How Franklin County’s 3rd biggest home may never become a home at all

In one of the most premier neighborhoods in one of Columbus’ most thriving cities sits one of Franklin County’s biggest homes.

If only it could get finished.

The Dispatch reports the home at 410 Tucker Drive is fully framed and bricked but the absence of roof, construction pallets, and bare wood studs propping up an entry portico paint a clear and unfinished picture.

What went wrong?

Aaron Bakhshi, president of Burke Products in Xenia, and his wife expressed their interest in the wooded property to Rodney Arcaro, a partner in the Granville homebuilding firm Arcaro & LaRussa Co., back in June 2015.

They paid $547,500 for a 2,700-square-foot ranch on a 1.7-acre lot in Medick Estates.

Despite uproar from neighbors about clear-cutting, Bakhshi demolished the existing property and uprooted mature sycamore, beech, walnut and oak trees on the property.

The couple forged ahead with plans for their 21,276-square-foot, three-story, six-bedroom home—smaller than only two homes in Franklin County: Leslie and Abigail Wexner’s New Albany home and a mansion on Dublin Road.

The problems began when the Bakhshis and the builder, Arcaro & LaRussa, began hashing out the terms of their “agreement.”

The Bakhshis legal representation told The Dispatch that there was no written agreement between the two parties.

Arcaro & LaRussa’s attorneys starkly disagree, saying there was a signed contract to build the home for $4 million.

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When the project cost overshot what the contractor priced out, the Bakhshis called for an abrupt stop to construction in the spring of 2017.

In court documents, Bakhshi said he had spent $2,309,262 when work stopped.

Arcaro & LaRusso, however, claimed Bakhshi had paid the builder only $898,595 and still owed $1,226,404.

Despite the problems, Arcaro & LaRussa successfully requested a one-year extension to the building permit and the Bakhshis doubled their line of credit.

That was in September 2017. The Dispatch reports no meaningful work has been done since then and the two parties have began arbitration to settle the dispute.

Neighbors and the City of Worthington are left feeling sad about the unfinished home and disgruntled by the curiosity-seekers who come to check out the unfinished mansion and leave behind beer cans.

What do you think will become of the 410 Tucker Drive property?

Read the full story at The Dispatch. 

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