Powell enlists COhatch to lead redesign of city's downtown district
POWELL, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Columbus-based co-working business is demolishing a Powell office building as the first step of the company's larger project to redesign the city's downtown.
COhatch has been recruited to be the primary developer tasked with transforming Powell's downtown district at the intersection of North Liberty and East Olentangy streets, the company announced on social media. A Powell resident, COhatch CEO Matt Davis said the opportunity allows him to collaborate with local businesses to find solutions for decades-old complaints.
"I hope to work with all the small businesses and help them make their jobs easier, help them thrive as well as we do this," Davis said Thursday during a meeting with Powell's planning commission. "This city's been unbelievably gracious in working with solutions with some of the landowners."
Plans call for the redevelopment to begin this spring with the demolition of a former office building at 50 E. Olentangy St., a 0.63-acre site where COhatch will then construct a 13,900-square-foot location. The three-story building will be home to a rooftop bar, private offices, meeting rooms, an event space and more.
Given the downtown district's buildings range from one to two stories, the proposal states COhatch's new location aims to be sensitive to the surroundings by setting the third story back and breaking up the front façade of the structure.
"[The new location] is part of a cohesive thing we're trying to do with other landowners and make it all fit in really well," said Davis.
Beyond the COhatch building, Davis said the downtown redesign will continue with proposals to extend Scioto Street and collaborations with nearby landowners for a variety of mixed-use developments. Other goals include finding solutions for traffic congestion and constructing a larger, shared parking lot.
Launched in 2016, COhatch is home to co-working spaces and private offices with locations across nine cities, including Atlanta, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay. The company offers intimate "phone booth" rooms, fully-equipped podcast rooms, large meeting rooms and event spaces available for company gatherings, anniversary parties, reunions and even weddings.
Davis caught the attention of Powell officials after COhatch unveiled plans to transform 2.85 acres along North Riverview Street near the Scioto River in Dublin to launch a mixed-use development named "Riverview Village," including the construction of COhatch's new 15,000-square-foot headquarters and the restoration of four historic homes.
Next, COhatch will return to Powell's planning commission later this spring for final review before construction can begin. Learn more and view the full proposal here.