Anderson’s centrally located park and ride, a 5.6-acre site including the Anderson Center Station on Five Mile Road, could be changing to meet development demands.
Earlier this year, Anderson Township officials put out feelers to see who might be interested in redeveloping the highly visible site into a development that will retain the township’s park and ride facility, while adding something new. That new element to be added is what officials are calling a project they hope will bring “economic vitality” to that burgeoning area.
“We have witnessed an unparalleled level of private interest in development opportunities around the Beechmont and Five Mile intersection,” said Anderson Township Trustee President Josh Gerth. “We see the Anderson Center Station as an opportunity to both address this demand with a mixed-use development that capitalizes on its prime location along Five Mile in the center of our community.
The area’s influx of some $165 million in public and private investment in recent years has ushered in medical and professional offices, restaurants and health services and more into what had traditionally been a retail area. Within the last four years, key public infrastructure has been upgraded along Five Mile Road.
“Recent changes are instilling a long missing sense of vibrancy and economic vitality to this center of the community,” said Gerth. What has resulted is a “densification” of the area, a trend seen in other strong suburban markets across the country, he noted.
By working with METRO, Ohio Department of Transportation, and other agencies, township officials felt this avenue would be most effective to see what development proposals might arise.
The township’s initial Comprehensive Plan, prepared in 2005, and updated in 2011 and 2016, all tapped significant public ideas and advocated for additional development on and around the Anderson Towne Center site, the center of the community. This helped lay the foundation for much of the recent development that has occurred, noted Steve Sievers, the township assistant administrator for operations.
Even prior to construction of the current park and ride in 2005, township officials believed a parking structure or public-private mixed use of that site, incorporating park and ride spaces to meet project demand, would ultimately be a key puzzle piece to realizing a vision of a vital multi-faceted center of the community, Sievers added.
“With the development activity we are seeing in this area, the board feels the time is right to act now and test the waters and see what may be possible,” Gerth noted.
Four proposals were received in early April. Staff and the trustees are currently reviewing the submittals and determine the direction with the site. “Public comment and review of the opportunities will be a critical part to the next steps in this this process, in the coming months,” Sievers added.
To view the proposals that have been received, please click BELOW. Also, the RFP and related supporting materials, issued by the Township, may be found below.