Hub District: City seeking input, interest in revitalizing area surrounding Xenia Station bike trail hub

The City of Xenia is seeking community and stakeholder input for a plan to revitalize the area surrounding the city’s iconic Xenia Station bike trail hub – an area being called the “Hub District.”

In connection with its citywide comprehensive plan update (called “neXtPlan”), Xenia is focusing attention on the Hub District and its redevelopment opportunities. Xenia Station is a hub of four regional bike trails and Xenia’s most popular park, with more than 60,000 annual visitors from the local community and from across the country. Situated on the southern edge of downtown, Xenia Station and its trails were formerly a rail hub surrounded by industrial businesses, both of which were abandoned. While the rails were converted to trails, the surrounding area remained underutilized. Xenia hopes to reinvent these properties and attract new recreational amenities, housing and businesses, while improving quality of life and opportunities for existing businesses and neighborhoods. This effort can leverage and complement the success of Xenia Station, other downtown revitalization projects such as the Xenia Market District, and increased interest in Xenia due to regional economic drivers like the nearby Honda-LG EV battery plant.

The nonprofit Congress for New Urbanism (CNU) has recognized this effort by selecting Xenia as one of its 2024 Legacy Projects, in connection with its May 2024 conference in Cincinnati. CNU is an advocate for walkable urbanism and provides resources, education, and technical assistance to reimagine spaces within communities to be connected, vibrant, and economically robust. CNU is partnering with Opticos Design, a national planning and design leader, to help the Xenia community develop a vision and actionable plan for the Hub District, at a deeply discounted cost.

The design team will visit Xenia for a three-day charrette – an intensive planning process that will involve residents, property owners, business owners, developers, builders, and public officials - from Tuesday, February 27 to Thursday, February 29 - in Xenia’s City Council Chambers at 107 East Main Street. Planners and designers will work throughout the day, meet with stakeholders, and host three public meetings. The schedule of public meetings is as follows:

 Tuesday, February 27, 5:00 – 6:30 PM: Opening presentation and community input activity

 Wednesday, February 28, 5:00 – 6:30 PM: Open house event, allowing members of the public to view work created thus far and provide feedback

 Thursday, February 29, 5:00 – 7:00 PM: Closing presentation of design and planning concepts

Xenia City Planner Brian Forschner said this historical area of the city has unrealized potential. “The Hub District is currently under-developed and under-utilized. We are very excited for the opportunity to collaborate with community stakeholders and designers to come up with a vision and direction to propel the neighborhood forward.”

The City of Xenia will be releasing more information about this initiative as it nears. Stay connected with updates by following the City on its social media pages and check out the project page at www.cityofxenia.org/969/Hub-District-Revitalization-Plan