ISSUES LIKELY TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE MASTER PLAN
- Changing road networks.
- Changing the pattern of land use.
- Partnerships to form economic development strategies.
SOURCE: Miami Twp.
AREA TRAFFIC PATTERNS
VEHICLES PER DAY
I-75/I-675 interchange 83,260
I-75/Ohio 725 interchange 91,640
I-675 overpass/Ohio 741 51,620
Ohio 725 underpass/I-75 33,850
Ohio 725/Ohio 741 intersection 26,910
Ohio 741/Lyons Road intersection 32,790
SOURCE: Miami Twp. 2009 information
Changes to heavily-traveled roads and new development strategies to boost a corridor that already employs thousands of people are expected to be part a long-range plan for the Dayton Mall area.
A two-square-mile section encompassing Ohio 741 and Ohio 725 in Miami Twp. and Miamisburg – and also impacting Washington Twp. and West Carrollton – will be the focus of a master plan that is the first of its type for the 44-year-old Dayton Mall and its surrounding area, according to one local official.
“To our knowledge, there’s never been a plan like this done to the area – to comprehensively study the township’s core,” Chris Snyder, Miami Twp. planning and zoning director, said.
The Miami Twp.-Dayton Mall Joint Economic Development District Board has budgeted $230,000 to hire a firm for the study of an area that is home to an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 jobs, said Snyder, who also a JEDD board member.
The area also involves roadways that handle hundreds of thousands of vehicles each day, including more than 90,000 at the Interstate 75/Ohio 725 interchange, according to Miami Twp.
One of the concepts being considered is work to improve the I-75/Ohio 725 interchange, said Miamisburg City Manager Keith Johnson, a member of the JEDD board.
“This is a real important first step for that vision … if we’re going to strengthen that gateway.” Johnson said.
The 31-page Request for Proposal released this week asks applicants to address key considerations, including:
• Creation of a township center;
• Positioning the mall to be the primary shopping venue in Montgomery County;
• Creation of efficient connections and high-performance public realms;
• Promotion of a collaborative environment;
• Creation of a mixed-use environment;
• Creation of governance and leadership roles to champion implementation of plan.
The plan will have a southern boundary of Ohio 741 and Newmark Drive, just north of LexisNexis, which supplies more than 3,000 additional jobs. The plan will also not include Austin Landing, but will be influenced by the 142-acre development off Interstate 75 at Austin Boulevard, Snyder said.
“We’re certainly very cognizant of Austin Landing with this plan,” he said. “… Yes, it’s certainly an influence on this plan.”
Last year, Dodd Camera announced it was closing its store at the Dayton Mall and opening at Austin Landing. Yet the only mall competitor mentioned in the RFP is the Mall at Fairfield Commons in Greene County.
Officials will look at how to “position both areas to work together” as development along Ohio 741 progresses, Snyder said.
The northern boundary on Ohio 741 is Habitat Condominiums while the east-west borders on Ohio 725 will include Sycamore Medical Center in Miamisburg and Southview Medical Center in Washington Twp., Snyder said.
The plan will likely address how the road networks near the mall – which opened in 1970 — can be enhanced with pedestrians and bicyclists in mind, Snyder said. The Ohio 725/Ohio 741 intersection handles more than 26,000 vehicles per day, according to Miami Twp.’s website, but neither road in that area includes a path for pedestrians or cyclists.
Changing patterns of land use will also likely be part of the plan. For instance, Snyder said, the area of study lacks a community gathering space.
“Obviously, we’re going through a big shift with all of the baby boomers retiring,” he said. “That’s obviously going to change how people live and how they shop and what they do.”
The JEDD board will accept bids on the master plan until Aug. 4 with a target date of selecting a firm by September or October, Snyder said. Once a contractor is selected, the estimated time to complete the master plan will be 12 to 15 months, he said.
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