“It’s the end of an era,” Smiley’s owner Gary McGuire said after signing the purchase agreement late Tuesday afternoon. “It’s also a reflection of the golf market across the United States, not just in Dayton.”
The new owner will be Albert Schneider of Sarasota, Florida, who has local ties: he owns a residence in Washington Twp. and previously has operated apartments in Dayton.
Schneider said he has a “preliminary vision” for the 13-acre property east of Carroll High School, but no concrete plans yet.
“It will be either commercial or residential,” Schneider said. “There’s a lot of activity going on in the immediate area, and I visualize being a part of that.”
The sale price was below the $300,00 minimum bid that had been established for the auction, but McGuire, who is retiring, agreed to the purchase price. “It’s the first day of the rest of my life,” McGuire said.
An earlier attempt to auction the property with a $500,000 minimum bid failed to generate a bidder. Tuesday’s auction involved two bidders. The property has been appraised at $1.2 million, according to McGuire and Karen Huelsman, Realtor and auctioneer with Irongate Realtors who oversaw the auction.
McGuire, who purchased the business and property in 1990, said last month that the golf center “has been an icon in Dayton since 1947. It’s kind of sad to see it disappear, but I think it will be a net positive for Riverside if it’s developed.”
McGuire said interest in golf and baseball has waned in recent years, and he is ready to retire. He attempted to sell the property within the past year, then decided to turn to an auction.
Robert Murray, director of economic development for the city of Riverside, attended the auction and said the city will work with the new owner.
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