page_title: William J. Lhota Building
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: William J. Lhota Building / History
caption_attribution_description: English: COTA Customer Experience Center at the William J. Lhota Building, 33 N. High St., taken in downtown Columbus, Ohio.
context_page_description: The William J. Lhota Building is a historic office building on High Street in downtown Columbus, Ohio. The building is primarily known as the headquarters of the Central Ohio Transit Authority, the city's transit system. It is owned by COTA, with some office space leased to other organizations. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the High and Gay Streets Historic District in 2014.
context_section_description: The Lhota Building was built in 1905. It was associated with many of the city's leading businessmen, as its directors included Nicholas Schlee (president of the Schlee Brewing Company), W.H. Jones (president of the Jones Witter Company), and James Kilbourne (president of the Kilbourne and Jacobs Manufacturing Co.). Around 1919, the building also housed the home offices of the Ohio State Life Insurance Company. Around the 1930s, the retail shop Kibler Men's Clothing occupied the first floor, which was then occupied by Walker's Men's Store from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s. The building's upper floors had several small professional offices. For a time, the building contained the headquarters of the Ohio Republican Party, and the office of noted Columbus architect David Riebel. The entire building was taken over by the URS Corporation in the late 20th century. COTA began searching for a new headquarters as their McKinley Avenue offices reached capacity. The agency purchased the building in 2008, and renovated it, giving it new floors, finishes, and workstations. Lighting, HVAC, and mechanical systems were also updated. COTA's ticket office and its operator sign-in station were also moved to the building, from their former location on Capitol Square at 60 E. Broad Street. The building was named for Lhota, COTA's former CEO, in 2012.
  From July to November 2019, COTA renovated the first-floor lobby and information desk into a "customer experience center", at a cost of $2.3 million. Aiming to attract more riders inside, the agency installed a large overhead screen describing fares and COTA services, along with touch-screen information kiosks, digital ticket machines, and a new high ceiling and bright lighting. The renovation also included exterior work: improved accessible ramps, new doors, and windows.
caption: The building's first floor after its 2019 renovation
exif: {}