Hilliard, Grove City helping solve housing shortage in central Ohio ...Middle East

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Much of the growth conversation around central Ohio focuses on the north and northeast corridors of the city.

Licking County, home to the Intel plant, is experiencing rapid growth in the cities surrounding the plant. Delaware County remains Ohio's fastest growing county, with more than 17,000 residents moving there in the past four years, according to U.S. Census Data.

But in other parts of central Ohio, far from the Intel plant, growth is happening at a rapid rate. The city of Hilliard has added nearly 10,000 people over the past 15 years, giving the city more than 37,000 residents. The western part of the city is where a huge chunk of that growth is where land is more plentiful. "We're an outer ring suburb, so there's land for that development to occur." said Dan Ralley, Hilliard's assistant city manager. 

Ralley says the city's rapid development of its historic downtown area, with modern restaurants, breweries and wineries has made the city more attractive to buyers. "When you talk to people about why they make decisions about where they live, it's often the school district and then it is about the amenities that they see in the neighborhoods that they're looking at," Ralley said. 

A few miles from Hilliard, to the south on the Interstate-270 outer belt, you'll run into the suburb that sometimes feels a bit forgotten. "Grove City. Oh, you mean that place way out there? And I don't know how that perception originated," said Grove City Mayor Ike Stage.  

Grove City has gained nearly 18,000 residents over the past quarter century, leading to a new population of more than 44,000 people. 

"We're ten miles from the State Capitol building and we've got four freeway accesses, which most people don't understand," Stage said. "I look around at some of the things that go on north of I-70, for instance, broadband. We had to put our own broadband in... those kinds of things registered with you that, you know, maybe go see that stepchild down there. But quite frankly, we're one of the least expensive suburbs in Franklin County."

Both neighborhoods are bigger but pricier. According to Zillow, Hilliard's average home value is up 54% from five years ago. Grove City's average home price now tops $320,000. 

Hilliard is solving a housing shortage by updating zoning codes, allowing for more multi-family housing to be constructed in the city. In 2023, Hillard updated its community plan "Hilliard By Design" to account for a growing population and more housing. 

"What we're trying to do is to address that through flexibility in our zoning, to allow different types of housing, to really look at ways that we can incentivize different housing types and redevelopment in some of our older corridors and areas in the community as a way to allow more affordable housing to be constructed," said Ralley. 

Among the biggest projects underway in Hilliard right now is a major apartment and mixed-use development across the street from the headquarters of Advanced Drainage Systems, one of the largest companies based in central Ohio. 

Grove City leaders said they're as prepared to solve the area's housing shortage as any city in the region due to their diverse inventory of housing.

"We have a lot of entry level housing. We're probably one of the few communities in central Ohio that has a trailer park in our downtown, and I consider that part of the housing scenario as well," Stage said. "The other part is that when you go into the multifamily, the doubles that are being built, the townhouses that are being built. It gives you an incredible mixture of stock that's available at any type of way of life that somebody is experiencing."

The biggest example of housing development in Grove City remains at the site of the old Beulah Park horse racing track. That site is now home to a massive development with high-end homes, apartments, senior living and a public park.

Construction at the site is ongoing, and there's no shortage of people trying to make it their home. "That was an infill development on 200 some acres that was about to become blighted. And all of a sudden, we have a developer who had a great idea how you can mix housing, mix amenities, have an offering that is in our downtown," Stage said. "It was one of those things that probably a once in a lifetime opportunity where all, all of the things fell together."

Stage said the city is planning to further develop the land adjacent to I-71 in the southern part of the city, near the expanding medical and research campus. That expansion should include a new bridge over I-71 in the next three to five years.

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