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S6:E2 - Downtown Redevelopment with Luke Henry


Downtowns don’t come back by accident. They come back because someone decides they should, and then acts on it. In this episode, Luke Henry shares how he helped catalyze downtown redevelopment in Marion, Ohio. It involves real financial risk, building an ecosystem of local businesses, and staying committed when the work got hard. 

It’s a real, honest look into the challenges and joys of community-led revitalization, because, like many things, it’s hard but worth it


About Luke:

Luke Henry grew up in Mount Gilead, Ohio and transplanted to Marion with his wife Lindsey in 2006 while completing his Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from Ohio Northern University. His entrepreneurial journey started with mowing lawns in Junior High to make money for his first car, then to pay his way through Pharmacy School. While in college, he bought his first rental property in Ada, Ohio at the age of 19.

From there, his passions have grown for both small business and real estate, building ProScape Lawn & Landscape Services over the last 25 years to nearly 100 employees and locations in Marion and Columbus, while also buying and rehabbing single family homes and small multi-family, before shifting focus in 2018 to his passionate work in downtown Marion. 

Since 2018, starting with the purchase of 8 buildings on a block of South Main Street that was 80% vacant at the time, he and his team at Henry Development Group have developed 20 historic buildings into a variety of mixed-uses, including restaurants, boutiques, entertainment and event venues, loft apartments, Airbnbs, and more. 

Luke is deeply involved in the community philanthropically as well, having supported and served as a board member for numerous nonprofit organizations. Luke and his wife Lindsey live near Waldo with their two children, Emerson and Olivia.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why downtown redevelopment is about ecosystems, not single buildings

  • What it really costs—financially and emotionally—to take on vacant properties

  • How to keep moving when skeptics and naysayers show up 

  • Why local lenders and relationships can make or break projects

  • How small, risky first steps can spark long-term community momentum


Links + Resources Mentioned:

Henry Development Group: www.henrydevelopmentgroup.com

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