The city of Xenia is contributing $1 million toward the effort.
STAY CONNECTED: Greene County News on Facebook
Xenia Spokesman Lee Warren said the REACH Center — Recreation, Education, Activity, Community and Health Center — is “a major game-changer for Xenia and the surrounding community.”
“By offering health, education, physical fitness, and senior services under one roof, we will be able to better serve a large and growing population from a new centralized campus that will lend itself well to continued development in Xenia, while further showcasing that Xenia is a safe, attractive and affordable place to live, work and raise a family,” Warren said. “The city is grateful to all the partners in the REACH project who not only had a vision for our community, but who worked tirelessly on making the center a reality.”
The center is planned as a 75,200-square-foot facility that will serve as the new home for the YMCA in Xenia, featuring regulation-size and warm-water therapy pools, as well as providing expanded social services and activities for senior citizens.
RELATED
This Xenia project is now $225K closer to happening
The first phase of the project is to be open by early 2019 and is projected to cost $11.3 million, according to Dale Brunner, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Dayton.
The groundbreaking on this project is an “incredibly important day for Greene County,” Brunner said.
“The REACH Center will be a one-stop-shop for people to improve their health, train for jobs in the healthcare field and help a growing population of seniors live full and healthy lives,” Brunner said.
Clark State will use 4,500 square feet in the new building for classrooms, laboratories and offices, giving students certificate and associate’s degree programs.
Theresa Felder, vice president of student affairs and Greene Center operations for Clark State, said the goal is to “help develop the workforce in Greene County to help fill jobs in the county and surrounding areas.”
“We would like to grow the campus to offer an increasing number of academic programs and services to continue to meet the needs of students,” Felder said. “We will also continue to grow our transfer opportunities to area four-year institutions, like Central State, who will share the educational space with Clark State in the REACH Center.”
Central State University will also provide academic offerings at the facility, and Kettering Health Network, which owns the property, is expected to build a healthcare facility at the site.
About the Author