Parking in Downtown Powell Is About to Get Easier: 50 New Public Spaces Are Coming
If you've ever driven into downtown Powell for dinner, an event or a little shopping and found yourself circling around thinking,
“Where am I supposed to park?”
there's some good news.
Powell City Council has approved an agreement that is expected to create approximately 50 additional public parking spaces at 59 E. Olentangy Street.
And while 50 parking spaces may not sound like the most exciting news happening around Central Ohio, if you spend any amount of time in downtown Powell, this one could actually make a noticeable difference.
The new spaces are part of a four-year agreement between the city and property owner Vincent Margello. The lot is currently private parking used by customers of Local Roots, but after improvements are completed, it will become public parking.
Even better?
This isn't supposed to be the end of Powell's parking improvements.
It's really more of a bridge to something bigger.
Where Will the New Parking Be?
The approximately 50 public spaces will be located at:
59 E. Olentangy Street in downtown Powell.
If you're familiar with the area, we're talking about the parking area behind the current Stogies Cigar Lounge location and adjacent to Local Roots.
There's a little rearranging involved before all of this happens.
The building at 55 E. Olentangy Street, currently occupied by Stogies, is expected to be demolished. Stogies is moving to 94 W. Olentangy Street.
Once the demolition and improvements are completed, the area where the Stogies building currently sits will allow Local Roots to expand its private customer parking.
Meanwhile, the connected back lot that Local Roots customers currently use will become the new public parking area.
There will be a physical separation and signage to make it clear which spaces are private and which are public.
That's important because the distinction between public and private parking has been part of Powell's parking problem.
Why Is This Such a Big Deal for Downtown Powell?
Because parking has been a source of frustration in downtown Powell for years.
Earlier this year, Delaware Source reported that only about 14% of downtown parking spaces were classified as public parking, according to an analysis presented by Powell Economic Development Administrator Sean Hughes.
That's an interesting distinction.
Powell doesn't necessarily have a downtown with absolutely nowhere to put a car.
The problem is that many of the spaces people see belong to individual businesses or private property owners.
That can leave visitors wondering:
Can I park here?
Is this only for customers?
Am I going to get towed?
That's not exactly the experience you want when you're trying to encourage people to spend an evening downtown.
Local Roots Has Been Living With This Problem
There's also a business side to this story.
Local Roots owner Jessi Iams-Kaniaris previously told Powell City Council that people were parking in the restaurant's private lot while visiting other downtown destinations.
Eventually, the restaurant put up prominent signs and began towing unauthorized vehicles.
And I can understand the frustration.
Imagine owning a restaurant and having a full dining room but your customers can't find parking because your spaces are being used by people going somewhere else.
On the other hand, imagine being a visitor to downtown Powell, seeing an open parking space and having no idea whether you're allowed to use it.
Neither situation is great.
The new arrangement is designed to help both sides.
Local Roots gets additional clearly designated private parking.
Downtown Powell gets approximately 50 clearly designated public spaces.
That's a much cleaner solution.
But the 50 Spaces Aren't Free for the City
Here's the part residents should know.
Under the agreement, Powell will cover 50% of the construction work, up to $88,600, and will be responsible for plowing and salting the public lot.
The city will also pay property owner Vincent Margello $115,000 per year for four years for the use of the property.
So this is a temporary parking solution with a real cost attached to it.
Over four years, the annual payments alone total $460,000, before considering the city's portion of improvements and ongoing maintenance.
That makes an important distinction:
Powell isn't purchasing this property and creating permanent public parking.
It's leasing access to it for four years.
Councilman David Lester described the agreement as a short-term but significant gain for downtown.
And there's a reason for that four-year window.
Something Bigger Is Coming: About 130 More Parking Spaces
This may actually be the most important part of the story.
Powell is also moving forward with the Scioto Street Extension, which is expected to eventually create approximately 130 additional public parking spaces.
The project will extend Scioto Street east from Liberty Street to Grace Drive and create a large public parking lot accessible from both Olentangy Street and the extended Scioto Street.
The project isn't just about parking.
According to the city, the Scioto Street Extension is also intended to improve traffic circulation, walkability and access to businesses in the northeast portion of downtown.
The timing matters.
By the time this four-year parking agreement expires, city officials expect the Scioto Street parking lot to be available.
So think of these 50 spaces as a bridge:
Help solve today's problem while Powell builds a longer-term solution.
More Parking Is Also Expected on North Depot Street
There's another smaller piece of the parking puzzle.
City Manager Andy White said additional public spaces are expected when Powell completes the North Depot Street reconstruction project.
The city's capital improvement plans call for improvements there that include sidewalks, paved parking, street lighting and drainage work.
Put all of these projects together and you begin to see that Powell isn't approaching downtown parking as one single project.
It's piecing together several solutions.
Temporary leased parking.
Public-private partnerships.
Street improvements.
And eventually a larger permanent public lot.
Why Not Just Build a Parking Garage?
That's probably the obvious question.
If downtown Powell has a parking problem, why not build a garage and be done with it?
Because parking garages are expensive.
Very expensive.
During council discussions earlier this year, City Manager Andy White estimated an average cost of about $55,000 per parking space for a garage.
Using that estimate, a 300-space structure could cost more than $16 million.
That's before getting into questions about where it would go, how it would be financed and whether a large parking structure fits the character residents want for downtown Powell.
So while a garage could potentially be part of Powell's future, city leaders have been exploring less expensive and more immediate options first.
Parking Sounds Boring Until You Don't Have It
Here's what I think gets overlooked in these conversations.
Parking isn't particularly exciting.
Nobody chooses where to live because they saw an amazing surface parking lot.
But inadequate parking can absolutely affect how people experience a community.
If going downtown feels difficult, people eventually stop going.
If customers can't park near businesses, businesses feel it.
If visitors worry about being towed, that's not exactly an invitation to stay longer.
And if Powell wants a more vibrant downtown with restaurants, shops, events and gathering spaces, people need a reasonably easy way to get there.
That's why these 50 spaces matter.
This Is Really an Economic Development Story
Parking is infrastructure.
But downtown parking is also an economic development tool.
Think about what local businesses need.
Customers.
Restaurants need people filling tables.
Retailers need shoppers walking through their doors.
Service businesses need clients.
Events need visitors.
And all of those people have to get there somehow.
The city described the agreement as a public-private partnership intended to grow Powell's downtown parking network and make it more convenient for residents and visitors to access local businesses and destinations.
That's the bigger picture.
The goal isn't really 50 cars.
It's making downtown easier to use.
And This Connects to the Bigger Conversation About Downtown Powell
This story becomes even more interesting when you look at everything else happening in Powell right now.
The city is simultaneously discussing the future of Village Green, including potential changes involving retail, residential development, public spaces and possibly structured parking.
Those concepts are still being refined, and no final redevelopment plan has been approved.
Meanwhile, Powell is improving roads, reconsidering circulation and looking for additional parking.
These aren't completely separate conversations.
They're all part of the same larger question:
What should downtown Powell become as the community continues to grow?
That's the story I'm watching.
Why This Matters If You Live in Powell
When people think about quality of life, we tend to focus on the big things.
Schools.
Housing.
Taxes.
Safety.
Parks.
Those absolutely matter.
But the smaller pieces matter too.
Can you easily meet friends downtown for dinner?
Can you park for a community event?
Can you walk comfortably between businesses?
Are there gathering places?
Do local businesses thrive?
Does downtown feel inviting?
Those little experiences add up to how someone feels about living in a community.
And they also contribute to what makes one Central Ohio suburb feel different from another.
If You're Moving to Powell, Pay Attention to Downtown
This is something I tell people relocating to Central Ohio all the time:
Don't choose a community based solely on the house.
Spend time there.
If you're considering Powell, go downtown.
Park the car.
Walk around.
Eat at a local restaurant.
Visit the shops.
Drive the neighborhoods.
Check out the parks.
See what a normal weekend feels like.
Because you're not simply buying bedrooms, bathrooms and square footage.
You're choosing the community around them.
And downtown Powell is clearly in a period of change.
That doesn't automatically make the changes good or bad.
It means they're worth understanding.
Frequently Asked Questions About Powell's New Downtown Parking
How many new public parking spaces are coming to downtown Powell?
Approximately 50 public spaces are expected to be created at 59 E. Olentangy Street.
Where will the new parking lot be?
The new public lot will be at 59 E. Olentangy Street, near Local Roots and the current Stogies Cigar Lounge location.
When will the parking spaces open?
City Manager Andy White said the lot could potentially open this fall, assuming the necessary demolition receives approval and work proceeds as anticipated.
Is the new parking permanent?
No. The agreement allows the city to use the property for public parking for four years.
How much is Powell paying?
The city will pay the property owner $115,000 annually for four years. Powell will also pay 50% of the construction work, up to $88,600, and handle plowing and salting of the public lot.
What happens to Local Roots parking?
Local Roots will gain additional private parking where the current Stogies building stands after that structure is demolished. Its private lot will be separated from the new public lot with a barrier and signage.
Where is Stogies moving?
Stogies Cigar Lounge is moving from 55 E. Olentangy Street to 94 W. Olentangy Street.
Is Powell planning more public parking?
Yes. The Scioto Street Extension project is expected to add approximately 130 public parking spaces, while additional spaces are also anticipated through the North Depot Street reconstruction.
The Bottom Line
Fifty parking spaces probably aren't going to transform Powell overnight.
But they solve a very real problem.
They make it clearer where visitors can park.
They protect parking for Local Roots customers.
They give people easier access to downtown businesses.
And most importantly, they're part of a larger plan rather than being presented as the permanent answer.
That's what I find most interesting.
Powell is growing.
Downtown is changing.
Village Green is being reconsidered.
Infrastructure is being improved.
Businesses are opening, moving and adapting.
And now the city is trying to make it easier for people to actually get downtown and stay awhile.
So the next time you head into Powell for dinner and find a parking space without circling the block three times, this might be one local government decision you're genuinely happy about.
Because sometimes living well in Central Ohio comes down to something very simple:
Being able to park the car, get out and enjoy the community around you.
SOURCE
This article was inspired by reporting from Taylor Henninger for Delaware Source, published September 2, 2026. Additional details were verified through the City of Powell's September 4 announcement about the parking agreement and its information on downtown infrastructure projects.
