Special Advertising Section: Westerville

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section

WE BELIEVE YOU R BEST H EALTH IS ALWAYS WITH I N REACH

At OhioHealth, we believe health is an ongoing journey. One with its ups and downs, its challenges and its triumphs. We believe wellness and sickness are both part of a lifelong partnership, and that everyone could use an expert guide. At OhioHealth, we believe in working together to help you uncover your own power to be healthy.

Find your partner in health at OhioHealth.com/WeBelieve. Š OhioHealth Inc. 2017. All rights reserved. FY18-Brand-AWR. 09/17.

CHARMING.

CONNECTED.

COMMUNITY. Welcome to Westerville.

Come experience our City. Explore the charming historic Uptown, where an old-generation downtown meets new-generation dining, shopping and entertainment. Discover a connected business environment, where partnership is key to exemplary city services. And be part of our community, where residents enjoy more than 40 parks and 44 miles of paved recreational trails.

Learn all about us at www.westerville.org.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section

WELCOME TO WESTERVILLE ONE MAY LOOK at our community It’s important to note that and see a place that has evolved Westerville’s position at the over time—an idyllic hometown in the crossroads of history and heart of America, where brick roads progress isn’t the product of converge with asphalt and historic happenstance, but of intentional neighborhoods with a progressive planning and execution. This look toward future needs—and they’d purposeful spirit drives us to be right, to an extent. make proactive infrastructure Take the historic Uptown district improvements that will serve our for example. Here, one can spend the residents and visitors for years Craig Treneff day taking in the rich heritage of the to come. city, finding stops along the UnderThe South State Street ground Railroad, visiting the home of Corridor improvements in the famed composer Benjamin Hanby or southern gateway to the city are strolling through the fascinating hisa key example of this intentional tory of Prohibition at the Anti-Saloon practice. City leaders commitLeague Museum at the Westerville ted to a public investment of Public Library. At the same time, one approximately $30 million to revican enjoy the many new-generation talize this strategic commercial restaurants and shops powered by corridor. This public commitment David Collinsworth small business owners, the backbone encouraged business confidence of our business community. and translated to around $60 million in private Those looking to spend time in the great outinvestment. New developments in the area doors will find it a treat to explore the “city within include the construction of a 100-room Aloft a park,” complete with 44 miles of easily-navigable hotel, which will open next month. The city will recreation trails and 655 acres of parkland, offering welcome a Renaissance hotel in the spring with signature spaces with impressive amenities and more than 200 rooms and 12,000 square feet of adaptive equipment for an inclusive experience. meeting space. We will soon be proud to invite Life in Westerville is special. From the beautiful visitors to play and stay in Westerville. places to visit to the excellent city services, it’s As you flip through the pages of this magano wonder more than 38,000 residents love to zine, you’ll become acquainted with some of call it home. The Westerville City Schools district the places and faces that make our city unique. educates a diverse group of youth who represent a We hope you enjoy the stories herein and make global village within our community, not to mention plans to see the sights for yourselves. Bring your the 3,000 students who spend their collegiate family to take in all that Westerville has to offer— careers at Otterbein University. from the past and for the future.

PRESIDENT

Bradley M. Harmon PUBLISHER/GENERAL MANAGER

Ray Paprocki ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Rheta Gallagher

EDITORIAL SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR

Emma Frankart Henterly COLUMBUS MONTHLY EDITOR

Eric Lyttle CONTRIBUTORS

Jackie Mantey, Brooke Preston

DESIGN & PRODUCTION PRODUCTION/ DESIGN DIRECTOR

Craig Rusnak ART DIRECTOR

Alyse Kordenbrock ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR

Betsy Becker

DIGITAL EDITOR

Erin Edwards ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR

Maya Jenkins

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO EDITOR

Tim Johnson ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

Rob Hardin

ADVERTISING SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Holly Gallucci ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Michelle Crossman Kyle Nussbaum Jackie Vosler SALES ASSISTANTS

Sara Barton Lauren Transue

MARKETING MARKETING MANAGER

Craig Treneff, City Council Chairman

INSIDE

CASE STUDY

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LIFESTYLES

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A public-private partnership helps businesses and students succeed.

The lively, historic Uptown district offers amenities for all.

Options abound for newcomers and long-term residents alike.

Dedicated staff and well-supported students make for a strong district.

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Careful planning leads to continued growth.

HOUSING

ON THE COVER: Westerville’s City Hall | Photo by Rob Hardin

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Lauren Reinhard EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING OFFICES

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BUSINESS

David Collinsworth, City Manager

WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

EDUCATION

62 E. Broad St. P.O. Box 1289 Columbus, OH 43216 614-888-4567

Westerville: A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section is published by GateHouse Media, LLC. All contents of this magazine are copyrighted © 2017, all rights reserved.

Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials.

Westerville’s New Senior Living Community

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Priority Care Membership National Church Residences is pleased to offer Priority Care Membership to seniors within the greater Westerville community. Priority Care membership offers: • A one-stop shop for resource and service information • A guide as you navigate the aging services network and health care systems, including Medicare • An advocate for your in-home safety and well-being Learn more by calling Home & Community Services at 888-268-1228.

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BUSINESS

THE NEXT BIG THING Westerville is at a prime moment economically, with the market taking notice of its planning and intentional readiness to grow.

New construction at Westar Place

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WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF WESTERVILLE

BY JACKIE MANTEY

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION IN THE MID-1990s, Westerville leaders acquired 941 acres north of the city, a firm economic development statement to the region that its destiny was not sealed to be solely a bedroom community. The city widened Polaris Parkway and attracted development, from corporate headquarters to local start-ups, but the “941,� as it became known, was missing one significant piece: a conference center and hotel space.

In December 2014, the city introduced Westar Place, more than 60 acres of new retail and commercial development, with a Marriott Renaissance Hotel and Conference Center at its center. The 224-room hotel would sit on 6 acres of a 62-acre parcel on the south side of Polaris Parkway between Cleveland Avenue and Africa Road, part of the larger Westar area.

Estimated at $60 million, the Renaissance would feature 15,000 square feet of meeting and convention space and eight floors of upscale rooms. It would be the first full-service hotel and convention center in Westerville.

Moreover, it symbolized that Westerville had made its mark as both an idyllic hometown and a center of commerce and employment.

WESTAR PLACE: A CITY WITHIN A CITY The Renaissance hotel and conference center will open in April 2018. It’ll be the jewel of Westar Place—the 62-acre parcel that has become one of the city’s most significant planning projects.

Development of the Westar area began in the late 1990s, when 941 acres of farmland was annexed to Westerville. A $30 million public investment funded the extension of SPOTLIGHT ON:

ROLLIES Move over, Jeni’s—there’s a cool new ice cream treat in town. Rollies, the Marysville ice cream and boba tea shop featuring “rolled� ice cream, opens this month in Uptown Westerville. “Our shop is very unique. It’s never-frozen ice cream!� says co-owner Donny Wu. Originally from Thailand, the concept starts with a liquid ice cream base poured onto a negativedegree cold plate. The base is “stir-fried� (think Cold Stone Creamery-esque mixing techniques) before being firmed, flattened and rolled into small tubes that often get additional toppings. “The finished product is not only beautiful, but all made with fresh ingredients,� Wu explains.

79 S. State St., rolliesandboba.com —Emma Frankart Henterly

Discover the new gem of Westerville with our cool modern lake house vibe.

Options are endless with 222 guestrooms and 15,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, restaurant and lounge on the lobby level that flows outdoors where you can relax on our patio or warm by the fire.

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infrastructure and utilities along Cleveland Avenue, Polaris Parkway and County Line Road. Then it was zoned for property and business development.

“We’re at the middle to tail-end of implementation in 2017,” says city manager David Collinsworth.

The majority of development in Westar has been office use, with some commercial and retail space. It represents the largest tract of undeveloped land left in the land-locked city and has been developed with the larger community’s expectations for quality at the forefront.

“These businesses will bring in good tax dollars to the city of Westerville and our other community partners, like the schools and library,” Collinsworth says. “That’s the reason behind this strategy. They are valued as economic development resources that provide jobs and the future tax base for delivering the public services our residents have asked us to provide.”

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DHL Supply Chain, a major division of DHL that helps customers with product movement in and out of warehouses, is one of the businesses with an office at Westar.

“Having a business community in Westerville that continues to grow has been great for us, because it provides access for employees and us as a business,” says Lynn Anderson, vice president of communications for DHL Supply Chain.

With the incoming Renaissance hotel, for instance, DHL Supply Chain will be able to accommodate larger meetings and out-oftown visitors without having to leave Westerville—or even the business park.

“Right now we have to rent a car to shuttle our guests around, so we’ll eliminate the rental car cost. There’s other cost-saving components to having a conveniently located hotel as well,” says Tim Sprosty, senior vice president of human resources for North and Latin America with the Supply Chain. “Every

WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

SPOTLIGHT ON:

A TWIST ON OLIVES “Shop local” isn’t a trendy catch-phrase for A Twist on Olives co-owners Rosa Marchi and Scott Trostel, her son-in-law; it’s a raison d’être. “Our family has been lifelong residents of Westerville,” Marchi says. “When we decided to open the shop, it was imperative to us that we do it in our hometown.” The “olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting emporium,” as Marchi describes it, recently moved from a side street, where it operated since April 2013, to Uptown Westerville’s main drag. “What I like most about operating in Uptown is the small-town feel and charm,” Marchi says. “Our staff knows our customers, who have now become our friends.” 44 S. State St., atwistonolives.com —Emma Frankart Henterly

PHOTOS: TOP, FRED SQUILLANTE\DISPATCH FILE; BOTTOM LEFT AND RIGHT, COURTESY CITY OF WESTERVILLE

ABOVE: Uptown Westerville BELOW: JPMorgan Chase & Co. (left) and Fusian Alliance (right) both have operations in Westerville.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION SPOTLIGHT ON:

NORTHSTAR CAFÉ Northstar Café— that stalwart of sustainable, healthful dining—opened its fifth Central Ohio location in Uptown Westerville in March. “As far back as 2010, we discussed that Uptown Westerville was a perfect community for Northstar,” says Kevin Malhame, who co-owns the local chain with his wife, Katy Malhame, and brother, Darren Malhame. “The neighborhood has so much history and charm, and such a strong sense of place. … Our goal is to offer [Uptown visitors] simple, delicious foods that cheeseburger-eaters and health-oriented vegetarians can both love.” Business seems to be booming, says Jason Bechtold, the city’s economic development director.

“Even at non-conventional business hours, like during the early afternoons, they’re still busy,” he notes. Malhame confirms the location’s success, adding that “business has exceeded our first-year expectations; it has definitely been our most successful open so far.” 109 S. State St., 614-394-8992, thenorthstarcafe.com —Emma Frankart Henterly

time we want to have a town hall, we’re driving miles away to get to a space that can accommodate 500-plus people.”

He and Anderson estimate that around 25 percent of their Westar workforce live in Westerville, which has inspired a lot of community involvement between the city and company, including a volunteer program with the parks and recreation department.

“It’s been a nice partnership,” Anderson says. “Employees have felt like they’ve had a great impact on some of the public spaces they use off-hours. It’s an opportunity that wouldn’t necessarily have been present if we were located in bigger municipalities.”

The interconnectedness of Westerville’s public and private entities is something Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Janet Tressler-Davis calls a tripod.

“The bottom line of hoping to keep our strong business community is that we have to be part of the tripod of the city: business, education and government,” she says.

“Annexing those 941 acres really changed the dynamics of our city. Since then we’ve had very deliberate growth, and that’s a positive thing. We really are different from many municipalities because of that deliberate

growth. Thirty years ago we were known as a [residential] community. It’s really changed from that. You don’t have to leave Westerville to do much of anything.”

But Westar has been planned to bring in members from outside of Columbus, too.

Next spring, the hip, upscale restaurant chain Bru Burger will unveil its first Central Ohio location in the 3.5-acre strip at the corner of Polaris Parkway and Cleveland Avenue across from Westar Place. The $4 million project also includes a drive-through Starbucks and Central Ohio taco-and-beer darling Local Cantina.

“The area was originally zoned for a restaurant and gas station, but that didn’t make sense in that environment,” says Tim Spencer, CEO of Columbus’ Trivium Development LLC. “The city challenged us to come up with better architecture and better use.

To incentivize, the city reduced the setback along Cleveland Avenue, which will make this very pedestrian-friendly and complementary to the hotel. It promotes an urban feel in a very suburban environment.”

That forward thinking will also benefit Westar Place employees who work nearby and want after-hours entertainment or lunch, as well as visitors or Columbus residents.

community

strong The Middlefield Banking Company is working with one customer at a time to build a strong future in Westerville.

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The new Mount Carmel facility on the Medical Mile

PROUDLY WESTERVILLE BASED FOR OVER 20 YEARS! • GENERAL CONSTRUCTION • • CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT • • OWNER’S REPRESENTATION • • DESIGN-BUILD •

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Trivium has planned for parking, as well as drop-off and pickup areas for rideshare users, and has leveraged its spot along COTA’s new Bus Rapid Transit service’s CMAX line, which was created to spur economic development along Cleveland Avenue and make transportation to the area easier.

“The city wants offices, medical jobs and services for residents, and all of those goals seem to get thought about at one time,” Spencer says. “There’s a consistent message that the city is open for business, but that doesn’t mean projects are just going to skate through.

Westerville is clear on its expectations and the information it provides back to developers about infrastructure, density, capacity and zoning. There’s no ambiguity of wondering whether a site will be approved, and we get good feedback up and down the process in Westerville. We’re excited.”

THE MEDICAL MILE: AN INVESTMENT IN GOOD HEALTH

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Go to columbusmonthly.com or call 877-688-8009.

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In early 2017, Westerville City Council made another bold move for developing the Westar area, approving a land sale to Central Ohio Primary Care Physicians for the development of two new buildings in Westar Place.

The deal solidified COPC’s 46,000-squarefoot corporate headquarters—which is set to bring a payroll of $15.3 million within three years—along the Medical Mile.

The Medical Mile is already home to outpatient facilities for OhioHealth, Mount Carmel Health and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The benefits of such an area are two-fold: Westerville’s residential population has easy access to some of the best health care in the state, and the city is anchored with high-paying jobs.

“There’s intentionality when we try to attract businesses in certain targeted industries, which

WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

came through from our strategy work,” says Jason Bechtold, economic development director for the city. Those industries include health care, logistics, finance and corporate headquarters. “This deal hit two of our target industries: health care and corporate headquarters. It provides great opportunities for growth and keeps those jobs in our community.”

As Ohio’s largest primary care practice, COPC’s move to a Medical Mile campus represents a consolidation of seven Westerville offices and 35 physicians. (All together, the practice has 360 physicians operating in five counties.) Scheduled to open in mid-2018, a three-story, $12 million medical office building will have on-site cardiac testing, imaging, SPOTLIGHT ON:

JAVA CENTRAL If you’re looking to grab a cuppa in Uptown Westerville, you’ll be hardpressed to find that ubiquitous chain known for pumpkin spice confections.

What you will find is Java Central, a friendly café with house-roasted coffees and a comfortable, cozy environment akin to grabbing a brew at a friend’s house. In fact, says co-owner Ralph Denick, many customers view the multi-room shop almost as a second home. Denick and his wife, Jane, bought into the shop in 2008, when it was just a year old. They’ve since been joined in ownership by Andy and Megan Piper. In the last decade, they’ve transformed Java Central into a music and arts café, complete with live music several nights a week and a gallery space featuring work from local and regional artists. 20 S. State St., 614-839-0698, java-central.com —Emma Frankart Henterly

PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF WESTERVILLE

774 Park Meadow Road Westerville, OH 43081 P 614.865.9000 F 614.865.9001

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION lab draw, physical therapy and urgent care support services in one location. Streamlined services benefit physicians and patients alike.

“We’ll have more cost-effective clinical services under one roof,” says COO Mike Ashanin.

“Patients can go from their primary care physician’s office down to the first floor for same-day support services. The new building will also have expanded hours for care. Physician practices will have common efficiencies with building operations, security and generator services.”

The corporate headquarters will be next to the new medical office building—a decision Ashanin says his team didn’t originally plan to make. The city had initially targeted the property next to the COPC medical building for specialty care services, and COPC was looking at options county-wide to address any needs for growth efficiencies.

“COPC needed room to grow, and the city of Westerville recognized that need,” Ashanin says. “COPC has a proven track record in the community, and Westerville’s commitment to the Medical Mile helped bring this all to fruition.”

The Westerville City Council approved property tax abatements for both buildings, including a 100 percent property tax abatement for 12 years at the corporate office site

because of the potential income tax revenue such a campus could provide.

Both parties also recognized that Westerville is strategically located in the center of COPC’s main markets for Franklin and Delaware counties. Physician shareholders, Ashanin adds, were supportive of constructing the headquarters next to the medical building, valuing the inherent benefits of having administration and active services close to each other.

“We affectionately refer to the new property as Independence Plaza,” Ashanin says.

THE REST OF THE WEST: BUSINESSES NEW AND OLD The business boom is rippling forward in other areas of Westerville, too.

The historic Uptown area has grown exponentially with a diverse array of small businesses in the past five years.

“We went from being one-third empty to everybody wanting a spot here, especially on State Street,” says Debbie Bennati, co-owner of A Gal Named Cinda Lou and president of the Westerville Uptown Merchants Association. “We promote each other, buy ads together and send each other business.

There’s strength in numbers.”

The city is also seeing longtime business residents plant their roots further in.

Quandel Construction Group, for example, recently relocated from the northern side of Westerville to a spot on Park Meadow Road that provided them with nearly 3,000 more square feet and room for its growing office and warehouse operations.

“We did explore areas outside of Westerville, but the city’s been very active with great opportunities for local businesses,” says president Drew Vennemeyer. “They offered incentives that were competitive with what we were seeing in other communities, and we got to design and construct the space. There’s room for growth, and it’s easy to access.”

And with another new hotel build on the horizon of the city’s south side—a 100-room Aloft Hotel by Starwood—the economic growth the city needs to be a national competitor for talent and to continue its legacy as a down-toearth place to call home has come full circle.

“In Westerville, we’ve really worked to respect and preserve our history, but we’ve also looked at innovation to make sure we’re not staying the same,” Tressler-Davis says. “We really do have the best of both worlds, whether you come from the south end or the north.”

WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

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Students work on projects at The Point, pictured above.

CASE STUDY

INNOVATION BOUND The Point at Otterbein University promised public-private partnerships to support students, industry and Westerville. It’s created one of the most advanced makerspaces in the Midwest.

AS WILL ZELL FOLLOWED the development of Otterbein University’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) innovation center, he was intrigued—with reservation.

“I was a little bit skeptical, frankly,” says Zell, CEO and founding partner of Nikola Labs, a wireless power startup whose lead investor is Columbus’s Ikove Capital Partners.

After all, the university’s systems engineering major was also a startup of sorts, launched in the fall of 2015, at an institution more renowned for its liberal arts offerings—programs traditionally focused on learning how to think critically, not necessarily produce.

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But after one tour of the work in progress, Zell knew this was the future—for his business and many others.

“I was blown away. It’s a world-class facility,” Zell says. “Within a few days, we had a lease agreement.”

In October 2016, Nikola Labs moved its 10-person staff from Ohio State’s ElectroScience Laboratory to Otterbein’s 61,000-square-foot building that debuted two months prior.

Inside the striking, red-roofed, glasscovered building at 60 Collegeview Road, the university is proving it has the chops to be a leader in Midwest innovation.

WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

Called The Point at Otterbein University, this STEAM innovation center houses Otterbein academic programs, state-of-the-art technology and equipment, and labs for businesses, students and community members alike.

The goal is to push beyond creating conceptual and intellectual property (standard fare for similar centers across the country) and instead go a step further: turn those ideas into commercialized products and services, essentially making The Point more than a STEAM engine that could—it’ll be the STEAM engine that does.

“That’s the whole point of The Point,” says executive director Erin Bender. “We want to

PHOTOS: COURTESY OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY

BY JACKIE MANTEY

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION provide opportunities for students to engage in experiential learning and for businesses to access talent, tools and equipment they need to thrive.”

The push for experiential learning has become a game changer in higher education, as colleges and universities strive to keep up with the quickly evolving professional landscape.

“Today’s colleges and universities are tasked with delivering students to the marketplace who are both thinkers and tinkerers,” wrote Otterbein President Kathy Krendl in a 2016 opinion piece for University Business magazine titled “Why STEM needs liberal arts.”

At The Point, that means breaking out of disciplinary silos and creating teams of students with varied interests and skills. Theater majors, for example, work with engineering students on designing and making set backdrops for a stage production.

This transitions naturally into what students will experience once they graduate. Bender points to the example of developing a smartphone app: A professional with a computer science degree codes it; a sociology grad determines the behavioral traits of the app’s user; and a designer with an arts background creates the app’s aesthetics.

“Our students can be players in fields they never even thought would make sense for them,” Bender says. “We can say, ‘Ever thought of being on an innovation team or part of a startup? You could, and here’s why.’ ” It also means having real-world, experiential learning opportunities available for students right on campus. Businesses that lease space at The Point are required to provide a student experience.

Nikola Labs hosted three Otterbein interns over the summer, one of whom was sophomore systems engineering major Jesse Chirdon.

“I was able to apply the concepts I learned freshman year and use the new equipment and machines,” says Chirdon, who designed enclosures for Nikola Labs hardware. “It was one of the greatest things I’ve been able to do here.”

Thus, the mutual reward The Point is going for: Nikola Labs interacts early with the future workforce, and Otterbein students learn from a company poised to skyrocket to the top of its field.

The appeal of this connection and interdisciplinary collaboration has attracted other partners to The Point, including Nestl������������ ���������� , Worthington Industries, Westerville City Schools, the Columbus Museum of Art and more.

These partnerships align with the strategic objectives set forth by the Westerville Economic Development Plan, which is why the city of Westerville funded $1 million of

the $10.8 million build-out. (State funding covered $500,000, and the remaining costs were supported by university funds and corporate and private donations.)

“The university’s whole approach during initial discussions had a partnership feel,” says Janet Tressler-Davis, president and CEO of the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce. “[President Krendl] didn’t go into this saying, ‘Otterbein’s going to do this.’ It was, from day one, ‘We want to partner with the city, with the Chamber. Who are the business owners that can benefit from this?’ ” One of those businesses is PolymerOhio—or, more specifically, the businesses that PolymerOhio supports as a nonprofit membership organization. As a resident at The Point, PolymerOhio is better positioned to help its members access the resources they need to grow.

“Economic development sometimes sounds like attracting new companies to a region, but it also means helping someone go from 100 to 200 employees or helping them introduce a new product,” says PolymerOhio executive director Bruce Fawcett.

“Here, we can help those existing manufacturers come in and develop a concept,” he continues. “It’s a resource center for these mid-size companies that are too big to tap into entrepreneurial resources or too small to have large company assets.”

In a similar vein, The Point opened its dedicated Maker Space in September. Free for students, faculty and staff to use, community members can access its five rooms—including a wood shop, metal machine shop and a computer lab—for a $75 monthly fee.

“It benefits those who need that one extra tool to complete a project but don’t have $45,000 to drop,” Bender says.

A feasibility study commissioned from Boyette Strategic Advisors estimated that the direct impact of such an innovation center at Otterbein will create 200 jobs in five years, totaling $16 million in payroll, and projected a state and local tax impact over the same period of time at $3.6 million. It also noted that the innovation center would be one-of-akind in the country.

“The intent is to be fluid and ever-changing,” Bender says. “Having such an innovative facility in the community helps us think about the big role Westerville can play in the future of smart cities and large funding opportunities coming into the state. If we can teach and train students here and create opportunities for them to live, work and play, helping them be vibrant, civic-minded people who want to stay—that will be a wonderful outcome.”

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WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

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LIFESTYLE

THE HEART OF IT ALL Westerville’s vibrancy emanates from a historic Uptown district with plenty to offer.

Uptown Westerville

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WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF WESTERVILLE

BY EMMA FRANKART HENTERLY

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION WESTERVILLE IS NOT the community it was 40 years ago—except for all the ways it is. The population has exploded, from 12,500 in 1970 to more than 38,000; businesses of all sizes have grown up with the city; roads have been widened and bike lanes added.

With so much change, it might be hard to believe that anything could stay consistent.

“The nature of the town itself has never changed,” says Jeff Hartnell, executive director of the Westerville Visitors and Convention Bureau and a Westerville resident since 1978. “Everything I liked about this town when we moved here, I feel the same way [about today]. That part of it, its general nature, what makes it vibrant and interesting and a good place … has not changed in that 40 years.”

Resident Lynn Aventino is quick to note that the city’s charming vibe does not come at the expense of amenities.

“We work hard to keep that feel,” says Aventino, the executive director of community support and development group Uptown Westerville Inc. “You don’t have to go anywhere to get all the amenities of the big city, but it still has the small-town feel.”

Hartnell cites the city’s parks, its proximity to Otterbein University and the energy of the Uptown district as key attractors when he and his wife were looking for a home in Central Ohio four decades ago. Today, those factors are still commonly mentioned among newcomers to the area—they’ve not only remained stalwart attributes of Westerville, but have grown with the city to create a community that now sees more employees commuting in than out, according to Hartnell.

Westerville’s Uptown not only pumps fresh new energy into the city; it simultaneously keeps it connected to its historic past. “We don’t have to go change facades of buildings to make them look like they might be historical; we’ve got them,” says Janet TresslerDavis, president and CEO of the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce. “All we have to do is retain that history that we have.”

The city has made historic preservation a priority with initiatives like the Uptown Facade Improvement Program, a matching grant program through the Westerville Industry and Commerce Corp. To date, that program has facilitated 38 projects totaling millions of dollars of private investment, says Westerville economic development director Jason Bechtold.

“These are historic buildings; they have a rich history,” he says. “Private investment is how you preserve those buildings to make sure they’re vibrant. And if you have a vibrant building, then you have a vibrant district.”

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WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

THIS PAGE: Residents enjoy Uptown’s varied offerings.

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: Recreational pursuits like pickleball are prominent in the city’s parks.

Uptown is home to two small parks and a new civic greenspace in front of City Hall.

BOTTOM: Multiculturalism and collaboration are key values in Westerville.

PHOTOS: TOP AND OPPOSTIE PAGE, COURTESY CITY OF WESTERVILLE; BOTTOM, ERIC ALBRECHT/DISPATCH FILE

Few people are quite as familiar with Uptown as Debbie Bennati. She’s an Uptown business owner—she and her daughter, Julia, run vintage shop A Gal Named Cinda Lou—and she’s president of the Westerville Uptown Merchants Association. On a warm, sunny day in September, Bennati’s walking tour of the district is frequently punctuated with greetings from passersby. Bennati asks fellow shop owners about their stores, their children and their lives; answers are returned with inquiries of their own.

“We have a real sense of community, as you can see, with the people that own businesses down here,” she says. “We don’t compete with each other; we help each other out.”

Such a sentiment rings true with Herb Davis, who owns Uptown Hair Design with his partner, Woody Lee. Theirs is just one of 14 hair salons in the Uptown district, says Bennati, but Davis and Lee don’t feel a fierce sense of competition with their Uptown peers. When clients ask for a product or service not available at Uptown Hair Design, or ask for an appointment when the chairs are full, the couple doesn’t hesitate to recommend checking out any of the other salons nearby.

“I’d rather them come to Uptown,” Davis explains, “[because] at least next time they’re going to come [to Uptown] … where if they would’ve chosen Polaris, they may never come back here.”

That attitude is pervasive among Uptown merchants. At My Cousin’s Closet, a consignment shop located next door to Uptown Hair Design, owner Jody Czako shares similar sentiments. If someone comes in looking to buy or sell a piece that isn’t a fit for her, she readily suggests one of the other area shops based on the time period in question. (For example, A Gal Named Cinda Lou focuses on vintage clothes and décor from the 1950s and ’60s, while My Cousin’s Closet is more contemporary.)

Uptown business owners are hands-on with their shops, too. “Nine times out of 10, it’s the owner that’s in [the Uptown shops],” says Tressler-Davis. “You can go to the store and talk to the owner and learn about how they started their business. You can get a casual conversation going.”

If the concept of a Main Street, USA, historic district—complete with owner-operators everywhere you turn—in Columbus’ second-largest suburb is foreign to you, you’re not alone.

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CITY WITHIN A PARK

Rich and Sakaoduan “Farm” Schreiber, husband-and-wife owners of Thai Grille on College Avenue, didn’t realize Westerville had an Uptown district until their hunt for a restaurant space brought them from German Village to the city almost eight years ago.

“We thought it was just Polaris and cul de sacs,” Rich says with a laugh, citing the charm of the district as a key factor in their decision to open Thai Grille in the city. “We like Westerville a lot. It’s the best part of Central Ohio.”

The Schreibers—and the Bennatis, and Davis and Lee—are examples of another unique aspect of Uptown businesses: More than 20 of the shops and restaurants along this stretch of State Street and its arteries are owned by families—teams of spouses, parents and children, and siblings—all of whom help make the district what it is today.

MORE THAN A DECADE AGO, the city conducted a study among its residents that found fewer than 8 percent had ever visited Uptown, says Hartnell. He had just been hired by the Visitors and Convention Bureau and knew that this had to change. “I went to my board and I said, ‘We just changed our mission. Our mission is no longer worrying about whether somebody from Cincinnati comes here, or Pittsburgh or Detroit. We’re going to reintroduce Westerville to itself,’ ” he recalls.

Hartnell and others cite a number of factors with fostering Uptown’s surge in vitality since then. The city’s 2004 decision to allow restaurants to begin selling alcohol in what once was the home of the Prohibition movement is one key element, he says. But equally important are the district’s many events.

Fourth Fridays, six monthly events hosted

by Hartnell’s bureau from April through

Often called “a city within a park,” Westerville benefits from the civic commitment made by both its leaders and its residents. With 46 parks spanning 650 acres, plus 44 miles of paved multiuse paths, it’s easy to feel that the city was built up around the greenspace, not the other way around.

There’s Inniswoods Metro Gardens, the 100-plus acres of lush landscaping featuring more than 2,000 species of plants in its themed gardens. “I didn’t know things bloomed in the winter until I moved here!” exclaims Jeff Hartnell, resident of nearly 40 years and executive director of the Westerville Visitors and Convention Bureau. But bloom they do.

Also blooming in Westerville is the list of amenities offered at its cityowned parks. Alum Creek South Park, in the southwest corner of the city, is adding an outdoor roller hockey rink—a tribute to Thomas Knox, a 14-year-old Westervillian who passed away last year—set to open this spring. Around the same time, residents can head to Hoff Woods Park on the north end, where an additional 15 acres will include four courts for pickleball (a cross between tennis and pingpong). And in between the two, Hanby Park just completed a spray-ground water feature and new, innovative playground equipment. The new facilities likely will host a proper dedication and grand opening in the spring, says Westerville Parks and Recreation director Randy Auler.

But perhaps the biggest addition to Westerville’s recreational offerings is an expanded community center.

Opened in 2001, the center currently features a leisure pool with water slides and a lazy river, an eight-lane competition pool with diving boards, a onetenth-mile track, a gymnasium with two basketball courts, a 5,400-square-foot fitness room, an indoor climbing wall and more.

New to the center will be another gym, a warm-water therapy pool, three times the fitness space and additional group exercise rooms. Westerville’s senior center also will relocate to be housed within the community center.

“Our goal is to start construction next year … and have it complete in the fall of ’19,” says Auler.

WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

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September, turn Uptown into a large block party. Streets close, vendors set up booths and stores stay open late. What once saw turnouts of 1,000 people or fewer now brings an average of 11,000 people to the State Street area, says Hartnell.

“It’s something we take a great deal of pride in,” he adds. “Until 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning, the people are all in the restaurants and their patio bars. And there’s people sitting out on the street, playing guitar. It is remarkable the difference a few years have made.”

Another key Westerville event is the Music & Arts Festival, produced by the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce. Artists from all over the country apply to be in the juried show each July, says Tressler-Davis, though local artists can participate in a curated, but non-juried, component she calls the “Westerville Walkway.”

Now held in Heritage Park, just west of its original location on Otterbein University’s campus, the festival celebrates its 45th anniversary in 2018. The two-day event features music from more than 30 local musicians on two stages and in a new singer-songwriter tent, plus dozens of food trucks and nearly 150 artists and artisans.

Back in Uptown proper, merchant-oriented events promote shopping locally throughout the holiday season. It kicks off with Midnight Madness, an evening event held during the last weekend of October where shops stay open late—until, you guessed it, midnight—and costumes are encouraged. Originally a product of the Westerville Uptown Merchants Association, it was taken over by Uptown Westerville Inc.

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Westerville Music & Arts Festival

this year; Aventino says the organization, formed earlier this year, has big plans for future events.

And in December, Uptown Westerville Inc. is producing Home for the Holidays, another event that’s shifted from the purview of WUMA. “There will be something every week, like ice sculptors, the tree-lighting ceremony,” Aventino says. “Since we’re new, we haven’t had a lot of time to add to [these events] or make them our own, so to speak. But I already have some ideas for next year.”

“The community continues to keep pace with what the needs of the people that live

WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

here are,” Hartnell says, “not only in terms of their employment or education—the basics— but for the recreational, the enjoyment factors; the when-I’m-not-working world.”

Bechtold echoes a similar sentiment when asked to name the city’s best characteristic.

“What’s my favorite aspect?” he asks reflexively, before immediately answering his own question. “You can do it all. You can have a great job here, you can have your home here, you can have fun here. … You can be who you want to be and have everything at your doorstep.”

PHOTOS: TOP, COURTESY CITY OF WESTERVILLE; BOTTOM, FRED SQUILLANTE/DISPATCH FILE

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HOME SWEET HOME A look at Westerville’s diverse housing stock, vibrant neighborhoods and engaged residents

A model home in the Bigham Ridge Community

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WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF WESTERVILLE

BY BROOKE PRESTON

THE TERM “SUBURBAN” sometimes gets a bad rap. Sure, most people will admit suburbs are less expensive or more convenient than say, a hip Downtown loft. They’re good places to raise a family or retire. But many city dwellers seem convinced that suburbs are also places devoid of vibrancy, commerce or culture.

Perhaps they’ve never been to Westerville.

Nestled in the northeast corner of Columbus’s circle of outerbelt suburbs, Westerville’s 12.61 square miles hold around 38,000 residents, straddling portions of Franklin and Delaware counties. Westerville’s easy access to I-270, I-71, John Glenn International Airport and Downtown Columbus have aided its growth into one of the city’s largest and most in-demand suburbs.

Prime location is only one jewel in the city’s crown: Westerville, a Tree City USA community, also boasts a (but not the) Hoover Dam, 41 parks and recreation facilities and the Westerville Public Library, recently rated as the best of its size in the country. The city’s Uptown district maintains 19th-century architectural charm (Westerville was founded in 1858) while offering a range of modern options for shopping, dining and entertainment.

The city is home to a perennially lauded public school system, as well as Otterbein University, one of the nation’s premier liberal arts colleges, with more than 3,000 students enrolled.

In other words, Westerville is sewn from more vibrant and layered cloth than the term “suburb” implies.

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NEW IN TOWN Ryan and Brenna Thompson moved to Westerville from a rural area near Toledo in May with their 6-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son. (Ryan also has two children, ages 15 and 14, from a previous relationship.) As the post-recession job market rebounded, Ryan earned an agency promotion that necessitated a transfer to its Downtown Columbus headquarters.

The Thompsons launched a broad search across Columbus’ northern suburb arc, from Worthington to Galena. “We wanted something conducive to travel to Toledo [to visit family], but closer to work as well,” Ryan explains. “We found the house we were looking for in Westerville. … It was the first house we bid on. We had to be very quick on our feet to find the one we wanted and to quickly make a decision.”

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One of Uptown’s historic homes

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THERE AND BACK AGAIN Despite the influx of new residents, many Westervillians are proud to have decades of deep roots in the city. Bill McCorkle is a longtime resident and graduate of Westerville High School and Otterbein College (now Otterbein University). He has been a local real estate broker since 1983, now with McCorkle Real Estate. In addition, he is a local developer, currently transforming 54 acres into a group of new Westerville homes.

“The city has done a fantastic job controlling the growth and making sure standards are upkept,” he says. “This is a highly desirable area to live, with a high quality of life in a great location.”

Rick Rano, a real estate agent with Re/Max Affiliates, grew up in Westerville, leaving at age 18 for college in Hawaii. He traded island life for snow plows when he and his young family returned to Westerville in 1993 to be closer to family.

Rano admits that initially, he missed Hawaii. “But Westerville has good schools,

WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

good Midwest American values that were important to raise our children with.” He notes that while a number of his friends’ children have left the city during or after college, many seem to be finding their way back as they begin families and miss what they had in their hometown.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Rano says.

“The people here are some of the most giving people and caring people that you’ll ever meet.

People really do care about their neighbors.”

SENIOR SOLUTIONS Although Westerville continues to be popular among millennials and young families, it remains an excellent home base for those with retirement in mind as well. A number of senior living communities offer flexible options, from fully independent (and maintenance-free) living to assisted living and beyond.

Inniswood Village, a National Church Residences property that’s among the area’s newest senior communities, promises an

PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF WESTERVILLE

here,” he adds. “We have enjoyed finding lots of new restaurants to try.”

The Thompsons aren’t alone in their quest for convenience in a family-friendly neighborhood. Morgan and Will Leffler and their sons—20 months and 4 months old—live close to Uptown and Inniswood Metro Gardens.

Will moved to their three-bed, two-bath ranch on 1.8 acres four years ago; the oversize lot was a major draw. Morgan followed a year later when they were married. Even in that time, they’ve seen the neighborhood “turn over” toward a younger demographic.

“On our street, we recently had four new houses built on empty lots within the last year. There’s a couple more just getting started down the street,” says Morgan.

“There are lots of new, younger families moving into our neighborhood on our street. It had been kind of an older neighborhood until empty nesters sold their houses, so that’s been fun for us to see people in our same life chapter move in nearby.”

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abundance of amenities to its residents, including maintenance-free apartments and a Town Center featuring conveniences like a bistro, chapel, wellness center, library and more. The community includes more than 100 terrace apartments and apartment homes for independent living, as well as 52 assisted living and 20 memory care units.

On the north side of the city, the Danbury Senior Living community of Parkside Village aims to ensure that residents remain engaged with the Westerville community. “We have independent living, assisted living and a memory program all under one roof,” says Kristel Smith, director of sales and marketing for Danbury. “Our residents can age in place, so if they come in independent and then need assisted living services down the road, they can stay in the same apartment and we bring the services to them.”

Community engagement activities include volunteering off-site at My Very Own Blanket near Uptown Westerville, where seniors make comfort items for children in foster

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION care, and on-site art classes hosted by David Myers of Uptown’s David Myers Art Studio & Gallery. Each fall, Myers hosts an art show featuring Parkside Village residents’ work during the September Fourth Friday block party.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE Though residents love Westerville’s quaint, small-town feel, they also enjoy top-of-the-line city services and institutions that make the suburb even more desirable. Police, fire and emergency services’s response times all average less than four minutes. The Ohio E.P.A. recognized the Westerville Water Division as having the best water system for similarly-sized communities in the entire state. From superior snow removal to affordable electric services, Westerville comes out ahead of many of its tony neighbors in multiple civic metrics.

The carefully curated balance of old and new, big city and small town is evident nowhere more than in the community’s charming and diverse housing stock. Though often smaller in square footage than subdivision houses, many of the Uptown district’s cozy homes have preserved much of their 19th-century architectural history and charm.

Meanwhile, builders offer new-construction

communities with more space and contemporary finishes closer to the city’s edges.

M/I Homes has built a number of newer Westerville communities, including The Village at Central College (urban village community, homes starting around $314k). Many of these communities offer shared amenities like playgrounds, clubhouses and pools. For those who prefer to rent, options like the Ravines at Westar, which opened in late 2015, offer a variety of amenities.

Luxurious facilities at the complex, which features more than 500 units, include an ultraviolet saltwater heated pool, pet bathing boutique, 24-hour fitness center with a yoga area, complimentary tanning room, movie theater and on-site pub.

Rano adds that among those many Westerville homes newer than 19th century but long since qualifying as new construction, he’s noticing an interesting trend. “People here used to buy at the top of their spending bracket. Now, more seem to buy in Westerville a little lower than their ceiling on an older home, knowing they’re going to invest money in it,” he explains.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR WESTERVILLE HOUSING

tral College Road, Hamilton Road and others feel like they’re growing entire neighborhoods out of fields as fast as they used to grow corn.

McCorkle predicts that Westerville’s market will remain strong. “In the empty nester market, a lot of the ranch-style condos are doing really well. You have people leaving a four-bedroom, 2.5-bath for those ranches,” he says, adding that the post-recession demand among younger buyers is on the rise as well—and many builders are catering to their needs.

Rano agrees, musing that, short of a major national economic crisis, there’s nothing to project a drastic change in the local housing market or inventory. “Projections indicate this region will experience tremendous population growth by 2050. They can’t build houses here fast enough.”

He advises those looking to call Westerville home to have a knowledgeable agent and be ready to buy on a moment’s notice.

According to McCorkle, those who heed this advice won’t be sorry. “You get more for your money here than in other suburbs,” he says. “There are a lot of good community features and amenities, plus convenience. In my opinion, it’s the top suburb in the area.”

Will Westerville’s incredible housing demand continue? All signs point to yes. Portions of Cen-

Emma Frankart Henterly contributed to this story.

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Mark Twain Elementary School students participate in The Hour of Code, a global movement designed to introduce children to computer programming.

WE’VE GOT CLASS Focused academic and growth plans shape a district that aims for—and achieves—success.

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WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

PHOTO: COURTESY WESTERVILLE CITY SCHOOLS

EDUCATION

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION THE LOGISTICS of educating some 15,500 public school students are overwhelming. Just transporting them safely to school, feeding them nutritious meals and housing them in clean environments that are conducive to learning is a monumental task.

Add to those basics the fact that all these children come from vastly diverse backgrounds—some are wealthy and some are economically disadvantaged; some have supportive families, while others have no families at all. Minorities make up about 40 percent of total enrollment, around 2,000 pupils have special needs and 3,300 are gifted. What is a district to do?

If you are Westerville City Schools, you embrace this melting pot with vigor, follow the input of a supportive community and hire energetic, optimistic educators and support staff who are willing to do whatever it takes to elevate each child to his or her greatest potential. It is no wonder this dynamic district’s motto and mantra is “where you belong.”

For a variety of reasons, Westerville’s schools are succeeding in their quest to become the benchmark of educational excellence. All three Westerville high schools—Central, North and South—have been identified by Newsweek magazine as being among the best high schools in America. The district regularly earns the “What Parents Want” in education designation from research firm SchoolMatch.

The class of 2017 earned more than $25 million in scholarship offers and, on average, more than 80 percent of the district’s graduates pursue a post-secondary education at colleges and universities around the world.

Westerville improved its performance on 15 out of 24 standards on the 2016–17 State Report Card, and its Performance Index score is also increasing. Ongoing literacy initiatives, combined with the tireless work of teachers, have resulted in better Third Grade Reading Guarantee results as well.

“Improvements like the ones we’re achieving don’t happen by accident,” says Barbara Wallace, executive director of Elementary Academic Affairs for the district. She cites the hard work of students and teachers alike with the district’s recent successes.

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Westerville South High School students enjoy the Virtual Reality Lab in the school’s new iStudio.

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introduces students to skills and potential careers in the high-demand field of advanced manufacturing. And in March, the district dedicated a static fabrication lab called The SHOP (SHaping OPportunities) at Westerville North High School. Here, pupils learn how to use sophisticated machinery, computer-aided design (CAD) systems, robotics and numerous other 21st-century technologies. Before it officially opened, students started showing up after school to create a 3-D model of the addition that Acock Associates Architects was designing and building for the Corna Kokosing headquarters in Westerville.

“This is an opportunity to see what actual projects will be like—it connects me to the future,” says Kaitlyn Wetta, who graduated from Westerville North this spring. She believes the experience she gained in The SHOP will serve her well at the University of Cincinnati, where she plans to major in aerospace engineering.

“What the data indicate for our district is that more students are challenging themselves academically,” says Scott Reeves, executive director of Secondary Academic Affairs. Access to programs such as College

WESTERVILLE: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION NOVEMBER 2017

EARLY EDUCATION Parents of youngsters have a bevy of options when it comes to elite preschool and after-school programs. The Goddard School has a nearly 30-year history of educating children from 6 weeks of age up to 6 years old. The comprehensive play-based curriculum has programs in 36 states, including three in Westerville at 8750 Olde Worthington Road, 1260 County Line Road and 4160 Executive Parkway. Primrose Schools is a similar national system of private preschools that’s been around since the early ’80s.

Collaboration is key here, as evidenced in the school’s 360 Parenting for Children program. It’s located at 561 Westar Blvd.

Nearby, at 360 Polaris Parkway, is Children’s Learning Adventure, offering a STEAM-based curriculum focusing on science, technology, engineering, the arts and math for children 6 weeks of age up to 12 years old through its preschool, preK, kindergarten, before-and-after-school and summer camp programs.

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PHOTO: COURTESY WESTERVILLE CITY SCHOOLS

marathons. Big ones: Boston, New York, Chicago. By doing so, he has learned that there is always room for improvement. He constantly strives to shave some time off his last race. And he always encourages his staff to do better, too.

“I think I’ve discovered our ‘one thing’ here in Westerville City Schools, and that’s focus,” he says. “What strikes me most about our district and its employees is that when we roll up our sleeves and bring focus to our work, we get things done. I see it all the time.”

That’s evident beginning with Westerville’s youngest learners. The district’s preschool program received a Five-Star Step Up to Quality award from the state of Ohio, the highest rating possible. Based on the success of its optional all-day kindergarten program, at least one all-day kindergarten classroom now exists in each traditional elementary school.

At the secondary level, Westerville City Schools continues to add curriculum options for middle and high school students. In 2014, the district introduced laser cutters, 3-D printing and other new technology to middle schoolers through a mobile fabrication lab as part of the new Innovation Generation education and workforce initiative. The FabLab, as it is known,

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Lynne Maslowski is the community engagement coordinator for Westerville City Schools.

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OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY Ask any Uptown shop owner or resident what they love about the area, and they’ll probably mention its proximity to Otterbein University. The private liberal arts school brings innovation and vitality to Westerville that is hard to match in other communities.

Rather than the football-crazy partiers you might find on other campuses, Otterbein students are deeply committed to giving back to the community that houses them: 80 percent participate in community service projects, says Jenny Hill, director of marketing and communications for the university.

Together, they contribute more than 70,000 service hours each year, thanks in part to the school’s 96 service-learning courses and 15 student-led service programs.

This focus on community engagement is one of the attributes that makes Otterbein a widely recognized university for its blending of liberal arts and professional studies, says

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Hill. The school has long been known for its culture of inclusivity, too—it was among the first in the nation to accept women as faculty and students, and it began accepting African-American students before the Civil War began. The 2017 first-year class has the distinction of being the most diverse class in Otterbein’s history—a precedent that Hill says has been set and broken for the fourth year in a row. President Kathy Krendl has led several initiatives to support diversity; she established the Center for Student Success to remove barriers for students at risk of leaving the university and led the development of a curriculum designed to mentor and create leadership opportunities for female students.

Of Otterbein’s 70-plus majors, the university is best known for its theater and dance, zoo and conservation science, equine science, nursing and engineering programs, says Hill. —Emma Frankart Henterly

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Westerville City Schools is the 11th-largest district in Ohio, encompassing 52 square miles in northeastern Franklin and southern Delaware counties. The district operates 14 elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, an Early Learning Center and an Academic Enrichment Center. With an operating budget of around $170 million, it is one of the largest businesses in the area.

“Undoubtedly, the community’s permanent renewal of our emergency levy has ushered in a new era of financial stability for our schools,” said treasurer and CFO Bart Griffith. “This renewal made the levy current, maintains its state reimbursement and allows for growth from new construction.”

Because of improved finances, the district has been able to reduce or eliminate costs for students who participate in athletics, clubs, co-curricular activities and other feebased programs.

During a recent Strategic Plan review, however, community members noted that it is time for Westerville Schools to take a closer look at facilities in terms of their use and the appropriateness of academic spaces. As a result, Kellogg has convened a communitydriven Facilities Committee to examine the district’s aging facilities infrastructure, student enrollment forecast, and the impact of current and projected curriculms on the facilities. The outcome of this committee’s work will be the development of a long-range Facility Master Plan that addresses identified facility needs for the next 10 years.

Guided by ongoing input and feedback from the community, Westerville’s Board of Education and administration are working to build a school system that provides all students with a 21st-century education.

“We want students who graduate from our schools to be well prepared to attend college, begin their career or enlist in the military,” says board president Rick Vilardo. “Our community has confirmed that our district is headed in the right direction.”

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