Powell is in the middle of reshaping its 12-acre village core, with city officials weighing two very different visions for the future of Village Green even as new restaurants, a coworking campus, and an arcade concept already move into downtown storefronts. The suburb north of Columbus is working to further activate its downtown, according to Columbus Business First, pointing to new businesses opening alongside coworking spaces that are drawing workers into the area.
At the center of the long-range planning effort is Village Green, a 12-acre parcel where consultants and city officials have spent years mapping out what comes next. Powell began its downtown and Village Green Master Plan process in 2023 and wrapped up Phase I this past September using feedback from 658 community survey responses, according to the Delaware Gazette. The city is targeting final completion of the master plan, guided by consultant Pizzuti Solutions, by the third quarter of 2027.
Two Competing Visions for the Village Core
Planners have narrowed the Village Green redevelopment down to two main concepts. One, called Village Square, centers on a public square with green space and a water feature. The other, Market Street, proposes a denser linear corridor built around retail and entertainment, per the same Delaware Gazette report. Both concepts also call for a market hall, a grocery store, and structured parking, leaving the final direction still unresolved. Graphics displayed at the open house were provided by Planning Director Logan Stang.
To make either concept possible, Powell has to first move itself out of the way. Under the city's 2026 Facilities Master Plan, approved in February, Powell plans to relocate its Municipal Building and Police Department away from 47 Hall Street to a central location, freeing up land within Village Green for redevelopment. The plan also recommends establishing a standalone facility dedicated to police operations, though the exact timeline for that relocation remains an open question for the village.
Private Investment Already Filling in Downtown
While the big master plan decisions play out, private developers aren't waiting around. Hilliard-based Equity Commercial Real Estate Solutions has proposed Powell Gateway, a 21,600-square-foot commercial development on East Olentangy Street intended to serve as an entrance to downtown, Columbus Business First reports. Its sketch plan was presented for review, but the project was rejected.
Just blocks away, Powell's Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed plans in September for a new mixed-use building at 110 S. Liberty Street anchored by a 2,100-square-foot arcade featuring custom Pac-Man brickwork, patio seating, and rooftop venue space, according to the city of Powell. The design leans into walkable commercial space and outdoor dining, fitting the broader push to bring foot traffic back downtown.
Downtown has also picked up its first taste of nightlife at elevation. COhatch opened its 14,000-square-foot coworking campus at 50 E. Olentangy St. in March, and followed it in April with the Lani Rooftop Lounge, Powell's first rooftop bar and one of roughly ten in Central Ohio, according to the Anne DeVoe Group. The rooftop venue serves globally inspired small plates across three seating areas.
Grants and Public Dollars Stacking Up
Smaller public incentives have been quietly leveraging bigger private investment along the way. In July, the Powell Development Corporation distributed $56,738 in Façade Improvement Grants, which the city says sparked more than $360,000 in outdoor upgrades across three downtown properties, including COhatch's historic Middlebury Member House, Local Roots, and Espresso 22. The grant funds went toward exterior paint, landscaping, and patio additions.
That targeted spending is backed by a larger infrastructure commitment. Powell City Council adopted a Capital Improvement Program for FY27–31. The economic backdrop helps explain why officials are moving on multiple fronts at once: Powell's Economic Development department managed 402 active projects during 2025 and helped bring 30 new businesses to the suburb, generating $85.25 million in capital investment, 496 full-time jobs, and $18.36 million in total new payroll, according to city data. Active project volume grew 12.9% over 2024 levels.
Parking in the Village Green Plan
Parking is one element of the master plan. Proposals recommend replacing the existing surface lot at 47 Hall Street with a multi-level parking garage, per the Delaware Gazette's reporting.
With the master plan still more than a year from completion and private projects like Powell Gateway and the Liberty Street arcade concept moving through municipal review in parallel, Powell's downtown is being built in pieces before the final blueprint is even finished. How community members react to the added density, which of the two Village Green concepts ultimately wins out, and how the city manages traffic along its key corridors remain questions without answers for now.
