"You can't fit a certain type of business in an old house," Powell Economic Development Administrator Sean Hughes told Delaware Source on Aug. 31, 2026, the day after Nocterra Brewing Company shut its taproom at 41 Depot St.
He was making the case for the Downtown Powell / Village Green Master Plan. A revised version of that plan goes to residents on Thursday, Nov. 12, and then to City Council in December. Since August, the dark brewery has become the City's clearest example of what downtown needs more of. The feedback residents gave this spring says the piece of downtown they most want to protect is the park where Powell already gathers.
What one taproom was carrying
Nocterra opened on Depot Street in 2019 and was one of two breweries in the city. Ill Mannered Brewing Company is the other. In a Facebook post quoted by Delaware Source, the City said the brewery drew "tens of thousands of visitors downtown each year, helping fuel foot traffic for shops and restaurants nearby." The Powell Development Corporation had given it a $23,855 business retention and expansion grant in 2025 to help pay for a new delivery vehicle.
The taproom also served as a regular meeting place. One runner told Delaware Source that the CRC-Nocterra Running Club had met there every Thursday since August 2020, "in rain, shine or snow." The taproom was also home to the Quitter's Run. The 2026 edition was scheduled for Aug. 23 at 41 Depot St., about a week before the doors closed.
Columbus Running Company now lists its Powell pub run at Ill Mannered Brewing, 38 Grace Dr., at 6:15 p.m., covering three to four miles. The Powell Post reported the move on Sept. 2.
The City's reading of the closure
Hughes's argument rested on how downtown business is spread across the week. "It can't be a two-day week modeling, we have to start supplementing the business with more visitation, more destination business," he told Delaware Source. He added that this means "working with our building managers or property owners to be filling every building intentionally."
One building fits that description and is going up now. The City's September 2026 City Manager Report describes a two-story restaurant and event space of roughly 4,500 square feet under construction at 147 W. Olentangy St. The Powell Development Corporation is working with the owner to bring in a high-end restaurant, and no tenant has been named. The same report says Cocco Kay Bites opened down the street at 170 W. Olentangy St., Suite J, earlier this summer.
Depot Street isn't finished with beer
Building owner Dan McClurg had a "for lease" sign up the morning after the closure. He told Delaware Source he wanted a "good restaurant" or a "well-established brewery, not a start-up." He said he would be selective because there is no other location like it in Powell.
Nocterra's owners said in August that they planned to "regroup, reorganize and reemerge." In October, the brewery's website started showing the message "Something's Brewing, Stay Tuned." According to NBC4, state records show the company applied on Sept. 30 to renew its permits to make beer and sell alcohol on-premises at the Powell location. It did not apply for its Scioto Audubon location. NBC4 noted that the permit activity alone does not confirm a reopening. The Columbus Dispatch also described the website update as a hint of a second act, and it did not say where Nocterra would come back.
So as of late October, 41 Depot St. has a landlord looking for an established operator and a former tenant that has only renewed its Powell permits. Neither one has announced a new tenant or a reopening date for the building.
Two ways to fill twelve acres
The bigger plan Hughes pointed to covers a 12-acre site. The City calls it a long-term vision for the next 10 to 20 years. This spring, Pizzuti Solutions and City staff presented two concepts. Delaware Source reported that both included different mixes of retail, residential and mixed-use space, a market hall, a grocery store and more parking. Both also included a multilevel garage on the existing lot at 47 Hall St.
| Village Square | Market Street | |
|---|---|---|
| Center of the plan | An open central gathering square | A denser linear public corridor |
| Public space | Green space and a water feature | A corridor lined with retail and entertainment |
| Connection | A gateway toward South Liberty Street | A pedestrian connector |
| Open-house response | Favored for its tie to existing downtown | Less support |
Pizzuti's July 22 summary counted more than 220 attendees and 381 comments across four open houses. Thirty more people from Powell and the surrounding area wrote to city officials. Venues included CoHatch Powell, Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club and the Liberty Branch Library. The team added a fourth session at City Hall on May 27 after many attendees at the third were unfamiliar with the plans. The summary says feedback leaned toward Village Square because it connects to the existing downtown. At the first session, Visit Powell Executive Director Andi Moore told Delaware Source she preferred Village Square because it felt more welcoming, open and connected.
What residents asked to keep
According to the open-house summary, the most consistent requests were about the park. People asked the City to preserve and expand usable green space, keep the amphitheater as a gathering and event venue, keep the splash pad, and include amenities for families and all ages. Food-truck events and seasonal ice skating also got support. The concerns that came up most often were traffic and parking, the height and density of apartments, tax impacts and the loss of park amenities. Residents also asked that downtown keep its small-town character. When Pizzuti reported back to Council, it described resistance to comparisons with Bridge Park in Dublin or Easton.
On Aug. 4, Pizzuti Solutions project manager Sophia Lanza told Council that the team was looking at more usable green space, performance space and the splash pad or water feature. She said feedback showed a willingness to renovate or redesign the space, but not to fully eliminate the Village Green. The City has said a separate Park Master Plan is studying where an amphitheater, water features and performance areas could go across the park system, including the new Bennett Farm Park. Council members brought up a separate issue on Aug. 4. Councilmember Tyler Herrmann said the proposal was hard to evaluate without clarity on Bennett Farm. Assistant City Manager Jeffrey Tyler said the two teams were in contact and reviewing Bennett Farm's schematic plan. At the same meeting, Melissa Scott of Olentangy Community Theatre asked for an indoor performing-arts venue that could be used year-round.
Some of the work on that side of town is already underway. Construction on the Bennett Farms shared-use path along Powell Road, from Bartholomew Boulevard to Arbor Ridge Park, began Oct. 5. Downtown, the City is designing a Scioto Street extension that would run east from Liberty Street to Grace Drive, the same street where the Thursday run now starts. The project also includes a large public surface parking lot to serve downtown businesses. According to the September report, design is underway and the City is pursuing the property it needs.
The next six weeks on the green
The plan is still a concept. Council minutes say Phase II ends with a concept, not a development approval. Other boards, commissions and Council itself would have to sign off before any construction. Council extended Phase II through the end of 2026. Here are the dates ahead:
- Tuesday, Nov. 10: Veterans Day Ceremony at the Greater Powell Veterans Memorial downtown.
- Thursday, Nov. 12, 6 to 8 p.m.: Village Green Master Plan Workshop at City Hall, 47 Hall St. The City says residents can review the updated concept and ask questions.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 4 to 7 p.m.: Holidays in Powell at Village Green Park. The free event includes an iceless rink, a bonfire with free s'mores, photos with Santa, performances and a tree lighting at 6 p.m.
- December: The revised concept goes to City Council.
Residents named seasonal skating as something they wanted in the plan, and the iceless rink will be on Village Green Park for the Dec. 5 event. The tree lighting will happen on the same lawn the revised concept is meant to reshape, a few weeks before that concept goes to Council. The full plan materials are on the City's Downtown Powell / Village Green Master Plan page.
If you own near downtown and want to know how your home's value compares as Depot Street and the Village Green change, Keys + Company can help. Request your free instant home valuation, and we'll keep you posted on what Council decides in December.
