Richmond is hoping that investing in the past will push it into the future. The city near the Ohio border has formed a new nonprofit company to revitalize and redevelop numerous historic neighborhoods.

Richmond Neighborhood Restoration Inc. aims to restore dozens of old, abandoned houses in the downtown area. However, RNR President Chad Stegner says there are hundreds of similar structures across Wayne County.

The Richmond native says the city has seen a significant decline in population and neighborhood vitality in the past decade. Even though the economy is improving, Stegner says they‘re still fighting to restore and revive historic neighborhoods that still have great, old houses.

He says the company is already working on its very first house. It was held by Wells Fargo through foreclosure and donated to RNR. Stegner has a background restoring and flipping houses and says he now wants to help the city and existing homeowners transform entire communities.