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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > September > 14 > Entry
Kevin Riley: Here’s your chance to help shape downtown Dayton
At Urban Nights last week, people got their first peek at the developing Greater Downtown Plan.
Led by Michael Ervin, a retired physician and health insurance executive, and supported by the Downtown Dayton Partnership, the planning effort is not yet complete. Citizens are still being asked for input.
And while the process is going slower than scheduled, Ervin and others are insistent that input and buy-in are more important than speed.
Hundreds of volunteers — many of whom Ervin personally recruited — have been marching forward with ideas and drafts.
They’re undeterred by issues that could slow them down, including deficits at Dayton and Montgomery County, the impending departure of Dayton City Manager Rashad Young and the looming election.
The plan will be highlighted in several upcoming “Open Studio” sessions, the latest events in Ervin’s relentless push for public input.
In every conversation, he insists that the plan isn’t “exclusive,” but instead must be the “community’s plan.”
Of the folks working on different aspects of it, he says: “We have no need to be right or have all the good ideas.”
And some of the ideas will grab attention, including:
BEING BICYCLE FRIENDLY
The latest draft proposes that Dayton pursue formally becoming a “Bicycle Friendly Community,” a designation that requires a different view of downtown streets and other transportation corridors. The plan would change the purpose of a downtown street as a “utilitarian tool to move vehicles through the city as efficiently as possible,” and instead focus on bikes, pedestrians and a park-like atmosphere. More access to rivers
The plan calls for making changes to the rivers downtown, including eliminating the dangerous low dams so boaters and kayakers could navigate larger and more visible portions of the rivers. Also, the levees would be modified to create access and views of the rivers.
HIDDEN TREASURE?
As volunteers have worked on the plan, they’ve also discovered a piece of infrastructure that some believe could give Dayton a key advantage in attracting businesses. When Dayton began modifying its traffic light system, it installed a nearly citywide loop of fiber-optic cable to control it. The city needs only a fraction of that system’s capacity to operate traffic lights — and the techies around town believe it’s possible to use the rest of the “bandwidth” for other things.
Those involved are cautious in their enthusiasm. But if the city can offer low-cost, super-fast network capacity, Dayton may have a special opportunity to attract businesses to downtown.
DOWNTOWN HOUSING
One of the potentially controversial parts of the plan involves creating downtown housing.
The group is wrestling with this part of the plan, and they face several challenges. In order to make downtown vibrant, more people have to live there. No one seems to disagree with that.
During the past 20 years, only about 600 housing units have been built or renovated downtown, according to the Downtown Dayton Partnership. For downtown to thrive, more housing in different price ranges would have to be available, especially if the city wants to attract young professionals who want to live in urban areas.
The plan could call for developing as many as 5,000 housing units during the next 10 years, although there is not yet agreement on a number. Most believe that some kind of private equity investment fund would have to be set up to help make it happen. Of course, the question also has to be asked: will it work?
How the overall downtown plan would be financed — including housing plans — will be the next big hurdle for Ervin and his volunteers. He hopes to begin work on that this fall.
But it’s good news for Dayton and the region that this work keeps going.
It would be tempting to slow down, or to dismiss big ambitions as pipe dreams in these difficult economic times. But the times are actually forcing people together and inspiring better ideas. Even in tough times, it’s important that we find ways to keep moving forward.
Downtown needs a plan, and the next two to three years are likely to be crucial for it — and the region.
“We need the whole region to support this,” said Ervin. “Dayton is important even if you live in Tipp City, Beavercreek or Centerville.”
TAKE A LOOK
What: View Greater Downtown Plan Where: 8 N. Main St., National City Building near Third and Main streets When: • Oct. 3: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Oct. 5: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 5 to 8:30 p.m. • Oct. 6: 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment | Categories: City of Dayton, Columns, Kevin Riley
Comments
By drunken orangetree
September 14, 2009 8:21 PM | Link to this
I just walked with my wife from the Oregon district to the Schuster center. A lot of people were out, young and old, black and white, rich and poor. The weather was beautiful, and Schuster concert hall is spectacular. If the people in the ‘burbs are too stupid to figure out what we’ve got then the hell with ‘em.
By Washington Township
September 14, 2009 8:48 PM | Link to this
Always with the negativity. Doesn’t it get tiresome to continuously whine and whine and whine. Enough already! At the very least doing some sort of street markings for bikes would be an improvement. And that fibre optic stuff is already in the ground. The housing is a tougher nut to crack.
By Columbusite
September 15, 2009 12:06 AM | Link to this
Even though I´ve only visited Dayton a couple of times it is obvious to me that Downtown holds great potential if residents will take notice. They’re able to support The Greene “lifestyle” center so, obviously there are enough people to make Downtown more than just the Oregon District. It’s compact, it still has many great structures, and is intact enough that if pedestrians and cyclists are given equal footing with cars, the image of Downtown could totally be turned around and set an example for all large Ohioan cites. Additionally, if the city were to see how streetcars would enhance mass transit and anchor development like it has proven to do everywhere from Kenosha to Portland, not to mention every large city in Ohio in the past, we could expect to see a speedier revitalization of Downtown. If you have nothing to contribute to improving the city, then you’re the reason why Dayton isn’t a great city.
By City Resident
September 15, 2009 8:46 AM | Link to this
Kevin, as editor of the DDN you should be ashamed you have allowed your employees to stop comments from being given by citizens regarding crime issues and other topics of controversy. You can not muzzle the truth and it demonstrates you are part of the attempt to “muzzle” average Americans. We see this on a national level and now you are doing it here at home. It’s time to allow citizens in this area their voice back on ALL issues reported on your website. STOP THE CENSORSHIP!
By Bob540
September 15, 2009 1:18 PM | Link to this
Being bike-friendly is a good idea. Using the river more — bringing it more “into” the city — would be good (I always thought Riverscape should have an amphitheatre built into the levy, with the river as backdrop for the stage). Convenient free parking for events, and more musical performances outdoors. Yes, Dayton could be a really nice place
By Jon
September 15, 2009 4:04 PM | Link to this
Dayton certainly needs to utilize the rivers more. There is no excuse for that.
By Bill
September 15, 2009 7:01 PM | Link to this
Accept the fact that Dayton is dead and will not come back for a very long time.
By Kyle
September 16, 2009 8:10 PM | Link to this
For those of us who value Dayton, the Greater Downtown plan is a real blessing. Thank you for promoting the positive change that the people who are working hard for our city support.
By Dan Kennedy
September 19, 2009 5:02 PM | Link to this
Why didn’t my comment appear?
By Jeremy Jenkins
September 29, 2009 9:21 AM | Link to this
Dayton used to be a great city and people truly want it to be great again. If everyone would quit the defeatist attitude and contribute to its growth we might see Dayton rise in our lifetime. Embrace the change and help it along. It takes people to make a city great, not new buildings and amenities. It is what you make of it.
By Shopper
October 4, 2009 12:27 PM | Link to this
There needs to be more attractions downtown, and I’m talking about shopping. Not major department store, more the boutique and specialty shop variety. Smaller cafe type eateries located around the ball park and Shuster center. Walking patrolmen in the area wouldn’t hurt either. Look at Nashville, TN. That’s a great city with patrolling police officers.
By Ben
October 9, 2009 8:37 AM | Link to this
Dayton — not unlike most cities — is corrupt and staffed by bureaucrats that just bide their time until retirement. Drive around the city and you’ll soon see just how “dirty and unkempt” it really is. Weeds and brush growing all around the sidewalks. Travel to a city like Hartford, Ct. if you want to see a contrast. Street surfaces are horrible. Overpasses (specially the train ones) are littered with graffiti and rust. Litter is rampant. Pretty much all successful marketing is based on a concept called the “Four P’s”. Product - Place - Proposition - Promotion. Dayton’s “Product” sucks - it’s filthy and uninviting, plain and simple. Dayton’s “Place” (in marketing, it’s the distribution channel), once again, sucks. Dayton has no “Proposition”, eg. why are businesses moving out and none moving in? Dayton has no “Promotion” - bureaucrats do not know how to promote. Their concept of promotion is to come up with a lame slogan and running a few ads in development magazines. Until this town elects some new and exerienced leaders (not simple-minded politicians), it will continue to wallow in a bureaucratic morass.
By RWE
October 30, 2009 8:19 AM | Link to this
Beavercreek is more a suburb of Wright-Patterson than of Dayton.
By javck
November 4, 2009 3:19 PM | Link to this
Bike paths?….we need industry that create jobs not a stupid bike path…wake up