Hilliard City Council voted 6-0 on Aug. 24 to approve a mixed-use development replacing the former Chase Bank in Old Hilliard.

The unanimous vote covers both the rezoning needed for the 23,000-square-foot project at Main and Norwich streets and a community reinvestment area (CRA) agreement that exempts the property from a portion of property taxes for the term of the deal. The specific length and percentage of the exemption have not been disclosed.

The approval clears the last regulatory step for the project at 4056 E. Main St., which will bring an Italian restaurant called Lira, apartments, offices and retail space to the corner. The developer targets early 2028 for completion.

As we reported Aug. 26, Lira is a joint venture between Westwood Collective and Around the Clock Hospitality, which owns The Clocktower Kitchen + Bar in Plain City. Benjamyn Greig, owner of The Clocktower, is the hospitality partner on the project.

Andy Warnock, founder and CEO of Westwood Collective, described Lira as "elevated dining" in the Hilliard Beacon's Aug. 26 coverage of the project. The restaurant's name nods to Italy's pre-Euro currency and to the building's banking past.

The development calls for renovating the former bank and constructing two new buildings on the parcel, totaling three structures. The new buildings will include a set-back third story designed to preserve Old Hilliard's streetscape. The site will have 39 on-site parking spaces, and the restaurant plans to offer off-site valet parking.

Warnock told the Beacon his team made a deliberate effort to keep the district's character intact. A decades-old burglar alarm mounted on the bank's exterior will stay in place.

"It's very exciting. I can't wait for it to get done," council member Andy Teater told the Beacon.

The city selected Westwood Collective after issuing requests for proposals to area developers, according to Angela Zody, downtown manager for the city of Hilliard. The Columbus Dispatch also reported the council's approval on Aug. 24.

When the city announced the development agreement in June, Warnock said it was "especially meaningful to invest in the community my family calls home."

No groundbreaking date has been announced.