'The Woods' cleared for Xavier Square

The Norwood Café, better known to Xavier University students and alumni as "The Woods", was razed last week to make way for the university's Xavier Square project.

Xavier Square, a 20-acre extension of the university campus, will include a hotel, student apartments, market-rate housing, a fitness center, a health center, and office and retail space.

The development, a privately-funded partnership between the university and the Corporex Companies, will stretch from the Cintas Center to Montgomery Road, linking the campus to the City of Norwood and helping to attract new students, homeowners and business owners to the area.

Xavier administrative vice president John Kucia knows that the site held a lot of memories.

"We don’t want to lose important traditions in the process," he says.  "Norwood Café...holds many memories for Xavier alumni and the neighborhood.  We have saved much of the nostalgia, including the bar, and plan to incorporate those elements into a new establishment in Xavier Square."

Several houses along Cleneay Avenue were also demolished.

The demolition of buildings from the former Zumbiel Packaging plant began in March, and site preparation work will continue throughout the year.

Groundbreaking for Xavier Square is expected in late 2008 or early 2009 and, the project is scheduled for completion in 2010.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Media release
Rendering provided by Corporex
Photography by Scott Beseler