Here’s what we know about Central State wanting to expand its Dayton campus

Central State University wants to expand and renovate its Dayton campus to provide better support for people who live in the neighborhoods around Germantown Street.

The university requested the Dayton Development Coalition lobby for state or federal funds in support of the proposed $1.37 million project.

The proposal comes as the historically black college in Greene County also prepares for the departure of President Cynthia Jackson-Hammond at the end of the school year.

Jackson-Hammond has been at the school since 2011.

The university has hired Academic Search, a candidate search consultant company, to work with the Presidential Search Advisory Committee to conduct the search for the next university president.

A new candidate could be selected in the first quarter of 2020, the board of trustees anticipates, so as to allow transitional planning prior to the next academic year.

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Each year, Dayton businesses submit ideas for projects that they want either state or federal money for. Businesses submit to the Priority Development and Advocacy Committee and then the committee works with the DDC to choose which projects regional leaders will work together to lobby for at the state or federal level.

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“Central State University is requesting funds to support the renovation of its Dayton Campus located at 840 Germantown St. This former Reynolds and Reynolds building is in need of major repairs and upgrades to maintain safety, functionality, and accessibility. Our renovation plan includes replacement of the roof, upgrade of the HVAC, build-out of the second floor to provide more affordable leasable space for our nine current and future non-profit partners and re-pavement of the parking lot,” official request to the DDC says.

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CSU said funding would support three key community needs — provide affordable office and programming space for non-profits and local businesses, serve as a hub for social services and can be used by the public for little to no cost and last, the proposal said the Dayton Campus serves as an economic driver.

‘This entry point has been identified as one of the major corridors in the Greater West Dayton Framework and serving as the major spine which will connect West Dayton to the new site of the Montgomery County Fairgrounds,” according to the request. “This makes this location ideal for future use by other non-profit and profit entities.”

The Central State request was made shortly before House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, announced the Jan. 10 deadline for local leaders to submit proposals for the 2020 state capital budget.

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The capital budget is utilized by the Ohio House to plan for the distribution of capital funds during the next two years. The capital budget also earmarks money to pay for community projects such as local swimming pools, bike trails or theaters.

In the last capital budget, Montgomery County landed $6.1 million in state funds, including $1 million earmarked for the Dayton Arcade Innovation Hub.

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