CAMPUS PARTNERS SELECTS THE DRUKER COMPANY TO DEVELOP UNIVERSITY GATEWAY CENTER

As the result of a competitive 10-month selection process, Campus Partners has chosen a development team headed by The Druker Company, Ltd., of Boston, as the preferred master developer for the University Gateway Center.

The Gateway Center, which will be among the largest, mixed-use, urban redevelopment projects ever developed in Central Ohio, will be built in the area of 11th Avenue and North High Street adjacent to The Ohio State University's Columbus campus. The project will include a dynamic blend of entertainment, retail, office space, housing and parking to serve one of the nation's largest collegiate markets.

The Campus Partners Board of Trustees on Thursday (5/20) voted to accept the recommendation of Terry Foegler, president of Campus Partners, that The Druker Company be designated the preferred master developer. The designation is tentative, subject to the satisfactory negotiation of a development agreement for the Gateway Center over the next few weeks.

"The overall quality of all submissions by the three competing teams was excellent," explained Foegler. "It was a very competitive process. The difficult task among such high-quality submissions is having to make a choice. In the end, after careful consideration of all criteria and input from those involved in the evaluation process, The Druker Company clearly distinguished itself as the most qualified team to undertake this critically important project."

"We are honored and delighted to have been chosen by Campus Partners," said Ronald M. Druker, president of The Druker Company, Ltd. "The University Gateway Center represents an important opportunity for revitalization of the Ohio State campus and the Weinland Park area. We are excited about becoming part of the Columbus community."

The Druker Company has chosen Elkus/Manfredi Architects Ltd., of Boston, as the lead architect on the project and Moody/Nolan Ltd., Inc., of Columbus will be the associated architect. Other Druker team members include Carol R. Johnson Associates as the landscape architect; ms consultants, inc., of Columbus, as transportation and parking engineers; Benjamin D. Rickev & Co., of Columbus, on historic presevation; Smith & Hale, of Columbus, as local legal counsel; Blackwell Associates, Inc., of Columbus, as market research consultant; and The Diner Man as diner restoration and design consultant.

Campus Partners last August issued a "request for qualifications" (RFQ) seeking developer teams with extensive experience in urban and mixed-use projects who would be interested in building the Gateway Center. Statements of qualifications were received from 10 national and local teams.

After reviewing these statements, Campus Partners last November chose three developer teams to compete in a "request for proposals" (RFP) process:

· The Druker Company, Ltd., of Boston;

· the collaboration of Jones Lang LaSalle, of Chicago, the Don M. Casto Organization, of Columbus, and Arshot Investment Corp., of Columbus; and

· the collaboration of Towne Properties and Madison Marquette Realty Services, both based in Cincinnati.

The RFP was issued in December and the proposals were received in late February. The developer teams presented their proposals in a public open house on March 2. The proposals, including concept drawings, were placed on Campus Partners' web site for public review and comment. The developer teams met with three 10-person panels in mid-March for in-depth interviews. Based on the evaluations and interviews, Campus Partners then presented each team with a set of written questions and issues. The teams' responses were received in late April. In early May, Foegler visited projects done by the teams in Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, D.C. A final set of interviews were conducted last week.

Detailed information on the University Gateway Center and Campus Partners' other initiatives is available on the Campus Partners' web site at: www.osu.edu/CampusPartners/