What was once Columbus’ Downtown YMCA building will soon become the latest effort to combat the city’s housing crisis.
Affordable housing developer Woda Cooper will soon begin construction on Lofts at 40 Long, the seven-story, 235,000-square-foot building located at 40 W. Long St. that was formerly the home of the nearly century-old Downtown YMCA facility. Community leaders convened in the soon-to-be apartment complex Sept. 29 to mark the kick-off of the construction process.
The space will offer 121 units, all targeted toward those with household incomes between 30% and 80% of Columbus’ median gross income. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2025 Income Levels Summary for Columbus, that includes single residents making between $23,000 and $61,000 a year and a family of four making between $33,000 and $87,000 a year.
“So many partners came together with one goal: To breathe new life into this space, and to make sure anyone who works Downtown can afford to live here too,” Mayor Andrew Ginther said at the event, referencing specific demographics like seniors on fixed incomes, service workers and childcare workers. “The people who make this city work.”
The $66 million project is a partnership between Woda Cooper Construction, the city of Columbus, Downtown Columbus Inc., Franklin County and nonprofit IMPACT Community Action. Ginther said the city contributed $13.3 million, largely through affordable housing bonds.
The remaining money was sourced from a combination of public, private and nonprofit resources, including federal and state tax credits that come from the Downtown YMCA being listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to Woda Cooper founder Jeffrey Woda.
Woda told The Dispatch he hopes to complete construction on the apartment complex in two years, with units projected to range in cost from $500 to $1,300 depending on size and income levels. Jo Berning, managing director for PCI Design Group, Inc. and this project’s head architect, said there will be ten three-bedroom units, 36 two-bedroom units and one studio. The rest will be one-bedroom units, which are expected to be between 800-1,000 square feet.
“It’s an old YMCA, so a lot of the rooms are very small, little rooms that have maybe communal bathrooms,” Woda told The Dispatch after the event. “The types of units that were here just aren’t functional in today’s world, for even moderate-income families. So our vision really was to transform those single-room occupancies into real apartments.”
Woda Cooper has to preserve certain elements of the building to qualify for the historic preservation tax credits, Woda said. The developer’s project executive Joe DiCesare said the YMCA’s basketball court, main entryway and elevator lobby are just some of several components that will remain intact.
This project is one of many collaborations between Woda Cooper and the city of Columbus, with the developer most recently building Starling Yard from a Franklinton middle school. Ginther referred to the Columbus-based developer as “one of our most trusted partners” in helping combat the city’s housing crisis.
Other community leaders agreed about the importance of Columbus’ Downtown neighborhood having adequate affordable housing options.
“As Columbus grows, too many people are being priced out,” City Council President Shannon Hardin said at the event. “Downtown cannot be a place reserved only for luxury housing.”
“We know Columbus needs more housing,” CEO of Downtown Columbus Inc. Greg Davies said at the event. “The mayor and City Council talk about it all the time. Downtown can’t solve the housing crisis on its own, but we’re really happy to be a part of it.”
Ginther praised Columbus’ affordable housing bonds for their part in creating accessible housing across the city, calling on residents to “get educated” on the upcoming bond package that will appear on November’s ballot, which would invest an additional $500 million in affordable housing.
“I encourage you to continue to choose the future of Columbus,” Ginther said.
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Construction to begin soon on Downtown YMCA’s conversion to affordable apartments
Reporting by Emma Wozniak, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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