Mix & match
Orange Township development featuring housing, retail, office space moves forward
Delaware County has approved a nearly 300-acre development in Orange Township that will continue the trend of mixed-use projects in place of traditional single-family housing.
The development, called the Kerbler Project in honor of the landowner, is expected to include singlefamily homes and about 300 condominiums and apartments, a senior-care facility, retail space, offices and “light industrial” buildings just east of US-23 straddling the north and south sides of Home Road. Schottenstein Real Estate Group is developing the housing portion, called Orange Grand Communities.
The Delaware County commissioners approved a development agreement late last week with Schottenstein and the Kerbler family.
On Monday, the project received zoning approval from Orange Township.
As part of the deal, the developers will help finance a long-discussed extension of Home Road east of US-23. The project also will require extensions to Green Meadows Drive and Graphics Way, where Mount Carmel Lewis Center is located.
The project is in the Olentangy school district, which has been growing at a breakneck pace. Delaware County economic development director Bob Lamb said in a statement that the mixeduse nature of the project will lessen demands on schools.
“The Kerbler property was previously viewed as a potential site for only single-family homes,” Lamb said. “This project brings office, retail and industrial uses to the community, thereby diminishing the potential
demands placed on the Olentangy school district.”
A spokeswoman for the county said apartments in two-story buildings are expected to rent between $1,000 and $1,800 a month. Ranch-style senior housing units (one resident must be over 55) will rent for about $2,200.
A tax-increment financing district has been created to aid the project. It is projected to generate $36.7 million to support infrastructure improvements and go toward local schools.
Don Hunter, senior vice president of Schottenstein Real Estate Group, praised the “public-private partnership” with the county, township and school district that made the project possible. The company declined further comment.
The Kerbler Project continues the rapid development of the Lewis Center area. To the north, work is well underway on the 1,250-acre Evans Farm mixed-use development.