Our complete preservation and reimagining of the EJ Thomas Warehouse takes historical renovation to a-whole-other level. But don’t take our word for it…
Check out our video walk-thru of the EJ Thomas Warehouse!
Our Vision
At nearly 14,000 square feet, this empty warehouse covered a significant portion of the Italian Village. A beautiful brick building, EJ Thomas was (and still is) a hidden gem. It won’t be hidden any longer.
Since it sits between Fourth and Summit Street, not much traffic passes the historic building. It’s never gotten the attention it deserved! After all, it wasn’t until recently that the north end of Italian Village saw a cultural resurgence. More restaurants and more attractions mean more pedestrians, more cars, and more people wanting to move into the bustling neighborhood.
From the get go, Lykens Companies has wanted to help kickstart and maintain the thrilling change happening on the 4th Street Corridor, adding to the exciting momentum started by great local businesses like Seventh Son Brewery, Fox in the Snow, The Market Italian Village, and more. Soon, another gem will introduce itself to the neighborhood: Budd Dairy Food Hall (sorry for the shameless plug).
When we saw the old EJ Thomas warehouse sitting empty in a fantastic neighborhood, we anticipated a need for more apartments and rental opportunities. The old warehouse was still in great shape. We knew it wouldn’t take much to transform it into one-of-a-kind luxurious housing in one of the Midwest’s greatest neighborhoods: Short North’s Italian Village.
So what did we do? We worked around the building’s original floor plan to fill the space with 20 1BR/1BA apartments. These are going to be so special.
But first, a short history lesson
This warehouse was built in 1924 during the great 1920s boom. In this decade after World War I, the U.S. saw its economy grow 42%. Mass production of goods changed the nation and the customer experience. Goods became more and more available, more and more quickly. In its own way, our Detroit Avenue warehouse played its part in producing and distributing goods to consumers.
It wasn’t until 1936 that EJ Thomas Co. became a business, 12 years after our property was originally built. The company created its own line of laundry and dry cleaning products, housing them in the Italian Village warehouse.
For years, EJ Thomas Co. operated successfully in Italian Village. Although the company still operates as a laundry supplier in other locales, its former warehouse had long gathered dust until Lykens Companies took it over.
Inside The Apartments
Lykens Companies prides itself in crafting the best rentals in Central Ohio. After all, why settle for less? To maintain such a high standard, we put our everything into making every apartment look and feel incredible. The EJ Thomas warehouse is no different.
The finished apartments in EJ Thomas tell their story with their design. Rather than cover up the building’s raw elements, we make every effort to highlight the beauty inside an almost-century-old warehouse. Residents should expect these apartments to express a rustic personality.
Original beams and exposed brick add to the industrial flavors our residents love. And trust us, there’s a lot of it. We fought to keep these beams unchanged during construction. These aged wood columns have become colored and changed with age. We built and designed our units around them, not the other way around. As a result, unique design opportunities occurred. Our favorite? Maybe the beam that will actually pierce through your kitchen’s granite countertop.
With exposed brick, we took every opportunity to show it off. Entire corner bedrooms will feature jaw dropping brick walls that lead up to arched windows. It’s elegant. It’s excellent. And, yes, it can actually be yours to live in.
In addition to the unique interiors of the EJ Thomas apartments, residents will love the convenience of off-street parking in the Short North. For anyone who has hunted for an available meter during Gallery Hop, you know what a great bonus this is.
But there’s more we want to share…
The Standouts
Working around an original floor plan can make renovations harder. There’s no doubt about that, yet sometimes this extra effort gives us the best surprises.
When the EJ Thomas penthouse ran into an old elevator shaft, we had to get creative.
Instead of abandoning ship and drywalling the elevator shut, we opted to integrate the elevator shaft into a completely finished living space. Whether it ends up being a place to hangout with friends or the perfect spot for a unique candlelit dinner, this original element is one you won’t find anywhere else in Columbus.
Oh, and did we mention that the elevator shaft leads residents to private rooftop access of EJ Thomas? Residents can enjoy a tremendous view that few others have ever experienced.
In addition, the home chef might want to check out the EJ Thomas unit that features a drop kitchen. When finishing this unit, we ran up against staggered flooring. If you know Lykens Companies, you won’t be surprised that we saw it as an opportunity to highlight our fantastic kitchens. Along with its incredible appearance (thanks to granite countertops, high-end stainless steel appliances, and more), you can prepare dinners in a contemporary kitchen that kept the historical integrity of its floor plan.
Convinced Yet?
The apartments inside the EJ Thomas warehouse will soon be known as some of the most unique in all of Columbus. Leasing now, these 20 apartments are sure to go fast. Whether ready to lease, ask questions, or schedule a tour, you can email info@lykenscompanies.com and we’ll connect you to one of our fantastic leasing agents!
Experience one-of-a-kind living. Experience living in history.
A bit about Lykens Companies…
With 20 years (and counting) of experience, we believe that Lykens Companies is just getting started on its mission to offer Columbus hundreds of premier apartments, rentals, and renovations. Each day, we are driving toward constantly expanding and improving our business and bettering Columbus, the city we love. For our renters, that means that they are connected to a proven business that is always striving to be the best. Our success isn’t an accident. We are constantly striving to improve our quality, both in the buildings that we renovate, reimagine, and rent out; moreover, we are striving to improve in the way that our business operates. For you, that means the best units and the best service in the best locations.
As we invest our time, money, and energy into the Short North, Victorian Village, Italian Village, and other parts of Columbus’s urban core, it’s nothing short of amazing to step back and see how much we’re able to impact our city, whether that looks like renovating apartments, houses, or even factories like the Wonder Bread Lofts and the forthcoming Budd Dairy project: a full scale reimagining of an old dairy factory into a Cameron Mitchell food hall and state-of-the-art coworking space.
If you’re looking to rent in Columbus, Ohio’s urban core, you’ve come to the right place. We’re confident that it doesn’t get better than us when it comes to finding the absolute best apartments and rentals in Columbus.
See every availability!
Whether you’re looking for an apartment in the Short North, a rental in Victorian Village, a studio in Italian Village, or a loft in Wonder Bread, our Available Rentals page will feature all that (and more). We’re constantly adding our newest properties and highlighting that month’s leasing specials. Bookmark it and check often! What if you took two minutes to browse it right now?
Already a resident? Refer a friend!
At Lykens Companies, we offer a simple and easy referral program to our tenants (and even non-tenants). For each referral of yours who signs a lease, we’ll pay you $200! Be sure to learn everything about this awesome plan and even check out our three methods to actually get your friends to sign a lease.
