Arena District Office Tower to Become 148 Columbus Apartments in Nationwide Conversion

An old office tower on High Street is about to become homes. Nationwide plans to convert its 18-story building at 280 N. High St. into apartments. The project is called The Centennial on High. It will add 148 apartments near the Arena District and the edge of the Short North, as reported by Columbus Navigator.

Here is what happened. The building used to be called Two Nationwide Plaza. It was built in 1974 and stands 18 stories tall. Now Nationwide Realty Investors, the real estate arm of Nationwide Insurance, wants to turn much of it into housing. The plan calls for 148 apartments spread across 15 floors, including a new penthouse level at the top. Penthouse just means the fancy top-floor units. You will be able to rent one, two, or three bedrooms. Each residential floor will have five apartments with balconies. About 75,000 square feet of the building will stay as office space.

The name is a nod to history. Nationwide marks its 100th anniversary in 2026, so the project is called The Centennial on High. An earlier version of the plan called for about 172 units, as reported by Propmodo. The current plan lands at 148. Numbers like this often change as a project moves through design and city review. The amenities lean upscale. Plans show a fitness center, a club room and lounge, and a sunken courtyard along High Street with a small pool. First residents are expected to move in by mid-2027.

What does this mean for you? This is what people call an office-to-residential conversion. That means taking an old office building and turning it into homes. Downtown Columbus has lots of older office space that sits half empty. Turning it into housing puts those buildings back to work and adds homes where people want to live. If you rent, that is a good trend. It means more places to live in the core without knocking down anything or eating up open land.

If you own or invest in Downtown property, watch this closely. Conversions are a big theme across the country right now. When they work, they can lift values for a whole block by bringing in new residents and foot traffic. This tower sits at a prime spot where the Arena District, the Short North, and the Gay Street area all meet. That is some of the most walkable land in the city. Investors looking at the urban core can explore deals at /invest/deploy-capital.

What should you watch next? Watch the final unit count and design, since the plan already dropped from about 172 to 148. Watch the mid-2027 timeline, because conversions can hit surprises inside old buildings. And watch whether more Downtown office towers follow this path. If The Centennial fills up fast, expect other owners to try the same move with their empty office space.

Here is your takeaway. A 1974 office tower on High Street is set to become 148 new apartments. If you want to live or invest in the busiest part of Downtown Columbus, this conversion shows where the market is heading.

Sources: Columbus Navigator, Propmodo