Oxford City Council has altered a plan for a local Amtrak station. Originally, the station was to be located at the Nelson Morrow building, a Talawanda School District Property.
Instead of the planned indoor waiting area, on Feb. 6 council decided to move forward with a plan for an “art walk” sidewalk. The walk would feature a mural along the side of the Nelson Morrow building at 909 S. Main St., next to SDS Pizza.
Assistant City Manager Jessica Greene said the original plans were for both Miami University and the City of Oxford to pay $350,000 each to purchase the building. Since then, though, the asking price has risen and no agreement for a sale has been reached.
Officials said the sidewalk plan still needed to be negotiated, so the costs are yet to be determined.
Councilor David Prytherch said the project has already been 15 years in the making. Councilor Amber Franklin said she hoped the city’s action would keep Amtrak interested in the project.
“We need them more than they seem to need us,” Franklin said.
The train would be on Amtrak’s Cardinal line, running from New York City to Chicago. It has stops in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Indianapolis.
The station would reside alongside the Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA)transportation hub that is now under construction next to Chestnut Field.
Plans for the BCRTA facility include indoor bathrooms, bus repair bays and a café. Construction is expected to be completed in late 2025.
In other business, the council passed resolutions to:
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- Allocate $1 million from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to the Cottage Community project and Habitat for Humanity’s townhouse plans for West Chestnut Street.
- Allocate $300,000 from Oxford’s ARPA funds to Talawanda Oxford Pantry and Social Services. The money will go toward maintaining the cost of operations, such as design, permits, excavation, piping and stormwater management.
- Repave and repair sidewalks, curbs and gutters across Oxford was adopted. City Service Director Michael Dreisbach presented the resolution, projecting that it will cost over $800,000 to fix private properties and $655,000 to fix city streets and sidewalks.
- More than 200 properties were listed; property owners will have 30 days to fix affected areas before Oxford hires contractors. The city will then charge owners for the services done. Owners can contest the decision if they disagree with the need to repair.
