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.

A positive story in the midst of Dayton's school-funding crisis...

Dayton will be feeling the effects of the failed school levy and subsequent fall-out for some time to come, and the school system's budget situation has become a dark cloud over the city.  But the following story proves that there are folks in this city (and region) that believe in the future and importance of at least one school in Dayton, and what seemed like a lost cause may just turn out to be a spectacular win.

Grassroots and Kalamazoo

The Kalamazoo Promise helps the students who have been through the public school in Kalamazoo, Michigan money to get a higher education. Education is something that ought to be available to all and the promise is making this a reality. Other benefits are coming out of this also, their city is growing. Since the students who have been in the school system the longest many education-centric parents are moving their families to Kalamazoo. Grassroots Dayton is trying to begin a similar program with the Dayton Public School system. The plan developed by the group differs in ways to the original Kalamazoo Promise but sticks to the basic, aid for Dayton school kids. In the process more citizens of the area and the suburbs will be more inclined to invest their time into the Downtown Dayton area.

Read article:
Kalamazoo Promise: College is a fee ride
School Attendance is the way to pay for higher education, and parents are drawn to it.
Scott Elliot
Dayton Daily News, September 25, 2006