BIA director plans for the future and Parade of Homes

Jon Melchi looks back at the year and gets ready for the next one

by

Planning out and overseeing the annual BIA Parade of Homes is – to the surprise of no one – a truly Herculean task.

But if the organizer goes into the planning knowing he or she faces a truly Herculean task, then planning out and overseeing the annual BIA Parade of Homes is … still an enormously difficult undertaking.

That’s just one of the valuable learning experiences Jon Melchi has had since taking over as executive director of the Building Industry Association of Central Ohio.

Melchi took the reins in December 2017, after seven years at Heating, Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International, taking over for Jim Hilz. Melchi was happy at HARDI, but the chance to lead the BIA was too great to pass up.

“A role like this doesn’t open up very often,” Melchi says.

Melchi was coming in at a pivotal time, too, as 2018 marked the 75th anniversary of the BIA, giving additional meaning to his long list of priorities as executive director.

“I kind of view myself as positioning us for the next 75 years,” he says.

Parade Preparation

One major goal looms large: the 2019 Parade of Homes, taking place at Evans Farm in Orange Township. It was important to Melchi that the Parade move back to the summer months after taking place in September the last few years; it’s now scheduled for July 13-28.

Evans Farm is central Ohio’s first community developed in the New Urbanism style, which emphasizes walkability and neighbor interaction. The houses will look totally different from those in previous years, Melchi says, but he’s sure the 12 builders on this year’s tour will go above and beyond, as they always do.

“The amount of detail that goes into these homes … is just something that dumbfounded me,” he says.

Melchi expects 2019 visitors to be blown away by the differences from the Parade’s norm and the quality of the individual homes, as all the builders work to outdo one another.

The 2018 Parade was an eye-opening experience for Melchi; he knew a lot of work went into it, but it was still a far bigger undertaking than he’d expected, though he heaps credit upon his team at the BIA for making the transition smooth.

He was impressed by high attendance for the 2018 Parade at Jerome Village’s Eversole Run, despite the event’s first day coinciding with the 2018 Buckeye football home opener and the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon sweeping through later.

“Despite all of the rain, we were able to execute, which is a credit to our staff and to Nationwide Reality Investors, which was the developer there,” says Melchi.

Top Priorities

Another important emphasis for Melchi: highlighting the work local builders do in the community, which extends far beyond constructing houses. From organizations that help those in need find housing to Big Brothers Big Sisters, builders are discovering ways to give back, and Melchi wants to make sure central Ohio residents know about it.

He’s also worked to promote efforts to streamline workforce development initiatives. Melchi mentions in particular employment programs, such as second-chance programs for people who’ve kicked substance abuse habits, as well as opportunities for new Americans.

Guiding the BIA’s work moving forward in 2019 is a comprehensive report on the local building industry released in mid-December. Significant among the report’s findings is a negative trend of under-building in the region.

“We think it’s going to be a major component of making people aware that housing … is a key factor in the economic development of our community,” says Melchi.

2019 Parade of Homes Builders

2019 Parade Information

  • July 13-28
  • Evans Farm, southern Delaware County
  • 2,182 single-family lots
  • 900 mixed-use, attached, multifamily units

Garth Bishop is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.