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On August 3rd, officials from Dayton visited Youngstown to discuss economic development, urban planning and financing. The day proved useful in sharing ideas from two Ohio cities that share a significant loss of population over the past thirty years.
The Dayton delegation included Mayor Rhine McLin, City of Dayton Planners John Gower and Becky Gaytko, Paul Robinson, Chief Deputy Montgomery County Treasurer, Legislative Aide Sarah Abernathy and me. I really am grateful for the people who carved a day away from Dayton to take a look at the other practices of an Ohio city.
From Youngstown, we met with Mayor Jay Williams, his Chief of Staff Jason Whitehead, Planner Anthony Kobak, Community Developer Bill D’Avignon, Finance Director David Bozanich and Hunter Morrison, Director of the Center for Urban and Regional Studies at Youngstown State University.
We all had read a lot about Youngstown and have been following their urban renewal plan. We were anxious to see their aggressive demolition strategy, how their neighborhoods were reacting to the new plan and what it has done for their city overall. I think we were surprised to learn about how their city had addressed their brownfield redevelopment and the shear aggressiveness of the city’s economic development approach.
Continue reading "Gray to Green" »
When we first moved to Ohio in 2001, we chose the Dayton region because my wife had family here - some in Kettering and some in Beavercreek. We knew little about the Dayton region so we relied on advice from family and real estate agents. There were some that said Beavercreek was the best place to be, others claimed Oakwood, and still others said Centerville. Many claimed that Springboro was where we should move to because it was growing like crazy and full of young affluent people. But there was definitely a common bit of neighborhood-searching advice that was given by ALL of our family and Realtors alike - STAY AWAY FROM THE CITY OF DAYTON! We listened to all of this advice and ended up in Washington Township (or as I called it - Centerville, since I still don't really know the difference). Well, after realizing that suburban living wasn't for us, we bought our downtown loft condo just 2 years later and we haven't looked back. Unfortunately, even though we've lived downtown for almost 4 years and have somehow managed to avoid all of the muggings, shootings, murders, etc. that supposedly occur downtown on a daily basis (btw, that is all a myth), people still to this day ask us if we're scared living here. And Realtors seem to still insist on pushing people further south and away from the city.
Continue reading "Are Dayton Realtors hindering urban progress?" »
Last weekend while walking the dog on our daily trek down Canal Walk, I saw in the distance a familiar sight that I hadn't seen in over a year - the Five Rivers Fountain was on! I assumed they were just testing it since I hadn't heard anything in the news, but nonetheless it was nice to see. Then in this morning's DDN, I read some good news that the fountain may be back on for good very soon.
Dayton Daily News
Link: Riverscape fountains may finally work as planned.
The six-year saga of the often malfunctioning fountain at the Riverscape MetroPark may finally conclude this summer with a happily-ever-after ending.
The fountain — touted to be one of the largest in the world — was turned off, again, this summer for repair of the starter mechanism, an electronic piece that turns on the fountain motor...
This latest fix comes after a series of problems, but Carrie Scarff, deputy director of Five Rivers MetroParks believes the water feature's boondoggle days are done.
"We're getting close to getting them operable," Scarff said. "Our hope is certainly that the fountain runs consistently and reliably."...
Our post back in May discussed how important our city's skyline is, and the fountain (claimed to be one of the biggest in the world?) is a major part of the skyline. Now if only we can convince the building managers at the Fifth Third building to turn the roof lights back on...
Above Photo by © Andy Snow
 Last week, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance (similar to the Downtown Dayton Partnership) began a new campaign to help combat that city's panhandling problem. Called the Homeless Education Campaign, it aims to raise public awareness and "encourage people to stop giving money to panhandlers and start giving money to the homeless social services that are currently serving the homeless." The campaign is modeled after similar campaigns in Philadelphia and other cities across America who are struggling with the panhandling problem.
Click here
to read their press release.
Click here to read the newspaper article.
The DCA makes a point to differentiate between homeless (who do need our help) and panhandlers, who are not homeless but simply scam people for money by telling that often-heard story about how their car broke down and they need a couple of bucks to get back home, etc. They are distributing posters (such as what you see above) to downtown businesses, parking lot managers and property managers in hopes to get the word out that there are much better ways to help those who truly need it than to give your money to panhandlers.
Continue reading "How is Cleveland tackling the panhandling problem?" »
 Date: October 4th, 2007
Time: 5:30-7:30pm
Place: Webster Street Market (Top of the Market)
This event is for you if you:
... have considered leaving the burbs for a downtown loft condo or a historic district house
... already live in an urban neighborhood and want to meet others that do or are thinking about it
... want to hear about the joys of "living urban!
CLICK HERE to find out more....
If you haven't heard already, a group of folks recently formed Friends to Save the Arcade - in order to, well - save the Arcade! And while the squelchers out there will continue to claim that it is impossible, this group appears ready to do the impossible, including raising $270k in order to pay the tax bill.
Next Thursday (8/30) at noon, the group plans to hold a Rally to Save the Arcade at Courthouse Square. And during Urban Nights on Friday 8/14, the Arcade will actually be open for tours that will be organized by none other than Friends to Save the Arcade. This group is serious about its mission and has some dedicated people involved in the efforts. I highly recommend you attend the rally if you can, and definitely go check out an Arcade tour on the 14th. Even if you're not ready to give money to the cause at this time, at least go listen to what the group is up to, and most importantly - why we all should care about Saving the Arcade!
Here are some links to other Arcade stories and photos:
Dayton's Arcade: Truly Distinctive, Truly Dayton (Dayton MostMetro - Dayton History)
Aspects of the Dayton Arcade (UrbanOhio.com)
The Historic Arcade (Preservation Dayton)
Arcade Photos
More Arcade Photos
And just like we did with the Mendelson building, tell us here what you think the best use would be for the Arcade...
Yes, there are MANY things that the City of Dayton needs to work on to attract residents. Problems with crime, public schools, quality of life - these all must be addressed. But since the city is already working on possible two-way street conversions downtown, now is the time to be a leader in one nationwide trend instead of missing another opportunity.
 Although Dayton's suburbs are continuing to grow despite a current national trend of people moving back into cities, Dayton does have a few advantages over the burbs. One of the biggest is the fact that you can get around without the need for a car. No, we are not Manhattan or Chicago, but our city's downtown was built for pedestrians while the suburbs are built for automobiles. And in a time when $5.00 gasoline is very foreseeable and progressive people are cognizant of the environment and their impact on it - it makes sense for Dayton to capitalize on this advantage and build on it.
In Dayton we already have one of the best bicycle trail systems in the state, and it goes right through downtown. We should be looking at adding bicycle lanes to all of our major streets when converting to two-way - not just one bike lane on one side of the street, but both sides. By doing this, we will see even more bikes in and around downtown than we already do, and we may see more new residents who enjoy the fact that they can bike to work (if not walk). And if the next phase of Riverscape does indeed come to fruition (and I'm told it will), we will see a new bicycle station complete with lockers, showers, bike rentals and bicycle repair services. Imagine if you could get to this bike trail hub from any urban neighborhood in Dayton by using any number of bike lanes that go through downtown... and imagine seeing Dayton as one of the cities with progressive "Complete Streets" programs. Yes, the Wright Brothers (who perfected airplane designs in their bicycle shop) would certainly be proud.
Link: 'Complete streets' program gives more room for pedestrians, cyclists - USATODAY.com.
A growing number of states and local governments are rejecting a half-century of transportation practice and demanding that streets accommodate all types of travel, not just automobiles.
The concept of "complete streets" — with bike lanes, sidewalks and room for mass transit — has attracted a diverse national alliance of supporters, including advocates for senior citizens and the disabled.
8/7/2007 - I've decided to bring this post we did back in March back to the top because I've recently learned that a group of Dayton leaders just returned from a trip to Youngstown in an effort to learn more about what that city is doing in terms of its "Smart Decline" strategy. I'm told that it was a successful trip and many good ideas were brought back to Dayton. It also sounds like Youngstown is interested in some of the things that Dayton is doing - such as the Genesis Project (more on that to come). We'll be posting more info on the Dayton-Youngstown connection as we get it. Hmm, could it be that our previous blog posts on Youngstown sparked this development?
...
3/28/2007 - Youngstown, Ohio is a great example of a typical declining midwest
city that is struggling with population and economic decline. But
instead of simply rolling over and accepting their fate, the people of
Youngstown are being proactive in finding solutions - including "smart
decline". Mayor Jay Williams (only 36 years old) is leading the city
in its efforts, and in the following interview by SmartCity Radio, he
talks about the things that his city is doing.
Continue reading "SmartCity Radio - Interview with Youngstown Mayor" »
We started Dayton MostMetro almost exactly a year ago as an alternative to the constant negativity that Daytonians are bombarded with from the local media (and often themselves). We aimed to help spotlight Dayton's historic districts & urban neighborhoods, locally owned businesses, parks, theaters and art galleries. We created a comprehensive Events Calendar to prove that there are plenty of great things to do in Dayton for people who aren't too lazy to turn off their televisions and leave their houses. And yes, we created a blog - actually four blogs (plus a few that we experimented with). And it was our blogs that we knew would be the reason for people to return to our site on a daily basis. Unlike many of the other Dayton blogs out there, we try to stay clear away from politics or personal bashing - but we do welcome constructive debate.
We are certainly not alone in the Dayton blogosphere, nor were we the first. These days, you can read several other blogs about Dayton. "The Dayton Syndicate" (a term coined by Phillip?) is growing, and here are its unofficial and independent members:
Continue reading "Blogs, blogs and more blogs..." »
Just in case you don't read or hear about this in the local news, here is some good news for Downtown Dayton...
From Dayton Biz Bits
August 2, 2007 Technology Firm to Invest, Add Jobs Downtown
Enterprise Information Management, Inc., (EIM), a Virginia-based provider of information technology solutions, is moving forward with plans to invest $1.25 million and add jobs at its downtown Dayton office, following approval of a development agreement by the Dayton City Commission.
The investment will retain six full-time positions and add 100 jobs with an average salary of more than $55,000 over the next three years. EIM will lease and upgrade up to 10,000 square feet of office space at the Talbott Tower, 131 N. Ludlow St., and purchase new equipment. The City of Dayton is supporting the expansion with a $200,000 grant.
Since its inception in 1996, EIM has delivered complex technology solutions to federal agencies, including the Department of Defense. The company's services include enterprise transformation, acquisition management and information technology services
Yes, the article said "100 jobs ... over the next three years". Kudos to those folks that made this happen - it is a big win for our urban core!
Kudos to the decision makers who decided to rescind the offer to David Brigham to make him the new director for the Dayton Art Institute. It is one thing to have the "face of the community" live in the Dayton suburbs - which would likely happen (though the former director did actually live in Downtown Dayton). But for the director of the city's (and region's) most highly regarded museum to live in a totally different city is just ridiculous. Unless Mr. Brigham had some valid family reasons for living in Cinci, his choice to not live in the Dayton region as the director of DAI was a slap in the face of our community.
It is nice to see that leadership is willing to say "no thanks" to somebody who isn't willing to live in the community that he is to serve. There are other qualified candidates out there that value what we have in Dayton.
Dayton Daily News
Link: DAI director loses job for living plans.
David Brigham, the 43-year-old Ph.D. from Allentown, Pa., who was selected as the new director and CEO of the Dayton Art Institute, will not be coming to Dayton after all.
DAI board chairman Joseph A. Zehenny announced Tuesday that the museum is resuming its search for a new director because of Brigham's desire to live in the Cincinnati area instead of Dayton.
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