Columbus Monthly Special Section: Hilliard Suburban Section

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section

HILLIARD A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION MAY 2022

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Hilliard is a community built on possibilities.

A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section

PUBLISHER/GENERAL MANAGER

Ray Paprocki

EDITORIAL SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR

Emma Frankart Henterly COLUMBUS MONTHLY EDITOR

Dave Ghose CONTRIBUTORS

Laurie Allen, Virginia Brown, Abernathy Miller, Peter Tonguette

I could tell you 1,000 great things about this city, but as space is limited, here are four reasons I think Hilliard is the second-fastest-growing suburb in Central Ohio—a community where people of all ages choose to live, educate their children, build vibrant businesses and careers, and enjoy an exceptional quality of life.

This is a community of choice. People want to be in Hilliard, and the numbers confirm it. In the past decade, Hilliard’s population increased 31 percent to nearly 38,000 residents. Our median household income is more than $97,000, and the average sale price for a Hilliard home was $353,000 in 2021.

Our exceptional schools are regularly listed as a primary reason people select Hilliard as their home.

We are business-friendly and businessfocused. Hilliard is home to more than 1,100 companies that employ more than 16,000 people. Our businesses range from major corporations such as Advanced Drainage Systems, Amazon Data Services and The Eco Plumbers to exciting new startups like Converge Technologies and Augustwenty. And our community is fertile ground for entrepreneurs opening businesses with two employees—or 200!

The City of Hilliard invests in our businesses.

Since 2018, we have approved $4.65 million in funds for our citywide HiFio fiber optic network, which provides Hilliard businesses with access to their choice of internet providers for scalable, high-speed broadband options.

PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF HILLIARD

Our future has a great foundation. When residents voted to create a permanent funding source for Recreation and Parks in 2021, they

INSIDE

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LIFESTYLES

Programs and services that engage residents

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CASE STUDY

The future of Recreation and Parks

DESIGN & PRODUCTION PRODUCTION/ DESIGN DIRECTOR

Craig Rusnak ART DIRECTOR

Alyse Pasternak ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR

Betsy Becker

did more than just agree to build a new community center and additional athletic fields. They set in motion opportunities to invest in bike and pedestrian infrastructure, improve existing parks and provide programs that will enhance the health of our community and corporate residents.

There are so many possibilities ahead! Hilliard was already on solid financial footing. Now, the future holds additional promise thanks to this visionary community support.

This community cares. From the children playing in our parks to older adults enjoying active lifestyles, it’s the people who make Hilliard a special place to be. We embrace and celebrate our diversity. We are a community where neighbors help neighbors and where we support those who need a helping hand. We preserve our heritage while forging proudly ahead into the future with innovation and focus.

In short, we are Hilliard—a community that delivers on possibilities.

Michelle Crandall City Manager

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BUSINESS

Support for new and established businesses

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DIGITAL EDITOR

Julanne Hohbach ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR

Jack Long

ADVERTISING VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES

Eugene Jackson MULTIMEDIA SALES EXECUTIVES

Tia Hardman, Jackie Thiam PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Rebecca Zimmer

EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING OFFICES

62 E. Broad St. P.O. Box 1289 Columbus, OH 43216 614-888-4567 Hilliard: A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section is published by Gannett. All contents of this magazine are copyrighted © Gannett Co., Inc. 2022, 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.

HOUSING

Options for every age and life stage

ON THE COVER: Children of all ages gather year-round in Hilliard’s Station Park downtown. | Photo courtesy City of Hilliard

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EDUCATION

A robust district that draws families

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Celebration at the Station

LIFESTYLES

Hustling, Bustling Hilliard A robust offering of events, programs and services keeps residents engaged.

The City of Hilliard prides itself on fostering a sense of community among its nearly 38,000 residents. For city leaders, that means encouraging residents to build bonds through a wide array of sports, recreation and entertainment options.

“I look at our job in the Recreation and Parks Department as building that community feel, trying to bring people together and making people proud of our hometown,” says Ed Merritt, the director of Recreation and Parks. “Whether it’s through special events, whether it’s through the parks, the bike paths or the different sports programs that we work with, we’re trying to create that sense of community and belonging.”

The city organizes numerous annual events that bring residents out in droves. Many of these events take place in the heart of down-

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town Hilliard at Hilliard’s Station Park, which includes an amphitheater and splash pad. A signature event is Celebration at the Station, a 10-week outdoor concert series that brings in top area talent on Thursdays from June through August. “We program different bands and work with the local businesses down there to have a party every Thursday evening,” Merritt says.

Kristan Turner, who coordinates special events in the Recreation and Parks Department, attests to the popularity of Celebration at the Station. “That’s kind of like the place to go on Thursdays,” she says. “You’ll hear people say, ‘Oh, we’ll see you next Thursday.’ It is a great activity to bring our community together.”

Hilliard’s Station Park is the site for a number of other community events. Sprouts Night Out, set for June and August, features familyfriendly activities, live music and a free scoop

of Graeter’s ice cream. This year the event will feature a circus and island theme.

For the adults, the park will host the new Adult Recess, an event that was first scheduled for 2020 but twice delayed due to the pandemic. The name says it all: The event, to be held July 16, will offer activities that are geared toward grown-ups. “We’re going to have dueling pianos there. We’ll have large yard games, like Jenga [and] cornhole,” Turner says. “We have a shuffleboard table coming. We have just some fun activities that are kind of throwbacks for the adults to come and enjoy.”

Roger A. Reynolds Municipal Park is the setting of the annual Freedom Fest, which commemorates Independence Day with a performance by a national recording artist, fireworks, a Kids Zone with activities for children and, of course, food trucks to help

PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF HILLIARD

BY PETER TONGUETTE

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION attendees keep their energy up as they enjoy the festivities. Leaders expect a high turnout this year. “In our survey, we had several people say they didn’t attend due to COVID,” Turner says. “Hopefully this year we will increase our attendance at all of our events.”

Few things spell summer like a dip in a pool, and residents of all ages make use of Hilliard’s underwater offerings: the Hilliard Family Aquatic Center, a water park that features a pair of water slides running 30 feet apiece, and the Clyde “Butch” Seidle Community Pool, which includes a 14-foot water slide and spray pad.

Of course, it doesn’t take a special event to have a good time in Hilliard. Since 2017, residents have been able to patronize area shops and local restaurants while sipping on their favorite beverage in the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), which, as of March, was expanded to take place every day, from noon to 9 p.m.

“Our residents were thrilled to hear that the DORA will now be year-round,” says downtown manager Angela Zody. “It gives our residents a reason to come and visit Old Hilliard any day of the week.” Among the participating vendors in the DORA,

A HEART FOR SERVICE Hilliard residents are not shy about giving back to a community that gives them so much.

The Division of Police teams with the Recreation and Parks Department to run Cram the Cruiser, a program in which residents are invited to donate new, winter-appropriate apparel, including coats, gloves, scarves and hats— enough to make a police cruiser burst.

Other items can be donated, too. “We reach out to Hilliard City Schools and we say, ‘What else do you folks need?’ ” says police spokesperson Andrea Litchfield. “Recently, that was water bottles, because they had their water fountains turned off due to COVID precautions.”

The city’s Neighbors Helping Neighbors program asks volunteers to beautify neighborhoods, especially the properties of older residents who might be struggling to keep up with outdoor maintenance. Each spring and fall, a group of residents, joined by volunteers from the city and area businesses, clear brush, leaves and trash, mow lawns,

and clean out metal sheds. “I think that says a lot about the community itself and the willingness of neighbors to help other neighbors,” says assistant city manager Dan Ralley.

The commitment to keeping Hilliard beautiful extends to the Environmental Sustainability Commission, which studies environmental trends and offers guidance to the City Council and city staff on how to achieve sustainability goals. To that end, eight years ago the commission began hosting a Styrofoam collection effort after Christmas, a program that ultimately led to Hilliard purchasing its own Styrofoam densifier.

“The machine is able to shred and compress the Styrofoam to approximately 1/50th of its original volume,” says Pete Marsh, a member of the Hilliard City Council. “The resulting densified bricks are then sold to a thirdparty recycler. With this program, Hilliard really is a leader in Central Ohio in keeping these materials out of the landfill and achieving sustainability goals.”

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which encompasses portions of Center, Franklin, Main and adjacent streets, are Abner’s Casual Dining, Crooked Can Brewing Co., the Old Bag of Nails Pub, Yabo’s

ENGAGING A COMMUNITY The chief responsibility of law enforcement is keeping a community safe, and for the City of Hilliard’s Division of Police, that means knowing the community. “We know that if someone is calling for an officer in a time of help, it’s probably because they’re experiencing one of the worst days of their life,” says Andrea Litchfield, a spokesperson for the Division of Police. “So it’s important [for police] to interact with community members in non-enforcement matters.”

The division’s Citizens Police Academy, a 10-week interactive course for adults, offers residents a window into what goes into policing, Litchfield says. Topics include the responsibilities of dispatchers, how officers run speed radars and insights into de-escalation methods. The program has more than 300 alumni, who may continue to attend monthly meetings in which safety issues are discussed. And in 2019, the Hilliard Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association—which performs community service tasks to help police officers at events—was named the top

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alumni chapter by the national Citizens Police Academy Association.

Hilliard’s youngest residents become accustomed to police through Touch-ATruck events and the annual Safety Town, a weeklong program that teaches pre-kindergarteners about personal safety. Wednesday is the city’s favorite day of the week, Litchfield says, because it involves children dressing up in police equipment, meeting a police K9 and learning about bicycle safety.

“Last year [the program had] 600 5-yearolds,” Litchfield says. “This is an opportunity for them to get to know police officers and firefighters in their community.”

The city’s popular women’s self-defense program emphasizes prevention strategies but also encompasses self-defense options for fending off an attack. Classes are held four times each year. When participants leave the class, “they have a new sense of confidence,” Litchfield says.

Volunteerism runs high among Hilliard law enforcement officers, with the Division of Police hosting numerous events in the special needs community.

pickleball courts were added to Municipal Park two summers ago. “That’s all the rage right now,” Merritt says.

Municipal Park also boasts fields for baseball, lacrosse and soccer, plus basketball and tennis courts and a disc golf course.

The sports don’t stop there, either, with single-gender and coed adult volleyball and softball leagues. “We’ve got cricket; we’ve got a group that provides rugby,” Merritt says. “We’ve got a group that provides field hockey.” And if taking a brisk walk or a casual stroll is your idea of a good time, Hilliard boasts 24 parks that cover about 440 acres and include bike paths and a system of trails.

Residents have plenty to keep them occupied in the fall and winter, too. An annual favorite is the Fall Festival, complete with live music, crafts, pumpkins prime for picking and food trucks. And residents discover their inner Clark W. Griswold with the lighting of a Christmas tree in Hilliard’s Station Park, which always takes place on the first Sunday in December.

Says Merritt: “Providing all the different activities, sports, as well as trails, getting people outside, trying to keep people healthy, bringing people together is what makes Hilliard a special place.”

Touch-A-Truck

PHOTOS: COURTESY CITY OF HILLIARD

Pickleball at Municipal Park

Tacos, HillGarten, Legacy Smokehouse, Local Cantina, the Makoy Center, Off Center Patio & Pub, Otie’s Tavern & Grill, Sexton’s Pizza and Starliner Diner.

In Hilliard, though, the summer months aren’t just about kicking back. On Saturday mornings from June through August in Hilliard’s Station Park, Motivation at the Station invites residents to participate in exercise classes. The free program features highintensity workouts from SHED Fitness at 7 a.m. and yoga classes from Mat Happy Yoga at 8 a.m. And, with your mind and body sufficiently recharged, consider making a morning out of it. “Old Hilliard also offers several places to grab a bite to eat or a coffee,” Zody says. “You can then walk to our park in the heart of Old Hilliard to enjoy the fountains.”

Also always in season is Old Hilliard’s Center Street Market, a community market space that operates daily and includes numerous local vendors, including The Cheesecake Girl, Coffee Connections, Pitabilities, Two Step Tacos, Hot Mess, Bakes

by Lo, Dumplings of Fury, Rime Time, Al’s Delicious Popcorn and Meatball Mafia.

For those whose idea of having fun includes keeping active, Hilliard is home to numerous youth and adult sports. A pair of

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Conceptual rendering of Hilliard Wellness Campus

CASE STUDY

Upping the Game A new health campus will provide wellness, recreation and sports opportunities for Hilliard residents.

RENDERING: COURTESY CITY OF HILLIARD

BY PETER TONGUETTE In Hilliard, you might say growth in the health and recreation space is measured in percentage points.

Last November, Hilliard voters passed Issue 22, which called for an increase of the city’s income tax rate from 2 percent to 2.5 percent.

But the percentage that mattered most to the majority of taxpayers was how those extra funds were to be allocated. “One hundred percent of the additional revenue is dedicated to Recreation and Parks, with the commitment to build a new community center,” says Andy Teater, president of Hilliard City Council.

That community center is part of an ambitious health, wellness and recreation campus, which will be built on 125-plus acres of former farmland west of Roger A. Reynolds Municipal Park, purchased by the city from the Jerman family in October 2020. “Right now we are working with an architectural firm to develop that for us,” says Ed Merritt, director of Recreations and Parks. “We’re excited to get that process going.”

The as-yet-unnamed campus is currently slated to open in early 2025.

As Hilliard residents await the grand opening, what sort of things can they look forward to? Merritt says polling in the community suggests fitness areas are among the most-desired features of the new facility.

Priorities also include gymnasiums, an indoor walk/run track, an indoor aquatic center, classrooms and a community gathering space. Elements tailored to seniors are also being planned.

Community input is still being sought on the final mix of amenities. “While we have some general ideas, we need the input of the community to ensure we build a center that reflects our community’s wishes,” Teater says.

As part of the new campus, leaders plan to include existing acreage in the adjacent Hilliard Ohio Soccer Association (HOSA) complex. “It’ll be a huge park,” Merritt says. “It’ll be 200-plus acres when it’s all said and done.

It’s going to be fantastic.” New amenities will

include turf fields, which are not currently in the city’s inventory. “We’ll continue with some bike paths through … that property, hopefully connecting out to our western neighbors,” Merritt says. “It’s going to have a little bit of everything for everybody.”

And that means residents are antsy for opening day. “We’ve got some people who say, ‘Oh, so is it going to be open tomorrow?’ ” Merritt says. “A facility this size takes a while, from planning to construction.”

Even in preliminary stages, with completion years away, community excitement for the campus is high. “It passed pretty solidly,” Merritt says of Issue 22. He adds that the campus will “change the face of our Recreation and Parks Department in the City of Hilliard for the next 50 years.”

Adds Teater: “The health, wellness and recreation [campus] will bring new opportunities for people in Hilliard to enjoy first-rate facilities, which will add to the quality of life for our residents.”

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION The Eco Plumbers is one of many businesses that call Hilliard home.

Calling Hilliard Home City policies, practices and amenities support business launch and development.

BY LAURIE ALLEN For a growing number of innovative, robust and expanding businesses, Hilliard feels like home. Creative partnerships with the city, strong community support and a booming housing market are building an ideal environment for businesses both large and small.

“It’s a really exciting time for Hilliard,” says David Meadows, the city’s economic development director. “We have a very creative administration that thinks outside the box to differentiate Hilliard, and we really appreciate how well residents embrace our business community.

We develop long-term relationships with businesses.” The city is home to 1,100 businesses that employ nearly 16,000 people.

With a population of 38,000 that has increased by 31 percent in the last 10 years, Hilliard is the second-fastest-growing suburb in Central Ohio. Total assessed property values increased from $867.9 million in 2010 to nearly $1.3 billion in 2020, according to tax records.

From a multimillion-dollar fiber optic network project to unique pilot programs

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with startups, Hilliard opens its doors to businesses, providing tax incentives, façade improvement funds, innovative grant programs and an attitude of “welcome.”

Rob Fry says he and his ownership partners looked at other suburbs when deciding where to build the group’s Crooked Can Brewery and Center Street Market, located at the city’s downtown hub. “Hilliard had the attitude of, ‘We really want you here,’ and the housing market was just as robust as others,” he says.

COVID-19 forced the brewery and indoor vendor market to close just five weeks after opening, but both enterprises have bounced back, Fry says. “The city has supported us and has been very accommodating about what downtown businesses needed,” expanding downtown Hilliard’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), both in hours of operation and physical boundaries. Fry also appreciates city-sponsored special events that bring people downtown. “The community has really supported us as well.”

Fry feels he made the right decision in choosing Hilliard for his business venture.

“The city is always reaching out to us to see what we think and what we need.”

IMAGINING THE FUTURE Another Hilliard entrepreneur is bringing several high-energy projects to the place he calls home. Andy Warnock and his partners at Westwood Collective have launched several endeavors that aim to meet community needs and propel commerce.

One such project is Westwood Fieldhouse, a 17,000-square-foot sports facility on Cemetery Road. It features regulation wood basketball and volleyball courts, training facilities and special event space that can accommodate tournaments, games, practices and camps in addition to parties and other gatherings.

Another Westwood holding is The Junction, a co-working space in a former warehouse on Franklin Street. The Junction offers a cost-efficient way for new businesses to get off the ground through small-office and coworking space, Warnock says. “We hope that people start at The Junction and grow, and eventually plant their own flag in Hilliard.”

Sexton’s Pizza opened there in March.

Westwood Collective bought the Junction property from the city, which also supplied grant money and technology infrastructure.

“What impresses me is their willingness to work with private developers,” Warnock says.

“They want to collaborate.”

PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF HILLIARD

BUSINESS

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PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF HILLIARD

Warnock, who lives in Hilliard with his wife and four children, recalls looking at other suburbs with vibrant commercial centers, such as Bridge Park in Dublin, Creekside in Gahanna and Uptown Westerville. “I thought, why not Hilliard? I think we can have some of the bells and whistles [of the larger suburbs] while maintaining the charm and character of Hilliard.”

Warnock says concepts for future projects include high-end dining, retail and Airbnb properties to support sports tourism and other attractions. “Hilliard is ripe for absorbing this kind of business activity. We have a great relationship with the city. We can go to them and say, ‘Imagine what this could be.’ ” For the Hilliard owners of a national commercial real estate firm, a $150 million multiuse development planned along I-270 is a project literally in their own backyard.

Equity, Inc. was founded in 1987 by Hilliard resident Steve Wathen, whose sons Austin and Patrick are leading the company through the second generation and beyond.

Equity has nine offices in five states.

Equity’s Truepointe is planned on 22 acres immediately south of the company’s headquarters on Trueman Boulevard. It will feature 40,000 square feet of high-end, service-based retail (including fine dining and fast casual restaurants), a boutique hotel and fitness facilities. Green space, outdoor dining areas and a rooftop bar also are in development plans, along with office space and high-end multifamily units.

“We are passionate about projects in Hilliard, such as Truepointe, because it’s in our own backyard,” Austin Wathen says. “We care about the community because it’s our community, and we believe we can play a part in the city’s continued growth.”

Among the challenges for the city in driving economic growth are repurposing large, vacant office buildings and providing the types of amenities needed to attract and sustain highwage, high-tech jobs, Meadows says. Planned developments such as Truepointe can help by offering living, working and leisure-time options, all within walking distance.

CONVERGING ON SOLUTIONS Leveraging economic stimulus money and a loan from Franklin County, Hilliard is making a multimillion dollar investment in a citywide fiber optic network that will drive economic growth by connecting businesses and allowing companies to be creative in devising forward-thinking technology solutions.

One such company is Converge Technologies, a local incubator for tech startups, a number of which are involved in public-private pilot projects with the

city. One Converge-sponsored company is Lighthouse, an aerospace startup working in partnership with the city to deploy fully autonomous first-responder drones. “If successful, these drones could arrive quickly at a scene, relaying critical information back to the first responders,” Meadows says.

Other public-private partners include High Performance Clean Diesel, a cleanfuel technology company, and Ubihere, a geospatial intelligence company working to develop tracking and analysis solutions for fleet management, legal compliance and other applications.

Converge launched in 2019 to help startups bring their technologies to market, and “Hilliard has been an amazing collaboration partner to support our mission,’’ says Converge chief strategy officer Eric Wagner.

“The city has acted as a testbed for new technologies and provided very valuable subject matter expertise for implementation of smart-city technologies. The city now views Converge as a resource that can be leveraged to support technology companies in the community or attract new companies to the area. … We consider the city to be an integral part of our success.”

A citywide fiber optic network has many other applications in Hilliard, such as connecting traffic signals to improve traffic flow and closing the digital divide in schools, Meadows says. It also gives businesses the opportunity to connect with networks beyond traditional internet service providers.

Attracting new businesses means attracting a skilled workforce—along with their families, their interests and their lifestyles. With a median age of 37, Hilliard residents are interested in a healthy, active lifestyle and are part of an engaged workforce, Meadows says.

Voter approval of a 0.5 percent income tax levy last November is paving the way for

a major expansion of Hilliard’s recreation and wellness programs (See more on Page 7).

In keeping with the city’s strong ties to local businesses, Advanced Drainage Systems, the second-largest plastic recycler in North America and a leading water management provider, is part of the community center project.

RIDING THE RAILS Another Hilliard recreational asset, the Heritage Rail Trail, serves as an homage to the past and a vital part of Hilliard’s present and future. The 7-mile trail, used by cyclists, walkers and runners, begins at Hilliard’s Station Park, the former location of an old railroad station and Hilliard’s original town square.

“The history of the railroad plays a tremendous role in Hilliard’s development,” Meadows says. Originally called Hilliard’s Station, Hilliard grew up around the Piqua and Indiana Railroad station. The station and Main Street formed the town center, and the station remained there until all railroad services ceased in 1962. The original train station has been restored and remains in Hilliard’s historical Weaver Park for future generations.

Hilliard’s Station Park features a large splash pad and gathering area that draws families to the area and has acted as the catalyst for the redevelopment of Old Hilliard, Meadows says. Several newer businesses have referenced the city’s railroad hub in their names, including The Junction, Center Street Market and Hilliard Station Baking Co. Meadows says the City of Hilliard is interested in extending the Heritage Rail Trail, which could eventually extend its corporate limits.

At any size, Warnock wants to be part of Hilliard’s future. “I want to have a positive impact on the community,” he says. “We intend to stay here and continue to forge a strong and significant relationship with the city.”

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Hilliard’s 36 miles of multiuse trails attract active residents.

HOUSING

Growing Up Hilliard New and existing housing stock serve a growing community, attracting families and individuals who want to make the city their forever home.

With a diverse combination of rural, suburban and urban housing options, coupled with the amenities of nearby Columbus, Hilliard has positioned itself as a major contender for relocation and growth in Central Ohio.

“There’s something for everyone,” says Jill Lightfoot, a licensed real estate agent who lives and works in the Hilliard area. “I think it’s just the small-town-living feel that you have here, with all the opportunities that a huge city brings.”

Incorporated in 1869 with just 280 residents, the city of Hilliard today claims a population of nearly 38,000, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. That number has increased by 31 percent in the last decade.

With this rate of growth, housing has had to keep up. Recent announcements have ranged from multiple senior living develop-

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ments to high-end residential lofts and more.

And the projects keep coming.

“One of the strongest selling points for those looking to start a family is the quality of the school district,” says David Meadows, who has been Hilliard’s economic development director for five years. The Hilliard City School District is ranked in the top 10 best districts out of nearly 30 in the Columbus metro area by Niche.com, a Pittsburgh-based company that provides data on U.S. schools and colleges.

Meadows also cites the strong response of community safety services by Hilliard Division of Police and Norwich Township Fire Department. “They really care about the community, and that’s evident with the quality of service that they deliver,” he says.

“There’s always heavy investment in our safety services.”

But the city has more to offer than excellent schools and public safety. “It’s also important to consider the amenities that make it a fun place not only to live, but also work,” Meadows says. “We’re adding in our downtown district, and the investments that we’re making in our Recreation and Parks [Department]—those are all ingredients to having a successful community.”

When the Landmark Lofts apartment complex opened along Franklin Street, for example, it sparked a revitalization of the entire corridor.

The residences provide chic, loft-style living, designed with an urban-farmhouse aesthetic, plus proximity to Hilliard schools and such community amenities as a coffee station, pool and clubhouse. Nearby retail includes a salon, fitness center and doughnut shop.

In summer 2020, the Woolpert firm helped redesign the 600-foot stretch of

PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF HILLIARD

BY VIRGINIA BROWN

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Franklin Street, from Main Street to Landmark Lofts, in a multiyear, $2.4 million project intended to increase safety and walkability in Old Hilliard, a bustling community core full of dining, shopping and events.

Also in 2020, Alton Place, a 354-acre mixed-use development by McCabe Cos., was approved for the northwest corner of Roberts and Alton Darby Creek roads. The project took three years to approve, but once it did, the development called for 447 housing units, including 167 single-family lots and 280 multifamily lots. The development also includes 53 acres for 245,000 square feet of commercial space, 177 acres of open space and 3 miles of trails.

By the end of this year, construction of 229 residences from M/I Homes at the northwest corner of Scioto Darby and Elliott roads will be well underway. Of the 229 homes planned, 60 are slated for empty-nester “quads.”

Other projects are closer to completion.

The Courtyards at Carr Farms, an Epcon community located on Leppert Road, is accepting reservations for high-end, ranchstyle homes. Floor plans—seven in all—start in the mid-$400,000s. Private garden courtyards and lots of natural light are some of the draws here, but residents will also have access to on-location amenities like a fitness

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Historical Village at Weaver Park

2022 VILLAGE EVENTS OPEN HOUSE – Saturday, April 23rd, 1PM-4PM WALKING TOUR OF OLD HILLIARD – Saturday, May 14th and September 3rd, 10AM & 2PM ART SHOW – Saturday, June 18th, 10AM-3PM

PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF HILLIARD

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center, pool, pond, walking trails, bocce and pickleball, and more.

Residents also seek a healthy lifestyle, so wellness is at the core of Hilliard planning, according to Meadows. Last November, Hilliard passed a 0.5 percent income tax increase dedicated to Recreation and Parks amenities.

“We bought a 125-acre property in between our existing soccer complex and our municipal park,” Meadows says. “We’re going to have a massive wellness campus with an appetite to consider partnerships with health care partners.”

Another major reason for the rapid growth in Hilliard: senior living.

Options for seniors include The Inn at Library Way, an assisted living complex located near the Hilliard branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Its private suites boast such amenities as 24-hour resident assistants, an on-site nurse, daily meals, housekeeping, laundry and utilities.

The complex also provides an aviary, happy hours at its English pub, spiritual services, walking trails, a movie theater and off-site transportation. A memory care center for those with Alzheimer’s or dementia is also available.

“Changing to a different lifestyle is always a tough transition to make, so we need opportunities for those who are aging— instead of aging in their homes, which may not be built for a comfortable lifestyle,” Meadows says.

For seniors who are more active and in search of independent living options, Verena at Hilliard, along Hickory Chase Way, is a 55-and-up independent living community.

Its residents enjoy 5 acres of green space, walking paths, a heated outdoor dining patio and raised garden beds.

When combined with existing housing stock, Hilliard’s development projects are poised to support existing and continued growth in the northwest suburb.

“You have a lot of people wanting to buy houses now to start their family, and you need a place for your existing residents and certainly some from outside the community to have a new space,” says Meadows. “You need options.”

As for what’s next on the Hilliard horizon, Meadows points to Truepointe at Trueman Boulevard in northeast Hilliard, a proposed mixed-use development from Equity, Inc. “It’s a potential opportunity for us not only to get more office space and get higher-end restaurants, but also to have more of that urban housing integrated within that type of development.”

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION The Innovation Campus

EDUCATION

A New Way to Learn The Hilliard City School District creates success through innovation and by engaging students and the community.

PHOTO: COURTESY HILLIARD CITY SCHOOLS

BY ABERNATHY MILLER Before lunch on a Thursday in March, Mark Tremayne has three emails from area school administrators stacked up in his inbox, all asking different versions of the same question: “How do you do it?”

As director of innovation and extended learning at Hilliard City Schools, Tremayne gets this question often. Considering Hilliard’s reputation in the region as a topnotch district, it makes sense that other educators would want to know what’s in the secret sauce.

The short answer: taking a new approach to teaching, with a focus on helping students develop their interests and mindset in addition to academic success. Backed by strong community buy-in from parents, local businesses and churches, Hilliard City School District keeps its promise of getting students “ready

for tomorrow” by taking a holistic approach to education through a robust array of cuttingedge programs, personalized education paths and innovative teaching techniques.

“There has always been a commitment— going back 18 years—to innovation and being on the cutting edge of education,” says superintendent David Stewart. “It gives us a great deal of flexibility to provide our students with the most up-to-date programming that sets them up for their future.”

Encouraging students to learn by doing starts as early as kindergarten. In partnership with Amazon Web Services, Hilliard school media centers have been transformed into Innovation and Discovery Zones, complete with pint-sized science labs and creative design and production stations among the stacks of books.

“We have a bias for action. We want students to learn through doing,” says Tremayne.

“Part of our focus is to equip our students to be deep thinkers and problem solvers. We want them to be risk takers and [to] make mistakes. It’s part of the learning process.”

This all culminates at Hilliard’s Innovation Campus, a central hub housing the district’s most unique programs for seventh- to 12thgrade students. There, students take an active role in customizing their education, whether that means getting college-ready, honing their creative skills, preparing for a potential career track or just figuring out who they are.

Future graphic artists can cut their teeth using state-of-the-art software and equipment through the Motion Graphics & Animation program, while rock-stars-intraining can explore music creation and

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Beacon Elementary

(Business, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Technology and Art), which allows students to work across subjects for an integrated learning experience.

“It’s about being a good, successful person, not just a good student,” says Jill Schlotter, a school counselor at Hilliard’s Beacon Elementary.

As a parent of Hilliard graduates, Schlotter has seen firsthand the positive impacts of the school’s dedication to holistic programing, both in and out of the classroom.

Her daughter, now 24, discovered her love for social work while taking the Academy EDU program. Her son, now 21, has maintained a successful lawn-mowing business since he was 13, thanks to the Academy Inc. business courses.

“The business classes he took at the Innovation Campus definitely helped him develop a business model,” Schlotter says. “He’s still doing it every summer and making money to support himself during summer break.”

The Innovation Campus and Hilliard’s wide variety of programs are only part of the picture. Hilliard Schools’ reputation for producing well-rounded, life-ready graduates starts before students ever crack a book.

“It’s our job to make sure our students are happy, healthy and safe when they come to school,” says Schlotter. “I think we do a good job of taking care of our own. It truly takes a village.”

For Hilliard, that means all hands on deck.

From winter clothing drives like Cram the Cruiser, sponsored by the Hilliard Police Department, to weekend food bags provided by the Hilliard

Kiwanis Club, to Thanksgiving meals and holiday gifts provided by area churches, the continued support from local business, organizations, houses of worship and community members sets students up for success.

This extends to the mission of the school district’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Created in response to the national spotlight on race in recent years, the committee is dedicated to providing an inclusive environment where all students are represented and safe by encouraging community outreach, requiring mandatory training for staff and administrators, hiring a diverse workforce and including diverse viewpoints throughout the curriculum.

“There has been a renewed focus on making sure everyone in the district feels safe and included in the experience,” says Stewart. “We see diversity as a strength in this community. It’s important that our students not only see themselves in what they learn, but who they learn it from.”

The results speak for themselves. With a 94 percent graduation rate, more than 2,500 students enrolling in courses at the Innovation Campus each year and droves more clamoring to sign up every time a new program is offered, it’s no wonder other districts are taking note of Hilliard’s approach.

“We are moving beyond a traditional education system. Our students are solving real-world problems, creating authentic work and connecting with experts in business and industry,” says Tremayne. “We want our students to be active participants in their education to prepare them to be ready for their tomorrow.”

PHOTO: COURTESY HILLIARD CITY SCHOOLS

audio and video production in the Academy Vibe program. For budding titans of industry, Business Academy demystifies modern entrepreneurship by breaking down the principles of business, personal finance and customer service. If college is part of the plan, the College Jumpstart program allows students to earn college credit while still in high school.

“Personalization is key because when you get to choose to do something, your level of engagement increases. It needs to matter to [the students],” says Tremayne. “Personalized learning equips our kids with the criticalthinking skills they need to adapt to the future. We want them beating down the door to get in, not to leave.”

Offering a wide range of course options is part of Hilliard’s strategic plan to keep students engaged and, ultimately, successful.

“Interest and mindset are very real concepts here,” says Stewart. “This is a community that has supported that kind of instruction for their kids, because the community understands the workforce is changing.”

Hilliard’s commitment to teaching the whole student goes beyond even the most unique course or program. With input from industry leaders on what skills students will need for a changing workforce, and the knowledge that social and emotional skills are just as important as intellect, Hilliard educators build lesson plans that not only prepare students for their futures—but also encourage them to develop self-awareness, confidence and decision-making skills in and out of the classroom.

“The true innovation is in the development of the learning experience,” says Tremayne.

“We see our teachers as experiential designers. It’s very important our teachers understand how to develop quality learning experiences that keep our kids engaged, because it’s our job to provide purpose-provoking opportunities that are meaningful.”

The “playbook” uses research-based best practices to make even the most straightforward subjects engaging. Hilliard arms educators with a guide to incorporate critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, leadership, adaptability and imagination into every lesson plan.

The “We Build It Better” core infusion program is a perfect example, combining elements of aviation, engineering and hands-on learning to create an engaging, transdisciplinary approach to seventh-grade math. So is the district’s most popular program, BE2TA

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