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Future 'vision' unveiled for E. Third Street

Planners see vibrant corridor linking WPAFB with downtown area.

An example of what the Keowee Avenue gateway area could look like from mockups made with neighborhood input by the University of Cincinnati Community Design Center.

Contributed photo An example of what the Keowee Avenue gateway area could look like from mockups made with neighborhood input by the University of Cincinnati Community Design Center.

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By Katie Wedell, Staff Writer Updated 1:07 AM Friday, November 18, 2011

DAYTON – Blighted sections of East Third Street could look drastically different 10 years from now if residents and business owners can carry out a vision for the busy corridor that connects Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and downtown Dayton.

Following in the footsteps of the Phoenix Project, which has transformed much of the area along Salem Avenue near Good Samaritan Hospital, stakeholders in an unnamed East Third Street corridor project have worked with Wright State University and University of Cincinnati architects to develop a conceptual vision for the area’s future.

That vision was shared with residents and business owners at a neighborhood workshop Thursday.

“This isn’t a plan. It’s a statement of possibility,” said Gordon Heller, who worked with Dayton Southeast Weed and Seed to fund the University of Cincinnati Community Design Center study.

The possibilities suggested by the UC team include dedicated lanes for a bus rapid transit system to supplement current RTA routes, a mixed-type residential hub around the intersection of Findlay Street and East Third, and a community gathering space at the fork between Springfield Street and East Third that could host cultural festivals and other events.

“The community now has a vision that provides clear direction,” said Aaron Sorrell, director of Planning and Community Development for the city of Dayton. He said plans that the residents agree to move forward with will be folded into the overall plan for the city matched with possible funding sources.

“We will break this up into five, 10, 20 year visions,” he said.

“To make this plan happen, the stakeholders need to come together,” said Stephen Samuels, a member of the UC team.

Several business owners in attendance said they will immediately work to re-organize the defunct East Dayton Business Association, which can then spearhead a plan going forward.

“We need to get the city to work with the small developers,” said Juan Urbieta, who owns Urbieta Construction at 1725 E. Third and several residential properties.

He said his goal is to be giving more back to the city in 10 years than he is now and he believes attracting more businesses that want to invest in the area long term will be the key to the plan’s success.

“We have to do this one building at a time,” he said.

“What worked on Salem Avenue was that we worked with the business association,” said Jack Dustin, director of the Center for Urban and Public Affairs at Wright State University, who has worked on both projects. “When we (the architects) were done they kept pushing.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2124 or kwedell@coxohio.com.

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