Uptown Westerville is the City of Westerville's centerpiece, and a tremendous asset. It is home to Westerville City Hall, the Westerville Public Library, and Otterbein University. Residents, students, and visitors alike are drawn to Uptown because of its inviting scale, historic form, unique character, colorful history, and the many shops, restaurants, galleries, and other businesses that bring the area to life. Historically, Uptown Westerville was the headquarters of the Anti Saloon League, which of course meant that the community was dry for decades. Once the State of Ohio started allowing voting on site-specific liquor options in otherwise dry precincts, voters have approved the service of alcohol in various Uptown locations, starting in 2004. Since then, the course of investment and activity in Uptown began to scale up dramatically.
The Uptown Plan was adopted in 2014 to offer policy and planning direction and to help activate Uptown's potential. Since the Uptown Plan's adoption almost 10 years ago, the district has been thriving, thanks to the efforts of thoughtful City policies, proactive planning and infrastructure investment, and numerous partnerships. This session will provide attendees with a case study on how public/private partnerships, economic development tools and programs, and strong planning principles can result in the creation of a thriving, 'Authentic and Alive' Uptown Westerville.
Speakers
Rachel Ray, AICP
David Efland, FAICP
Rob Rishel
Lynn Aventino