WHAT: Dayton Mall area master plan open house;
WHEN: 6 p.m. Wednesday;
WHERE: Miami Twp. Government Center, 2700 Lyons Road.
Hot spots
These areas are targeted as potential catalytic sites for redevelopment, according to preliminary findings in the Dayton Mall area master plan:
• The area around Lyons Ridge Road from the Miami Twp. branch of the Dayton Metro Library to the mall
• An area around Ohio 725 and Mad River Road north of the mall
• An area east and west of Ohio 741 and north of the Ohio 725 intersection
Source: Stantec’s Urban Places Group
Planners this week will showcase drawings and ideas for potential changes to three key areas that are part of the Dayton Mall area master plan.
Various scenarios of possible changes – including housing, retail, office, entertainment and parking – within the three key sites selected last month will be part of a 6 p.m. Wednesday open house in which the firm hired to develop the plan presents its work in draft form.
Those areas, called catalytic sites, selected during a three-day forum in February include:
• The area around Lyons Ridge Road from the Miami Twp. branch of the Dayton Metro Library to the mall;
• An area around Ohio 725 and Mad River Road north of the mall;
• An area east and west of Ohio 741 and north of the Ohio 725 intersection.
With those sites in mind, Stantec’s Urban Places Group came up with several scenarios, said Steve Kearney, project manager.
“We are essentially turning that into a conceptual master plan, and we are looking specifically right now at development scenarios that will become that master plan,” Kearney said.
“We’ll also have these development scenarios up on boards for anyone in the community that wants to check out the progress that we’re making and provide input,” he added. “It will really be commenting right up on boards that are up on the wall or up on easels.”
The open house at the Miami Twp. Government Center is designed to give the community more insight into how the plan is progressing as it nears its midway point, said Chris Snyder, Miami Twp.’s planning and zoning director who is on the board that hired Stantec for the master plan.
“We’re trying to be as transparent as we can,” he said, “to give people as many opportunities as we can for them to come in and talk with staff, meet with the consultant and just see where things are at. If people haven’t had a chance to come out and find out what this is about, it’s one more opportunity.”
Stantec was hired last fall by the Miami Twp.-Dayton Mall Joint Economic Development District Board. The joint operation by Miamisburg and the township wanted to keep the mall area a vibrant district through both short- and long-term projects. Surrounded by Miamisburg, Washington Twp. and West Carrollton, the 45-year-old Miami Twp. complex accounts for more than $200 million in annual sales and the 2.2-square-mile master plan area employs more than 8,000 workers.
Kearney said while the plan is moving forward, those who attend the open house will see “working drafts” that can change depending on feedback.
“What the community will see when they come will be working concepts of different development scenarios for each of these three identified sites,” he said. “So it’s an opportunity for the community to weigh in on development scenarios that they think work or that they are most excited by. And frankly, if there are some issues that they don’t find appealing … we always want both sides, all of the feedback that we can get.”
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