The project of 43 single-family townhomes and two mixed use buildings with first floor commercial space would be built on 4.2 acres. The land is the former site of Spinnaker Coatings, whose buildings were removed, and is across Water Street from the Troy City Schools’ Van Cleve school, which will be removed as part of the schools’ construction project now under way.
The Downtown Riverfront Overlay district is part of the city zoning code “intended to permit alteration and adaptive reuse of existing buildings, and redevelopment of vacant lands, in accordance with a coordinated plan which can be designed with greater flexibility and consequently, more creative and imaginative redevelopment of this closely built and oldest area of Troy.”
The proposed townhomes will have three stories of livable space with a fourth floor being a rooftop patio that overlooks the Great Miami River. There are few townhouses in the community today with three built north of West Water Street near the Miami County Courthouse a few years ago. The townhomes will be built in phases, probably depending on buyer demand, said Patrick Titterington, city service and safety director.
Amenities at the proposed development include pickleball courts and a sidewalk connection to the river. Details of the river connection are being discussed but will depend in part on the city low dam project, he said. The low dam removal project is among others in the works as part of a city east side rejuvenation. Other components will include the Crawford Street pedestrian pathway and the Herrlinger and Boyer Park public improvements. These projects are intended to connect the east side to the downtown, among other goals.
Planning Commission member Sandra Ehrlich asked if she bought a townhome in this project, what she would see south of Water Street from her windows down the road. Green space would be the answer at least temporarily, Titterington said. Beyond, the options might include a future phase of the townhome project or another future project, he said.
The townhome project is a good example of how a public-private partnership can enhance revitalization efforts, Titterington said.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com.
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