The project will be called Xavier Square and will include acombination of student housing, affinity housing, stores,restaurants, commercial office space, a boutique hotel, fitnesscenter, student health center and college bookstore. The developerhas a letter of intent to lease the property for 35 years afterwhich the property would revert back to the university.

John Kucia, administrative VP for the university, says theproject will include 100,000 sf of retail, apartments for up to 600students, 100 condominium units, 120,000 sf of office space in oneor two buildings, a 90-room boutique hotel, a fitness center andeven a campus bookstore. "We think this development is anacknowledgement on the health and vitality of the university andsurrounding community," Kucia tells GlobeSt.com. "Our intent is forthis to be a catalyst to positive redevelopment in the surroundingneighborhood."

The project is being built on 20 acres acquired by theuniversity during the past 10 years. First, the former BASFChemical plant donated the site's seven acres to the school in2000, and, in 2004, Xavier paid $8 million for the adjacent,nine-acre Zumbiel Packaging Plant site on Cleneay Avenue. The BASFplant was taken down in 1990. The university hopes to demolish theZumbiel plant, which includes imploding a large concrete structure,sometime in the next two weeks, Kucia says.