“You probably won’t find a school district around that has done as many capital projects as we’ve done in the last six years,” Lofton said.
Those projects include the Benner Field House in 2019, renovating its Bob Hope Auditorium in 2021, and plans to construct a Board of Education office, in addition to the Middle School and High School, funded in part through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.
The middle and high schools are the last of Xenia’s school buildings to be upgraded as part of a facilities plan first developed in 2008. Voters approved a first bond issue in 2009, leading to construction of five new elementary schools that opened in 2013.
Then after a few rejections at the ballot, Xenia voters passed another bond issue in 2021 to fund the local match for the newer projects. Last July, the district received nearly $38 million from the state to complete the new middle school and fund a major expansion for Xenia High School.
The $44.8 million construction cost of the middle school is split 54% to 46%, with Xenia taxpayers covering $24.2 million, and the state covering $20.6 million.
Additionally, Xenia is in the middle of redoing Doug Adams Stadium. Phase I of the project focused on replacing the grandstands, stadium lighting, electrical, and sound components. The cost of Phase I of the renovation was around $4 million.
Xenia completed this portion of Doug Adams stadium just in time for the fall 2023 football season, and for Xenia’s first game against Beavercreek.
“The energy around that completion of Phase I within the community was just so ... it still pervades today,” Lofton said. “That’s the place to be you want to be, at Doug Adams Stadium on Friday nights to watch Buccaneer football.”
In September, the Xenia Board of Education selected architect SHP and Petersen Construction for Phase 2 of the stadium renovation project, the same companies that are working on Warner Middle School.
Initial plans for Phase 2 include a field house with an enhanced training room, improved concessions, restrooms, a community room and additional parking, as well as three locker rooms: an 80-locker facility for football and lacrosse, and two 40-locker locker rooms, one for boys and one for girls. Each of these will be used seasonally for soccer and track, as well as for visiting teams during the football season, according to the district.
“First and foremost, it provides a 21st-century facility for our student-athletes,” Lofton said. “We believe that athletics are an integral part of educating children, along with the arts and along with their academics.”
Estimated costs are again around $4 million, per September estimates for the district, but final costs are yet to be determined, Lofton said.
The final designs and construction timeline for Phase 2 should be finalized in December, according to the district. The district hopes to start constructing Phase 2 in April of next year, with plans to be done in December 2024.
About the Author
