The 550-acre project that could be coming for a town outside Columbus

PLAIN CITY, Ohio (WCMH) -- Plain City could soon annex about 550 acres for a business park that aims to increase economic development and job opportunities for the area.

Columbus-based Highland Real Estate's proposal calls for the mixed-use district to be named "Creekview Commerce Park," and built off of U.S. 42 between Rickard and Converse roads. In early stages, the development was reviewed earlier this month by Plain City's council and planning and zoning commission.

Plans call for Creekview to be developed in two phases, with the first spanning about 330 acres and the second roughly 215 acres. The park would provide "shovel-ready sites" for business development, ample job opportunities for Plain City residents, substantial income tax revenue for the village and allow for commercial uses to serve the area's growing population.

The developer's proposal lists a number of businesses that could call Creekview home, like auto and home supply stores, banks and credit unions, child day care services, convenience retail, gas stations, grocery stores, hotels, manufacturing, restaurants and more.

Creekview's aesthetic would mirror a campus-like setting with trails, boulevards, streetlights, decorative fencing, gateway signage and ponds, Highland's proposal states. Still, the design would be consistent with the standards and rural aesthetic of Plain City, with "no uninspiring big box industrial development."

The developer's proposal emphasizes that the park would be dedicated to commercial and industrial purposes, with no residential units planned for Creekview. The park would be designed for higher intensity uses toward the center of the property to allow for ample buffering that protects residential neighbors near Creekview.

Plain City's business park is being proposed as the village is also constructing a new public square that will be anchored by a historic railroad depot. The depot was dismantled and shipped to the village from Upper Arlington earlier this summer and will open to the public in 2025 as the first phase of the larger public square project.

Future phases of the public square will include a park with a railroad-themed play area, splash pad, seating and fire pit, trailhead and green space for outdoor community events. The village will also repurpose an existing building into a marketplace that will provide all-season event and vendor space for a year-round farmers market.