Continental Tower

The Continental Tower redevelopment transformed a vacant downtown office building into a mixed-use residential community while preserving a historic Columbus landmark.

Located on East Gay Street, the project reintroduced life to the building and strengthened the surrounding corridor through a careful balance of historic preservation and modern construction.

  • Adaptive reuse of an approximately 550,000 SF historic structure
  • 409 residential units in studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments
  • Resident Clubroom, co-working spaces, and ground-floor retail spaces
  • 28th floor rooftop resort-style pool
  • 4,500 SF fitness center with cardio and strength training

Delivery Method:

Construction Manager at Risk

Project Type:

Historic Renovation + Adaptive Reuse

Industry:

LIVE

Architect:

Strada

Building Columbus Awards:

2025 Best Adaptive Reuse

CoStar Impact Awards:

2026 Redevelopment of the Year in Columbus

The Challenge

The Continental Tower presented a unique set of logistical and technical challenges driven by its downtown location, historic structure, and significant building height. As part of the adaptive reuse, critical structural and mechanical components needed to be installed approximately 350 feet above grade, requiring careful planning and precise execution.

The scope included the placement of more than 200 pieces of steel, rooftop condensers, pool materials, pavers, and a new elevator machine. Completing this work required extensive coordination across multiple trades while maintaining strict safety standards and controlling impacts to the surrounding downtown environment. The project also required the temporary closure of 4th Street, further increasing the need for detailed scheduling and communication.

Historic tax credits also guided the redevelopment approach, reinforcing the importance of preserving the building’s original architectural character. Modern building systems were integrated to improve efficiency and long term performance while maintaining the structure’s historic identity.

The Solution

HGC led a highly coordinated installation effort using a 515-foot, one million pound crane to complete all high elevation lifts within a tightly scheduled three week window. Detailed lift planning, sequencing, and trade coordination allowed the team to safely execute complex installations while keeping the project moving forward.

By carefully managing street closures, site logistics, and crane operations, HGC minimized disruption to the surrounding area and maintained schedule control within a dense urban setting. This approach supported efficient progress across multiple trades and demonstrated HGC’s ability to manage complex construction challenges on large scale urban redevelopment projects.

This project had a whole new level of challenges, being the first major high-rise conversion in Columbus. HGC proved to be more than capable and rose to every challenge they were presented with.

David Thackston

VP Construction & Director of Redevelopment
The Bernstein Companies

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