West Chester Township is gearing up for a major transformation at one of its highest-profile front doors: the I-75/Union Centre Boulevard interchange. Officials are working to turn a 75-acre tract there into a mixed-use Mill Creek District, a new hub that blends office and research space, multifamily housing, restaurants, and a boutique hotel, all wrapped around nearly 20 acres of restored greenway along Mill Creek.
After buying the land last year, township leaders say they have moved into a technical planning phase to see if the concept actually pencils out and to get ready to court development partners. The long-term vision is ambitious, and the price tag is too.
The township is forecasting up to $700 million in total investment for the site, tied to the broad mix of uses outlined in the early concept plan. That estimate, along with the basic contours of the deal, was laid out in a June 26 story in the Cincinnati edition of the Cincinnati Business Courier.
What’s in the Plan
Township documents sketch out a dense, mixed-use district where about half the property stays in public green space, and the rest is built out for jobs, housing, and hospitality. According to the Mill Creek District framework and renderings, the current concept includes approximately 72,000 square feet of research and innovation space, 454,000 square feet of office and co-working, and around 140,000 square feet of retail and dining, including a 15,000-square-foot food hall.
On the residential side, the plan calls for an estimated 130–150 multifamily units plus townhomes, along with an 80–120-room boutique hotel, all stitched together by a 19.9-acre restored creek corridor that doubles as the district’s signature open space. Those specifics come directly from the township’s Mill Creek District framework, according to West Chester Township.
Why the Township Stepped In
The land did not land in public hands by accident. Township trustees authorized an $18.3 million purchase of four parcels in October 2025 after earlier private proposals sputtered out. Officials have said they expect full build-out to stretch over seven to ten years, with plenty of time tucked in to study access and traffic issues tied to such a large undertaking.
Local coverage at the time captured a community split between big-picture optimism and very practical worries. Some residents questioned traffic impacts and the overall size of the project, while township leaders defended the purchase as a way to steer what happens at a critical gateway rather than leaving it to chance, as per WLWT.
What Comes Next
To move from glossy renderings to something a developer can actually bid on, West Chester has kicked off a Phase II planning process with OHM Advisors. The goal is to sharpen the vision, stress-test the market and infrastructure assumptions, and draw up a solicitation that spells out what the township wants from private partners.
Phase II is set to cover economic calibration, infrastructure and public improvement costs, parking and access, and possible public-private financing structures. Only after that work is complete would the township issue any formal request for proposals.
“The next phase of the Mill Creek District project is designed to prepare the Township for the next step in the process by testing the economic, infrastructure, and market assumptions behind the concept,” Township Administrator Lisa Brown said in a township release, according to West Chester Township.
Neighbors and the Bottom Line
Public reaction so far has been a mixed bag. Some residents like the idea of a new town-center-style district paired with more green space along the creek. Others are voicing concerns about congestion, potential impacts on local schools, and how heavily the project might rely on public incentives.
Coverage of the land acquisition flagged those social media debates and the early tug-of-war over how big is too big, while local business leaders are keeping a close eye on what shows up in the eventual developer solicitation, particularly around permitted uses and incentive packages. Journal-News.
Township officials emphasize that there is no approved site plan and no shovels headed for the ground in the immediate future. The next visible moves will be studies, public engagement sessions, and the all-important developer solicitation. If the market holds up and the infrastructure math works, the Mill Creek District has the potential to significantly reshape this piece of the I-75 corridor over the next decade.
