On Monday, Oct. 16, the Village of Oxford will host members of the media and citizens from around the Oxford area for an informational open house regarding the upcoming M-24 streetscape construction project scheduled for the summer of 2019.

The open house will take place at the Oxford Public Library, located at 530 Pontiac Rd.

The open house is set to open with a media briefing at 3 p.m., followed by a community forum session from 4-6 p.m. where members of the community will have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the proposed streetscape project, as well as the plans and funding strategies proposed to make it happen.

At 6 p.m., the Oxford Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and the Oxford Village Council will hold a special joint meeting to discuss and decide upon the proposed grant application that will provide funding for the M-24 project.

DDA Executive Director Glenn Pape will moderate the event. He expects people to have a lot of questions about how this streetscape project will affect their town.

“Michigan Department of Transportation is undertaking a project to increase mobility through the M-24 corridor. Because of this, the village has the opportunity through a streetscape grant program to make significant infrastructure improvement,” Pape said.

“Our goal is to take advantage of this once in a generation opportunity to make strategic investments to improve pedestrian safety, establish infrastructure for economic development and create a sense of place for Downtown Oxford.”

The M-24 road construction project is tentatively scheduled for the summer of 2019, and will include refurbishments of the road surface, as well as significant improvements to the physical infrastructure of downtown.

These improvements are designed to facilitate pedestrian safety, cultivate a sense of place downtown, and support economic development throughout the downtown area.