🏙️ Hilliard transforms from train stop to thriving destination city. The Columbus suburb of 38,000 residents has strategically evolved with diverse housing options, business-friendly initiatives, and unique attractions. City officials are updating zoning codes to accommodate "missing middle" housing while fostering entrepreneurship through programs like Hilliard City Lab and a 30-mile municipal fiber optic network. Visitors enjoy distinctive local businesses, an extensive parks system, and community events like Freedom Fest, while residents anticipate The Well - a 111,000-square-foot community center developed with Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
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🏊 Hilliard's massive new wellness hub opens in 2025. The Well Hilliard Recreation & Wellness Center will feature a 111,000-square-foot campus with gyms, pools, fitness studios, and athletic fields. Nearly 25,000 square feet will house an integrated medical center managed by Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, offering rehabilitation, urgent care, and mental health services. The $288/year facility (for residents) aims to serve all community needs, including accommodations for the area's Muslim population. Financed partly by a voter-approved tax increase, it represents a major upgrade from the city's nearly 50-year-old community center.
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🏠 Franklin County homelessness hits record high with 7.4% increase. The Community Shelter Board's annual Point-in-Time count found 2,556 homeless individuals in January 2025, continuing a troubling trend that began with a 22% spike in 2022. While unsheltered homelessness decreased by 11%, the number of single adults rose by 14% and unaccompanied youth jumped by 31%. Officials attribute the crisis to insufficient housing construction and high eviction rates, with Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin calling for sustainable funding as pandemic relief funds run dry. Community leaders are advocating for regional collaboration and a $500 million affordable housing bond on November's ballot.
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Budget fixer with untapped potential: This no-frills $44,900 fixer-upper features gas heat and wood floors, but needs significant work including kitchen updates, bathroom renovations, and TLC throughout. The unfinished basement offers potential, though there's no garage.
Auction Marion fixer-upper investment: This Marion home listed at $50,000 is available only through an online auction ending May 21, 2025, with open houses May 11th and 18th. The partially renovated 3-bed property offers investment potential.
Modern retreat great investment opportunity: This $350,000 soft-contemporary home offers a vaulted great room with gas fireplace, four bedrooms across two floors, and recent updates including a new roof, HVAC, and water heater on a peaceful cul-de-sac lot.