Restaurant planned at ex-Sears spot in Dayton Mall redevelopment

An Outback Steakhouse is being planned at the Dayton Mall in a move to further redevelopment in that area.

Outback – and an unnamed future tenant – would occupy the spot of the now closed Sears Auto Center, according to Miami Twp. officials.

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The proposal for Outback is among the most significant redevelopments announced for the mall area since a long-range plan for the district was adopted nearly two years ago.

“This (Outback) project re-imagines how land and buildings can be utilized at the mall and will bring additional investment interest to the property as we continue discussions on how best to adapt the property to a changing marketplace,” according to Chris Snyder, Miami Twp. community development director.

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The Dayton Mall area master plan indicates a 2.2 square mile area surrounding the mall that outlines more than $200 million in investment over a 12-year period.

The document adopted by the Miami Twp.-Dayton Mall Joint Economic Development District board – a joint entity of the township and the city of Miamisburg - outlines $182 million in multi-family residential investment. It also includes $16 million worth of retail development and about $6 million in office space.

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The Outback project will include an initial reconstruction phase estimated at $530,000, “but this likely does not include all of the tenant fit ups and other work that will be done on the site,” according to Snyder

Miami Twp. leaders have spent a year constructing a redevelopment plan with property owners Seritage Growth Properties.

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“We are encouraged that Seritage Growth Properties views our area as a strong growth market for them to invest the resources into redevelopment of the auto center site,” Snyder said.

Township officials said the new site will significantly enhance the landscaping and aesthetics of the building as it is transformed from an auto center into new restaurant and retail spaces.

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Redeveloping the Sears area of the mall has been discussed as a long-term possibility since Miami Twp. and Miamisburg officials began studying long-range plans for the mall area earlier this decade.

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