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From left, Mayor Kim Maggard at the new Heartland Bank HQ construction site with Heartland CEO Scott McComb, Wasserstrom Company President Brad Wasserstrom and Zach Woodruff, the city’s director of economic development and public service.
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$60 million of public and private investment per square mile Over 1600 new jobs created or committed since 2012
Learn more about development opportunities in Whitehall.
Zach Woodruff
Joe Ryan
Director of Development
Economic Development Manager
(614) 338-3103 zachary.woodruff@whitehall-oh.us
(614) 545-9702
www.whitehallmeansbusiness.com
joe.ryan@whitehall-oh.us
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Photo: Rob Hardin
Mayor Kim Maggard and Zach Woodruff, director of economic development and public service
Dear Columbus CEO readers:
Why Whitehall?
A
s Brad Wasserstrom, Scott McComb and I walked through the construction site of what will soon be the new headquarters of Heartland Bank, Zach Woodruff and I asked that question to the two leaders of these major companies in the process of relocating to the City of Whitehall. Heartland Bank CEO Scott McComb answered, “The first question would be why not Whitehall? It is a vibrant city that has a lot to offer. This location is really the essence of why we came. It’s convenient to our operations, it worked out logistically and we loved the area.” Brad Wasserstrom is president of The Wasserstrom Company, which will open its relocated headquarters on E. Broad
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Street in the fall. He replied, “When I heard about the great momentum, redevelopment and the projects that were already underway, as well as those that were going to be started in the near future, I couldn’t help but be excited. I wanted to be a part of it.” I became a resident of Whitehall in 1981. Having served as auditor for eight years, I am honored to now be in my second term as mayor of the City of Whitehall. I have seen firsthand the evolution of this community over the past 36 years, and I’m proud to say that we are cultivating opportunity here and our momentum continues to build. In just the last five years, more than 1,500 jobs were created or committed
Whitehall Economic Development
within the city. Per square mile, more than $60 million in completed and proposed public/private investment is lined up from 2010 to 2019. Major corporate headquarters are moving in, and smaller, family-owned restaurants are flourishing. Norton Crossing, a $50 million mixed-use development by Continental Real Estate, will completely revitalize the crossroads of Hamilton Road and E. Broad Street. Our neighborhoods are redeveloping and rebuilding, and our community as a whole is growing stronger each day. Change does not happen overnight— but it does happen when a group of committed individuals joins to create a community driven toward success. Zach Woodruff, our director of economic development and public service, grew up in Whitehall, and his family still lives just a few houses down from City Hall. His 16 years in service to our city began on City Council. He is committed to making the City of Whitehall a destination for businesses as well as a community full of beautiful park spaces and a peaceful place to raise a family. Our team is not complete without the dedicated individuals on our Whitehall City Council. These individuals spend countless hours collaborating to improve the way of life for our residents and to continue the growth of our great city. They not only represent the people of Whitehall now, but they are continuously building a better future for our families who call Whitehall home. The City of Whitehall is pleased to be a part of Whitehall Economic Development—Opportunity is Here in this July issue of Columbus CEO. We hope that our pride in the re-emergence of our city is very apparent to you as you learn more about our growth and investment. Moreover, we hope you’ll get a better understanding of “Why Whitehall?” Sincerely,
Since 1954 Byers has been involved in the Whitehall Community & we are proud to be part of the current Momentum! Kim Maggard
Mayor, City of Whitehall
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John Glenn Columbus International Airport
Economic Investment Overview 2010-19
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14. DSCC Installation Improvement
2. Air South Commerce–Phase I
15. Franklin County Children’s Services Office
3. Hamilton Crossing Senior Housing
16. Eastway Village Senior Housing
4. Whitehall Community Park Improvement
17. John Bishop Park Improvements–Phase I
5. Etna Road Reconstruction and Streetscape
18. Glencoe Housing District
6. The Ashford on Broad Assisted Living Facility
19. Whitehall Schools Rebuild
7. General Community Infrastructure
20. Wasserstrom Company Headquarters
8. Sandoval Buick/GMC Renovation
21 Heartland Bank Headquarters
9. Fiber Network
22. Norton Crossing Mixed Use
10. Main Street Streetscape Improvements
23. Byers Imports
11. Rite Rug Corporate Headquarters
24. Medical Office Park Development
12. Whitehall Library
25. Air South Commerce–Phase II
13. Priority Designs Office Campus
26. Kroger
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Whitehall Economic Development
We are proud to work with the City of Whitehall in building a community committed to progress and innovation.
bakerlaw.com
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Rendering of the new headquarters and branch of Heartland Bank
Open for Business Whitehall is seeing payoffs on its redevelopment efforts of recent years. Story by TC Brown
W
hen local leaders preach the gospel of Whitehall these days, their proclamations are focused on the new testaments guiding this community—opportunity, vision and revitalization. The city’s promotion of exciting redevelopment ideas and proposals are changing minds, while developers are tearing down walls—literally in many instances—and businesses are making serious investments of time and money in the community. Many, within and outside of Whitehall, are discovering the new possibilities available for employers and residents. In short, Whitehall has a new spring in its step due in large part to the city’s ef-
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forts to inject life into unused or underused commercial and industrial properties that, in some instances, were little more than blemishes on the landscape. “The leadership wants to make it better and they are doing things differently,� says Yanni Chalkias, who has owned and operated King Gyros Greek Restaurant in Whitehall for 26 years. “Businesses are trickling in slowly and they are supporting us and I’m sure there will be more of that.� Slowly is a relative term. In Whitehall’s case, “on a roll� might be a better summation. An overview of the city’s economic landscape in the last six years includes 26 completed, in-progress or proposed projects, representing public/
Whitehall Economic Development
private investments of $60 million per square mile. More than 1,500 new jobs have been created since 2012, equaling tens of millions of dollars in new payroll. The economic development turnaround started in 2011 after Whitehall bought a 5.4-acre, vacant Chevy dealership at S. Hamilton Road and Fairway Boulevard for $1 million, in part to prevent another auto dealership from springing up. The endeavor succeeded. Priority Designs, a product design firm from Gahanna, bought the property and invested $2.5 million to redevelop the site into a state-of-art headquarters. In return, the city granted a six-year, 50 percent income tax reimbursement. Zach Woodruff, Whitehall’s director of economic development and public service, compared the significance of Priority Designs’ move to Whitehall to Orange Barrel Media’s 2014 move to Franklinton, which spurred development and growth in that Columbus neighborhood. “That was the jump-off point,� Woodruff says. “We give credit to Priority Designs; they understood what our vision was.�
Whitehall Mayor Kim Maggard and Woodruff are credited with spurring this developmental rebirth, along with other economic improvements that have followed. Woodruff likes to call this new narrative of business growth and retention the gospel of Whitehall. “When we go out and tell people, they get energized,� he says. “We recognized a need to improve amenities and the infrastructure for those who are here and a need to change the narrative of how they envision Whitehall. The mayor said we have to rebrand the city, and we did that in mid-2012.� No stone, apparently, was left unturned. The community’s former slogan, “City of Pride,� was shown the door. Today, the buzz phrase is straightforward and more clear: Opportunity is Here. In a welcoming statement on its website, the city pledges innovation, diversity, thriving neighborhoods and flourishing businesses. These transformational changes come after years of economic development stagnation, but this Columbus suburb did not always have a sketchy reputation. Whitehall traces its beginnings to the early 1800s and the prominence of the National Road, US Route 40. It saw the development of central Ohio’s first air industry in Norton Air Field and the opening of the gigantic Defense Construction Supply Center, which is still operational as Defense Supply Center Columbus. Early suburban expansion east of Columbus began in Whitehall in the 1920s, and the nation’s first strip shopping center—Town & Country—opened in 1948. The post-war housing boom hit town, and thousands of homes and apartments
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“We recognized a need to improve amenities and the infrastructure for those who are here and a need to change the narrative of how they envision Whitehall.� Zach Woodruff, Director of Economic Development and Public Service City of Whitehall
Whitehall Economic Development
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Inside Priority Designs
650
total number of businesses
$60 Million per-square mile, total completed and proposed economic investment from 2010 to 2019 More than
$50 Million in new payroll has been created or committed Since January 2012
Whitehall employers
Top 15 • Accenture • Alliance Data Systems • American Health Network • Byers Auto • Dave Gill Chevrolet • Defense Supply Center Columbus • Franklin County Children’s Services • FedEx Ground • Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits • Kroger • OhioHealth • PNC Bank • Target • Walmart • Whitehall City Schools
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sprang up during the 1950s, making the suburb the fastest-growing community in the country during that period, according to the Whitehall Historical Society. Whitehall thrived for several decades but eventually hit the skids. Maggard says a variety of factors created a downturn. The city has always been landlocked, which began to be seen as a detriment for attracting new businesses. As the city’s population grew more diverse, it also grew more transient. “There were few proactive ideas, and you can only go so long flattened out before things start to go downhill,” Maggard says. “We took a hard look at income bases and prior administrative actions and decided we had to take risks and get out of the old mindsets.” It worked. In her upbeat State of the Community address in March, Maggard recounted recent successes throughout Whitehall, including residential, recreational, schools and especially economic development. Maggard praised local businesses for their critical role in the vitality of the community. “The residents and businesses feel energized,” Maggard says. “Opportunity is here and it is thriving in Whitehall.” Those judgments are not being overplayed. Early last year, Heartland Bank announced it was moving its corporate offices from Gahanna to a 60,000-squarefoot campus on N. Hamilton Road at
Whitehall Economic Development
the gateway to Whitehall Community Park, which will also include a new bank branch. Scott McComb, Heartland’s chairman, president and CEO, says the city offered an irresistible pitch, touting numerous capital improvements for the entire corridor. In return for tax incentives, the bank will invest about $10 million and move about 100 employees to the new location, with an annual payroll of around $5.5 million. “This is an up-and-coming community that is well-located and growing, and the city is in excellent financial condition,” McComb says. “The city has a few key components other areas do not. And they have an economic development engine willing to work with businesses to get it done.” The bank’s move to Whitehall will
“There were few proactive ideas, and you can only go so long flattened out before things start to go downhill. We took a hard look ... and decided we had to take risks and get out of the old mindsets.” Kim Maggard, Mayor of Whitehall
Collaboration Creates Opportunity The Whitehall Community Improvement Corporation facilitates strong and creative economic development and community improvement initiatives through our partnership with the City of Whitehall.
Board Members Mayor Kim Maggard Michael Bivens, Whitehall City Attorney Jim Cloyes, Cloyes CPA Bob Masheter, Dick Masheter Ford Dan Miller, Whitehall City Auditor Larry Morrison, Whitehall City Council Ray Ogden, Resident Tom Potter, D-A Lubricant Company
Thank you for investing in our community.
Jeff Rawlins, First Commonwealth Bank Chris Rodriguez, Whitehall City Council Bryan Savage, Savage Real Estate Nick Vollman, Plaza Properties Zach Woodruff, Whitehall Director of Development
For more information, visit www.whitehallmeansbusiness.com
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Brad Wasserstrom allow the community to pump $1.3 million of improvements back into the park based on the eventual tax revenue the city will earn from the new businesses. McComb was impressed enough with the rebirth of the community to help pitch Whitehall’s appeal to another large corporate entity, The Wasserstrom Company. It helped.
Last summer, Wasserstrom, a global distributor of restaurant equipment, decided to relocate its corporate offices of 50 years from the Brewery District in Columbus to a 50,773-square-foot space at 4500 E. Broad St. The company is expected to move about 230 employees into the new space in the fall. Company President Brad Wasserstrom says McComb played an integral role in the decision to relocate, and he says he would be happy to play that same part if asked to help convince any other business. “A guy with (McComb’s) stature and reputation said he had no worries about Whitehall and that this was an opportunity to really help shape Whitehall,” Wasserstrom says. “The city is not overbuilt with a lot of traffic, it’s close to the airport and I-670 and I-270 and not far from Downtown for meetings.” Initially, Wasserstrom says he worried about the city’s past challenges and told Maggard and Woodruff they would have to sell well. They did.
“They let me and my employees know about the things going on here, including the new development that would eliminate the high crime rates in an area of apartments across from us and other developments that would spur job growth,” he says. “I essentially got on board and the train started going down the tracks.” Some of those projects include Norton Crossing, a $50 million mixed-use redevelopment of upscale apartments, retail and office space. Visible progress will get underway later this year at E. Broad Street and S. Hamilton Road when the bulldozers take down the troubled and now-shuttered apartments that
“This is a diverse community with businesses and more residents moving in.” Lindsey Taylor, Real Estate Manager Kroger Co. Columbus Division
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Whitehall Economic Development
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were known as the Commons at Royal Landing. Other projects include The Wallick Communities of Columbus, which spent $18 million transforming a former Ramada Inn at E. Broad Street and S. Hamilton Road into The Ashford on Broad, 131 affordable assisted-living units for seniors. Rite Rug moved its distribution center and headquarters in 2014 from Columbus’ West Side to a warehouse on Poth Road, which had been vacated by the Kroger Co. more than 10 years ago. Meanwhile, Kroger is moving ahead with plans to build a new, 105,000-squarefoot store at the old Big Bear site at Town & Country Shopping Center. The company agreed to move across the street from its current location after the city offered tax incentives. “This is a diverse community with businesses and more residents moving in,” says Lindsey Taylor, the real estate manager for Kroger’s Columbus division. “We want to continue to grow.” While other new deals are in the works, existing businesses have captured the mood, too. Ideal Precision, which sells and services precision measuring tools, opened at 4539 E. Broad St., in 1983. The company bought and renovated the vacant former Shoney’s restaurant next door, more than doubling its space. Company President Dan Maxwell says the property was available for nearly two years, but the city held off accepting offers from other companies. “Some of those offers were not the most desirable, and the city put its foot down and decided they were not going to allow those things to become rampant in the area,” Maxwell says. “They are looking to bring in things that offer value for the people who live and work here.” Whitehall fever is clearly spreading because many have a stake in revitalizing the community now, and they “want to bring everybody else in, too,” says Maggard. Woodruff agrees, saying, “People like comeback stories, and Whitehall, right now, is in the middle of this big comeback.”
TC Brown is a freelance writer.
We are proud to partner with the city of Whitehall in its economic development efforts and share the city’s commitment to business growth, diversity and culture. Greg Daniels Partner, Columbus T +1 614 365 2789 E greg.daniels@squirepb.com 46 Offices in 21 Countries squirepattonboggs.com
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PARTNERSHIPS = BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES Rendering of Norton Crossing
a clean start Whitehall’s new vision for a troubled corner gives way to a rebirth for business and residents. Story by TC Brown
I
t’s a pleasant summer evening and you’re out for a walk after dinner in your new apartment. Inviting music comes from the community park at the center of your complex. Some neighbors have spread blankets on the lawn; others sit in folding camp chairs to listen. You greet the older couple who’s just moved in nextdoor but don’t linger to talk. Heading to a neighborhood coffee shop with your laptop, you anticipate running into other young professionals, but you’d be fine just enjoying the surroundings while getting some work done. Welcome to the gateway to Whitehall— the intersection of S. Hamilton Road and E. Broad Street. Today it’s still boarded-up brick apartments that not so long ago were a haven for drug-fed crime, but a renaissance is
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underway throughout the entire city. And here, on the southwest corner of Hamilton and Broad, Whitehall is plowing forward on one of its major and most visible redevelopment projects: a $50 million public/private investment to be known as Norton Crossing, named for Norton Field, central Ohio’s first airfield, built nearby in the 1920s. In a partnership with Continental Real Estate Cos., developers will create an upscale mixed-use 20- to 25-acre development with residential, commercial and office units and a park for the entire community. The target market for the development will be young professionals and empty nesters, and the area is designed to have an urban, walkable feel. The first phase is expected to include about 240 one- to two-bedroom apartments, and the second phase will add
Whitehall Economic Development
60 or more. The first part of the development—including some residences, retail and the park—is not expected to be ready until early 2019, says Continental Chairman Frank Kass. “This is a major investment in redevelopment on a major corner,” Kass says. “About 400,000 square feet of development will occur. It will change the character of that intersection.” Whitehall bought the 42-building, 270unit Commons complex for $5 million in April 2016 from the New Jersey-based CSN Realty Co. As part of the agreement, the city dismissed four code violation complaints it had filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. The apartments were built in 1943 to provide housing for
“This is a major investment in redevelopment on a major corner. ... It will change the character of that intersection.” Frank Kass, Chairman Continental Real Estate Cos.
returning World War II veterans, but in recent years they had been as much an eyesore as an epicenter for crimes that included drug use and sales. City officials believe the possibilities for change began to appear after police focused on drug dealing and started to crack down with a new drug enforcement unit in 2015. Since then, narcotics officers have seized $2 million and taken more than 800 pounds of drugs off the streets. The Norton Crossing development also will include two one-acre pieces of land adjacent to the Commons property. One property, which Whitehall bought for $25,000, had an apartment building that was taken down recently by the city. The Whitehall Community Improvement Corp., which owns the other parcel, will sell that property to Continental. The city and Continental also are exploring the inclusion of other properties on the west side of S. Hamilton Road. Continental is working to acquire the apartment buildings and the check cashing building, while Whitehall is negotiating on taking the retail plaza for necessary right of way and roadwork. The additional land would boost the size of the development from about 20 acres to 25 acres, allowing the addition of more commercial buildings and adding access to the site. Whitehall Mayor Kim Maggard and Zach Woodruff, the city’s director of economic development and public service, have led the charge to create major economic redevelopment in the past couple of years, including Norton Crossing. Maggard has called this development her “biggest step” in turning the city around since she was first elected in 2011. Population trends show the need for more apartments for those just entering the workforce, and she says the city must operate in a progressive manner. “We have to do things differently than what we’ve done in the past,” Maggard says. “Single-family homes are not the future. Empty-nesters and young professionals want a safe environment where they have a walkable community, and that is exactly what Norton Crossing will do.” For now, the doors and first-floor windows of the two-story red brick apartment buildings at Broad and Hamilton
HAMILTON CROSSING SENIOR LIVING LEASING FALL 2017 614.863.4640 HOMEPORTOHIO.ORG
Whitehall Economic Development
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Norton Crossing renderings are covered with plywood. Towering green bushy-leaved trees cast shadows over clumps of abandoned buildings and empty walkways. The last tenants were required to leave by Feb. 28, and the neighborhood now waits quietly for
the wrecking ball, which is expected to descend before the end of the year. The city boarded up the apartments to discourage squatters, and officials say they are working diligently to ensure everything is done correctly at the prop-
erty. All of Whitehall’s economic development ventures are important, but with 50,000 cars a day cruising through the Hamilton and Broad intersection, not all of the projects will have the prominence or potential impact as Norton Crossing,
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Woodruff says. “This project could have a generational impact, and we’ve only got one shot to get it right,” he says. “It can be a catalyst for other redevelopment, but if it’s not done well it will be an anchor around our neck.” Regional leaders predict a large influx of people moving into central Ohio with continued employment growth, so the location and size of this project have significant commercial value. It has been about 40 years since Whitehall had any new housing developments, but about 25,000 people work in or near the city, Woodruff says. “We don’t have the housing inventory to attract a different demographic today, so this project is like building a farm team for future homeowners,” he says. “That’s why this area is so important.” People in the real estate development industry, including Continental, predict great success here. Having hundreds of new upscale apartments available for the thousands of employees working in the
“We don’t have the housing inventory ... so this project is like building a farm team for future homeowners.” Zach Woodruff, Director of Economic Development and Public Service City of Whitehall
Whitehall Economic Development
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Whitehall Economic Development
area is critical, Kass and Woodruff say. “There is nothing like this in this area of Franklin County, so it’s creating a product that doesn’t exist, and we are excited about that and its visibility at Broad and Hamilton,” Woodruff says. “All those good jobs around and there are not many real nice living areas,” Kass says. “This is the first new multifamily development in the marketplace in years.” Although the city and Continental are still fine-tuning the deal, the real estate company is expected to get the deed to the property from Whitehall for $1 once the parcels of land are rezoned and a development agreement is finalized. Continental is proposing to invest at least $50 million in the project. The development is expected eventually to include about 360 residences, 25,000 square feet of retail space and restaurants, and about 50,000 square feet of office space. The demolition and redevelopment can’t begin soon enough for some of the area’s neighbors. The sprawling dealership of Dave Gill Chevrolet sits across the street from the apartment complex at 4700 E. Broad St. Laurie Gill, manager of fixed operations for the auto dealer, says understatedly that she and her colleagues have noticed the area had been on “the downswing” for a while. “During business hours we’d watch cop cars go there. It was a lot of police
Community park at Norton Crossing activity,” Gill says. “We didn’t love seeing this across the street from our business. It’s not good for business, and it did not feel the safest for us.” But the view will change soon enough, and the mixed-use development at Norton Crossing will offer improved aesthetics and new residents whom Gill
says could become customers. “When we learned the city bought the property, we were very excited as to what would come next,” Gill says. “We knew no matter what it was it would be an improvement.” George Kauffman, vice president of Byers Auto, which has a Byers Chrysler
Dodge Jeep Ram dealership at 465 S. Hamilton Rd., also sees the development as a plus, not only for the auto dealers in the area but the city itself. “This will give Whitehall an opportunity to showcase what they are doing, and it will be a visible representation of where they are going and what they are trying to do,” he says. “This is an area that 10 years from now will be one of the hottest areas in Columbus.” Byers—and most of the other auto dealers in the area, for that matter—have already backed that positive view by sinking millions into renovations and rebuilding at their own locations. “I’ve been talking to the people of Whitehall, and there is a positive vibe that has become infectious,” Kauffman says. “Seven or eight years ago people would say, ‘You’re moving a corporate office to Whitehall?’ Now developers and real estate business people are asking me to introduce them to someone here.”
TC Brown is a freelance writer.
“There is a positive vibe that has become infectious. Seven or eight years ago people would say, ‘You’re moving a corporate office to Whitehall?’ Now developers and real estate business people are asking me to introduce them to someone here.” George Kauffman, Vice President, Byers Auto
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Jason and Monica Bruck with daughters Ella and Eva.
Mayor Kim Maggard with City Treasurer Steven Quincel, City Auditor Dan Miller, and President of City Council Jim Graham volunteering for Rebuilding Together Central Ohio.
homeowners help Whitehall helps homeowners improve their property, raising curb appeal, value and quality of life. Story by Mary sterenberg
T
wo years ago, Monica Bruck would stand as a human shield between her young children and the street when they wanted to play in her yard. She and her husband, Jason, knew their neighbors on a very limited basis because their corner lot made it stressful to safely play outside with the kids. But this summer is different. A new fence allows their 8- and 3-year-olds to Total Housing Units
median monthly rent
8,191
Single-Family Homes: Multi-Family (1-4 Units): Multi-Family (5-19 Units): Multi-Family (20+ Units): Mobile Homes:
run and play while Monica and Jason watch from a new front porch and chat with neighbors. Funding support from the City of Whitehall has allowed the Brucks and many other families to improve their homes in ways that add value to their properties but also to their lives. Whitehall is located completely within the Outerbelt and has not added new
housing since the 1980s. The city recognized the impact of aging homes and a fairly large transient population and implemented several innovative reimbursement programs to draw new homeowners and help current residents make upgrades. With the purchase of a redevelopment property at Broad Street and Hamilton Road, the city also will add 300 to 400 residential units to accommodate active seniors and young professionals who want to live in Whitehall without the responsibilities of home ownership. The Brucks participated in the Whitehall Home Reinvestment Program, which enables homeowners with a maximum household income of $125,000 to receive reimbursement of 50 percent up to $7,500 for exterior remodeling projects. The city provided $100,000 in funding annually from 2014 to 2016 and $75,000 this year. The Brucks applied for the full amount to replace a concrete front patio with a paver patio, replace several windows, build a retaining wall and, most importantly, install a fence on their property. “It was an amazing opportunity for us to complete some home improvement median Home value
$762
50.1% 24.8% 11.9% 12.7% 0.4%
$84,400
14.5%
Less than $50,000:
$500-$999:
67.8%
$50,000 to $99,999:
$1,000-$1,499:
16.9%
$1,500-$1,999:
0.8%
Rent less than $500:
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$100,000 to $149,999: $150,000 to $199,999: $200,000 plus:
8.5% 61.4% 19.7% 6.7% 3.7%
Source: US Census 2011-15 American Community Survey Estimates
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options that were a lot further down our budget timeline,” Monica Bruck says. “It improved the value of our home and quality of life. We spend so much more time outside in front of our home and spend more time with our neighbors.” The program initially funded applications on a first-come, first-served basis, and Jason Bruck spent a chilly but fun night with 20 to 30 other Whitehall residents in front of City Hall, waiting to submit his application early the next morning in May 2015. Because of high interest in the program, the city now uses a lottery system and sees a ripple effect that goes even beyond those approved for funding. During their renovations and afterward, the Brucks noticed that many of their neighbors who weren’t part of the grant program were inspired to make improvements. Zach Woodruff, director of economic development and public service, says the city has tracked this trend. “For every $1 the city invested in the home rehab program, it yielded $3 in investment in the community,” he notes. Whitehall houses are appraising for more, and The Columbus Dispatch reported in January that home values in Whitehall increased by 29.2 percent between 2012 and 2016. That’s above the average increase of 14 percent in central Ohio. The city has reimbursed nearly 100 families for exterior renovations during the program’s four years. A new Sidewalk(s)/Driveway Approach Replacement Program also reimburses 50 percent of repair and replacement costs—up to $2,000—to further enhance curb appeal in Whitehall neighborhoods. The reinvestment program targeted existing homeowners, but the city also
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created the My Home Program to incentivize new residents to buy houses in Whitehall and make the community their long-term home. When Mayor Kim Maggard took office in January 2012, she had served eight years as the city auditor. She says this background gave her a strong knowledge of where funds were as officials looked at how to draw new residents to the city. “To get people here we needed to do something unique,” Maggard says. “I knew what we needed was to look at Whitehall differently. Be aggressive and a risk-taker.” In 2012, the city reached out to Huntington National Bank about a partnership. The city invested $250,000 in Median Monthly mortgage payment
$1,015
3.2% 45.1% 40.1% 8.7% 2.9%
Less than $500: $500 to $999: $1,000 to $1,499: $1,500 to $1,999: $2,000 plus:
Median Household Income
$35,476 Less than $10,000: $10,000 to $24,999: $25,000 to $49,999: $50,000 to $74,999: $75,000 plus:
11.7% 23.8% 30.8% 21.0% 12.6%
Racial and Ethnic Diversity whitehall
White Black Hispanic Mixed Race Asian Native American
Franklin County
52.8% 68.8% 32.3% 21.3% 15.6% 5.0% 6.3% 3.6% 0.8% 4.3% 0.3% 0.2%
Source: US Census 2011-15 American Community Survey Estimates
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Photo: Tim Johnson
Clinton and Lori Elmore funding to offer prospective homebuyers up to $5,000 toward down payments, and Huntington offered incentives such as below-market interest rates and better loan terms. Reggie Thomas, community development manager for Huntington, says a community coming to the bank wanting to put in its own money was unprecedented in his experience. “The city looked at doing something meaningful, purposeful and unique,” Thomas says. “They put that money up front to say that this is important to us. Our city is important to us.” Thomas says the housing serves as a strong anchor for the many other community improvements underway in Whitehall. “You can talk small business or schools, but if there’s not good housing, no one wants to have a business there or go to school there,” he says. “We all want to live, work and raise a family in a good community. It’s an opportunity that the city took advantage of, and it made sense to support their neighborhood.” The program averaged two closings per month. Over 30 months, 73 families purchased homes in Whitehall through the My Home Program and agreed to maintain the home as their primary residence for five years. “This was important to the city because research shows that after three to four years a house feels like a home,” Maggard says, adding that the families attracted by the program had a median
Whitehall Economic Development
income nearly 20 percent higher than 2010 US Census data for Whitehall. Maggard says the program allowed Whitehall to promote itself as a value because “your biggest investment is your home, and this investment will continue to grow.” The My Home Program drew Lori and Clinton Elmore to Whitehall after renting for three years in another area. “We looked all over and started to look more at Whitehall because of the benefits they offer home buyers,” says Lori Elmore. Once in their home, the Elmores took advantage of the Home Reinvestment Program to replace their garage door, some windows and storm doors and a privacy fence. Lori Elmore is now a loyal Whitehall resident and wants to be part of its future by running for the City Council. “It’s the perfect blend of a thriving
community. Homeowners improving their properties builds comradery in the community, then you have businesses coming because they see people,” Elmore says, noting that everything starts at home. She said she supports the vision of Whitehall as not only a safe but a good-looking community. Maggard says the city is working with Huntington to relaunch the My Home Program, but another option for those looking to relocate to Whitehall will be the hundreds of upscale residential units coming as part of the city’s Norton Crossing redevelopment project at Broad Street and Hamilton Road. The 17-acre apartment complex property became available last year. The city took a “calculated risk” and purchased it to redevelop into a mixed-use residential, retail space and office space. The city will start to clear the site by the end of this year. “We’re not a real estate company, but we better be in the real estate business,” Woodruff says. He notes that population
trends show the need of younger singles and empty nesters for apartments and a walkable community in Whitehall. With 25,000 people working in Whitehall and 50,000 cars a day coming through the area, Woodruff says, the Broad and Hamilton site was ideal for the new residential units. “We’re building a farm team. Get them to live here and show them the accessibility, park opportunities, city service,” Woodruff says, citing the city’s commitment research-driven decisions for the development and the potential “generational impact” of the project. Woodruff says the site has the potential to be a big catalyst for economic development, and Maggard adds that Whitehall residents overwhelmingly support the redevelopment. Longtime Whitehall resident and former City Council member Tom Potter says it has been exciting to see the city get proactively involved in making the investments. Officials are crafting what Whitehall will look like in the future rather than just
“accepting what shows up,” he says. “We have a finite amount of space and palette to paint on and the palette gets full, so you’ve got to start erasing some things,” Potter says, voicing his support for the Norton Crossing redevelopment and housing opportunities for a demographic that is not yet ready to own homes. Potter and his wife, Pam, were drawn to Whitehall in the 1980s because it was centrally located—close to the airport and Downtown activities—and felt familyoriented and inviting. “It had good bones,” he remembers. Though he’s seen changes in the community over the last 30 years—and not all of them positive—Potter says the city has begun taking an active role in encouraging home ownership and pride and it’s getting more obvious to residents. “And this is just the starting point for us.” Mary Sterenberg is a freelance writer.
“It’s the perfect blend. ... Homeowners improving their properties builds comradery in the community, then you have businesses coming because they see people.” Lori Elmore, Whitehall Resident
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Whitehall Food Truck Fest
Pulling Together City government, school district and other public entities join forces to lift up Whitehall. Story by Mary sterenberg
W
hen the City of Whitehall adopted the new tagline “Opportunity is Here� in 2012, Mayor Kim Maggard began building a new vision for the city’s future. It was a big vision that included the schools, the library, the parks, housing and safety. Five years later, Maggard can point to significant improvements in all of these areas and a plan to keep things moving in a positive direction for Whitehall. Maggard envisions Whitehall as a progressive community with energy and opportunity: a value-added community. That value includes the creation of hundreds of new upscale residential units, millions of dollars in renovation to the city’s parks, lower crime, a new awardwinning library and innovative changes in the schools. Zach Woodruff, director of economic development and public service, gives credit to the mayor’s vision for many of the city’s positive changes.
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“We utilized the word ‘opportunity’ in everything we’ve done over the past four years,� he says. “People like a comeback story, and Whitehall is in the middle of this big comeback.� In 2015, the Columbus Metropolitan Library selected its Whitehall Branch as the second of 10 branches to be renovated or rebuilt. Library spokesman Ben Zenitsky says the community outgrew the old building, so a new, 20,000-square-foot facility was built a block east of the former branch on Broad Street. At triple the size, the new library was designed to be a community center and provide needed access to technology and resources for children. “Libraries of the 21st century aren’t the quiet, hushed places of the past. We wanted it to be thriving,� Zenitsky says. “It’s a beacon along Broad Street.� The new library received a 2017 Library Building Award from the American Institute of Architects and the American
Whitehall Economic Development
Library Association—one of only eight libraries in the world honored for architectural excellence. But the impact of the new library goes beyond the innovative design. In the new library’s first year, visits increased by more than 45 percent, total checkouts increased by more than 50 percent and the number of computer sessions increased by more than 75 percent. “We were seeing a lot of new faces and children, welcoming in new customers and younger customers and cultivating a
“We were seeing a lot of new faces and children, welcoming in new customers and younger customers and cultivating a passion for reading.� Ben Zenitsky, Spokesman Columbus Metropolitan Library
passion for reading,� Zenitsky says. Children and teens have a large area named after former Whitehall librarian Carol Snowden, who passed away in 2008 and bequeathed $750,000 for the project. Local residents have access to internet and Wi-Fi. And a steel column with the signatures of many Whitehall residents is part of the infrastructure of the new facility—a reminder of the library’s connection to its community. Located completely within Interstate 270, Whitehall also sees great opportunity in development of the city’s parks and recreation and is investing $3 million in improvements in its five parks. Using a portion of property previously leased by Four Seasons Golf Center, the city will invest $1.4 million to expand the Whitehall Community Park to more than 80 acres. This will make it one of the biggest parks inside the Outerbelt, according to Woodruff. The renovations will include a new road down into the existing lower level, an added parking lot and creation of a large prairie area with plants native to Whitehall 200 years ago. Walking paths will allow residents to walk pets or attend nature programming. The remaining new property will house offices, and income taxes from these new businesses will help support a Parks Improvement Endowment Fund to “transform these parks into a jewel.� “Community development isn’t checkers; it’s a Rubik’s Cube. The new park is a big help for me in economic development,� Woodruff says, explaining that the idea of a large, walkable green space for employees is a strong selling point to businesses considering a Whitehall location. Shannon Sorrell, director of parks and recreation for Whitehall, says it’s excitAward-winning Whitehall library branch
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Splash Pad at John Bishop Park
Whitehall Yearling High School
ing to see an administration and a City Council so invested in the quality of life of residents. “It’s one thing to say it and another to live it. And we’re living it,” she says. The city is exploring partnerships with the YMCA of Central Ohio and other organizations to reopen the Activity Center in Whitehall Community Park with full programming for youth through senior citizens. Sorrell says kids and families connect in sports and activities, and safe and thriving parks can create these opportunities for families. The city will open a new splash pad this summer in John Bishop Park. Sorrell says it’s the first time in decades there has been an aquatic feature in the city. “Parks create a space that allows the foundation of community to be built. The bones have been here, but the reinvestment in what Whitehall has creates the opportunity for our citizens,” she says. To improve safety in the parks, the city also added part-time parks and recreation coordinators this spring to serve as rang-
ers on evenings and weekends. Safety always tops the list of concerns from residents, and Woodruff says one of the mayor’s trademarks is “not putting her head in the sand.” The city is actively targeting the issue of drugs, feeling that it has caused much of the city’s crime and theft. “She had the Division of Police form a drug task force. Since it started, they have seized 811 pounds of drugs, and drugs are sold by the gram—so this is 340,000 drug deals that were stopped,” Woodruff says. Whitehall is involved in the Franklin County HOPE Task Force to address opiate addiction, and it partners with the Braking Point Recovery Center to help the addicted. A new police chief started in September 2016, and the city saw a 14 percent reduction in crime the first quarter of 2017 over last year. “We’re making sure police are seen more,” says Maggard, also noting that federal grants will fund two new school resource officers.
Closing One Deal After Another in the City of Whitehall
The resource officers are one of many changes underway in the Whitehall City School System. With five new buildings since 2009, the schools this year will make changes and launch new programs for students from elementary through high school. Enrollment grew by 600 students over the last five years, the second highest growth rate in central Ohio at 24 percent. Superintendent Brian Hamler says with the rebirth of the city and the many things going on, Whitehall is becoming a younger community. The schools collaborated with the community to address concerns about overcrowded buildings and reports that only 15 percent of younger Whitehall students were on track for foundation levels of reading by first grade. The result is a complete redesign of the elementary experience to roll out this fall. “We’re a community that supports education,” he says. The school district identified additional space in a preschool building near
one elementary school, and all preschool through first grade students will move into these two buildings on the same campus this fall. Whitehall will partner with nearby Capital University, Hamler’s alma mater, to bring Capital education majors into classrooms to work with children. Capital professors will teach some classes on the Whitehall campus, and Whitehall and Capital instructors will
“Parks create a space that allows the foundation of community to be built. The bones have been here, but the reinvestment ... creates the opportunity for our citizens.” Shannon Sorrell, Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Whitehall
do some team-teaching. “It’s a full-court press to help all of our kids be active readers by first grade,” Hamler says. At the middle and high school levels, Hamler says the focus is on college and career readiness and adding “relevance and rigor” to the high school experience. One example is the STEM program for students in grades 7 through 12, which grew by 90 students to 171 participants over the last year. Maggard previously served on the school board and as mayor supports a strong partnership between the schools and the city, which share common boundary lines, a rarity in Franklin County. Improvements continue on things like traffic light changes in front of the schools, and the high school stadium will host the community’s Fireworks Viewing Party for the first time in 2017. “We’re a small community, and we have to help each other,” says Hamler. “We have similar goals: We’re here to serve the people who live here.”
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Tiffanie Charles, president of the Whitehall Yearling High School PTA, says the administration, parents and teachers are all working together to make the schools safer and better, and other organizations are involved as well. Charles, also a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, mentions that the commission funded a YMCA-staffed afterschool program last year at the high school because its members saw a need for students to have a place to go, receive tutoring and have fun after school. Charles has three teenagers and has
“We’re a small community, and we have to help each other. ... We’re here to serve the people who live here.” Brian Hamler, Superintendent Whitehall City Schools
Teresa Netotian working in a gazebo outside the Whitehall Police Department. lived in Whitehall for six years, though she says many think she’s a Whitehall “lifer.” Feeling like the community welcomed her family, she enjoys watching Whitehall residents and public officials work together and continue to grow every day. “As far as the big picture goes, we
have tremendous growth in our schools and our community. A lot of our community people are seeing that and buying back into what the mayor and community are trying to sell. It really does take a village.”
Mary Sterenberg is a freelance writer.
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