Jeffery

Getting beyond the personality issues here, back to Austin Blvd Interchange. This project was sold differently at different times. At first the pitch was that it was to relieve congestion south of Dayton and provide better access to Miamisburg. Then it was sold as an economics thing, as a potential new employment center to retain and attract office/industrial use. There's been a lot of speculation (not on this board) that there was some sort of quid-pro-quo btw the developer, Randy Gunlock and his RG Enterprises, and the local politicos. I researched this a bit looking at campaign contributions to the Mont. County Commissioners, and he is not a contributor, tho he does contribute to GOP politicians at the national and state level. And he did not own property there when the initial push for this interchange occured. At that time the players, as in landowners, was Mead Corporation & Danis (east of I-75), and some private investors who owned the old farmland to the west of I-75. And Oberer, who was active in residential devleopment near the interchange. Oberer did show up as a big player in contributions to county commissioner races...so maybe there is the link... As to now, if Gunlock is influencing local political players on zoning somehow I dont know... However, the benefits are not just to RG Enterprises as the lead developer or developer-partner (in a way RG's role is similar to Aryeh Neyers' in Middletown, as the lead developer-partner for the land around the new hospital), but to ALL the developers along the Warren/Butler/Mont. county line, since it opens up the land along the county line to better access and development. This is residential/subdivision dev. as well as the retail-hospitality/office/industrial stuff. I think thats the point that is being missed here. At least it was missed until the traffic counts blew past the long range forecasts in less than year of operation....where did those drivers come from? Well, they came from the catchment area of this interchange, which is well beyond the property surrounding the interchange that we are talking about, and which is going to accelerate now that the interchange is open. I disagree that the interchange development itself is unplanned. I think it is being planned but that its all very close-hold...and there seems to be an ongoing back-and-forth between RG and the local planners/zoners as to what to build (that is the take-away from the recent set of stories I linked to).

Not sure if this goes in this thread. The DDN had a big article on the manufacturing rebound in Ohio Manufacturing surge powers Ohio rebound After many years of declines, manufacturing is again driving economic expansion, benefiting more than half of Ohio’s counties that are heavily dependent on the industry, according to a Dayton Daily News data analysis. >snip< ....the recession ended in December 2009, and as the economy reversed course, manufacturing finally made a comeback. Between 2010 and 2011, Ohio gained 49,616 net jobs, and 17,388 (35 percent) were in manufacturing, Zeller said. “Manufacturing is driving the Ohio recovery, particularly since we have such an intense concentration” of jobs in the sector, he said. “Manufacturing is not only important for its high-wage jobs for Ohio workers, but it is also extremely important because of its large ripple effect on the rest of the economy.”... .....“With the lower value of the dollar compared to Asia, we aren’t seeing the labor-intensive part of manufacturing return to the state, but the higher-skilled stuff has come back,” said Hill, with Cleveland State University.

I need to do a before and after of this thread to show the vacant lots (or replacement construction) that replaced the buildings in the pix.

I would be suprised that RG didn't try for a retail play since their experience, up to this point, has been predominantly in retail development. I know they had that spat with Springboro about bringing the new WalMart to the southeast corner, which didn;'t happen due to Springboro opposition (the new Walmart went to Franklin), but they apparently are still making a retail play for that quadrant.

^ I dont see any bubble in that chart? We are bouncing around at a low level, below the two other big postwar recessions...

Here's a great overview of trends and composition of the defecit from 538. Sort of "economical talk" since Nate Sliver discusses this as a % of GDP, showing the relative impact of spending vis a vis the larger economy. What is Driving the Growth in Government Spending I’ll be looking principally at government spending as a share of the overall economy, specifically as compared to the gross domestic product. In the long run, the overall economic health of the country is the most important constraint on fiscal policy. A growing economy gives us a lot of good choices: maintaining or expanding government programs, cutting taxes or holding them at a moderate level, reducing or managing the national debt. A stagnant economy means that everything gets squeezed. ...Silver also looks at the impact of state & local budgets: While most discussions of government spending focus on what the federal government spends, state and local governments are a bigger part of the picture than you might think. Their collective spending is now the equivalent of about 15 percent of the gross domestic product, not counting money which is granted to them by the federal government for programs administered by states and localities. (By comparison, federal government spending, including grants to the states and interest on the national debt, has recently been about 24 percent of the gross domestic product.) The states also spend their money much differently than the federal government.... (and plenty of neat charts at the link)

I walked by the Cape Verde site on Monday it didnt look like much was going on inside. I saw some Mr Coffee type coffemakers and that was about it. They had signs up that they will be having an open stage. But no construction activity inside.

Dibellas is great...they are literally in walking distance from me. They are a deal. I can take their half-sized sub and make two meals out of it. I asked the sever and they are based out of Rochester NY.

Sultanate of Toledo...becuase of that big mosque off the interestate? The missed The Peoples Republic of Yellow Springs.

And, for the Springboro side of Austin Boulevard: Shopping Centers to be on both sides of Austin Boulevard ....RG is planning a 59-acre retail center across the boulevard in Springboro. ....Stores, restaurants, a hotel and a service station are laid out on the Springboro site, called Austin Landing South, in a concept plan obtained by the Dayton Daily News.... ....In the concept plan, a five-building strip center is anchored by a 125,000-square-foot store. The plan also calls for six one to two-acre out lots; a service station and free-standing retail store along Austin Boulevard and Ohio 741; and a hotel and two restaurants on the southwest side of the development. ...which is going to be next to The Ascent, an office complex by Mills Developement. Mills was the big develpoper behind the Pentagon Boulevard edge city in Beavercreek, and this is going to look a bit like their Acropolis, near the Fairfield Commons Mall. A wrap-up of the non-RG stuff can be found at this link Lost amid the buzz about Austin Landing, the most-visible development on the northeast corner of the interchange, are plans by other businesses, developers and government officials to spend more than $220 million on projects near the other three corners of the $43.9 million interchange

Mostly on the new Kroger, which opens TODAY! Austin Landing closer to completion Also planned On Tuesday, Miami Twp. trustees were set to approve another 83,900 square feet in stores and eateries, including a Panera Bread restaurant, and a plan improving "pedestrian connectivity" within the 140-acre development. Work has also begun on the $8.3 million Connor Group headquarters on the intersection's southeast corner of Ohio 741 and Austin Boulevard. ...more on the Conner Group HQ can be found here Connor Group, the third-largest owner of apartments in Cincinnati, is building a $15 million headquarters in Miamisburg, about 15 miles south of Dayton. The company reached a development agreement with the city of Dayton to build on the grounds of Dayton Wright Brothers Field, just off Interstate 75 at the Austin Boulevard interchange. images of the new building, which looks all crooked, sort of like how the Conner Group operates vis a vis their tenants. @@@@ And, other developer...Oberer has Austin Center West, in the industrial park portion of the interchange Austin Center West

Probably the biggest dirty deal in the Dayton area is this selective income tax...that taxes service industry employees working in the food, drink, hospitality, and retail establishments at Austin Boulevard, but exempts the white collar professional/managerial class working in the office buildings. Income tax looms for some at Austin Landing Developer, others in office buildings are exempt. MIAMI TWP., Montgomery County — Austin Landing workers who do not work in offices within the $150 million development may soon have to pay a 2.25 percent income tax. Recently designated boundaries for a joint economic development exclude – at least for now – office buildings housing the Teradata headquarters and a growing list of tenants, including the developer, RG Properties. Also excluded from income taxation will be upper floors of buildings around the development’s town center, set aside as offices. “The developer has agreed he will include hospitality, entertainment and retail (in the taxing district),” Assistant Administrator Greg Rogers said after the Miami Twp. trustees voted unanimously earlier this week to approve the boundaries. So I wonder what the deal here is. Has the developer been making big contributions to the Twp trustees. This seems so unjust...the people who can least afford an additional tax are the ones who pay, and the affluent are exempted. This really, really stinks.

A bevy of news stories on this hot new location in "Daytonatti" Opening dates pushed back for Austin Landing restaurants Home > NewsPosted: 11:05 a.m. Monday, Oct. 29, 2012 Opening dates pushed back for Austin Landing restaurants Owners say their enthusiasm for project still strong 3 0 0 86By Mark Fisher Staff Writer Rue Dumaine’s move to its new location in the Austin Landing development in Miami Twp. has been pushed back to early 2014, according to the restaurant’s co-owner and executive chef, Anne Kearney. Austin Landing’s developer initially said the restaurants would open as early as spring 2013. “Our plans to relocate to Austin Landing are still very much a reality; however the timeline has been adjusted to better suit our needs,” Kearney said in a weekly email to Rue Dumaine’s customers. “We are planning our eventual move to take place in the late winter/early spring of 2014.” “We’re doing fine where we are,” she said of the restaurant at 1061 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Twp. In addition to relocating Rue Dumaine, Kearney and Sand will open a second, more casual restaurant called Alligator Annie’s in Austin Landing. What's Next for Austin Landing Sirch added RG Properties is very excited Roto-Rooter's world headquarters, a $5.5 million facility will be built across the street from Austin Landing, on the other side of I-75. (um...i would use the word excited....maybe suprised) Also...Miami Township governemnt is moving a part of their offices to Austin Landing. I suspect this is signalling on giving up on the Dayton Mall area. Austin Landing businesses face charge/Township could open office in village One of the keys to the sustainability of the village is to make it the town center for Miami Twp., as both the proposed location of the township offices and a gathering place for residents,” according to the agreement approved Tuesday. $7M shopping center latest planned at Austin Landing A $7 million shopping center, featuring 10 retailers, is the latest addition planned at the Austin Landing, the $150 million development off the new Interstate 75 interchange near the Montgomery-Warren county line. Despite questions by Miami Twp. planners, RG Properties will finish the building, on the northeast corner of Ohio 741 and Austin Boulevard, by next spring, RG Properties President Randy Gunlock said last week. So far known only as Building O, the structure will offer storefronts on all four sides, Gunlock said. It will anchor the southwest corner of a mixed-use village, much like the Greene Towne Center in Beavercreek.

More on the ongoing issues at Austin Boulevard From little over a year ago Austin Boulevard traffic problems preventable, officials say TWP., Montgomery County — The traffic problems at Austin Boulevard and Ohio 741 could have been prevented by creating a four-leg intersection rather than the two-leg intersection that ultimately was built, according to some officials. Less than two years since construction, the “continuous-flow” intersection already surpasses levels not expected for 20 years — even though development around the interchange has just begun. From November: Austin Boulevard 'traffic fix' being discussed New right turn, southbound lane planned The Ohio Department of Transportation wants to begin work on traffic problems at Austin Boulevard and Ohio 741 — contrary to consultants’ advice. Within two years, ODOT plans to add a continuous right turn lane from Austin Boulevard eastbound onto Ohio 741, as well as another southbound lane on Ohio 741 leading into Springboro. The project was among actions suggested by a consultant hired by the state to study traffic problems at the intersection. “We’ve decided to move forward and build that piece of it,” ODOT Traffic Engineer Craig Eley said.

....UO....since 2004. Nine Years! What a long strange trip it's been. This was the site that motivated me to get a digital camera (started on here in 2004, but under a different handle), and then do really really in-depth research on Dayton, and then into blogging for a bit....

Guide to Indepedenant Coffeehouses in Dayton (tho I think they are missing Central Perc in Oakwood and the Boston Stoker downtown and in Centerville): No matter how much you love your home and your job, everyone needs a place to go to develop and nurture a sense of community. For many, these “third places” are bars or barbershops or bowling alleys. Thanks to the ‘90s explosions of Starbucks and “Friends,” America has now added coffee houses to their third place options. When it comes to finding our third place, we’re all Goldilocks, looking for a space that’s just right. When a coffee house is vying to be your third place, it must satisfy your need for accessibility and proximate location, present a price stratum that lines up with your resources and create a space that you find comfortable. DCP has developed a guide to help you along your journey to find your own third place. Got Joe?

This isnt blocks. It isnt even block groups...its census tracts! Not that much detail.

RTA now goes to Austin Landing! Route 61: Weekday, Saturday, and Sunday southbound service to Austin Landing will be added via St. Rte. 741 to right on Innovation Dr., left on Abbey Rd., and left on Landing Way. Trips to Kingsridge Dr. to serve Walmart and the Shops of 725 will be added. Stops on Mall Woods Dr. to Fred J. Miller will be eliminated because of low ridership.

It would be interesting to compare the population and land area changes between metro areas in Acetones chart, to maybe figure the velocity of sprawl or something....

The famous RAND Corporation actually did set up an education function, a graduate school in policy analyses (PhD). Pardee Rand Graduate School (I guess Pardee was some Rand bigwig from days gone by). RAND got its start as a joint venture between the USAF and one of the defense contractors (McDonell Douglas?) for some out-of-the-box thinking on aerospace stuff. Believe it or not, back in the 1960s and 1970s they branched out into urban policy, but then abanonded that for stuff like education and health care, and, of course, they still do "Defesne Policy" stuff. The ulimate policy wonk place, but more for quants vs 'sociology' type anayses. They seem to be fairy objective, but distrust these places as there is always some 'agenda'. At least with Heritage and AEI its up-front. Hoover a bit less so. And those various "geographical name" places (Rocky Mountain Institute, Buckeye Institute, etc) are usually right-wing. I think the orginal one of those was the Hudson Institute, founded (or dominated) by a former Rand guy Herman Kahn (who was actually a pretty interesting character)

Been reading a bit into gay theory (not urban affairs related) but came across a reference to this book: A Passion to Preseve, Gay Men as Keepers of Culture ...here is the publishers site: link Depsite the general nature of the title it seems to be about urban/architectural preservation, sort of AKA historic presevation. Which is odd since it brought to mind those elaborate "Dayton urban history" threads I used to post...which in an offhand way was sort of "virtual historic presevation"...recreating the city via old pix, maps, and info from the city directories. Here is an excerpt from the link: "The extraordinary and pioneering involvement of gay men in historic preservation is something of which I've long been at least vaguely aware. Though I paid little attention to it at the time, many of the men I interviewed for Farm Boys engaged in some sort of culture-keeping: they lived in restored older houses, often furnished and decorated with antiques, many of them family heirlooms; they compiled information and objects related to family heritage and local history. I didn't ask them specifically about these interests; they were simply evident in one way or another. "Only since completing Farm Boys have I considered gays-in-preservation a phenomenon worthy of exploration. To the limited extent that I gave it even a passing thought in earlier years, I suppose I saw the apparently disproportionate presence of gay men in historic preservation as the stuff of stereotype. And so I failed to take it seriously. If outside of our sex lives we gays are just like straights, then it must be only a stereotypical illusion that gay men are inordinately drawn to being house restorers and antiquarians - or interior designers, florists, hair stylists, fashion designers, and so forth. Now it's clear to me that gay men really are extraordinarily attracted to these kinds of work. Rather than dismissing these realities as the stuff of stereotype, I see them as the stuff of archetype, significant truths worthy of exploration. Gay men are a prominent and highly talented presence in many female-dominated fields that revolve around creating, restoring, and preserving beauty, order, and continuity. It's a phenomenon that seems to grow out of an essential gay difference." Thoughts?

Findlay pretty much has the fruit/veggies/meat/baked goods. I think the OTR Kroger (if its like any other generic Kroger) would be OK for eggs, dairy, and canned/frozen veggies and stuff like Cheerios, Hellmans Mayo and stuff like that....so I think you could pretty much do a weeks shopping using both places. I recall we used to pretty much do our weeks shopping at Findlay, with very little xtra to get.

Yeah, the owners of Cocos were reported saying that they wouldnt relocate to the new spot until they found a tenant for their old location...so I figure this deal was in the works for awhile if they had have already moved. Good to hear that about Lillys and that midrange price point, which works for me!

Sob Story or Ground Truth: After Recession, More Young Adults Are Living on Street Dateline: Seattle Across the country, tens of thousands of underemployed and jobless young people, many with college credits or work histories, are struggling to house themselves in the wake of the recession, which has left workers between the ages of 18 and 24 with the highest unemployment rate of all adults. Those who can move back home with their parents — the so-called boomerang set — are the lucky ones. ....so it goes.

^ Excellent! ..and this means Cocos is ready to move to their Brown Street location, too. Now, big question is to what moves into the old Sidebar location. Also, rumor has it that someone has bought or is buying the old Boulevard Haus/Cafe Boulevard location....