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Legacy Smokehouse Developer Bringing New Concept to Old Hilliard

Construction is underway to transform an existing building near the trailhead of the Heritage Bike Trail in Old Hilliard into space that could include a small business incubator, maker’s space pods, and restaurant/retail area. 

The deal for the 8,200-square-foot property at 5460 Franklin Street closed late last week between Hilliard Development Corporation and The Westwood Collective, a team whose development projects include Old Hilliard’s Legacy Smokehouse.  

The building will be converted from its existing warehouse and office space into The Junction by Westwood, which is envisioned to include office/incubator space for local entrepreneurs and small businesses as well as co-working areas. There will be space for a possible small restaurant, as well as a garage bay that will be shared by the City of Hilliard for parks maintenance. 

As part of the property development, unsightly brush will be removed. The parking lot for the facility will be shared with the public, adding additional spaces for the Old Hilliard area. Other parts of the development plan include significant exterior updates, including a new roof, new garage doors, repainting, lighting enhancements, fence removal, and asphalt repairs. 

“Old Hilliard has a history, and that history should be preserved,” said Andy Warnock, Co-Founder of The Westwood Collective. “But there’s a real opportunity to supplement new with old. We accomplished that with the Legacy Smokehouse renovation.”  

Warnock said The Junction will be an ideal public-private partnership.  

“The City of Hilliard has a vested interest in opening the brush-line, removing fencing, providing ingress and egress to Center Street, and access to high-speed internet for users of The Junction,” Warnock said.  “The development team would accommodate the City’s Recreation and Parks Department, breathe new life into an ailing structure, add shared public parking where it is needed most, and further enhance the viability of Old Hilliard.”  

City of Hilliard Director of Economic Develop David Meadows said the agreement between HDC and The Westwood Collective creates significant opportunities for the creation and nurturing of new businesses via the incubator and shared workspace concepts. It also will add additional vibrancy to Old Hilliard with a new restaurant, as well as improve the aesthetics of the area. 

“There are a lot of cool concepts that could come out of this underutilized space,” Meadows said. “This public-private partnership will add to the exciting things happening in Old Hilliard and serve as the kind of business incubator that is needed in our market.” 

Office space at 5460 Franklin Street is expected to be ready for first occupants on or before April 1. Interested small businesses and office users can contact Westwood for more information on The Junction’s membership rates and lease details at info@westwoodcollective.com or (614) 363-1618. 

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