A Loveland-based developer is bringing Clermont County's first build-to-rent community to Batavia Township, with plans for 150 townhomes spread across 29 acres. The project, called Townes of Thirty Two, marks a new chapter for a company that already has deep roots in the township's residential growth.
Schnicke Development Group is developing the community as its first build-to-rent project in Clermont County, according to WKRC. The company said it is responding to demand for more professionally managed rental housing, and national homebuilder D.R. Horton will construct the homes. Unlike traditional apartment complexes, build-to-rent communities are generally operated by a single owner or property management company, though the living experience is similar to that of an apartment complex, per the same report.
The Townes of Thirty Two development adds to an already-busy portfolio for Schnicke Development Group in Batavia Township. The Schnicke Development Group is also behind the 18-acre Olivewood Park patio home project and the 38-acre Meadowview single-family community in the township. The company was formed through a partnership between Mark Schnicke and David Brooks in 2000, and it has worked with D.R. Horton on multiple single-family and townhome developments across Southwest Ohio, including in Monroe and Butler County.
A County Breaking Its Own Growth Records
The build-to-rent announcement lands as Clermont County notches its third consecutive record-breaking year for development. The county issued a record 6,156 total building permits in 2025, with nearly 4,000 of those tied to residential construction, and Batavia Township has been identified as one of the primary residential growth centers driving that surge, according to Clermont County.
That construction boom tracks with steady population gains across the county. Clermont County's population reached an estimated 216,977 residents in 2025 and is projected to climb to 219,640 in 2026, growing at more than 1.2% annually, largely due to residents moving in from other states, per USAFacts. The county's population has increased every year since 2000.
Jobs Growth Adds Fuel to Housing Demand
New employers are also reshaping the local economic picture. Canadian rice processing firm Les Aliments Dainty Foods Inc. acquired a facility on Curliss Lane in early 2026, with plans for a $150 million total investment and 240 new jobs, according to the same county announcement. The plant will serve as the company's first U.S. rice processing subsidiary, adding a new employment anchor near the township's growing residential footprint.
Nationally, the build-to-rent model that Schnicke Development Group is now bringing to Batavia Township has been surging for years. The sector reached an all-time record in 2023 and 2024, with 39,000 single-family and townhome rental completions marking a 15.5% annual increase, according to Point2Homes, which noted that more than 109,000 build-to-rent homes were under development nationwide at the time. Industry analysts point to homeownership affordability barriers as a key driver, with U.S. median monthly homeowner mortgage costs rising to $2,035 in 2024, according to REBusinessOnline. That outlet notes build-to-rent communities tend to see lower resident turnover and higher rent growth than traditional apartments, appealing especially to millennial and Gen Z renters who want single-family living without the overhead of homeownership.
Zoning Debates Shadow the Township's Growth
The pace of new housing hasn't come without friction. Batavia Township officials faced public debate in late 2025 over higher-density residential developments, with trustees approving major housing plans under planned unit development zoning designations, as reported by Local 12. Zoning decisions in the township have previously drawn resident engagement over concerns about preserving rural land.
In response to that growth pressure, Batavia Township staff and its Growth Policy Plan Committee launched a formal update to the township's Growth Policy Plan in 2026, gathering resident survey feedback on future land use, housing density, and municipal services, according to Batavia Township. The plan is meant to serve as a blueprint for evaluating future zoning decisions as projects like Townes of Thirty Two move forward. The township currently operates 11 distinct zoning districts under its zoning resolution.
Batavia Township is also making other administrative changes this year, including awarding a new waste and recycling contract to Rumpke Services aimed at lowering resident costs beginning in November, and launching YouTube live-streaming of trustee meetings starting in September. Those changes, paired with the ongoing Growth Policy Plan update, suggest township leaders are trying to keep pace administratively as development accelerates around them.
