One of Nationwide’s longtime downtown office towers is getting a second act.
The 18-story building at 280 N. High St., formerly known as Two Nationwide Plaza, is being converted into a mixed-use apartment tower called The Centennial on High, a nod to Nationwide’s 100th anniversary in 2026. The project is led by Nationwide Realty Investors, the development arm of Nationwide Insurance.
What’s changing
The revamped tower will include 148 apartments spread across 15 floors, including a newly created penthouse level. Units will range from one to three bedrooms, and each residential floor will feature five apartments with balconies.
Amenities are leaning upscale: a fitness center, club room and lounge, plus a sunken courtyard along High Street that will include a small pool. The outdoor space will sit about 15 feet below sidewalk level, creating a more private retreat in the middle of downtown.
About 75,000 square feet of the building will remain office space. Anchor tenants like Carpenter Lipps LLP and the Ohio Farm Bureau are expected to stay, with additional space available for lease.
The first residents are projected to move in by mid-2027.
Why now?
Like many companies, Nationwide consolidated its office footprint after the pandemic, shifting employees into One Nationwide Plaza, Three Nationwide Plaza and other properties. That left room to rethink the future of the 1982 tower.
The Downtown Commission unanimously approved the conversion, adding another office-to-residential project to the growing list downtown. Former office buildings on Gay and Broad streets have already made similar transitions.
And with Columbus still facing a housing shortage, 148 new units in a prime location doesn’t hurt.
The location
The tower sits at the intersection of the Arena District, the Short North and Gay Street corridor, directly across from Nationwide’s main plaza buildings. It’s about as central as it gets.
Nationwide says the project is about honoring its history while investing in downtown’s future. For Columbus, it’s another sign that empty office space is being reimagined instead of sitting dark.
If all goes according to plan, High Street will have 148 new balconies overlooking it by 2027.
You can learn more about the project by visiting thecentennialonhigh.com.
