Three Gahanna Addresses Went Quiet This Summer. Here's Where Their Business Went.

Gahanna's water bills now go into a blue and gray drop box just left of the main entrance at 825 Tech Center Drive. The box at 200 S. Hamilton Road, where residents dropped payments for years, closed after September 10.

That box is a small example of a big change. This is Gahanna's first holiday season with City Hall, the Division of Police, Mayor's Court, Council Chambers and the Senior Center in one building. Paying a bill, sitting in on a budget hearing, picking up a Senior Center badge, or dropping off a bag for the clothing swap now all happen at the same address. The building is a former vacant office building that the city converted instead of building from scratch.

Three buildings, one front door

The move happened in stages over about three weeks in August. Here's where each service used to be and when it moved, based on the city's August 2026 newsletter.

The city held the official ribbon cutting and dedication on Tuesday, August 25. Getting there took longer than planned. The Columbus Dispatch reported in July that the $59 million civic center would finally open in August after another delay earlier in the year. The Dispatch's May 24 report blamed that spring delay on faulty electrical work.

Who uses the building now

Putting these services together affects more than a change of address. A person paying a water bill at the Customer Service desk may share the parking lot with someone heading to Mayor's Court. That's true for New Albany residents too, because the first sessions of both Gahanna Mayor's Court and New Albany Mayor's Court were held at the Civic Center on August 20. In-person water bill payments still go to the Customer Service desk, and the drop box by the entrance takes payments after hours.

Council Chambers is part of the same building and has a listed maximum occupancy of 170. That matters this season, because the meetings that set next year's budget are on its calendar.

The Senior Center's new route, and a free ride to it

The Senior Center serves adults 55 and older. Its offerings include coffee and social time, games and puzzles, arts and crafts, chair yoga, Zumba, Tai Chi, lunches, trips, speakers, workshops, music and special events. Before its first programs, it held open houses on August 26 through 28 so members could tour the new space and pick up new membership badges.

For members who used to drive to Rocky Fork Boulevard, the city launched a ride option in June. The Gohanna shuttle is free and ADA-accessible for eligible Gahanna residents who are 65 or older or have disabilities. Caregivers can ride along when space allows. It doesn't run a fixed route. Riders request a pickup spot, destination and time through the SHARE Mobility app or by phone. Service covers anywhere in Gahanna plus select nearby destinations, including Meijer and three New Albany medical facilities.

The shuttle runs Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It doesn't run on listed holidays, which include Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Those hours cover weekday visits to the Civic Center. They don't cover the city's big holiday event, which falls on a Sunday evening this year.

The Landing is still "coming soon"

The building's new event room is called The Landing at 825. As of this writing, the city's facility page still labels it "Event Space Coming Soon," with more information to come. Here is what the city has published so far:

• Capacity of 108 to 150 guests depending on setup, with 20 six-foot round tables and 150 chairs
• Banquet, cabaret and theater-style layouts, with theater seating capped at seven rows
• A kitchen limited to the refrigerator, freezer, microwave and counter space, with no food preparation or cooking
• No smoking and no alcohol
• Split-room capability listed as coming in July 2027

Anyone picturing a holiday party with a catered hot buffet and a bar should know the rules don't allow either. The room fits meetings, workshops and drop-off meals. Questions go to [email protected], the contact listed on the page.

November and December, in order

The calendar shows a pattern. The building handles the city's business, and the city's celebrations stay in their usual places. These are the dates through the end of the year, and the location of each one is worth checking before you head out.

1. Thursday, November 5: Last day to drop clothing donations for the Community Clothing Swap. The drop box is in the Civic Center parking lot.
2. Saturday, November 7, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Community Clothing Swap at the Civic Center. Shopping costs $5.
3. Wednesday, November 11, 11 a.m.: Veterans Day Ceremony, presented by the Gahanna Veterans Memorial Committee at Veterans Memorial Park, 73 W. Johnstown Road.
4. Monday, November 16, 7 p.m.: Budget public hearing at the Civic Center.
5. Sunday, November 22, 3 to 6:30 p.m.: Holiday Lights Celebration in the Creekside District. The free activities include a trackless train, a Giant Snow Globe, a petting zoo, a snow room, snow axe throwing and a silent disco. Santa arrives by 6 p.m. to light the tree and set off the fireworks.
6. Monday, November 23 through Monday, January 4: Holiday Lights Display at Creekside Park and Plaza. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
7. Monday, December 7, 7 p.m.: Second budget public hearing at the Civic Center, plus a City Council meeting in Council Chambers.
8. Saturday, December 12 and Saturday, December 19, 6 p.m.: Santa at The Log House, Gahanna Historical Settlement.
9. Monday, December 14, 7 p.m.: Committee of the Whole in Council Chambers.
10. Wednesday, December 16, 7 p.m.: Parks and Recreation Board meeting in Council Chambers.
11. Monday, December 21, 7 p.m.: City Council meeting in Council Chambers.

Every hearing and board meeting on that list is at Tech Center Drive. The tree lighting, the light display, the Veterans Day ceremony and Santa's visits are not. The Creekside display alone has more than 300,000 lights, according to Visit Gahanna. The Civic Center took over the city's offices, and the holiday traditions stayed where they were.

Parks investment didn't pause for the move either. In October, the city reported that construction was underway on a new playground at Ashburnham Park in the Villages of Gahanna neighborhood. It will be twice the size of the one it replaces, costs about $237,000, and is the fifth playground the city has rebuilt since 2020. Work was expected to finish by the end of October, weather permitting.

The buildings left behind

The move left three city addresses without their main use. 200 S. Hamilton Road still saw some activity this fall. The Fall Shred and E-Recycle event was scheduled there for October 17, with GRIN collecting food and toiletry donations on site. The former police headquarters at 460 Rocky Fork Boulevard and the former Senior Center at 480 Rocky Fork Boulevard no longer host their old services.

The Civic Center itself is a reused vacant office building. If the city decides anything about the buildings it moved out of, the Council Chambers meetings listed above are where that would be discussed in public.

Old buildings like these are where Bryce G Smith pays the closest attention. A construction management background makes it easier to judge how a building could be reused and what that might mean for the streets around it. If you own a home near Hamilton Road or Rocky Fork Boulevard and want a practical read on your property while these buildings wait for their next use, schedule a free consultation with Bryce.