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While some have the plumbing and electrical fixtures
and wiring in, it's still a little difficult to visualize at this
point what these areas will become in the weeks ahead. (A return
trip might be necessary.)
Steve Touzinsky, Turner condo coordinator and
guide for one group, related that many of the 114 condos have
already been sold. He expects the first 12 to be ready for occupancy
in September. (Developer Ron Pizzuti's daughter is said to be
the first to move in.)
Among those expected to take up residency at the
Miranova are John Glenn, astronaut and former U.S. senator, and
his wife, Annie. Also, at least two residents of the nearby Waterford
are set to move into the Miranova.
Nevertheless, there are several condos available
for anyone desiring to become neighbors of the Glenns. All you
need is $300,000 to $1.75 million, depending on your demands for
square footage and location.
However, Touzinsky expects these to go fast, especially
when the Blue Jackets hockey team is finalized in the next few
weeks and a number of young millionaires come skating into town
looking for places to live.
Here are some quick facts about Miranova for those
unable to make the trip:
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The building is about 300 feet tall
with condos on floors five through 27 (about 340,000 square
feet).
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The exterior is architectural precast
concrete and aluminum and glass.
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A typical residential floor has three
units on the west side and four units on the east side.
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The building sits on a five-inch-thick
concrete mat containing 5,000 cubic yards of concrete.
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There is parking for 237 automobiles
in the basement and on floors two through four (122,000 square
feet).
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Level one consists of the main lobby,
guest apartment, exercise area, social and meeting rooms,
and storage.
Also, an office building and parking garage are
under construction just south of the residential structure. When
completed, this building will rival its neighbor in both grandeur
and height. A huge fountain will separate the two buildings. Construction
on this building began last November and occupancy is anticipated
in April 2001.
In addition to Touzinsky, other Turner and Pizzuti
associates served as tour guides for the IFMA. They are:
Marty Mostyn, project executive; Brad Ridgeway,
assistant engineer; Roger Himes, chief estimator; and Ken Fuerst,
field engineer, all Turner associates; and Pat Shuster, senior
project manager and director of client services for Pizzuti. They
were all great guides, and we do appreciate their assistance.
Fuerst provided the "tour of the day." He took
the last "group," composed only of Daphne S. Swayze of Continental
Office, who had arrived late.
The "quip of the trip" was from a lady member
who turned down an invitation to inspect a Porta Kleen and the
opportunity to, as she put it, boast: "I used the bathroom at
the Miranova."
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Keeping 10,000 employees happy is no easy task,
but that's the job Craig Thomas has worked himself into as vice
president of facility services with Nationwide Insurance. Of course,
he has 380 people helping him but that's still a ratio of about
27-1.
Thomas, charter member and former president of
the Central Ohio IFMA Chapter, and his team are responsible for
managing all corporate-occupied property, a 5,000 automobile fleet,
and security at the Nationwide complex in downtown Columbus and
at many of its other holdings.
This includes Plazas I, II, III, a building at
215 Front Street, two leased facilities, a 12,000-square-foot
structure at Tuttle Crossing, and some 700 claims and sales offices
across the country. Nationwide announced in late May that it will
expand its Dublin operations, giving Thomas two additional locations
to his list of responsibilities.
Thomas has been with Nationwide for over 20 years.
He joined the company in 1976 as a part-time draftsman while completing
his bachelor of science degree in architecture at The Ohio State
University. He had earlier received an associate of arts degree
in industrial education from Anne Arundel Community College in
Maryland.
Thomas held positions of increasing responsibility
in the Nationwide home office and field operations. In 1994, the
Nationwide Board of Directors elected him associate vice president-properties
development services, and three years later he was promoted to
his current position.
Active in community and professional organizations,
Thomas is a certified facility manager through the International
Facility Management Association. He also served as vice president
of IFMA locally and on the chapter's membership and education
committees.
Thomas is chairman of the board of the Nationwide
Federal Credit Union, and a member of the board of trustees of
the Central Ohio Transportation Authority. He previously held
positions as treasurer of the board of directors for the North
Outerbelt Transportation Management Association and as chairman
of the Nationwide Enterprise 1994 Operation feed campaign that
contributed 345,767 meals to the Mid-Ohio FoodBank.
Thomas is a stanch supporter of IFMA, saying,
"I expect to see it continue to grow in numbers and success. It
is a great organization with which to network and share ideas."
He and his wife, JoAnne, and sons, Clayton 7,
and Cole, 3, live in Westerville.
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Thomas W. Ruff & Co. is one of the nation's largest
total service office furnishing dealerships. The company:
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Is headquartered in Columbus with 49,000
square feet of showroom and administrative space, and a 95,000-square-food
distribution center.
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Has satellite operations in Orlando,
Miami, and Ft. Lauderdale.
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Has annual sales in excess of $100 million.
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And through John Cleland, senior vice
president-marketing, is a long and devoted friend of the Central
Ohio IFMA.
In fact, Cleland, who is not a facility manager,
is credited with being the organizer of the chapter. This was
prior to 1988 when Thomas Ruff (and Cleland) sponsored forums
for many of the facility managers the company did business with.
"A lot of our customers are facility managers
who are involved in furniture and other services we have to offer,
so it was a natural fit. We would get a couple dozen facility
managers together in a round-table and talk about common issues,"
Cleland said.
At one point he invited members of an Indiana
IFMA to a meeting to talk about organizing a chapter in Columbus.
Cleland also invited local IFMA members who had joined the organization
in other cities but were now without a chapter.
The first meeting was at the Athletic Club in
downtown Columbus in January 1988, and by the end of the year
the chapter had more than 100 members and was well on its way.
With the growth in membership came greater financial support and
IFMA became a more stable and viable organization.
In addition to the assistance provided IFMA, Thomas
Ruff also is involved in several other events and organizations
within the community, including Aids and cancer research, and
Boy Scouts.
"Currently we are focused on Directions for Youth,
an organization that helps youth overcome difficulties with drugs,
crime, and pregnancy and become responsible adults," Cleland said.
Cleland serves on the organization's board of
directors. He also is a member of the Upper Arlington Rotary International
and has served as president of the Upper Arlington Board of Directors
and that community's Leadership Program. He is a graduate of The
Ohio State University and a member of the OSU Presidents Club
and Alumni Association.
Cleland has been associated with Thomas Ruff
since 1968.
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