By 1808Delaware
Drivers in northern Westerville are about to get a new way across one of the city’s fastest-growing employment areas. New roads through Westar Park are expected to open today, weather permitting, creating a direct connection from Cleveland Avenue along Westar Boulevard to Africa Road and into the 88-acre development east of Africa. The project also extends Hoff Road and introduces a new roundabout within the development.
The opening represents one of the most visible milestones yet in a project that has been taking shape since Westerville acquired the land in 2023 and broke ground on infrastructure in March 2025.
More Than Just a New Road
While earlier descriptions of the project referred to roughly two miles of roadway, the city’s latest figures put the completed network at approximately 1.5 miles of new streets. Under the layout, the existing Westar Boulevard corridor continues east from Cleveland Avenue, crosses Africa Road and feeds into the new Westar Park street system. Hoff Road is extended westward into the development, while additional streets provide access to the individual development parcels and future connections within the district.
The transportation work is only part of the build-out. Westerville says the project includes about 11 miles of electrical conduit along with water, sewer, electric and fiber service. Regional stormwater facilities have been built to handle drainage for the district rather than requiring each future development site to devote as much individual land to retention. Pedestrians and bicyclists are part of the plan as well. Development standards call for sidewalks at least five feet wide and multi-use paths generally 10 feet wide, with connections into the larger regional path network.
A $30 Million Bet on What Comes Next
Westerville has invested more than $30 million in the road, utility and public-space infrastructure needed to turn what had largely been farmland into development-ready property. The city secured $30 million in Aaa-rated bonds for the project before construction began in 2025. About 55 of the 88 acres are divided among five development sites, ranging from roughly six to 17 acres. Westerville is marketing them for corporate headquarters, professional services, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, life sciences and other employers.
The strategy builds on the neighboring Westar Place district, now home to more than 10,000 jobs. Major employers there include Vertiv, DHL Supply Chain, The Marzetti Company, Central Ohio Primary Care, Sensience and Orthopedic ONE. Westar’s transformation began more than a quarter-century ago. Liebert Global, now Vertiv, became the district’s first major corporate employer when it opened along the newly built Cleveland Avenue in 1999. The new Westar Park project is effectively an eastward extension of that earlier development strategy.
Keeping Green Space in the Picture
Despite the scale of the construction, the site was planned with substantial green infrastructure. More than 700 trees have been planted in double rows along sidewalks and bicycle paths on the new streets. The plan also incorporates trails, water features, stormwater ponds and preserved greenways, creating what the city describes as a more campus-like setting rather than a conventional office or industrial park. Development standards also establish a landscaped buffer along portions of the eastern edge of the property, including areas where existing trees are to be preserved or supplemented with new plantings. That eastern boundary is particularly important because Westar Park adjoins the Ashton Village, Berkshire Commons and Courtyards at Village Crossing residential areas.
History Remains Part of the Site
One familiar landmark will remain amid all the new construction. The city and the Westerville Industry and Commerce Corporation have committed to preserving the historic Sharp House, which stands within the project area and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. City budget documents call for maintenance and preservation work through 2028, with a strategy for adaptive reuse expected to be developed by then. Its preservation adds another layer to a project built along Africa Road, a corridor already closely tied to Westerville’s Underground Railroad and abolitionist history.
Friday Changes the Map
Until now, much of Westar Park has been something residents could see taking shape behind construction barriers. Friday’s planned opening changes that. For the first time, motorists, cyclists and pedestrians will be able to use the new network while Westerville turns its attention from building the infrastructure to filling the sites alongside it.
The roads may be the first finished piece residents encounter, but they were built for something much larger: another generation of development along the Cleveland Avenue, Polaris Parkway and Africa Road corridor.
