Everything but the entrance at Walnut Ridge Park has changed since construction began to convert portions of the park into a wetland, where a frequently flooded baseball field used to be.
The renovated park will have two fields elevated above the old fields and facing different directions. The basketball court is being expanded, and the playground is expected to see few changes.
The most visible change affecting the new wetlands is restoring the existing creek's original floodplain, which contributed to flooding in the field and high water downstream along homes on the creek. The redirection removed a man-made creekbed along Walnut Street.
The new creek outlet slows the water and spreads it across the wetland, which will be planted with native trees, shrubs, and flowers that will dot small islands in the broad stream.
A new set of raised walkways will carry people over the wetland and provide outfield seating for those who can imagine themselves at a larger baseball park.
The park will be open for play by next year’s youth baseball season.
A corner section of the new Trader Joe’s store on Ikea Way sits across the road from Top Golf as work progresses on the third Trader Joe’s in Columbus, this one close to Polaris Mall and Ikea.
It will be the largest of the chain’s three Columbus stores, about 25% larger than the Sawmill store and 10% larger than Easton after its anticipated expansion.
Aldi plans a new store less than a mile away on Polaris Parkway. Fresh Thyme, which opened ten years ago, sits between the two stores.
Westerville City electric workers install conduit and connector boxes for wiring and transformers to move power lines underground on Africa Road. This installation will provide power to Sharp House, known for its Underground Railroad history.
Because this post is public, you’re encouraged to share it on social media.
The Westerville News is a reader-supported publication by Gary Gardiner, a lifelong journalist who believes hyper-local reporting is the future of news. This publication focuses exclusively on Westerville—its local news, its influence on Central Ohio, and how surrounding areas shape the community.
Reader funding, including subscribers, protects editorial independence, so coverage is guided by journalists rather than owners or corporate profit goals. It also reduces pressure to chase clicks, letting the newsroom focus on stories worth readers’ time. And it helps keep the site accessible to everyone, including people who can’t pay or live in places where a free press is under threat.
Explore more hyper-local reporting by subscribing to The Hilliard Beacon, Civic Capacity, Marysville Matters, The Ohio Roundtable, Shelby News Reporter, This Week in Toledo, and Into the Morning by Krista Steele.
