When builder Bernee Sanchez looked at the 840-square-foot, unfinished brick ranch off Upper Arlington's Asbury Drive, he saw potential.
For him, the humble home reeked of character and represented an opportunity that might never arise again to build a house in a neighborhood whose properties he'd long admired.
When real estate agent Simone Sanchez looked at the long-vacant, nearly 80-year-old property, well, she wasn't quite sure what she saw.
"I remember the day we discovered this property, and even just from an agent perspective, Bernee was so excited about this lot, this tiny brick house and this garage," she said. "I'm just like, 'OK, I'm not sure if I see the same thing you're seeing.'"
Less than two years later, and the ambitions of her husband
– always the visionary, she added fondly – have come to life. Transformed from the unsightly dwelling neighbors once knew it as, the home at 3151 Asbury Drive now spans over 5,400 square feet with six bedrooms, five bathrooms and a grand, almost regal quality that Bernee Sanchez said reflects its modern French Tudor design.
The husband-and-wife, builder-and-Realtor duo – Bernee with B&B Builds and Simone with Douglas & Associates Realty – recently listed their passion project, now on the market for $2.7 million.
"[Upper Arlington] is very landlocked, so it gets very expensive to be able to build a home," Bernee Sanchez said. "We knew this was a privilege to be able to do something like this, and we tried to make the best use of it and fill a place where we could treat as many people as possible."
The couple worked with the city of Upper Arlington throughout the design process, quickly learning the home had established quite the local reputation. Neighbors told the Sanchezes the property had sat unoccupied for at least 15 years, and many throughout the city referred to it as "somewhat of a public nuisance," Bernee added.
With the property among the first homes greeting drivers as they turn onto Asbury Drive from Zollinger Road, Bernee Sanchez said he wanted it to set the tone for the neighborhood beyond.
It was an added bonus, he said, that by avoiding demolition and instead building upon the structure that was already there, he could avoid modern setback restrictions. But given the home's decades-long lifespan, his intent was always to keep the original structure in tact.
"I just thought, people have been driving past this place for so long, they know it was here," he said. "It was funny, because everybody when I would tell them, 'We're building a house over there,' they'd be like, 'Oh, the little brick house on the corner!' And now it's like that little brick house on the corner is still there."
After an initial design that the city suggested was too modern, Bernee Sanchez went back to the drawing board and tried to incorporate more brick, stone and stucco elements he'd seen in other nearby homes. Once approved, the Sanchezes began and wrapped construction in 11 months.
"We had over 200 people touch this home," Bernee Sanchez said. "I will say, [Upper Arlington] does not allow you to work on Sundays, but there were very few days that we did not work on this home."
Today, the house stands prominently with its steeply pitched, asymmetrical rooflines, mixed-material facade, copper downspouts and a massive entryway arch framing the front door, which measures 9.5 feet tall and 8 feet wide. On the inside, the home balances modern features like 10-foot-tall windows and a marble floor-to-ceiling fireplace with traditional components like crown molding and herringbone floors.
The goal was always to build a multi-generational home that a larger family could live in for decades, Bernee Sanchez added, which drove his decision to create a first-floor primary bedroom and incorporate other wheelchair-accessible features for elderly family members or those with disabilities.
The home's new-and-improved basement is a 2,000-square-foot split-level with two bedrooms, a glass-enclosed gym, entertainment space and brick wine cellar reminiscent of the original house's structure.
The Sanchezes hope to continue taking on new construction projects in Upper Arlington, guided by a philosophy that prioritizes preservation over demolition. But for now, they'll close the chapter on a project Bernee Sanchez believes may have been waiting for them all along.
"Sometimes I'm like, 'Well, God, was this meant for me? You were saving this house for a long time,'" he said with a laugh. "It's one of those things where I just knew that we had a good opportunity, and we wanted to make the best of it."
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com or @emma_wozniak_ on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Upper Arlington ‘public nuisance’ transformed into $2.7M luxury estate
