Nationwide explores converting its former 18-story downtown Columbus office tower into residential apartments

A prominent High Street office building is under review for adaptive reuse

An 18-story office building in the core of downtown Columbus that previously served as part of Nationwide’s headquarters complex is being evaluated for a potential residential conversion. A preliminary site plan has been filed with the City of Columbus for 280 N. High St., a tower also known as 280 Plaza and formerly called Two Nationwide Plaza.

The applicant on the filing is Nationwide Realty Investors, the real estate development affiliate of Nationwide. The submission signals early-stage intent to reposition the property at a time when many downtowns are contending with office vacancies and when Columbus continues to face demand for additional housing supply.

What the city filing does—and does not—show

The preliminary site plan is a first step in the city review process and does not, by itself, establish final design, construction timing, financing, or the number of future housing units. The filing outlines limited exterior work, including minor landscaping changes along High and Chestnut streets, while leaving key program details unresolved in public materials at this stage.

Separate from the site plan, the property’s ownership structure has also shifted: the deed for 280 N. High St. was transferred to Nationwide Realty Investors in March 2025, a move consistent with preparing an asset for redevelopment planning.

How the tower fits into Nationwide’s post-pandemic real estate footprint

The building sits across from other major Nationwide towers that remain part of the company’s downtown presence. In 2023, Nationwide consolidated its Columbus workforce after pandemic-era changes in workplace patterns. The company’s downtown operations have been centered in three main buildings, including One Nationwide Plaza and Three Nationwide Plaza, alongside other workplace locations in the region.

In 2025, Nationwide also adjusted in-office expectations by requiring more employees to work on-site at least two days per week. Even with that policy shift, older office assets in many U.S. downtowns have faced market pressure as tenants reassess space needs.

Downtown conversions are becoming a recurring redevelopment pathway

If the 280 N. High St. concept advances, it would add to a growing list of office-to-residential conversions in downtown Columbus that have brought new apartments to underutilized office buildings. Recent local examples have included conversions such as the Continental Tower and the Preston Centre redevelopment.

These projects typically involve complex building-code, structural, and mechanical challenges, and often require careful design solutions to deliver residential layouts, natural light, amenities, and updated life-safety systems in structures originally built for office occupancy.

Key questions that remain open

• How many apartments the building could support and what unit mix would be targeted.
• Whether any portion of the tower would remain office or be repurposed for other uses.
• What affordability commitments, if any, would be included in a final proposal.
• How street-level spaces would be activated to support High Street’s pedestrian environment.

The filing represents an initial step: it signals a direction for reuse but does not yet define a finalized residential program.

City review will determine what changes, conditions, and additional submissions would be required before any conversion could move from concept to construction.