COLUMBUS, Ohio — A large portion of the building that houses the King Arts Complex is for sale.
The listing has an asking price of $3.85 million for the Pythian building.
The King Arts Complex has long been a staple of culture, education and history in Columbus.
According to the website for the complex, it opened in 1987 after the renovation of the Pythian Theater, also known as the York Masons Building, on Mount Vernon Avenue.
There was an additional renovation in 1989 that led to the full facility we know today.
The listing says the building was built in 1900.
Realtors with “The Robert Weiler Company” are handling the sale. Robert “Skip” Weiler said because of the building's background, a future owner might have trouble making too many changes.
“If somebody wanted to redevelop the site and turn it into something else, you would have to go through the city of Columbus. So I think the only way to get through an approval processed through the city of Columbus would be to have their support,” Weiler said.
Weiler said the building is on the Columbus historic register.
The Pythian building is not owned by the City of Columbus but there was a lease agreement that the complex left last year.
Demetrius Neely, the executive director of the King Arts Complex, said in a statement, "We understand that because of King Arts’ important role in the community and its historical and cultural significance, there will be much public interest in our continued presence in the neighborhood. While we exercised our right to exit the lease of the Pythian building in 2019, our offices remain in the Garfield building which is immediately adjacent to it. We remain in the neighborhood and continue to offer a robust program of educational and cultural opportunities for the people of Columbus. It’s also important to stress that our office move was a business decision that considers our obligation to be good stewards of the generous donations we receive. As we have done throughout our history, we will continue to make fiscally responsible decisions that allow us to fulfill our mission: to connect community through the arts."
