Heath 'Central Park' district seeks state tax credit for $66 million second phase

HEATH, Ohio (WCMH) -- Developers are hoping they'll receive a state tax credit to aid in building a downtown district for the city of Heath, a $218 million project that will develop 300 acres with residential buildings, a community pool, restaurants, parks and more.

New Albany-based Wallick Communities has applied for a $6.6 million tax credit from the Ohio Transformational Mixed-Use Development Program to build the $66 million second phase of the downtown development named "Central Park." The program, which began in 2022, will announce early next year which applicants will receive tax credits.

Construction is set to begin next year on Central Park with a first phase built on 48 acres near Indian Mound Mall, including four mixed-use buildings, a community center and eight multi-family residential buildings. This phase was awarded an $8.5 million tax credit from the program in January.

Amenities will include a clubhouse with a community pool, volleyball courts, green space and recreational trail access. In addition, the mixed-use buildings would be home to 42,000 square feet of commercial retail space expected to be occupied by shops, offices, restaurants and breweries.

The district's second phase will include a multi-family residential building and a three-story senior living facility. A public plaza and a 410,000 square-foot sports complex with soccer fields and an ice skating rink are also planned for this phase.

Fischer Homes announced this summer it will construct 21 single-family homes off State Route 13 in Heath as part of a development named "Linnview Crossing," marking the first time the company has built in the city. Linnview will be a few miles away from Central Park, and will offer 10 floor plans from Fischer's "Maple Street Collection," which range from 1,700 to 3,000 square feet.

Heath is one of several central Ohio communities aiming to develop a new downtown district, like Plain City's new public square development that will feature a historic railroad depot. The depot was dismantled and shipped to the village from Upper Arlington this summer, opening to the public in early 2025 as the first phase of the larger public square project.

In Powell, COhatch broke ground this month on a new location that is also part of a larger project to redesign the city’s downtown. Earlier this year, Powell had announced COhatch was picked to be one of several developers tasked with transforming a section of the city’s downtown district.