A final development plan for COhatch to construct a new building in downtown Powell has been given the green light by Powell City Council.
On Tuesday, the council voted unanimously to approve the plan for a three-story, 13,900-square-foot building on the 0.64-acre site at 50 E. Olentangy St., just east of Powell’s four corners. COhatch, which is owned by Matt Davis, will offer communal working space, private offices, and event space in the building as well as a rooftop bar overlooking the downtown area.
A parking lot, which would be accessible to the public at all hours, is proposed to the rear of the building with access coming from Olentangy Street. On-street parking spaces are also proposed in front of the building.
The Powell building will join COhatch’s other central Ohio locations in Delaware, Polaris, Dublin Westerville, Worthington, and multiple buildings in Columbus. A building is also in the works in Bexley.
While Tuesday’s vote only involved the COhatch building, Davis and the city have been working together for years to build off the proposal to bring development to downtown Powell’s northeast quadrant. Those plans include an extension of Scioto Street to Grace Drive and additional parking ahead of the creation of an event area around Bartholomew Run.
In March, the council approved an ordinance authorizing City Manager Andrew White to enter into an agreement for Davis to lead the conceptual design and engineering of phase one of the plan. Ahead of the vote on Tuesday, White said the entire project is poised to be “one of the most transformative” in the city’s history.
“Going back to my initial time with the city and conversations back in 2020 with Mr. Davis, I’ve really dreamed about getting to this point,” White said. “In 2023 in earnest, we started down a path that got us here tonight with the approval of a development agreement. There’s been substantial work beyond this project itself. Through the experience I’ve had working with the staff and applicant on this, I’m very encouraged by a development that doesn’t contain itself simply to the four corners of the parcel proposed.”
White added, “There’s been an organic measure of conversation and community building throughout the downtown-related businesses and, as a result of that discussion and this project, it’s expanded in scope to the north side of Liberty (Road), to the inclusion of a long-sought-after right-of-way for a thoroughfare for a street that connects Scioto (Street) to Grace (Drive) and opens up untold opportunities for a development corridor in that section. It’s also provided a great deal of discussion and opportunity along Olentangy (Street).”
Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on X @DillonDavis56.
