The property is just west of downtown Xenia, across Dayton Avenue from the school. It was once the site of Greene Park Plaza Shopping Center, but now contains only two buildings, a Dollar General and the home of Miami Valley Community Action Partnership.
Redevelopment of the site has been an “iterative process” for nearly 20 years, City Manager Brent Merriman told Xenia City Council on Aug. 10.
A previous plan to turn the property into a mixed-use development was approved in 2018, and would have included 50 townhome-style units and a 1.25-acre commercial lot east of Dollar General. However, that development failed to get necessary approval for low-income housing tax credits in order to finance the project, and never materialized, city documents show.
Visser’s plans would forego both the commercial area and housing tax credit, and increase the density by more than twice as many homes.
The $3.5 billion Honda/LG battery plant under construction 30 minutes east of Xenia in Fayette County is one of the factors exacerbating existing housing demand in the region. The plant, which would supply electric car batteries to Honda plants across North America, plans to create 2,200 jobs — as well as housing, educational, and recreational needs for as many workers.
The demand for housing means the city is both seeking to redevelop and revitalize current and historic Xenia neighborhoods, as well as facilitate new housing developments on the edge of the city.
Xenia City Council approved two versions of the development on Aug. 10, as the developers are in talks to do a “land swap” with Community Action Partnership to improve the organization’s parking access, and smooth the layout for the residential neighborhood. That deal has yet to be finalized.
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