: Local Cantina restaurant opened

## Deals and debt

- 2014 sale:  Brad DeHays of Connect Realty ← Minnie McGee  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_District
- 2003 sale: 231000.0 Minnie McGee   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_District

## Background (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened)

The Trolley District is a mixed-use complex in Columbus, Ohio. The three-acre (1.2 ha) site houses the East Market, a public market and food hall, as well as two bars, restaurants, a brewery, and event space, with plans for neighboring apartments. The property is located in the city's Franklin Park neighborhood and is a contributing part of the Columbus Near East Side District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The site's buildings were built between 1882 and 1920 to serve public transit in Columbus, including horsecars, streetcars, and buses. It became vacant in the 1980s and gradually fell into disrepair.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_District

## Sources

- Trolley District — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_District

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Trolley District, Columbus, OH." Record n-3b129e4e07, release 2026-10-21, tier draft. https://retrofitatlas.org/industrial/oh/columbus-trolley-district/ (accessed 2026-10-21).

```bibtex
@misc{retrofitatlas_columbustrolleydistrict,
  title = {Trolley District, Columbus, OH},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/industrial/oh/columbus-trolley-district/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record n-3b129e4e07, release 2026-10-21, tier: draft. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-21}
}
```

Licence: research use only; terms undecided with the authors (https://retrofitatlas.org/licence/). Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0. Tiers: curated = from the authors' public map, not reviewed by them; draft = imported or model-extracted, unreviewed.