Creative Region Initiative Officially Kicks Off

Last night the Creative Region Initiative was officially kicked off as the organizers of the project and the 32 chosen catalysts met one another at the Westcott House in Springfield.  There was quite an energy in the room - we have some great people in the group and it is possibly the most diverse group of people I've ever been involved with in my life.  There is also the sense that this ambitious and unique effort is very different from any other community-based project ever executed in the past.  I believe there is a ton of potential to do some projects that have a huge impact on our community and will hopefully inspire even more spin-off projects in the future and beyond.

Become a "Street Smart" Urban Cyclist!

You may not be thinking of cycling just yet, but Spring will be here before you know it. For those of you who enjoy bicycling in the urban environment as well as on the trails, the following course might be of interest to you. This is a course on urban bike riding offered by two "League of American Bicyclists"-certified instructors to be held at the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, 16 S. Williams St., on two Saturdays, April 5 and 12.

Lori Turner Pulls Out of Dayton's Branding Campaign

Very interesting turn of events reported by the DDN today. Lori Turner has written to the DDC that her firm will pull out of the Dayton branding campaign because it has "caused a distraction" to the work of promoting Dayton and bringing jobs here. Apparently, Turner Effect hasn't been paid (yet). According to Turner, her professional services have come thus far to $80,000. The other question is what impact will this have on "Get Midwest?"  I doubt if DDC will go back to the drawing board, but will another marketing firm be hired to implement a program that isn't theirs and which seems to be pretty unpopular.

Dayton City's Updated Website

Looks like everyone is updating their websites. In addition to the Downtown Dayton Partnership's new and improved site, City Hall has updated theirs as well. Check it out.

I am a Creative Region Initiative Catalyst

I just learned this past Friday that I have been selected to be one of thirty community catalysts that will be working on the Creative Region Initiative for the next year.  Of course, I will be writing about my "creative class adventures" here on MostMetro.com, and we will be using the new DMM Forum to help communicate ideas from both within the group as well as everybody else that would like to share ideas for improving our economy and making our city and region a more vibrant place.

I encourage ALL of you to join our forum and share your ideas.  Don't just be a spectator - get involved.  Because that is the whole point of this project - to get as many people as possible involved in deciding what Dayton's future will be.  The thirty catalysts are only the beginning - this effort will need the help of many more people.  If you've ever heard of crowdsourcing - this is it.  Stay tuned, because you'll read about the different projects that come out of this initiative HERE FIRST.

And if you are late getting here and have no idea what this is about, click here.

UPDATE (2/18/2008): I was just informed that not everybody that was selected has been notified yet, so if you applied and haven't heard back, they may still be working on contacting you.  And if you aren't ultimately selected to be a catalyst, you can STILL GET INVOLVED.

A Little Info on the Two Michaels

In case you were wondering who the movers are behind the new Oregon Art District project, here’s a little bit of information concerning them.

Dr. Michael E. Ervin was previously CEO and Chairman of Wright Health Associates. He has always maintained an interest in Dayton and has served as Chairman of the Board of the United Way and Co-Chair of the Downtown Dayton Partnership. I’m not sure if he is still involved in this, but he was/is chair of the investment committee of the UD board of trustees and has been involved in the university’s Center for Portfolio Management, nationally known for allowing finance students to manage a portfolio of funds in an environment that simulates Wall Street. He also was involved in the pre-hire interview of Dayton’s new police chief, Richard Biehl.

Michael Elsass is a nationally known artist whose gallery, at least presently, is on Front Street. You can learn more about him at his website http://www.mikeelsass.com/.

If anyone else would like to add something to these short bios, feel free.

Oregon District - Using ART for Economic Development

Once known for its seedy bars and seedier people (yes some are still there), the Oregon District has undergone a bit of a transformation over the past few years with places like Pacchia, Thai Nine, Cafe Boulevard, Jay's Seafood and John Henry making this one of the Dayton Region's only classy dining destinations for independent restaurant lovers.  There have also been a few random art galleries to add to the urban experience, but nothing like what is being announced today....

Big Announcement Coming Tomorrow...

Yes, we know what it is but we're not allowed to tell the secret... until tomorrow at 10am, so check back here then.  It is happening in the OD and it is going to be big...

here it is...

More Arcade Stuff...

Those of you that live downtown, the Friends of the Dayton Arcade are holding a meeting at the Dayton Public Library on Wednesday February 20th at 7-8:30pm to get your thoughts on what YOU would like to see in the RESTORED Arcade!

Also, one of our DMM Forumers has started a discussion about using the Arcade as a "third place" - check it out HERE (thanks bobcat20!).

Don't know what a third place is?  Check out this Cool Town Studios article, and after you do, ask yourself - wouldn't the Dayton Arcade make ONE HELLUVA THIRD PLACE? 

Believe it...

Check Out the New DDP Website

The new Downtown Dayton Partnership website is up and running with some pretty cool stuff. Check it out.

Join our new DMM Forum

We need ALL of you to join us in new discussions about our city and our region - right here on the newest Dayton Forum...

Dayton could use THIS kind of marketing!

Ok, this is actually an extended ad for BMW, but it is interestingly tied to Richard Florida's Creative Class theory.  And while it is simply an ad for BMW, I believe it communicates the definition of the Creative Class in a very well done and well produced video.  Now I realize that this probably took a ton of money to produce, but imagine if Dayton could have some marketing like this!  THIS is what it means to be creative - watch it and tell us what you think... (click on the pic)