COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A shuttered hotel and waterpark in east Columbus is a step closer to being transformed into a mixed-use development with housing and community services under a new name: Hamilton Rising.
Drever Partners, a California-based real estate group, and WorldFire Church, a multi-campus congregation with Columbus and Lancaster locations, are advancing plans to redevelop the former Fort Rapids property at 4560 Hilton Corporate Drive. The partnership, operating as WorldFire Services, is now in search of additional investors and shared updated plans with NBC4 that reimagine the site as a residential and civic center.
The proposal includes converting the 12-story hotel tower into studio and one-bedroom apartments, while also restoring as many as 30 standalone villas on the 16-acre site. In total, Hamilton Rising will yield more than 300 residential units. The developers’ plans say reusing the existing structures is “faster, at lower cost and greener than new construction.” Watch a previous NBC4 report on the redevelopment of Fort Rapids in the video player above.
The project also includes plans to repurpose the 60,000-square-foot former waterpark into the WorldFire Civic Hub, a multi-use community center that would feature conference rooms and space for family services, athletics and wellness programs. The developers previously told NBC4 the proposal could feature a daycare and a drive-up food bank.
Josh Lawrence, senior lead pastor of WorldFire Church, said in a statement that the redevelopment represents more than just a construction project.
“We envision Fort Rapids as a hub where families can live, work, and gather, and as a model for how underutilized spaces can be transformed for the good of our city,” he said. “This project represents a major investment in the future of our city. It will generate jobs, create new housing opportunities, and attract both local families and regional visitors.”
“It’s about revitalization and building long-term economic momentum for the area,” Lawrence continued. “A project of this scale requires collaboration. We’re grateful for the opportunity to work alongside city leaders, investors, and community partners to ensure that this project reaches its full potential as a space that benefits Columbus.”
The site has remained vacant since 2016, when the city of Columbus shut down Fort Rapids over health and safety concerns. In the years that followed, bursting pipes caused water to gush from the upper floors, and sections of the building caught fire and burned.
Litigation played out as the property changed hands and deteriorated. In recent years, Drever Partners has worked through the court system to gain approval for the sale. Pending that court agreement, construction could begin in early 2026.
Plans describe Hamilton Rising as a transformation from a “fire-damaged liability to Columbus workforce asset,” with an emphasis on housing, civic engagement and economic renewal.
