Jerome Village — a 2,000-acre community in Plain City, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus — is a fast-growing neighborhood that has been rounding into place over the past decade. The development of the Jerome Village Market last year added a centerpiece to the area, providing amenities, jobs and a commercial hub for its residents.
The project was recognized as the Commercial Development of the Year in Columbus as part of the 2026 CoStar Impact Awards, which were judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market.
Jerome Village Market brought in a 123,000-square-foot Kroger Marketplace, the first new Kroger grocery store in central Ohio in 15 years. It also added an extra 20,000 square feet of retail space while building out the Kroger.
That move turned out to be a prudent gamble, as it was able to fit the spaces as leases were signed rather than having to wait to start construction.
By the time the Kroger opened, the adjacent retail center had already secured several key tenants, reaching about 90% occupancy within six months of the grocery store's opening.
About the project: Tenants in the Jerome Village Market include Chase Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Dublin Jerome Eyecare, Jerome Dental and Jersey Mike's.
What the judges said: "This project greatly assists in the eventual result of Marysville and Dublin becoming physically connected," said David Dean, senior brokerage administrator at Equity.
They made it happen: Brian Ellis, president of Nationwide Realty Investors, served as owner and developer of the development, and Steve Siegel, director at Newmark, served as the landlord representative.