Creative Catalysts have a name and website: DaytonCREATE.org!

DaytonCREATE

Creating Regional Excitement, Action, Talent and Enthusiasm

A few weeks into the Creative Region Initiative and my fellow catalysts and I are busy getting organized and growing our teams (busy enough that I've been a bit quiet on this blog lately!).  Our communication team has really been impressive right out of the gate... They have recruited an online pro (hi Brooke!) who has been busy creating a new website for the group: www.DaytonCREATE.org

This new site is the place to keep up with each team's progress updates.  And don't worry, we'll continue to do stories about the initiative here on DMM from time to time and our new DMM Forum will continue to serve as the official communication forum for both catalysts and non-catalysts alike.  You are ALL welcome to sign up there and get involved with the conversations.  And if you are interested in getting involved with one of the team initiatives then contact the appropriate person (more info at the DaytonCreate.org site).

Btw - I am on the Dayton Creative Incubator team and we are currently researching arts incubators.  As many of you know, Dayton has one helluva arts scene.  An arts incubator would provide our independent artists with affordable (free?) space and services in a true community setting.  And with the exciting things happening in the newly formed Oregon Arts District, now is the time to  capitalize on our region's strong arts community by helping them grow.

The following is the first DaytonCREATE press release - check it out and then go check out the new website.  And of course your comments are welcome here on DMM.  What do you think?

Downtown's Latest Housing Project

It looks like the housing development at the corner of First & Patterson is steps away from becoming reality, and it will be different than anything done in the region so far...

The plan is to build 36 townhomes on what is now a big parking lot on the southwest corner of Patterson and First.  These will apparently be modular construction and will also be LEED certified (between Silver and Gold level).  LiteHouse Development Group (Rogero Buckman are the architects) are a couple weeks away from getting all of their ducks in a row with the city, financing, etc. and they plan to build a single townhome as a model on the corner of Ice Ave and Patterson - possibly in time for Urban Nights in May. 

They will be three-story townhomes similar in scale to the Cooper Place Townhomes.  One of the things I found interesting was that the streets that go through the development will be private property and they are planning to do them with brick paver-type surfaces as opposed to asphalt in order to give it a village feel.  All materials will be long-lasting, environmentally friendly and come from manufacturers that have strong recycling/environmental processes in place (like Shaw that recycle all used carpet into new).  Windows will be placed in a way to maximize light and roofs will include rain-capturing devices that will recycle rain water to irrigate all landscaping.  There was also talk of solar panels.

They must pre-sell at least 40% of a "row" (6-8 or so) in order to complete the whole row of townhomes - there were like 5 or 6 rows on the plan.  So as long as the market is there for these things, they're talking anywhere from 3-6 years for total completion.  Price points will be from $170k for the smallest units (1000sqft) to $230k for the biggest (1800sqft) - depending on how many options the buyer gets.  The buyer will also have the opportunity to upgrade the environmental aspects of the unit.

The other two parcels of land that were originally part of the overall development (adjacent to WorkflowOne garage and adjacent to Lincoln Storage on the other corners of First & Patterson) are not included in this plan but are not off the table - depending on how these sell those other parcels will be revisited.

See pics below (click each to enlarge) and let us know what you think...

A Level Playing Field

What if federal, state and county governments were to end the cycle of sprawl by coming up with a system that is more fair... one that charges appropriate impact fees to developers who choose to tear down trees and build new housing developments that require more roads and infrastructure.  Perhaps some of those fees could go to rewarding developers who choose to undertake the often more expensive and challenging task of rehabbing current building stock in older and more established urban (and closer-in suburb) neighborhoods and districts that already have existing infrastructure in place.  This might provide a more level playing field between struggling city neighborhoods and the endless sprawl that continues to suck life out of our urban core.

The following is an article from the Boston Globe that we found on Richard Florida's blog (who found it on The Economist's View blog).

What do you think?

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.

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.

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...

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)

 

The Downtown Arcade to Reopen in 2008

Ok Daytonians, I know that headline got your attention.  Unfortunately it is not referring to the Dayton Arcade (yet), but is instead about a VERY SIMILAR Arcade in Bridgeport, CT.  It is so similar that the picture to the left could very easily be mistaken for our own Arcade...

If you are involved with the current efforts to save our Arcade in Downtown Dayton, PLEASE forward a link to this page to any developer that might be interested in participating.  Because the following is an excellent example of how another city is making things happen with their arcade...

Bridgeport, CT

The Arcade is a 19th Century complex in downtown Bridgeport with some of the most stunning architectural details the city has to offer, including its signature stepped-glass atrium roof. One of the first created and few remaining arcades in the United States, the former hotel and mall are being renovated to include:

• 23 modern one- and two-bedroom apartments on the 2nd to 4th floors
• 5 spacious frontage retail/restaurant spaces
• 10 prime street-level retail/restaurant spaces centered around the spectacular glass ceiling
• 12 mezzanine-level spaces for retail, office or art/design uses
• geothermal heating and other green elements for lower energy bills for tenants
Occupancy is expected in Summer 2007.

Oh, and incidentally - Bridgeport, CT was ranked Number 1 in the latest Creative Class Group's rankings for Creative Class Density for cities between 500k and 1 million in population.  Number 5 on that same list?  None other than Dayton, OH!!!!  So let's get our OWN arcade brought back to life as we work on our own Creative Region Initiative and become the Number One creative city!  Yes people, it can happen - just gotta believe!

(thanks to CoolTown Studios for making us aware!)

Get Midwest - We think of Everything?

If you are a regular reader of this blog then you know that we try to stay focused on the positives about our city - since there is already enough negativity out there.  But this time I'm going to stray a bit from that approach because this latest "effort" by the regional powers-that-be simply begs to be questioned (if not bashed mercilessly)...

These are the new logos for the region's new branding campaign which was unveiled by the Dayton Development Coalition recently.  If you're like me, you are now asking yourself - "are they kidding me?"  No, they are not kidding.  In fact, I'll bet that a ton of money went into this branding effort - and in my opinion it fails on several levels.

First, let me tell you that I included "Dayton Region" in the above logos because that is how they are presented on the DDC's website, but I have a feeling that the words "Dayton Region" are not part of the official logo nor are they part of their new web address: www.bemidwest.com.  If that assumption is correct, then how in the world is ANYBODY supposed to see this logo and think of Dayton?  Or even Ohio for that matter?  Why are we marketing the entire Midwest here?  Did Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan contribute money to this campaign?  This is like Seattle changing their slogan to "Be Pacific Coast", or Charleston, S.C. saying "Get East Coast".  It says NOTHING about Dayton or why a business or person should want to be here.  I would almost expect something like "be southwest ohio" since the leaders of this region seem hellbent on advocating sprawl to the south.  But "be midwest" is so vague it's almost funny.

"We think of everything" - what does that mean?  Perhaps it is supposed to mean that our region is full of people that "think" for a living so as to try to attract businesses that are looking for that quality in a workforce.  But how does this differentiate our region from ANY other region in the country ?

Here are some more opinions of "get/be midwest - we think of everything!":
Get Midwest - or not? - Dayton Daily News
“Get Midwest”- A generic campaign that is guaranteed to fail. - Esrati.com

And here is a list of alternatives that are probably just as effective (and not any worse than) "be midwest - we think of everything":

• "Dayton Region - We're WAY Better Than Flint, MI"
• "Dayton Region - It Is Cheap To Live Here"
• "Dayton Region - We Don't Have Too Much Traffic"
• "Dayton Region - We're Like Family Friendly and Stuff"
• "Dayton Region - We're Like High Tech and Stuff"
• "Dayton Region - We Have Nice Parks"  ..... (and Stuff)
• "Dayton Region - Go Ohio State Buckeyes!" (oh wait, that is Columbus)
• "Dayton Region - We're Really Close to Cincinnati"
• "Dayton Region - We Were Famous 100 Years Ago"
• "Miami Valley - Just Like Miami, Florida... But Different"
• "Dayton Region - Including Warren County, the Cultural Epicenter of the World"
• "Dayton Region - We Have the Best Suburbs"
• "I Am Dayton - And So Can You!"  (actually I like that one - thanks Colbert!)

By the way - the City of Dayton is supposedly still working on ITS branding efforts - let's pray that THEY have the sense to include the word "Dayton" in the slogan!

Creative Region Initiative - It's Official

Yes, it is official - the funds have been raised and Dr. Richard Florida's Creative Class Group will be coming to Dayton to work with thirty community catalysts who will be selected over the next few weeks. 

Leaders sought to be catalysts in region's creative class initiative
Dayton Daily News
January 20, 2007

The money is raised, the consultant is hired and Richard Florida himself will be here in March to train Daytonians on how to build and sustain "creative class" growth here in the Miami Valley.

The Creative Region Initiative, the moniker given to the local effort begun a year ago by the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education and a task force of 20 community groups, kicks off today with a call for 30 volunteers to be trained by Florida's consulting company, the Creative Class Group.

It is obvious that this effort will continue to have skeptics, especially in a town that seems to have never met a consultant it wouldn't throw a bunch of money to for a study that says what everybody already knows or whose advice ultimately isn't followed (the recent $100k study by KMK Consulting comes to mind).  But unlike those past consulting efforts, I believe this one is different.  Instead of outsiders that come into town, poll a few people, write some fancy report , collect their paycheck and then leave town - this effort is managed and implemented by us.  Us as in we who live in this community and are likely already working towards making our community better.  Florida's Creative Class Group simply lays out the road map; it is up to those of us who become community catalysts to do the real work.  And by doing that real work ourselves, we stand a much better chance at developing a successful and sustainable plan for growing our city and region - and especially our urban core... because after all, it is the urban core that the creative class typically gravitates to.

This of course is how I understand it; since I have not yet been a part of this whole process I really can't speak with authority on how it works.  I invite those of you who have been involved since the beginning to comment here and give any additional details that you may have.  And look for MostMetro.com to play a role in this Creative Region Initiative in the near future...

Additional Links:

Creative Class on MostMetro.com (with NPR/Richard Florida interview)
More Creative Class on MostMetro.com
SOCHE Website
Creative Class Group
Richard Florida's Blog on Dayton
Daytonology's Creative Class in Dayton Analysis

Warren County Culture Poachers

As many of you know (because I've already gotten two emails and a phone message about it), there was an op-ed in last Wednesday's DDN written by a Mr. Nathan Smallwood - president of the Warren County Arts Council that has many urban supporters a bit miffed.  Here is a link to the article... and here is my letter to both the DDN and Mr. Smallwood in its entirety:

RE:  "Arts sector should reach out to booming Warren"

Mr. Smallwood, your claim that the arts community in Dayton should focus less on the urban core and more on your bedroom community that is far away from the city's "perceived urban ills" is insulting to those of us who currently enjoy and support the fantastic culture that exists in the urban core of Dayton, and especially those of us who choose to live in and near Downtown Dayton.  It is one thing for you and your city-phobic neighbors to run away from the urban (and suburban) problems and choose a life of exurban isolation - it is quite another to expect the culture that you chose to flee from to simply up and follow you out to your land of sprawl.  And to use Warren County's high median income as justification for abandoning the arts downtown so that it can be unnecessarily duplicated in your exurbs is ridiculous - I guess the "poor city of Dayton" doesn't deserve arts and culture as much as your "wealthy" community does. 

The arts community of Dayton is ingrained into the urban fabric that makes up Dayton - it cannot simply be moved for your convenience, Mr. Smallwood.  Downtown Dayton is still the hub and soul of this region despite its struggles, and it is home to the region's premiere arts & theater venues.  These venues - including the Dayton Art Institute, Victoria Theater, Loft Theater and Schuster Performing Arts Center - are first-rate and most have very long histories.  The Cannery Arts & Design Centre, DVAC, Front Street Arts Complex and several small art galleries coming soon to the Oregon District are perfect examples of an urban arts scene that can never be duplicated in the suburbs, let alone the exurbs.  And a growing independent artist group called the Circus Creative Collective is very active in the urban core of Dayton because of the diversity and urban flavor here that places like Warren County simply don't have.

Finally, your assertion that "across the nation, massive numbers of families are trading their traditional suburban lifestyles for bigger homes and yards and increased distance from perceived urban ills" is questionable at best.  I'd argue that the opposite is true - many people are trading in their excessive commute times and uninspiring exurban surroundings for the excitement, diversity, social experience and walkability of the city.  Dayton may not be realizing this urban revitalization as fast as some other parts of the country (yet), but there are many people who are investing their time, money and passion in our city so that it does one day reach its potential.  The arts and culture scene in Dayton serves as an important anchor to these efforts, and those of us who choose to live in the city as opposed to your exurbs will simply not stand by and watch people like you try to poach it away from us.

Regards,
Bill Pote
Downtown Dayton Resident and Business Owner
bpote@mostmetro.com

 

The Great Dayton Disconnect

I had been meaning to write about this for some time now, and this recent article from the Columbus Dispatch inspired me to do it now (insert the name Dayton wherever you see the word Columbus):

Poll: Some don't link 'burbs, city
Sunday,  December 9, 2007 3:28 AM
By Darrel Rowland, Alan Johnson and Mark Niquette
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

If the core of Columbus and other Ohio cities fail, the problems they're experiencing will spread to the surrounding suburbs, exurbs and townships, experts warn.

If the core of Columbus and other Ohio cities fail, the problems they're experiencing will spread to the surrounding suburbs, exurbs and townships, experts warn.

As many as 30,000 central Ohio residents might consider living Downtown, poll results showed. Such "urban pioneers" would help fuel a revival Downtown, attracting stores, restaurants and entertainment to the city's core, one expert says.

Only about a third of the people who live around Columbus agree that a "strong link" exists between the health of the city and the health of the rest of the central Ohio region, poll results show.

Experts say Ohio's big cities will never get turned around until people who live in the surrounding suburbs and exurbs realize their areas' fates are linked to the health of the core city.

Without that understanding, the "why-should-I-care" attitude will not only thwart the cities' comebacks, but will contribute to a spread of urban problems into the very areas people fled to escape them.

But only about a third of the people who live in the areas surrounding Columbus buy into this concept, judging from a poll by Saperstein Associates. That portion agrees a "strong link" exists between the health of the city and the health of the rest of central Ohio. Another 36 percent see "somewhat of a link."

More Complete Streets

Here are some more Complete Streets examples.  If city leadership is looking for something to get behind, this is it.  This is the kind of thinking that allows other cities to grow and succeed.  Is Dayton ready to do the same?

From the DECEMBER 2007 issue of New Urban News

Cities redo streets for pedestrians, cyclists, transit

“Complete Streets” movement presses a growing number of cities to plan for multimodal transportation.

In 2003, bicyclists intent on obtaining safer routes for cycling concluded that they needed a slogan — one that would communicate their goal to the public clearly and forcefully. Instead of continuing to appeal for “routine accommodation” — the bureaucratic phrase they’d been relying on up to that point — they started demanding “Complete Streets.”
This new catchphrase — and the coalition that united behind it — are helping to usher in benefits for cyclists and pedestrians alike. In the four years since the program was approved by the advocacy group American Bikes, “Complete Streets” has been endorsed or promoted by CNU, AARP, the American Planning Association, the Active Living by Design Program and others.
“A lot of cities have recognized the problem and are trying to create real change,” says Jeffrey Tumlin of Nelson\Nygaard, a transportation consulting firm based in San Francisco. The emphasis varies from one locale to another, but the central goal, as defined by Barbara Gray and Grace Crunican of the Seattle Department of Transportation, is “policies and actions aimed at producing streets that are safe, accessible, and convenient for all users.”

Richard Florida's Dayton Lecture Tonight on WYSO

For those of you who missed Richard Florida's visit back in March, WYSO (91.3FM) will be rebroadcasting the lecture that was part of Wright State's Presidential Lecture series in partnership with www.soche.org tonight (11/27/2007) at 7pm.  The program can also be streamed on WYSO's website at www.wyso.org.

More details on the ongoing efforts with Florida's Creative Class consulting group will be coming soon.

Rumor Alert

MostMetro has learned that the GS Outfitters property has been purchased by Miami Jacobs College.  We're not sure what they have planned for the property but it is likely that they will be using the parking lot as a replacement for the current PMI parking lot they currently lease across the street from their building on Patterson.  That PMI parking lot is to be developed into another townhome project, and those plans should be coming out soon.  It is also believed that those townhomes are to be LEED Certified - in other words, GREEN!

It will be interesting to see what Miami Jacobs does with the GS Outfitters buildings - perhaps they are expanding.  If you know any more info on this, feel free to comment...

Miami Valley Planning & Zoning Workshop

The Ohio Planning Conference (a chapter of the American Planning Association) is hosting the 21st Annual Miami Valley Planning & Zoning Workshop on December 7th, 2007 8am at Sinclair Community College.  Among the many speakers will be keynote speaker Mayor Jay Williams from Youngstown, OH.  As you've read previously on DMM, Youngstown is a national leader in Smart Decline strategies, and Dayton leaders recently visited Youngstown to determine if some of those same strategies will work in Dayton. 

Also, ironicallly timed with our previous post about Flint, MI's ideas to demolish abandoned/obsolete houses and sell the properties to adjacent homeowners for $1, the folks from the Genesee County Land Bank Authority will be discussing this land bank strategy that includes different strategies for dealing with foreclosed properties.

Additional discussions will include:

• Bike-friendly Strategies
• LEED/Sustainable Housing and Development
• Religious Land Use
• Economic Development around Riverfronts (ie Ballpark Village)
• Senior Citizens and Transportation
• And others

For a complete agenda and other info, visit the event website.  And afterwards if you participate in the event, please let us know what you thought about the workshop.

Correction: I had previously posted that this event was being hosted by the City of Dayton, but it is in fact being hosted by the Ohio Planning Conference.

Another Smart Decline Idea for Dayton

Ok, we've now all heard about the Smart Decline initiatives being implemented in Youngstown, Ohio and being considered (?) in Dayton.  Here is another great idea from the king of struggling American cities - Flint, MI...

Creative Class in Dayton

Jeff over at Daytonology has a pretty good post about the Creative Class in Dayton, including maps of where the majority of "creative class" types supposedly live in the region.  I'm not surprised to find that while the expected neighborhoods of OD, South Park, McPherson Town and Grafton Hill ranked high, so did several suburban areas.  The Dayton region is very divided in terms of suburban and urban, with so many younger people who unfortunately have very little connection to the inner city.  Thus, there are many young creative types that continue to live in the burbs.  I also have to wonder if Dayton neighborhoods would rank even higher were it not for the fact that so many of the so-called "creative-class" people simply leave this region altogether for cities like Chicago, Boston, NY, SF, etc. 

Because of Richard Florida's broad definition of who actually belongs to the Creative Class - basically ANYBODY who works a job in which they use their mind to create or does creative things outside of work - I'm not sure it is meaningful to actually try to map out where they all live.  And as Jeff points out, the census statistics he compiled do not take into account all of those creative people who work menial "non-creative" jobs to simply survive while pursuing truly artistic endeavors (such as every single struggling musician I've ever known).

MVRPC & Dayton City Leadership - please take notes...

As a follow-up to a previous post about what Dayton can do to improve our urban landscape and attract more people to visit and live here, this is a perfect example of a city doing it right...

Indianapolis - known more to be auto-oriented (think Indy 500) than pedestrian or bicycle-oriented - is undergoing a huge downtown street project that will actually REMOVE automobile lanes and replace them with what is called the Indianapolis Cultural Trail - "a world-class urban bike and pedestrian path that connects neighborhoods, Cultural Districts and entertainment amenities, and serves as the downtown hub for the entire central Indiana greenway system."

According to the website, this fantastic project is made possible by a large public and private collaboration led by Central Indiana Community Foundation, the City of Indianapolis and several not-for-profit organizations devoted to building a better city.

Here are some pre-construction and mid-construction photos - as well as post-construction renderings of what it will look like when completed.

G.S. Outfitters says goodbye

One of the few remaining retail businesses has decided to close shop.  G.S. Outfitters - located on Third St just east of Patterson - will be going out of business.  According to the DBJ article (below), a developer has offered to buy the property and the owner decided to take the money rather than continue to battle the big chains, Internet shopping and downtown's uncertain future.

Dayton Business Journal
Link: Downtown retailer closes to make way for development project

A venerable downtown retailer -- another victim of shoppers' attraction to suburbia's "new mall world'' -- is closing to make way for a commercial development project that is already in the works, a top store official said Tuesday.

GS Outfitters, described as "Dayton's LL Bean," will shutter its operations at 401 E. Third St. by Thanksgiving. A going-out-of-business sale starts Thursday...

...the buyer has a comprehensive plan for "a good, imaginative reuse" for the property, which includes three buildings and a large parking lot with between 60 and 70 spaces. Schultz said he could not elaborate other than that it will be a "non-retail" project. The buildings will not be demolished and will be readapted for the new use...

While this is more sad news for downtown, it is nice to know that the property is getting redeveloped right away rather than left to sit vacant like many other properties.  If anybody has any ideas as to what the new developer has in mind, do tell...

"I wish we were more like..."

I often hear about the inferiority complex that we have here in Dayton.  Of all the places I've lived in, Dayton's complex is certainly one of the most noticable - but I've never lived in or been to a city that DID NOT have an inferiority complex.  I suppose it is human nature to think that the grass is always greener on the other side.  Here are some cities I've lived in and their inferiority complexes:

The Geography of Nowhere

At the Get Urban event the other night, the name James Howard Kunstler was brought up so I decided to put some stuff up here about him as well as an interesting video of his presentation (below). 

Kunstler wrote a book over a decade ago called The Geography of Nowhere - about the "tragic sprawlscape of cartoon architecture, junked cities, and ravaged countryside where we many Americans live and work".  If you are a Planetizen reader then you've heard of him.  He is unmistakably and adamantly opposed to the out-of-control sprawl of generic and characterless development that has plagued this country, and he is unapologetic about his disgust with what our society has become.  In fact, after listening to him one could question whether or not Kunstler even likes this country, but I suspect his harshness and provocative stance is meant to instill shock and get people thinking.  Somehow I doubt his negative tone is winning the hearts and minds of the masses that have actually chosen to live in the places he rips on, but he doesn't seem to care much.

Get Urban - What is next?

This past Thursday night we held the Get Urban Miami Valley event that we've been promoting here for the past couple months and it was a huge success!  We had over 200 people register and a total of around 230 in attendance.  The room at the Webster Street Market (a perfect venue for this sort of thing) was buzzing with many current urbanites and urban-curious folks who were there to hear more about why anybody would actually CHOOSE to live in the City of Dayton over the burbs.  Our featured speaker Kyle Ezell gave a great presentation on what it means to "get urban" and he gave most of us a lot to think about in terms of changing a culture that for decades has valued suburb and exurb living over an urban existence.

First Big Tenant signs at Ballpark Village; Mead Tower Owners Not Smiling

This story began with an article in the DBJ in which Thompson Hine - Dayton's largest law firm - was thinking about possibly relocating to Ballpark Village if in fact that development were to come to fruition.  Well, it didn't take long for them to go from thinking about it to actually signing a letter of intent...

Dayton Daily News
Link: Law firm signs letter of intent for space at Ballpark Village

Law firm Thompson Hine has signed a letter of intent to lease office space at Ballpark Village.

The firm said it is the largest tenant to agree to take office space at the development at Monument Avenue and Riverside Drive.

By March 2009, the 110-employee firm will occupy the entire top floor of a new office building at Ballpark Village. The firm will also occupy part of the floor immediately below, taking a total of 45,489 square feet, the firm said.

This is some bittersweet news (as Phillip over at The Gem City blog says), as it means that Ballpark Village is a step closer to reality, but at the expense of yet another large business moving out of the Mead Tower (now called 10 West 2nd).  In fact, that means that Dayton's second largest building will pretty much go completely dark since MeadWestVaco (the only other large tenant) has already left.  (CareSource is taking up several floors on a temporary basis until their new building is finished next year.)  That is scary and sad, but it also means that there is opportunity to get new businesses in there.  A big issue with 10 West 2nd is the parking garage across Ludlow - which is run down and not very secure.  While the city is building a new parking garage on Main it should really look at doing what needs to be done to bring the Ludlow garage back to life. 

It is also interesting that the DDN article noted that the new office building for Thompson Hine would be the first to be built in BPV.  It sure sounds like there is a lot of news coming out about new developments in the BPV saga as of late - hopefully it is a sign that this pipe dream of a development is actually going to happen.

Deeds Park Riverfront Housing is a GO...

As expected, the Miami Conservancy District has lifted the tight use restrictions on the land that makes up Deeds Park.  It should be noted that the proposed housing development will NOT include or affect the existing park space and bike paths - which are maintained (and owned?) by Five Rivers Metroparks.  Only the area across the street where there is currently a big ugly unused parking lot and baseball diamond (that isn't needed since we have Kettering Fields just next door) will be developed. 

It is my opinion that this is a good move as it is redeveloping an area that could and should be prime real estate but is now empty.  With Deeds Point (one of the most meticulously landscaped and beautiful vantage points in the region), immediate access to the largest bike trail system in the region, a spectacular river and city skyline view, a potential retail/dining/entertainment district just across the Mad River, and easy access to I75 - this COULD be the most sought-after residential real estate in the region.  Not to mention that with another influx of downtown residents brings more probability of downtown amenities like a grocery store.

Dayton Daily News
Link: Board amends Deeds Park development agreement.

The Miami Conservancy District board of directors Thursday announced that they had unanimously agreed to amend a deed to allow riverfront housing on 12 acres of land at Deeds Park.

New Montesori School, and one step closer to Ballpark Village

We've recently learned that the Dayton School Board has selected the area on the north banks of the Great Miami River directly across from RiverScape as the new location for the city's latest Montessori school.  Though the exact details are not known at this time, it appears that this latest development will allow for the city to acquire the Patterson Career Academy property - the original location that the school board had slated for this new Montessori school and one of the three main properties that must be acquired by the city to make room for Ballpark Village.

It will be interesting to see if this means that the Miami Apartments will be demolished or rehabbed (though it could be a beautiful building, my money is on demolish), and if the rest of that small riverfront neighborhood will be brought back from the dead.  There are several dilapidated properties there that should be torn down, yet ironically there is one fairly new and modern house that was designed by Rogero Buckman that sits directly across the street from the former Rockwells.  And speaking of Rockwells - what will become of that stunning property?  (please not another ill-conceived high-priced steak joint!)

With the acquisition of the Woolpert building having been secured by the city, all that is left is the blessing of the Miami Conservancy District on the development of the Deeds Point area for housing, and to find a new home for Requarth Lumber.  And my last conversation with the president of that company leads me to believe that this is all very close to becoming reality.

Downtown Dayton - The Time is NOW

This past Friday night, Downtown Dayton was THE place to be as another successful Urban Nights took place.  Though no official numbers have been released (and it is impossible to determine an exact head count), I can tell from past experience that this latest event was quite possibly the biggest. 

As I walked around my downtown neighborhood that night, I couldn't help but think - this feels like I'm in a much bigger city!  There were people everywhere.  And when I got to the Arcade, I couldn't believe the huge number of people lined up to see the Arcade.  Can you believe it?  Hundreds (if not a thousand) people lined up to look at the inside of an abandoned building?  There were no performers inside, there was nobody selling food or drinks or souvenirs - it was JUST an empty building.  And that leads me to my point...

Are Dayton Realtors hindering urban progress?

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