Retail tenant representation, landlord leasing, and investment sales across Central Ohio and the greater Columbus market
Retail Real Estate in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is Ohio’s fastest-growing retail market and the second pillar of Goodman Real Estate Services Group’s Ohio platform. We opened our Columbus office in 2016 to serve the rapidly expanding Central Ohio market and have since built a deep pipeline of tenant rep, landlord leasing, and development advisory work across the region. Our brokers cover every major Columbus submarket — from the Easton and Polaris lifestyle districts north of I-270, to the Dublin and Hilliard corporate corridors west of the city, to the dense Ohio State University-area High Street retail node, the Worthington, Westerville, and New Albany community growth corridors, and southern submarkets including Grove City, Canal Winchester, and Pickerington.
If you’re a national retailer evaluating Columbus for expansion, a landlord with vacancy in Central Ohio, or an investor analyzing Columbus-area retail assets, Goodman’s Columbus office combines local market depth with statewide platform reach. We represent active site selection programs for Barnes & Noble, BJ’s Wholesale, Chopt Creative Salad Co., Circle K, Dunkin’, Lifetime Fitness, FedEx, Flight Club, Paper Source, Portillo’s Hot Dogs, Smile Brands (Bright Now! Dental), US Bank, Whole Foods Market, Five Guys, Valvoline, McAlister’s Deli, Popeyes, The Joint Chiropractic, Aqua Tots Swim School, KBP Brands (Arby’s, Taco Bell, KFC), Pizza Hut, SweatHouz, Aladdin’s Eatery, and many other national brands targeting the Columbus market.
The Columbus Retail Market at a Glance
Major Columbus-area retail corridors
- Easton / I-270 northeast — premier mixed-use lifestyle district anchored by Easton Town Center; the most active corridor in Ohio for first-to-market national retailer entries
- Polaris / I-71 north — Polaris Fashion Place lifestyle and power-center district covering Lewis Center, Westerville, and the broader Delaware County growth corridor
- Bridge Park / Dublin’s newest development — a vibrant, walkable mixed-use destination located near Downtown Dublin that houses a prestigious list of upscale restaurants, lifestyle retail, and modern residential
- Hilliard / Cemetery Road — fast-growing western suburbs retail corridor with strong residential expansion
- North High Street / OSU campus — dense urban retail and dining corridor with 23,000+ daily traffic counts; serves Ohio State’s 60,000+ student population
- New Albany / Hamilton Quarter — affluent northeast Columbus growth corridor adjacent to the Intel semiconductor campus and surrounding development
- Grove City / Canal Winchester / Pickerington — southern Columbus growth corridor anchored by Kroger Marketplace, Walmart, and emerging power center development
Notable Columbus-area shopping centers Goodman has leased or transacted in
- Canal Winchester Serenity Commons (coming soon) — Goodman represents the developer on the 118,000 SF Kroger anchor and adjacent outlots; ground leases signed across multiple pads with additional outlots and an 11-acre apartment-entitled site available
- Worthington Gateway — Newly-constructed mixed-use development located at the southwest corner of Wilson Bridge Road and N High Street, at the I-270 interchange across from The Shops at Worthington
- North High Street / OSU corridor — N. High Street, Hummus Republic, and other recent Goodman-represented retail openings near campus
- Easton-area retail — ongoing Goodman tenant representation for national brands targeting Easton and surrounding Columbus lifestyle corridors
- Grove City / Pickerington / Hilliard developments — multiple Goodman-represented site selections and dispositions across southern and western Columbus growth corridors
How We Work in the Columbus Market
Goodman provides full-cycle retail real estate services across the greater Columbus market. Our Columbus office, led by Daniel A. D. Clark with over 20 years of experience in the industry, has been operating since 2016 and has built direct working relationships with Central Ohio’s most active developers, landlords, and municipal contacts. From small-shop QSR site selection on the OSU campus to anchor leasing at suburban power centers and outlot ground leases at grocery-anchored projects, our team handles the full range of Columbus retail real estate.
For Retail Tenants & Buyers
From first-to-market Columbus entries to portfolio expansions across Ohio, primarily in Central Ohio:
- Trade area analysis across all major Columbus submarkets
- Site identification including off-market opportunities at established centers
- Demographic, traffic count, and competitive intelligence reporting
- Coordination through deal structure, LOI negotiation, due diligence, lease negotiation to lease signing or sale closing
We’re the exclusive Central Ohio real estate partner for Aladdin’s, Barnes and Noble, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Chick-fil-A, Circle K, Dunkin’, FedEx, Five Guys, Lifetime Fitness, Michael’s, Panda Express, SweatHouz, US Bank, Valvoline, Whole Foods Market, and many other national brands.
Active Columbus tenant rep clients include:
Daniel Clark
Barnes & Noble, BJ’s Wholesale, Chopt Creative Salad Co., Circle K, Dunkin’, Lifetime Fitness, FedEx, Flight Club, KBP Brands, Paper Source, Portillo’s Hot Dogs, Smile Brands (Bright Now! Dental), US Bank, and Whole Foods Market.
Chad Hamrick
Five Guys, Valvoline, Dunkin’, McAlister’s Deli, Popeyes, The Joint Chiropractic, and Aqua Tots Swim School
Joe Belinske
KBP Brands (Arby’s, Taco Bell, KFC), Pizza Hut, FedEx, SweatHouz, and Aladdin’s Eatery
For Landlords & Developers
Leasing and investment sales for shopping centers, standalone retail, mixed-use, and ground-lease outlots across Columbus:
- Vacancy marketing and tenant prospecting
- Anchor and shadow-anchor strategy
- Pre-leasing for new developments and redevelopments
- Lease renewals and tenant expansions
- Investment sales, dispositions, and 1031 acquisitions
Active Columbus developer/landlord relationships include:
Daniel Clark
BEK Developers, Five Points Family Ventures, K2 Development, Schiff Realty, Marquee Capital, Serenity Capital Management, Steak ’n Shake, Steiner & Associates, and Trilogy Development
Chad Hamrick
Site Centers, Schottenstein Property Group, Arshot Investment Corp., Washington Prime Group, Kimco, National Realty Partners, and America’s Realty.
Joe Belinske
Curbline, Marquee Capital, Five Points Family Ventures, Moment Development, Schiff Properties, Serenity Capital Management, US Bank.
Recent Columbus Area Transactions
A sample of recent Goodman activity in the Columbus office — expanding across the Central Ohio region.
| Tenant / Property | Location | Type | Goodman Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kroger Marketplace | Serenity Commons, Canal Winchester — (118,000 SF) | New Lease | Landlord rep |
| Dunkin’ | Central Ohio (multiple) | New Lease | Landlord rep |
| Barnes & Noble | Sun Center, Dublin, Hilliard — (40,075 SF) | New lease | Tenant rep |
| Ollie’s Bargain Outlet | Brice Park, Reynoldsburg — (30,000 SF) | New lease | Landlord rep |
| Five Guys | Liberty Crossing, Powell – (2,642 SF) | New lease | Tenant rep |
| SweatHouz | Shoppes at Hunters Run, Pickerington – (2,400 SF) | New lease | Tenant rep |
| Wingstop | The Shops on N. Memorial, Lancaster – (1,843 SF) | New lease | Landlord rep |
| Removery | 1338 W. Fifth Avenue, Columbus – (1,469 SF) | New lease | Tenant rep |
Notable Columbus Area Transactions to Date
A sample of some of our most significant deals to date in the Central Ohio trade area. Our complete transaction history spans over a hundred deals over two decades — full archive available on request.
| Tenant / Property | Location | Type |
|---|---|---|
| US Bank | Central Ohio (multiple) | New Lease |
| Kroger | Canal Winchester | New Lease |
| Walgreens | Columbus | New Lease |
| LA Fitness | Columbus | New Lease |
| BJ’s | Lewis Center, New Albany | New Lease |
| Aldi | Upper Arlington | New Lease |
| Starbucks | Central Ohio (multiple) | New Lease |
Why Work With Goodman in Columbus
Local market depth
- Dedicated Columbus office since 2016 — physical presence, not a satellite
- Daniel A. D. Clark leads the Columbus office: 20+ years with Goodman, deep relationships across Ohio, primarily in Central Ohio
- Active deal flow across Easton, Polaris, Dublin, OSU corridor, Worthington, Plain City, Canal Winchester, Grove City, and the Intel/New Albany growth area
Ohio + Midwest platform
- ChainLinks Retail Advisors member — connected to top retail brokers in 50+ markets
- Goodman represents 100+ active retailers across Ohio with multi-market expansion programs
- Coverage across Ohio from the Columbus office
- Investment sales platform with national buyer reach for Columbus-area retail assets
Goodman is a retail-focused firm. Every broker, every relationship, every market insight is dedicated to retail. That focus is why national retailers entering Columbus consistently choose us as their Central Ohio partner.
Who We Work With in Columbus
The Columbus market draws an unusually broad mix of retail categories thanks to Ohio State University, the Intel semiconductor campus, strong corporate daytime populations in Dublin and Polaris, and continued residential expansion in every direction.
Actively expanding into Columbus
- QSR and fast casual: Five Guys, Dunkin’, KBP Brands (Arby’s, Taco Bell, KFC), Pizza Hut, Portillo’s Hot Dogs, McAlister’s Deli, Popeyes, Aladdin’s Eatery, Chopt Creative Salad Co.
- Specialty grocery: Whole Foods Market
- Big box and warehouse: BJ’s Wholesale, Barnes & Noble, Lifetime Fitness
- Health & wellness: SweatHouz, Smile Brands (Bright Now! Dental), The Joint Chiropractic, Lifetime Fitness
- Specialty retail: Paper Source, Flight Club, US Bank, FedEx, Valvoline, Aqua Tots Swim School
Columbus Market Context
Columbus is the largest city in Ohio by population and the fastest-growing major Midwestern metro. The Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) exceeds 2.2 million residents and continues to expand, driven by Ohio State University, a strong corporate and government employment base, and the multi-billion-dollar Intel semiconductor campus under construction in Licking County. Major interstates — I-70, I-71, I-270 (the outer belt), and I-670 — define the retail submarkets and shape site selection across the region.
Columbus’s retail market is uniquely barbell-shaped — pulled by lifestyle and mixed-use centers at the high end (Easton Town Center, Polaris Fashion Place, Bridge Park in Dublin, Bridge Park’s sister projects in New Albany) and by value-oriented power centers and grocery-anchored projects across the rapidly growing suburban ring. Easton remains the dominant first-to-market destination for national retailers entering Ohio. The Polaris corridor anchors the north submarkets. Dublin and Hilliard combine strong daytime corporate population with affluent residential. The OSU campus area on North High Street serves as one of the highest-foot-traffic urban retail districts in the Midwest.
Notable recent Columbus retail activity includes the ongoing build-out at Canal Winchester’s Serenity Commons, accelerating retail demand in the New Albany / Intel corridor, continued expansion at Easton (more than 10 first-to-Ohio openings announced in 2025 alone), strong tenant interest along North High Street near OSU, and grocery-anchored development pushing into Pickerington, Grove City, and the southern Columbus growth ring. Columbus has been one of the most active US markets for restaurant and fast-casual openings over the past 24 months.
Common Questions About Columbus Commercial Real Estate
How do I find available retail space in Columbus?
Goodman’s Columbus office maintains an active listing inventory across all major Central Ohio submarkets. Many of the best opportunities are off-market and never appear on public listing platforms. Contact the Columbus team directly for a current trade area and market analysis tailored to your needs and requirements. You can also browse current listings on our Properties page.
Does Goodman handle investment sales in the Columbus area?
Yes. Goodman’s Investment Sales Group covers Columbus along with our other Ohio markets. We handle single-tenant NNN assets, multi-tenant strip centers, anchored shopping centers, and pad-site dispositions throughout Central Ohio. Contact Kyle Hartung at Goodman Investment Group or Daniel Clark in the Columbus office for current inventory and buyer representation.
What major shopping centers does Goodman lease in Columbus?
Goodman’s Columbus office handles leasing for the Canal Winchester Kroger Marketplace anchor and outlots, Schiff Properties, Worthington Gateway, Warehouse District, University Gateway North, Gateway Crossing, and others. Direct contact with Daniel Clark or the Columbus team will surface the most current inventory. You can also browse current shopping center listings on our Properties page.
Contact a Columbus Retail Broker
Goodman’s Columbus office serves tenants, landlords, and investors across Central Ohio with local market depth and statewide platform reach. Our team is ready to discuss your specific Columbus retail needs — whether that’s tenant site selection, landlord leasing, or investment sales.
Reach the Columbus office at 216.331.2702, or our main office at 216.381.8200 or info@goodmanrealestate.com.