As the City Hall Improvement Project nears the finish line, Westerville officials are getting ready to put 64 E. Walnut on the market and roll out early redevelopment ideas for public review. City staff will host an early outreach open house next Thursday at the property, where concept packages on display will feature a boutique hotel, restaurant space, housing, and a parking structure aimed at boosting public parking in Uptown. The sale is being framed as part of a broader strategy to shrink and consolidate city office space while opening more Uptown real estate to private reinvestment.
What's on the table for 64 E. Walnut
According to the City Government of Westerville, Ohio, the first round of staff materials showcases mixed-use concepts that pair a hospitality component and new housing with additional public parking. Officials say these starter packages are meant to spark developer interest and kick off community conversation before any formal sale or request for proposals is launched.
Open houses and what to expect
City staff have scheduled two public open-house sessions so residents can look over plans, ask questions, and share feedback. The first is set for next Thursday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the site. Staff says the meetings will include concept boards and city representatives on hand to walk people through how the different redevelopment options could fit into Uptown's existing fabric.
How proposals will be reviewed
Any eventual sale and redevelopment would go through the city’s standard land use process, including zoning review and Uptown design oversight by local boards. Per the City of Westerville's Planning & Zoning page, properties in the Uptown Architectural Review District generally need a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior changes and can expect multiple rounds of review before permits are issued.
Past redevelopments give a blueprint
The city is pointing to recent Uptown projects where public land or city involvement helped push redevelopment forward, including the Armory conversion that brought in COhatch/North High, along with the reuse of the former post office at 28 S. State Street, according to the City Government of Westerville, Ohio's Facebook announcement. That post office reuse has been featured in architectural tours, as detailed by AIA Columbus, as an example of how historic buildings can successfully host new hospitality and dining uses.
What neighbors will want to watch for
Key questions likely to shape neighborhood reaction include how large the parking structure might be and where it would sit, the number and type of housing units that could be added, and how any new construction would blend with Uptown's historic character. City staff says the open houses and upcoming design review steps are meant to surface those tradeoffs and potential timelines before any formal proposals move ahead.
Materials from the city are slated to be posted online, and staff says residents will be able to review project boards and leave comments. A second open house is planned later this month. More information and project materials are available on the City of Westerville's 64 Walnut page.
