Afters years of ‘waiting and waiting’, Mason residents are finally seeing proposed ‘Mason Mile’ plan

Hudson is referring to the new Mason Mile Master Plan & Policy Guide Draft, unveiled this summer by the Mason Deerfield Chamber and the Downtown Mason Association, the Mason Deerfield Chamber Community Development Corporation.

The plan involves proposed upgrades and changes to the Mason Mile, a stretch of some of Mason’s oldest and most historic parts of downtown. The area stretches from Reading Road, by Tylersville Road, all the way to E. Main Street near Heritage Oak Park.

Hudson, the owner of the Wildflower Cafe, told me he’s been advocating for years to see money go into revitalizing Mason’s downtown area.

“You drive around town, you see all the amount of infrastructure that’s been done throughout this town, and very little of that has been done in our core business district; that’s really, this is Mason,” Hudson said.

WCPO 9 has spoken with Hudson twice before, both in 2018. That summer, Hudson expressed his frustration to WCPO 9’s I-Team after the previous city council nixed a land deal the restaurant owner believed would help downtown development.

Then in October 2018, we met with Hudson again, before the vote on a charter amendment that would allow the city to open up certain areas to developers for condominiums and apartments.

Fast forward to 2025, Hudson told me he’s been volunteering to help MADE CDC with the Mason Mile Master Plan.

The president of the charter told me this plan is years of work coming to fruition.

“We started it seven years ago with a charter amendment where Mason voters came out and said they were excited to see growth and change for the neighborhood. This is the progression of that promise we made to the neighborhood,” MADE CDC President and CEO Sherry Taylor said.

The online presentation breaks down the drafted master plan with three bullet points:

Different plans stretch across each corner of the Mason Mile. Some proposals include more bike and walking paths, while others feature renderings of what new homes or apartments could look like from private developments.

Mason’s mayor explained what the city is looking for.

“Vibrant restaurants, bike paths, small shops and things to do,” Mayor Diana Nelson said.

Mason flower shop owner and MADE CDC board member Cathy Harbison spoke about how the plans aim to grow downtown while preserving its centuries of history.

“It needs that heart; it needs that opportunity to be brought back,” Harbison said.

Hudson hopes that the community’s patience has paid off.

“A lot of the community has been just waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting, and I feel like we’ve actually done this program correctly,” Hudson said.

In-person open houses were held recently at the Mason Historical Society. Residents wrote their feedback on certain plans on sticky notes. Some left questions, others had suggestions, and some residents shared their support or disapproval for certain drafts.

MADE CDC President and CEO Sherry Taylor said she hopes to have the plan adopted by November. She said implementation could take years for some of the revitalization to take place.

MADE CDC’s website says that online feedback on the draft is open through Friday, Aug. 8.