Badin vs. Fredericktown
Miamisburg graduation 2012
Valley View vs. Greenville
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.
Scott Elliott is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He writes about education, city and suburban issues, politics, business, workforce and consumer issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2010 > May > 21 > Entry
Kevin Riley: Downtown residents wanted
The size of the crowd and its obvious passion for Dayton helped. But the people who turned out for the Downtown Dayton Partnership’s meeting last week were, on their own, feeling good about their ideas and the work that many were promising to do.
The partnership reserved the Racquet Club on the top floor of the Kettering Tower for its unveiling of the Greater Downtown Plan, a project that’s been in the works for close to two years.
About 300 people showed up, including politicians and corporate executives. But there also were lots of supporters of the arts, outdoor-recreation types and others without lofty titles who had volunteered hours and hours of their time.
The plan focuses on economic development, vibrancy and public spaces. Within those broad categories are impressive and doable projects, including development on the riverfront, making Dayton a bicycle-friendly city and changing streets to make them more inviting to pedestrians. Some projects are already under way.
But two elements of the plan are particularly ambitious:
• Creating 8,000 new jobs downtown.
• Developing 2,500 new housing units.
Skeptics will focus on these two pieces. After all, given the economic blows that Dayton has taken, 8,000 new jobs might be more of dream than a plan.
Still, Michael Ervin, a retired physician and former health insurance executive who has led the effort, and other advocates insist the numbers are reachable.
How to make the goals? In part by attracting downtown residents.
People create movement. They eat in restaurants; they buy stuff. When the streets are busy, more people want to be part of the action.
Downtown residents affect the city’s image and economy.
Think of it this way: if someone works downtown, he might go to a restaurant for lunch. Then he’s gone. Someone who lives downtown may go out to lunch and dinner. Then that restaurant gets more popular and even people who don’t live downtown visit.
In one sense, a downtown resident will always be more valuable than a downtown worker. Too simple and optimistic? Maybe. But the reality is hard to argue with.
It’s not a new idea that Dayton needs more people living downtown. Before the days of urban renewal and the multi-lane highways that were built through neighborhoods, the city had bustling residential districts in or near downtown.
City officials say today residential occupancy downtown is above 90 percent. The Landing along the river is nearly full.
Downtown has things working in its favor:
• Trends show that some people want an urban lifestyle. Dayton can be especially attractive to young adults, empty nesters, military people who’ve spent their careers in cities, and others.
• The glut of downtown office space may be an opportunity. When building owners decide that many of their older buildings are obsolete, they’ll have more of an incentive to tear them down, creating new space for residents; or they may convert them into lofts and condos.
• Financing is hard to come by in this economy. And the days of Montgomery County or the city of Dayton pouring public money into developments is over. But if downtown housing were genuinely market-driven, that could be a good thing for the long term. It could result in more housing downtown, say, for first-time homebuyers.
Absolutely, creating 2,500 new downtown residences will take creativity, time and luck. But if the Dayton region is going to thrive in the 21st century, we need a strong downtown.
As Ervin said last week: “The plan is only the beginning of the work.”
He’s right, but at least now we have a plan.
Permalink | Comments (22) | Post your comment |
Tweet
Comments
By John
May 21, 2010 8:52 PM | Link to this
Dayton is in rebirth.
By Bill Pote
May 21, 2010 10:13 PM | Link to this
I’ve lived downtown in a warehouse loft with my wife for almost 7 years (and now have a daughter who is almost 3). We’ve seen the ups and downs, and yes it is frustrating to see so many empty buildings and businesses that come and go. However, despite the challenges (that exist in many other cities I might add), we’ve enjoyed our life downtown. We know dozens of other downtowners we’re happy to call friends and neighbors. We also enjoy being able to walk to work, locally-owned restaurants and bars, Dragons games, theaters, and RiverScape (which is now even better). Sure no grocery store - which means we drive to one like the rest of you. I’ve probably said these words a thousand times to offer a different view than those who would rather be haters; my message is not for them since I couldn’t care less about what they say or believe, but it is for the rest of those who read these comments and wonder if downtown could really be that bad. It isn’t, otherwise we wouldn’t live here… otherwise we wouldn’t have 90% occupancy (CBD) - and most of the people who live downtown can afford to live anywhere. Downtown living is not for everybody, and that is fine - our region is lucky to have great suburban options. But we are seeing more and more people interested in living downtown - whether it is in the CBD/Webster Station or an adjacent historic district. If we can ever figure out how to level the playing field between the cost of renovating/converting an old downtown building and the cost of building new on empty land then we’ll have no problem adding 2,500 new housing units. I’ve lived in a major city and I’ve lived on a beach in FL - but neither has been as satisfying as living in and fighting for Downtown Dayton. Some may think that is crazy, but you will never know looking in from the outside. Don’t just take my word for it - talk to anybody living downtown and I’ll bet you’ll hear a similar story. Either we’re ALL crazy, or maybe the haters just have no idea what they’re talking about.
By Bill
May 22, 2010 7:32 AM | Link to this
Kevin and Martin should put their feet where their mouths are, both should move downtown and lead this effort.
By Max
May 22, 2010 9:04 AM | Link to this
I fully agree with another writer here than the plan, as described in the DDN, is ‘DILUSIONAL.’ Typical of provincial thinking absent of two nickles to rub together, this plan reeks of ‘trends’ being its foundation and wishful thinking taking a PR posture at the expense of solving the problems which have led to this mess. If, as stated above, trends show ‘some’ people want an urban lifestyle, then why aren’t ‘some’ people moving into the city of Dayton? This plan is basically taken from the script of “A Field of Dreams” which says ‘if you build it they will come.’ The Dayton experience for the past 40 years says otherwise. To look for statistical models of trends which vaguely support the plan as written, or, perhaps the trends were the genesis of the plan rather than a realistic view of Dayton, has been an approach which has systematically destroyed all that is unique about Dayton. This goes way back to the HUD days up through the demolition of Chicago style buildings such as the Rikes building. On the positive side, I suggest this plan be scrapped and a simple overview of existing problems, their causes, viable solutions be placed in the forefront, then, a combined conceptual and aesthetic appraoch be established with Dayton’s unique aspects being the foundation, not ‘trends.’ As Dayton found out, city employees cannot be forced, legally or otherwise, to live in the city. What does that say about the plan as written? Perhaps the most telling of the plan’s D.O.A. status is its failure to deal with the Dayton Public School District although it does appear the plan’s design is to attract those without school aged children to the city. Again, this is a myopic approach with market limitations dooming it to failure. Market driven goals cannot be achieved with this plan. Econ 101’s fundemental is supply and demand relationships. Build a few condo’s and see if the demand requires more. Well, there is already housing in the city and none of it has a waiting list. 50 years ago people lived in the city and walked or took the bus to work. That no longer exists nor is there any trend that suggests it will ever exist again. The Downtown Dayton Partnership, with all the press and PR it has enjoyed over the years really hasn’t produced any new businesses in the city since it has its hands full keeping what is left in place. The Chamber of Commerce’s track record is even worse. As a suggestion for any plan to be constructed, perhaps the investment in attracting the small business upstarts to the downtown area might be one way to fill vacant buildings. A second suggestion is to read the riot act to area banks and encourage them to release their virtually interest free money from the government and share some of the risk in putting Dayton’s piece back together. A third suggestion is to dissolve the ‘precinct’ barriers separating the west, east, and north sides of the city. While this is more of a social problem with economical facets, the division within the city will hamper even the best laid plans because it is the ‘people’ factor that makes or breaks any design. The only value the current plan - two years in the making? - has is being an example of a bad plan founded on vague data, constructed with unrealistic goals, and no apparent means (finances) through which to implement the plan. If this doesn’t sound like WMD’s in Iraq I don’t know what does.
By THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS
May 22, 2010 9:08 AM | Link to this
Last time I at dinner with my family in the Oregon District, my 5 year old (and very curious) nephew picked up a used condom off the ground next to his mother’s car. Nice, real nice.
By JUNKYARD FIRE IN DAYTON
May 22, 2010 10:45 AM | Link to this
How about making the JUNKYARD FIRE an annual event? Get food and beer vendors, rent gas masks, raffle off a chance to man the fire hoses, elect an Honorary Fire Chief….it’ll be great! We can have a Junkyard Fire Queen, eat Junkyard Fire burgers (3000 burgers stacked 50 feet high and served very, very well done!). Bottle Junkyard Fire Ale, a rust-colored brew with a fire-retarding foam head.
By Bill
May 22, 2010 11:01 AM | Link to this
Hey Max (and the rest of the haters) - the plan was open to all for input. Where were you during that almost two years? Where was your input when the plan was being put together? Oh yeah, it actually takes work and commitment to get involved; so much easier to sit on the sidelines and complain…
By Rick
May 22, 2010 4:02 PM | Link to this
I live in Dayton, in the Linden Heights neighborhood. Dayton is a great place to live but our city leaders spend too much time and money on downtown and not enough on the neighborhoods. The Dayton Public Schools are a mess, but they way to improve them is to entice a better class of parent to move into Dayton.
By Jim from Dayton
May 22, 2010 7:30 PM | Link to this
Wonderful. I’m so very happy for downtown. But what of Dayton’s many neighborhoods? Driven through these lately? There is hardly a one that is not suffering major urban blight. Dayton needs a plan to revive its residential neighborhoods and its needs one FAST, to revive its tax base and its hopes of any kind of future at all.
By David Esrati
May 23, 2010 9:16 AM | Link to this
To my neighbor- Bill Kennedy, a valiant attempt to get the DDN to wake up this cesspool that they call their comments section. Moderation isn’t that hard. Neither is taking responsibility for what you write by signing your whole name. For all we know “IGID” is Jon Husted.
By THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS
May 23, 2010 10:02 AM | Link to this
yep.
By JUNKYARD FIRE IN DAYTON
May 23, 2010 10:03 AM | Link to this
yep.
By JUNKYARD FIRE IN DAYTON
May 23, 2010 10:05 AM | Link to this
yep.
By John Husted
May 23, 2010 10:13 AM | Link to this
yep.
By not really Kevin Riley
May 23, 2010 11:57 AM | Link to this
I’m going to move from my home on Volusia in Oakwood over to Wright Dunbar. I’m eloping with Rhine McLin. I think it’s just great that anyone can post anything here- using any name they want, and make the entire community look like a bunch of morons. It’s really difficult for me to put in a basic moderation system, because I’ve run this newspaper into the ground. I bet this comment stays up for a few days- because I don’t really understand how technology has changed the newspaper industry. I keep thinking about taking Esrati’s Websitetology course- but, then I’d be admitting he’s not the moron Ellen, Martin, Scott and I make him out to be. Wow- just imagine if people had to use their real names on here- or get voted on by the community- that would actually make this a community asset like Bill Pote’s DaytonMostMetro site- instead of a cesspool.
By Davidss2
May 23, 2010 7:59 PM | Link to this
Bill, you are trying to make it personal toward other posters. You are trying to censor others’ speech since it disagrees with your political goal of making folks think it’s safe in Dayton. We stay out of Dayton with its redlight and speed cameras from an Australian company doing business through an Arizona headquarters. Cameras do nothing to make it safer; but Dayton likes the money raising idea. Better to improve the city and its population with some standards. Dayton should put its police officers out watching what goes on driving on the streets; they could check the drivers stopped for drugs, alcohol, insurance, registration, driver license, and general impairment of ability to drive. But Dayton thinks cameras are better so the officers can sit on their rears and administrators can reap big salaries for a city that’s gone to pot, oddly deserved because of their arrogant financial attitudes through the decades toward the surrounding communities supplying the workers paying the taxes.
By chris
May 23, 2010 8:37 PM | Link to this
wow, this article really got IGID fired up. Get over it man.
By Rob
May 24, 2010 4:31 PM | Link to this
As much as I want y’all to succeed…I’ll stay down in the Burg. Shootings and knifings are news down here…not something that just happens with monotonous regularity.
By David
May 25, 2010 8:13 AM | Link to this
I have visited some downtowns that I would consider living in. They are the sort that have a used bookstore, a coffee shop, an ethnic restaurant or two, and at least one casual entertainment venue within a couple of blocks. And people on the streets after dark other than thugs. Downtown Dayton doesn’t cut it with me.
By Washington Township
May 25, 2010 4:43 PM | Link to this
“Dayton can be especially attractive …military people who’ve spent their careers in cities…”——There are exceptions to every rule, but most military bases…particulary Army and Air Force ones (Navy not so much)… are in rural/small town places. So I wonder where the op-ed writer is coming from with this statement.
By Washington Township
May 26, 2010 11:51 AM | Link to this
There’s not enough demand for office, industrial, or retail use for downtown real estate, as we can see by the ongoing reports of shuttered and bankrupt buildings. So now the plan is to put in housing. The Catch-22 is that those old buildings there are too expensive to tear down and too expensive to adaptively re-use as housing. So they sit. Apparently even empty parking lots and vacant land are not economically viable development sites, since we’d expect to see more residential development on those empty acres. Or maybe this is just whistling past the urban graveyard , wishful thinking. If there really is a demand and a chance at profit in meeting it developers would be responding by bringing product to market. The recession might be playing into this, too, to some extent.
By David
May 27, 2010 4:53 PM | Link to this
Well, the latest news is in, and the crime rate in the central business district is up substantiality. Downtown Dayton is dead and only awaiting a proper burial.