Commerce and Homes
COMMERCE
Union County has over 1,000 businesses which provide services and products to residents and visitors. The quaint downtown (called Uptown in Marysville and Plain City), areas of Marysville, Richwood, Plain City and Milford Center offer numerous retail and specialty shops, professional and government offices, and are the centers of commerce in the county. The Marysville, Plain City and Richwood leaders have stepped up their focus on revitalizing the downtown areas based on strategies from Heritage Ohio and Downtown Ohio Inc.
In 2000, over $1,500,000 was invested in the Marysville Uptown area infrastructure which included new sidewalks with brick borders and crosswalks, street lights and banners, traffic signals, benches, and flower pots. Over the past two years, over $1,000,000 in private sector investment has also occurred in the Uptown area. The Uptown area provides a wide venue of uses including specialty shops, retail, restaurants, offices, theatre, and various dance and karate schools. Additionally, the historic Union County Courthouse, Union County Administrative Offices, and Marysville City Hall are each located adjacent to the uptown square.
Marysville presently has six shopping center areas which include: Eastpointe Plaza and Coleman’s Crossing near Delaware Avenue and US 33 on the east side; Stocksdale Center on Milford Avenue in the southern section; Marysville Center on West Fifth Street; City Gate (opening 2007) located on Delaware Avenue near US 33; and, Mill Valley Plaza (opening 2007) on SR 31 on the north side of town. New commercial developments primarily in Coleman’s Crossing and City Gate have or will bring the following businesses to Union County:
- Walmart Super Center
- Home Depot
- Honda Marysville
- Honda Motorsports
- Applebees
- Quiznos
- Starbucks
- Fashion Bug
- Maurices
- Best Buy (2007)
- White Castle (2007)
- Walgreens (2007)
- Bob Evans (2007)
- Delaware County Bank (2007)
- Office Max (2007)
- McDonalds Mill Valley
With the continued residential growth in Union County, the county is poised for new commercial developments primarily along the US 33 Corridor.
The Richwood downtown area serves the agricultural community that is predominate in the northern region of the county. A number of businesses are located in the area including retail establishments, offices, and restaurants. More recently, downtown Richwood saw the expansion of the Richwood Banking Company and a new Subway franchise. Just to the east of downtown, Family Dollar opened its newest store in Richwood in 2006. The architecturally significant opera house located near downtown, which was constructed in 1892, provides the clock that always strikes “hospitality.”
The Plain City downtown area also provides various retail and office establishments that support the residents and the agricultural community. The historic clock tower and Citizens Bank both provide distinct architecture in the downtown. New commercial developments, specifically Lovejoy Plaza, have occurred south of the downtown area around the Der Dutchman and Dutch Kitchen restaurants, which are well-known tourist attractions and receive visitors from all over the Midwest. A new commercial/office development will open in 2007 which will include a new Champaign Bank and Plain City Druggist.
Union County also boasts a number of hotels that include Hampton Inn (78 rooms), AmeriHost Inn (77 rooms), the Super 8 Marysville (70 rooms), and the Holiday Inn Express (71 rooms) in Marysville and the American Inn (28 rooms) in New California.
HOMES
Union County has an established housing base that includes a number of homes built in the 1800’s and early 1900’s primarily in the downtown areas of Marysville, Plain City, Richwood, and Milford Center and on the farms located throughout the county. New developments built over the last ten years offer numerous residential lots and homes mostly in Marysville, Plain City, Mildord Center, Darby Township, and Jerome Township. With the average new home price around $150,000, living in Union County is affordable. Whether you want to live in a community close to modern conveniences, in the country with room to roam, or somewhere in between, Union County offers something for everyone.
Marysville is well known for its narrow tree-lined streets both in the commercial and residential areas and has been dubbed “the shaded community.” Historic and established homes are conveniently located near the Uptown area, which boasts various retail and specialty shops, restaurants, and professional and government offices. Over the last ten years, Marysville has experienced a large amount of residential growth including the Adena Pointe, Ashton Meadows, Green Pastures, Greenwood Colony, Gulberry Meadows, Hickory Run, Keystone Crossing, The Legends, The Links, Mill Valley, Milford Estates, Milford View, Northwoods, The Oaks, Scott Farms, The Legends, Timberview, Village of Timber Lakes, Walker Meadows, the Woods at Mill Valley, and the Woods at Quail Hollow developments. New multi-family developments include Watkins Glen, The Links Apartments, and Bridgewater Apartments.
Richwood, Plain City, and Milford Center offer more historic homes, some of Victorian architecture and located near the downtown areas. Plain City has recently experienced residential developments including Carriage Estates, Copperfield, Country Place, Darby Estates, The Meadows, and Plain City Commons. Jerome Township has seen the development of California Woods, Taylor Fields, and the Woods at Labrador areas while Darby Township has seen Autumn Ridge and Pleasantview. A new residential golf community called Tartan Fields offers high-end homes in Jerome Township while Jerome Village, a 2,200 unit planned community will begin construction in 2007. Autumn Ridge, California Woods, Green Pastures, Woods at Mill Valley, Woods at Labrador, and Walker Meadows offer higher-end housing opportunities.
There are also various farms and homesteads located throughout the county that are situated on rolling hills in the southeastern and eastern regions of the county and the gently rolling land in the northern or western regions.