Road improvements needed for racino traffic

Proposed improvements to racino area

A “little narrow country road” is at the center of an estimated $2 million in big changes to the area surrounding the planned Warren County racino, as county officials ponder how to make the area more accessible and safer for drivers.

Warren County Commissioners approved plans Tuesday for a $175 million combination racing and casino facility at the corner of Ohio 63 and Union Road, near Ohio 63’s intersection with Interstate 75. The racino is being built by Miami Valley Gaming and Racing, Inc., a joint venture of Delaware North Companies Gaming and Entertainment and Churchill Downs, Inc.

A study conducted by Delaware North earlier this year projected that the racino will add approximately 1,000 more vehicles to the intersection during peak hours. The study found the area presently sees approximately 3,000 cars per day and is expected to jump to 4,000 cars during peak times for the racino. While not always busy, the intersection and surrounding area becomes jammed at times because of the Cincinnati Premium Outlet Mall and Trader’s World Flea Market in the immediate vicinity.

“It’s not a huge traffic generator, but it is enough to require looking at,” said County Engineer Neil Tunison.

Improvements to the area have been on the county’s radar for a long time, Tunison said. A 2004 study conducted by OKI, the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, noted that “population is growing in this area, additional access and capacity is needed.”

One of Tunison’s chief concerns is Union Road. While the racino’s main entrance will sit on Ohio 63, Tunison said he is concerned traffic could overwhelm the two-lane road which will likely have an employee entrance to the racino site and is also used to access Solid Rock Church and farther north, Atrium Medical Center.

Tunison said the intersection of Union and Greentree Road, north of Ohio 63, has developed an increasingly high accident rate as the population has grown. Furthermore, a “S-curve” in the road north of Solid Rock Church could be a hazard to drivers.

The racino operators have already agreed to pay for two additional lanes on Ohio 63. When the road expansion is completed, eastbound Ohio 63 will have two left turn lanes and a straight lane at the racino’s entrance and a right turn lane and two straight lanes heading westbound on Ohio 63. A traffic light will also be inserted at the racino’s main entrance.

One proposal to deal with Union Road’s traffic issues is to limit left hand turns heading south on Union Road, either all the time or during peak usage periods. County officials said they want to avoid such limitations, but they may be necessary until a better solution can be found.

Right now, the Warren County Engineer’s Office is still exploring ways to realign Union Road. One suggestion being studied calls to close Union Road’s northern intersection at Ohio 63 and realign the road to meet with Gateway Boulevard, about 4,000 feet to the west, and have Gateway curve into Union Road north of Ohio 63. The greater distance would enable the county to utilize the traffic light at the Gateway and Ohio 63 intersection to better control traffic flow. Based on Ohio Department of Transportation requirements, the county can’t add a traffic light to Union Road’s current intersection with Ohio 63 because it is too close to existing traffic lights, Tunison said.

The intersection is further compounded by a creek that runs to the east of Union Road and a train track that intersects Ohio 63 and runs parallel to Union Road on the west side. The county is also concerned about the planned water and sewer lines it needs to run to the racino and how to place them off the road and away from the creek.

“There’s really a lot going on in that area,” Tunison said.

The improvements, including straightening the S-curve on Union Road, will be paid for by a Tax Increment Financing Fund created by the county that Miami Valley Gaming will pay into for the next 10 years. Tunison said it was too early to determine how much all of the improvements to the roads would cost, but he gave a very tentative estimate of between $2 and $4 million.

All plans are just starting, but the county hopes to make some more final resolutions by the spring, Tunison said.

“We’re really starting from scratch on this,” Tunison said. “We put together some conceptional plans to try to address this, but we realize it’s much more complicated than what we first put together. We’re going to be looking at the whole area to determine what are the best improvements that we can put together.”

One company that is particularly concerned about how traffic will ultimately be rerouted is Trader’s World, who could lose some or all of the front lot of their property based on some scenarios.

“Trader’s World has a very vibrant operation in the the flea market there. There are huge numbers of cars that come there on the weekend,” said Richard Glazer, an eminent domain attorney for the Frick family, which owns Trader’s World.

Trader’s World’s entrance is off-set from Ohio 63, but a line of cars often forms on Trader’s World property between Ohio 63 and the main admission gate as traffic waits to get in, Frick said.

“At a minimum, the plans would cause a lot of problems that don’t exist right now,” Frick said. “The family’s concern is the roads are being relocated to accommodate the racino in such a manner that is not in the best interest of Trader’s World’s use of their property.”

“We will listen to all parties,” said County Commissioner Dave Young. “We don’t guarantee the outcome, but we certainly realize Trader’s World has been a long standing, productive business in the county. We’re not trying to hurt them. If anything, we’re trying to help them by negotiating this. Even if it’s not a perfect scenario, the fact there will be thousands and thousands of people a day coming across the street from their business will hopefully have a tangible benefit for them.”

The planned racino includes a 5/8-mile harness racing track with an attached enclosed grandstand that could seat about 400 people; a 186,000 square foot building with 2,500 Video Lottery Terminal slot machines; several dining areas including a buffet, sports bar and a more upscale restaurant; and a horse paddock to house between 85 and 125 horses.

Officials said the racino will bring 750 jobs to the area including 450 full time positions. Owners have said it will bring $24 million annually to the area.