In recent years, the facades of restaurants and stores in Oxford have been ever changing, but for Miami University students returning for the 2009-10 school year, Oxford's cityscape is more different than ever before.
Nearly six new storefronts will pave their way in the Mile Square by mid-fall, including a Japanese steakhouse, a health food restaurant and a sandwich shop, and existing shops, such as
Patterson's Cafe and Fiesta Salon, will take the places of empty storefronts.
New apartments have also been built just in time for students to move in at desirable locations such as the apartments at 1 W. High St., 25 W. High St., 1 W. Walnut St. and 107 E. Church St., where Church Street Station once was.
Alan Kyger, Oxford's director of economic development, coined Oxford's transformation as a process of "redevelopment."
With a running total of 17 store openings and expansions and 14 closings, sales and business relocations, Kyger said he likes to think of Oxford's redevelopment as the positive side to economic climate.
"Uptown (Oxford) is moving to a new phase which is more of an entertainment area and is catering more to students," Kyger said. "(We should) embrace that and encourage it ... uptown is transforming itself. It's not going to be the same that it used to be, but it's still strong and vibrant."
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