Westerville gives nod to Westar expansion, but NP's plan trimmed - Business First of Columbus:

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But construction could take awhile giveb a sluggish real estate on May 6voted 4-3 to approve a preliminary development plan for the site straddling Polarisa Parkway. The approval comes nearly three yearsz after developerpaid $8.5 millionj for the former Zumstein famil y tract at Polaris and Worthington Road. "Itr gives us the ability to go find saidFranz Geiger, the developer's managingb partner. "It's a starting point, for NP looked at the site in mid-20054 and began talks with thethat October. It bought the land in July 2005.
At the the company was planning retaik projects on 21 acres north of Polaris Parkwayt and more stores on thesouthern portion, for a total of 300,000 squares feet. It also considered developing aboutf 460,000 square feet of officesx anda 100-condominium project. Its revisefd plan reduces retail and restaurant developmentto 242,000 squarwe feet, primarily south of Polaris Parkway, whils office use has shrunk to 340,000 squarde feet. The plan also calls for a hotel andan assisted-livin facility. The plan marks the last large tracy to be zoned within 941 acre annexee bythe city, said Karl Craven, director of planningt and development for Westerville.
"It'e a hurdle we've now gotten over," Craven City planners wanted to avoid allowing retaip todominate Westerville's entrance from Interstatee 71, an area the city marketz as Westar. "There's a desire to have that (property) develop with a gateway feeling," Cravenm said. He credited NP for workinh with the city to put Alum Creek and streames intothe plan. "It's pretty he said. Separate components of the developmenr will have to go back to the city for fina ldevelopment plans. Stephen Falor, managing principalk at 's office in Columbus, said retaio could prove viable for the project sincre developersalong store-laden Polaris are delaying projects.
"Iv they're smart, they'll do retail immediatelty before anyoneelse does," he said. He also praisedd the addition ofan assisted-living center to the noting "none of us are getting any younger." Geiged said all the components of the plan have some drawbackws given the state of the economy, but considers the market for assisted-livingb housing to be solid. "I don't see one use that'a ready to roll more than another," he "I think assisted livingb is ripe. There's demand for that." Medical offices couldd be added, Geiger said, but any retaip and office development would need to be drivenn by ananchor tenant.
That includesx two sites targetedfor build-to-suity corporate offices close to Alum Creek. "Io see that as a perfect office site," Geigerd said. "But that could take some