City Hall Opens - Arby's Closes - East Of Africa Closer To Completion
A new resident service area at Westerville City Hall opened Monday in space formerly occupied by the Westerville Police Department, as the city’s $21 million renovation project moved closer to completion.
The 18-month project is designed to consolidate city government employees under one roof and create a one-stop service center for residents. The first-floor service area allows residents to obtain permits, pay utility bills, and handle tax payments in one location. Floors above the service area are now also in use by city employees.
City staff welcomed residents to the new service counters while workers continued making final adjustments nearby. Brochures, business cards, pencils, and “No Solicitors” signs were arranged on a front counter as the renovated public space opened for use.
Construction continues on other parts of the project, including the overhead walkway connecting the buildings and the former City Hall space where city employees will work once renovations are complete.
Outside, rolls of sod were staged near the building for a small new park at the rear of the property and to replace green space along State Street that was damaged during construction.
The consolidation will allow the city to vacate its other properties. The city plans to sell its building and property at 64 E. Walnut St., where a developer has proposed a large apartment complex with a boutique hotel, restaurant, and 400-space parking garage. The move will also empty the former senior center on West Main Street, which employees used temporarily during the renovation. No plans for that building have been announced.
The reopening marks one of the final steps in the city’s effort to centralize services, reduce the number of separate government offices, and make routine city business easier to complete in one visit.
The Arby’s on South State Street is closed for renovation, but one major piece of the earlier redevelopment plan appears to remain unresolved.
The South State restaurant is owned by the same person who owns the Arby’s on Maxtown Road, which recently underwent a similar renovation. That Maxtown project gave the restaurant a newer exterior design, replacing the older red-roofed Arby’s look with a more modern building style.
A similar update had been expected for the South State Street location. When the project was first outlined, plans also called for a shared-access road between Arby’s and the neighboring McDonald’s, connecting State Street to Hillsdowne Road. The road was intended to improve circulation through the two fast-food properties and create another route between the businesses and the surrounding street network.
An agreement approved by the city in 2024 set out a cost-sharing arrangement among the city, the Arby’s developer, and McDonald’s ownership. Under the agreement, the city would reimburse the Arby’s developer for up to half the road’s cost, with the city’s contribution capped at $300,000.
At the time, final details were still being worked out, with permitting, demolition, and construction of a new Arby’s expected to begin in 2025. The redevelopment plan had been approved by the Planning Commission in September 2023 and reflected recommendations from earlier South State Street planning studies focused on access, traffic circulation, and public improvements.
However, the shared-access road between Arby’s and McDonald’s was never finalized. The current renovation closure at Arby’s appears to be moving forward without that portion of the original plan.
East of Africa roadway work nears completion
Construction is nearing completion on the final section of roadway for the East of Africa development project in Westerville.
The new road will connect Westar Boulevard to Africa Road at the southwest corner of the 88-acre development site. Crews are now working on the last stretch of the roadway, marking one of the final visible steps in preparing the area for future development.
The road runs next to Yarnell Farm, the last family-owned farm in Westerville, creating a sharp contrast between the city’s agricultural past and its continued commercial and residential growth.
Once finished, the connection is expected to improve access through the East of Africa site and tie the development more directly into the surrounding road network.
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