Del Webb to build first Columbus-area retirement community in Jerome Township, Union County. The 712-home development on 356 acres near Routes 33/42 targets residents 55+. Township approved rezoning in Dec 2023. Buildout expected over 7-10 years. Project joins Amazon data centers, Kroger retail.
PulteGroup’s Del Webb brand plans to develop a 712-home active adult community on 356 acres in Jerome Township, Union County, marking the company’s first Del Webb-branded project in the Columbus metropolitan area. The development will occupy land near the intersection of U.S. Routes 33 and 42, a rapidly growing corridor experiencing significant commercial and residential expansion.
Jerome Township trustees granted rezoning approval in December 2023 for parcels totaling just over a third of a square mile. Township officials estimate the buildout timeline at seven to 10 years, reflecting the scale of the master-planned community designed for residents aged 55 and older.
Local school administrators in the Jonathan Alder district expressed support for the project, projecting approximately $1.4 million in annual property tax collections with minimal impact on student enrollment due to age-restricted housing policies. Union County’s economic development leadership characterized the project as part of broader regional growth patterns, noting recent investments including Amazon data center facilities valued at $800 million and retail development anchored by a Kroger Marketplace location.
Housing industry representatives noted that active adult communities serve dual market functions by providing age-appropriate housing options while potentially freeing existing homes for younger buyers in a constrained inventory environment.
Jerome Township’s proximity to multiple hospital systems in adjacent Dublin was cited as a strategic location factor. PulteGroup previously developed an active adult community in New Albany under its Pulte Homes brand but had not yet introduced the Del Webb name to central Ohio markets, according to building industry sources familiar with the Columbus Dispatch report.