Huber Heights exploring ways to develop former farmland
Back in October 2019, the city of Huber Heights purchased 52 acres of land at the corner of Boulevard and Brandt Pike, formerly known as the Lehman Farms. After partnering with the national real estate consulting firm SB Friedman Development Advisors in Chicago, they are learning how to best redevelop this lot of land. “We really want to bring people to the City of Huber Heights that normally wouldn’t come to the area,” Bryan Chodkowski, Assistant City Manager, said. “By having someone from the outside contribute we were able to avoid some of bias that comes with loving your city.”
SB Friedman provided market research that included site-visits, interviews and case studies. The priorities for the city are practicality and longevity; the team wants to build infrastructure that is not simply based on the newest trend, but something that will lend itself toward the city’s economic development and growth for many year to come.
However, while a vision like this can take several years to fully implement, the city is not going to be idle with this space and is currently planning to creatively utilize this area this summer. The city has an idea to enable local nonprofits to host the barn for a night or weekend and partner with food trucks and breweries to fundraise and engage with the community.
“Our main goal is to improve the quality of life of our citizens and the community,” Chodkowski stated. “The city has invested in itself over the past years and the results are starting to show.”
The city is planning to announce more details on this activated space as they become available. However, as with many other venue operators this will depend on operating guidelines yet to be released.