Revitalization

One Bistro

Not everyone who walks into One Bistro Xenia looking for a hot meal may be able to afford one, but it’s guaranteed that no one will go away hungry. The One Bistro Xenia project (One Bistro) is a preservation success story of adaptively using a vacant space into a much-needed restaurant venue with help from CDBG funds and local grants provided by the City of Xenia.

Yet, it is so much more than that. This project is a brilliant co-habitation of community service, downtown‬ redevelopment, thriving communities, ‪‎giving back‬, and ‪‎historic preservation‬. One Bistro involves the combination of rehabilitating an historic retail space in the downtown, the establishment of a community restaurant that embraces a “pay what you can afford” concept while providing community-based, integrated employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities.

‬‬‬‬‬‬ One Bistro Xenia is the most visible layer of a multi-faceted partnership making great gains in revitalizing the Downtown Xenia Historic District, not just by making it pretty, but through creating a relevant community facility. As a model for other communities, One Bistro exemplifies the power of community partnership, funding preservation projects, and furthering preservation at the local level.

The City of Xenia was a partner in funding because it saw high value in bringing the community together in an historic downtown setting with a good restaurant. The City partially funded the project through a Community Development Block Grant and a Design and Code Assessment Program (DCAP) matching grant. The City has been working in earnest over the last decade to redevelop its downtown core through rehabilitation of properties in its National Register listed district.

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