Pittsburgh, Toledo take two paths to boosting downtowns

8,000-seat Huntington Arena in downtown Toledo, shown here in 2009, cost $98 million to build and was financed by hotel-motel taxes, bonds and some public funds. The Blade photo by Amy E. Voigt

The Blade/Amy E. Voigt/Staff Photographer 8,000-seat Huntington Arena in downtown Toledo, shown here in 2009, cost $98 million to build and was financed by hotel-motel taxes, bonds and some public funds. The Blade photo by Amy E. Voigt

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By Lucas Sullivan, Staff Writer Updated 1:24 AM Monday, July 5, 2010

DAYTON — The concrete, low dam near Monument Avenue in downtown Dayton has for years made the Great Miami River too dangerous for kayakers, boaters and swimmers.

But removing the dam will do more than put boaters in the river, officials say. They think it could help get the city’s economy start flowing again.

The renewed focus on Dayton’s downtown riverfront mirrors Pittsburgh’s $113 million riverfront renovation project that officials there say has helped breathe billions back into the local economy.

“People need to remember why many cities are there in the first place: the rivers,” said Stephan Bontrager, spokesman for Pittsburgh’s Riverlife Task Force. “We held (about) 120 public meetings where we got input from people about what to do with our rivers and out of that developed a plan.”

Trails, parks, kayak rental and bait and tackle businesses have popped up, creating green space and activities once thought impossible because of water pollution caused by the city’s steel mills and factories.

Many residents rolled their eyes at the plans, Bontrager said. “Now we are starting to see perceptions really come around that the rivers are forms of entertainment and not something to stay away from,” he said.

Dayton does not have to overcome the type of serious water pollution issues that plagued Pittsburgh. But ironically, the lack of major pollution here makes it harder to secure public funds from government agencies whose priorities are cleaning up polluted waterways.

“It’s not a dirty river,” said Alex Taylor, Cox Media Group vice president and private sector leader of Dayton’s plan for outdoor recreation. “I do believe if we take out that dam, along with wonderful assets like RiverScape, its possibilities are endless.”

Taylor said he’s seen numerous studies that for every kayaker on the water, three more come along to watch or hang out.

The hope is to have more restaurants and tourist stops for water enthusiasts, he said. The dam’s removal would also create better fishing, according to Taylor.

Officials in Pittsburgh credit the late Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editor John Craig with convincing private and public entities to support their riverfront redevelopment.

“We used public funds to leverage private funds to help with this project,” Bontrager said. “Without support from the private sector projects like this will never get done.”

Toledo arena

While Pittsburgh used riverfront development for its downtown revival, Toledo is staking its hopes on an arena — a very expensive arena.

Last year the Huntington Center, formerly Lucas County Arena, opened in Toledo as the $98 million home to the Toledo Walleye minor league hockey team.

The county remains in debt over the venture but recently inked an $11 million deal with Huntington Bank for naming rights.

Lucas County financed the 8,000-seat arena by raising the hotel-motel lodging tax from 8 percent to 10 percent to generate $5 million, issued about $60 million in bonds and notes and secured some public funds through state local leaders at the state level.

The arena’s economic impact was almost immediate, officials said.

A handful of small businesses, along with 10 new restaurants and bars, have opened nearby. The arena also attracted musical icon Elton John, country singers Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley and, in September, the American Idol Summer Tour is stopping there.

As with the Pittsburgh riverfront plan, the arena project in Toledo had a strong advocate.

Joe Napoli, general manager of the Walleye and Toledo Mud Hens, said the arena would not have been possible without a push from Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken.

“He wouldn’t give up,” Napoli said. “He put his political career on the line and said we’re getting this done.

“It opened in the heart of the economic recession and has been nothing but successful.”

Dayton has a minor league hockey team — the Gems — but plans for a downtown sports arena appear to have died with the now-defunct Dayton Bombers.

Not two years ago there were dueling arena proposals. There was talk of a minor-league hockey arena at the Austin Landing development on Montgomery County’s southern border, while the Bombers owner proposed an arena in downtown Dayton.

County Administrator Deborah Feldman recommended against the Austin Landing plan, saying it would cost between $78 million and $81.5 million, and there was no viable way to fund it.

A month later the Bombers folded, ending talk of a downtown arena.

With no available suitors and little support, a new arena project wasn’t even mentioned in the Greater Dayton Downtown Plan unveiled in May.

“It is not considered it a strategic opportunity,” said Sandy Gudorf, president of the Dayton Downtown Partnership that helped draft the plan.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2494 or lsullivan@Dayton

DailyNews.com.

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