City council will vote on the rezoning at its next meeting.
“Under this scenario, the city is getting assurances of better-than-typical design standards in exchange for an expedited review process,” city documents say.
Additionally, the new zoning “allows for the adoption of higher-quality design standards,” according to city documents, which was requested by developer Dillin LLC.
“It’s a higher standard of design compared to what we currently have in the city,” City Planner Brian Forschner told city council Thursday.
Normally, developments are approved as part of a two-step process, Forschner said. In Dillin’s case, the conceptual plan and final plan are rolled into one.
“It’ll allow for quicker, and also more predictable buildout of this process,” he said.
The allowed uses will largely be the same, city documents show, other than permitting townhomes in designated areas, and some office and service uses will only be permitted on upper floors.
Utility and street work is ongoing at the Market District site. The lion’s share of what local residents will see in the next 12 months is the restoration of the historical street grid, and the establishment of a small park at its center.
The $140 million Market District project aims to replace what is now Xenia Towne Square, a mostly vacant concrete slab stretching west from the intersection of Main Street and Detroit Street, into a walkable, vibrant city center with restaurants, retail, homes and more.
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