In Upper Arlington, Ohio there are so many fabulous historic buildings to maintain. This falls under the remit of the Historic Preservation Task Force.

A 22 member strong group of local residents who seek to restore and preserve the architecture of Upper Arlingtons historic buildings.

The latest update is that there are proposals to amend Ordinance 7.18 to delay the demolition of historic structures by 180 days. This will give the developer and the neighborhood time to assess what damage may be done by demolishing the building.

The proposed delay rather than stop demolition entirely is a compromise and many are hoping that it will pass in the councils review of the ordinance for the third time on November 24th.

The proposal is all part of sustainable development as well as careful town planning where building being constructed and demolished are reviewed carefully.

With such a wonderful historic district it is no wonder that people are flocking to Upper Arlington to live.

If you are looking at purchasing a property in Upper Arlington Ohio or the surrounding Metropolitan Columbus area then please contact The Raines Group for professional Real Estate advice in the region. You can contact them via their online form on their website or by calling: 614-418-7417

The participants in the Worthington Home BASE program, which was suspended this year, built an ultra green home at 258 N. 21st St. in Columbus for about $200,000, including the cost of the lot! What a bargain!

The program teaches people basic skills and this latest project is the 10th home built in 10 years! This latest project,  included a partnership with the Columbus Green Building Forum and the Columbus Housing Partnership. The house, built by high school students is up for an award from the Columbus Landmark Foundation as the property is so energy efficient, sustainable and green. The home became LEED Certified even before it was complete!

The property was recently featured in the Green Energy Ohio Magazine and with using building materials that can be recycled when their useful life is over - including a roof that will last 80 years, and solar power, it really is a great engineering feat! 

If you are looking at purchasing a property in Worthington Ohio or the surrounding Metropolitan Columbus area then please contact The Raines Group for professional Real Estate advice in the region. You can contact them via their online form on their website or by calling: 614-418-7417

 No matter what side of the spectrum/political scene you are on. Media predictions are right, this election campaign has become one for the history books!

With the roll our of polling booths across the state for early voting and people turning out in their thousands to cast their vote it is no wonder that tensions are heating up!

In Franklin County the early voting stands at Veterans memorial were overrun, in the last month 41,000 people have voted there and Democrats are calling for the booths to be open longer. Wait times at some points were 2.5 hours!

Proposals to extend the hours did fall down, but with such a high turnout of people wanting to cast their vote many are just getting in line and waiting! With both Candidates in the area as well it has created a flurry of political activity as they finish up the final run of the campaign trail.

 What is for sure is that this election and its local political activity will go down in the history books!

If you are thinking about purchasing a home in Franklin County or in any of the central Ohio villages that surround and make up the Columbus Metropolitan area then contact The Raines Group for professional Real Estate advice in the region.

The New Albany Village Council approved abatements for new companies who want to open a research and district in the business park.

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and PharmaForce will spearhead the new district in the ever expanding business community in New Albany.

Nationwide employing 40 people with a payroll of some $2.4 million will generate around $350,000 in taxes and was given a 15 year 65% abatement (tax holiday).  The building which Nationwide would operate out of of is to be around 120,000 square feet and could appraise for around $36 million.

The local council and residents are naturally proud to have a prestigious company such as Nationwide set up shop in the village. PharmaForce was equally exciting, with a 10 year 100% abatement and new corporate offices employing 200!

Definately exciting times for the village. What is for sure is that the local economy is still growing at a fantastic rate!

If you are thinking about relocating to booming New Albany and the surrounding Central Ohio Columbus Metro area then please contact The Raines Group as soon as possible for professional real estate advice in the region.

 Last week the Ohio Department of Development handed out 48 tax credits last week for the redevelopment of Historic buildings.

Historic Preservation Tax Credits, worth $77 million, are designed to spur investment in old Ohio properties that need some help. This is such great news! Currently there are five projects in Central Ohio on the list. The program is a legacy of former Ohio Govenor Bob Taft who designated $120 million to spend on restoring Historic buildings by way of a tax credit system to those who applied for funding.

This year again, $120 million was set aside however some money was distributed to those who did not receive any last year as the scheme proved so popular.

In Columbus, Fred Schwab, Developer received $650,000 to aid the restoration of 1910-1920 Marion County Telephone Co. building which last underwent renovations after World War II. Since then however, the phone company bricked over the windows and abandoned the building. A real shame. However Fred wants to restore it to its former glory and convert the building into affordable housing units.

The scheme is an excellent way for the region to help preserve and restore/regenerate its city centers which often contain historic building in need of some attention.

If you are thinking about purchasing a home in New Albany or any of the other surrounding Central Ohio Villages in the Columbus Metropolitan area then please contact The Raines Group for professional Real Estate advice in the region.

Home of Ohio Wesleyan University, a private independent liberal arts college, the city of Delaware Ohio is a community 24 miles north of Columbus.

It features a wonderous mix of housing and is a true community with its own identity amongst increasing urbanization in the area. Founded in 1808, it is the seat of Delaware county and before the spread of Columbus it was a spa town for wealthy Columbus residents looking to get away from it all for the weekend!

Downtown Delaware is historic and on a Saturday there is a top notch farmers market. The look and feel of the town has been preserved excellently, a credit to its inhabitants. However, when it comes to education, the local system is 21st century and offers a great standard of education to students.

 The architecture of downtown Delaware is really something, it really harks back to small town America and keeps a cute and quaint image. However during the construction boom of the 1990’s the county of Delware became one of the fastest growing in the country.

Delaware is a great place for families to live, work and play.

If you are looking at Real Estate in the City of Delaware Ohio or the surrounding communities in the Columbus Metropolitan area then please contact The Raines Group for professional Real Estate advice in the region.

Its coming! No, not the election! But the Columbus Bicentennial in 2012. Preparations are already underway for this historic city to celebrate its 200th birthday. The City itself has Mayor Mike Coleman spearheading the project in helping raise public awareness.

The process of preparation and public input started sometime before, back in 2007 the 2012 Think Tank undertook public surveys of what they wanted for Columbus by 2012. The 2012 Commission was set up to oversee the celebration and ensure that it is carried out to plan.

The campaign has 13 focus areas:

Arts & Culture
History & Bicentennial
Diverse People
Downtown Revitalization
Green Community
Growth Through Learning
Health & Human Services
Jobs & Technology
Image & Marketing
Neighborhoods & Life
Safety
Sports & Recreation
Moving People

For the celebrations themselves there will be historic re-enactments as well as ceremonies to honor local heroes. There is also an expansion of the Public Arts program and a downtown revitalization scheme which aims to have Columbus host more cultural events!

Columbus is such a vibrant city. With a stable local economy on the grow and a great selection of housing available in the suburban villages it is no wonder that so many people are looking at relocating to the area.

If you are thinking about relocating to the central Ohio region and purchasing a property in Columbus or the surrounding Metro Columbus area in villages such as Gahanna and Blacklick or even New Albany then The Raines Group is here to assist you in your Real Estate needs, contact us today!.

Fairfield County has decided to award a one time grant of $5,000.00 to the Pickerington Senior Center! Exciting! The center Board of Trustees President is delighted with the cash and said that it will go towards operating the center and tiding it over until the end of the financial year.

The board of trustees for the center is urging voters to approve a measure november 4th which would put a 0.2 mill levy for the next five years to help support the center going forward. This vital resource is available for local seniors and is a great place for them to socialize and get assistance when they need it. 

The levy, if passed would generate around $185,000 in revenue for the center and this should allow for the center to undertake renovations over the next five years including a new parking lot and increase its hours of operation.

The center is largely self sufficient and has around 750 active members across the area. Residents will have to wait to see the results after November 4th if the levy is passed!

If you are looking at property in Pickerington or the surrounding Central Ohio communities and wish to relocate to the area then please contact The Raines Group for professional real estate advice in the region.

The City of Pickerington Ohio may get a new retail outlet on Routes 256-204.

Despite the sluggish national economy the local economy remains strong and the developer, Anchor Co’s expects that there should be no real delay due to the economy. The planned center is a 16,000 square foot strip, a 4,500 square foot restaurant and a 8,100 square foot gas station all across 8.5 acres.

The City council looks set to approve the plans and it is said that the zoning for the site is already correct for the plans.  Definately an important development in an area which like most of Central Ohio is on the grow. The Developer says that they are working on getting contracts for the Units and that, despite being no date for breaking ground, they are hoping to be ready to roll out as soon as possible after approval is given.

Definately something to keep an eye on in the coming months.

If you are interested in purchasing a home in Pickerington or the surrounding communities in the Central Ohio region then please contact The Raines Group for professional Real Estate advice.

Thie Clintonville Arts Guild’s flagship event is coming in November. The annual Holiday Arts and Craft Show is being held at the Whetstone Community Center on 4 to 7 p.m. Nov. 6, noon to 7 p.m. Nov. 7 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 8 in the auditorium. Admission is free and 10% of the donations received will go to benefit the community center.

There will be 35 exhibitors selling wonderous arts and crafts including fiber arts and paintings, all of course handmade! This year there has been an increase in the number of small items for sale - great holiday or halloween gifts!

The Guild itself has held a Holiday showcase of sorts for the last 35 years and does not plan to stop anytime soon! Every year there is always a fresh infux of the new mixed with the old which always makes it interesting.

All of this shows the brilliant community spirit in the area and how willing local residents are to support local artists.

If you re interested in purchasing a home in Clintonville then please contact the local experts, The Raines Group for professional Real Estate advice in Clintonville and the surrounding Central Ohio region including the metro Columbus area.