The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority is moving roughly $125 million into four Grove City sites, cracking open its first development in the suburb and pledging hundreds of new and preserved affordable units in the area. CMHA cut the ribbon Monday on Cobblestone Manor, an 82‑unit senior community, and said it will lean on bond financing, property acquisitions and project‑based vouchers to get more deals done. City and agency leaders say the push is meant to help lower income and older residents stay put as Grove City keeps growing and prices follow suit.
Cobblestone Manor is a $28.6 million, 82‑unit apartment complex that will reserve about three quarters of its units for residents with incomes near $20,000 and the rest for households up to roughly $55,000, according to WOSU. The building comes with a fitness center, community room, library and a walking trail that officials say will connect residents to nearby services. Grove City Mayor Richard “Ike” Stage told reporters the city has a long history of backing affordable and public housing and called Cobblestone Manor an important option for older residents who want to age in place.
CMHA’s board has signed off on a package of investments that officials say will unlock roughly $120 million and more in preservation and new construction across the region, with several key pieces in Grove City, according to a CMHA release. The strategy includes acquiring Demorest Townhomes and 11 acres of adjacent land to build more than 100 additional townhomes, along with bond financing and project‑based voucher commitments intended to keep rents in check at existing properties. CMHA leaders say they are using the agency’s A rating and bonding authority to move quickly on deals that a typical private developer might skip.
What’s Planned In Grove City
Among the Grove City projects CMHA outlined is a more than 200 unit mixed use community near Mount Carmel Grove City Hospital, a townhome expansion at Demorest and other purchases that together add up to about $125 million, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The Dispatch reported that CMHA will look for retail and restaurant space on the ground floor of the mixed use project to create jobs and give residents nearby services, and that the agency may name one of the developments for long time board chairman James L. Ervin Jr. CMHA says timelines differ by site, but several of the Grove City projects are expected to break ground later this year or in 2026.
Why It Matters
CMHA points to data showing only 29 affordable units are available for every 100 extremely low income households and estimates roughly 54,000 Franklin County households pay more than half of their income toward housing, according to a CMHA release. The timing lines up with Columbus’ broader affordable housing push, including a mayoral proposal for a roughly $500 million bond to expand and preserve housing, according to the City of Columbus. Advocates argue that pairing preservation with new construction is the only realistic way to blunt rent spikes and keep workforce housing in suburbs like Grove City.
“Cobblestone Manor proves that CMHA is committed to more than simply putting a roof over people’s heads,” Board Chairman James L. Ervin Jr. said, underscoring the agency’s stated focus on services as well as units, according to WOSU. CMHA officials say residents will be prioritized for occupancy in the coming weeks and that the additional Grove City projects will advance on staggered timelines. City staff and developers plan to host public meetings as designs take shape and financing is nailed down, giving neighbors a closer look at how this big bet on Grove City housing will land.
