Jason Bechtold Resigns After Public Backlash Over 64 E. Walnut Redevelopment Plan
Westerville Assistant City Manager Jason Bechtold has resigned, ending a 17-year tenure with the city that included a central role in economic development and, most recently, involvement in the controversial 64 E. Walnut redevelopment proposal.
Bechtold submitted his resignation June 10 and will leave the city June 26, according to Community Affairs Director Hillary Bates. The city did not provide a reason for his departure.
“Jason has been a dedicated public servant and a true champion for our residents and business community alike,” Bates said in an emailed statement. “He leaves a lasting impact not just on Westerville, but across the entire Columbus regional development community.”
Questions sent to Bates about the circumstances of Bechtold’s departure went unanswered. Those questions included whether the city requested his resignation and who will assume his duties.
Bates also did not answer questions about Bechtold’s role in the proposed redevelopment of the city-owned property at 64 E. Walnut St., including whether he was the lead staff negotiator or public-facing city official for the project and when Continental Development Ventures first discussed the site with the city.
Bechtold’s resignation comes after City Council rejected a proposed sale agreement for the Walnut Street property, where a developer had proposed building a large mixed-use complex with apartments, a hotel, a restaurant and structured parking.
The proposal drew significant opposition from residents, who objected to the scale of the development, its potential effects on traffic, pedestrian safety and nearby neighborhoods, and the city’s public-input process.
City Council voted unanimously June 2 to reject the sale agreement, effectively halting the project in its announced form. The city later canceled a planned public open house and said no related legislation, proposal or agenda item would return until additional information was presented publicly.
Bechtold had been one of the city officials closely associated with the project before it became public. In a conversation several days before the announcement, he described the still-undisclosed plans as an exciting opportunity for the city but declined to provide details.
He has not appeared at related city events since the proposal was announced. The city has not said whether his resignation was connected to the project, its cancellation or the public response to it.
Bechtold joined Westerville in 2009 and was promoted to assistant city manager in 2021 after serving as the city’s economic development director. At the time of his promotion, the city credited him with helping guide Westerville’s economic-development strategy and said he would continue working on development issues while also overseeing several city departments.
His work included involvement in the development of Westar, the city’s major business district near Polaris Parkway, where Westerville used land acquisition, infrastructure investment and private partnerships to attract office, hotel and corporate headquarters projects.
Bechtold’s departure will end approximately 17 years with the city. Westerville has not announced who will take over his responsibilities or whether it will conduct a search for a permanent replacement.
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