An investigation of the exciting new suburban world developing along the Warren/Montgomery County line, with a focus on the Austin Road interchange, OH 741,  OH48, and Social Row Road.  Sort of a look into the future of this area.

 

 

 

West of I-75

The Byers Road corridor and Miami Township between the river and I-75. 

 

Land use map from Miami Township showing the ag parcels (good subdivision opportunity) and ribbon development, as well as the big Miamisburg annexation south to the proposed interchange.  East of I 75 one sees the vacant land and office park developments.  Interesting to note that Newmark never has been fully developed.

 

Another feature of this area is the start of subdivision along the road to Miamisburg from the interchange.  The first mover here was Oberer Development and their Gold Key Homes subsidiary.

 

 

Then at the land use plan.  Note that a substantial amount of the area annexed by Miamisburg belongs to the Montgomery County Port Authority and the industrial/warehousing development to the north, creeping down Byers Road. 

 

On the east of I-75 some recent corporate relocations and the Exchange rezoning to retail/service on the  OH741 frontage (demonstrating how ineffective land use planning really is when big money is involved).

 

The proposed “Union Centre” style motel/gas station/fast food district at the interchange also shows up as a zoning district.

 

 

Heading north on Byers Road through “Miamisburg” , passing through the Port Authority lands.  This was held by investors before the PA bought it, and as of this May local developer RG Properties was negotiating w. the PA for an option on the property.

 

 

 

 

Continuing north on Byers, with the start of the industrial/warehouse district to the north.  Note that Byers is not in the best condition.  Maintenance is being deferred as this road will be relocated as part of the interchange project so as to make the property around it more developable.

 

 

At this time Chisano Marketing is the south most extension of the Byers Road industrial/warehouse district.

 

 

More warehousing and available industrial property.  We are about even, a bit south, of the I-75/675 interchange

 

 

 

South Tech and Springboro Pike

 

SouthTech, across from the Dayton/Wright Brothers General Aviation airport was developed by Danis maybe sometime in the 1980s or early 90s?  Danis sold the property in part to RG Properties and to Springboro, who either sold it Miller Valentine or is working with Miller Valentine to develop the vacant bits.

 

In the background one can see the new Coffman developments around Springboro Pike.  The small office complex at the bottom of the pix at the Austin Road overpass will be removed as part of interchange construction.  Everything in the aerial to the left of  I-75 (except the airport, which belongs to Dayton) has been annexed by Springboro.

 

 

 

(with Some comments by me on the proposed curb cuts…also one can also see the proposed contraflow intersection at Austin and Springboro Pike penciled-in)

 

 

 

View of RG Properties holding.  RG wanted to develop this the way they developed Wilmington Pike, as a mix of big box retail and strip centers (Wal-Mart was going to relocate to a superstore here, away from their Dayton Mall location).  This was contrary to the land use plan for Austin Pike special planning district, and legal action ensued.  RG and Springboro City settled out of court, so it remains to be seen what does get built here (RG is more of a retail developer and the plan for the area is for industrial/office).

 

 

Exploring the formation of a new commercial strip.  This is pretty exciting as one gets to see the transformation of farm country into suburbia.

 

First, a note on how land parcelization drives development.  Here is an aerial of a Miller Valentine property, one they are selling.  Note that this is one of those large lot ribbon development parcels, sort of a mini-farm or just a big wooded lot.  Early sprawl.  One can see the office park just south of it, and the individual buildings to the north, with back circulation, but also excessive curb cuts (& Springboro does a poor job in development controls). 

 

A string of these ribbon properties lends itself to chaotic commercial/retail use, not the more consistent, themed construction and land planning one sees in large parcel development.

 

 

The property outlined in red.  One can tell by the architecture that this place dates from the 1940s or early 50s, so one of the early ribbon development in this area.

 

 

Mini-farm replaced by office park

 

 

Across the street, the last large tract of land on this stretch of Springboro.  I sometimes think it would be good if the city or county buys these last holdout parcels to keep a somewhat rural or open feel on these strips…just hold them as open space, mow it or contract farm it.

 

 

Springboro Pike looking south.  Springboro village is at the bottom of that shallow valley.  Over the distant ridgeline and then a bit longer is Red Lion.

 

 

Brand new commercial development, built within the last 5 years, including a little strip center providing neighborhood services.

 

 

 

The Coffman developments associated with Settlers Walk, including that wonderful new Dorothy Lane Market (I love shopping there!).  This is an example of a more consistent, planned and themed approach possible when developing large blocks of property.

 

 

 

And across the street the Village Park development, also by Coffman.

 

First a view of the new Max and Ermas, with that big undeveloped parcel in the background. 

 

 

This Max and Erma’s is the prototype store for the chains’ expansion into the Mountain West and California.  The Dayton Mall area M & E played a roll in this as the current CEO got his start there as a waiter while he was doing stand-up comedy across the street at Jokers Comedy Club.  He liked the food biz more, and gave up comedy to move up the ranks in M &E (though he still waits tables just for kicks). 

 

 

Yet this is a scary location, directly under the approach/departure to that general aviation airport.  While dining on their patio a Learjet came in overhead, which made me think of the infamous Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor crash in Sacramento.

 

Some views of developing Village Park commercial area.  Good access control here.  Foundation work and utility stub-ups for the new Park National Bank are visible.

 

 

 

 

A Brief Detour to the Exchange

 

Finally heading north of Austin Road, a look at The Exchange.  Developed by Mills-Morgan (who is doing most of the new development around WSU/Fairfield Mall in Greene County.)

 

 

This is a pretty neat site plan.  They have retail/commercial along the highway, and office pads in the back, with the offices sized for two different markets.  The commercial development will mark the first expansion of retail south on Springboro Pike south of I-675.

 

 

Some views of the Exchange

 

 

Smaller offices

 

 

 

New Cadillac Jacks (local chain?, started in Fairborn, I think?)

 

 

New Milanos, which supposedly has a great patio bar.  Now you don’t have to drive all the way into the city.

 

 

Dayton’s first drive-through Starbucks

 

 

The new TeraData or TetraData (forget the name) spin-off from NCR.  Example of the larger office floor plates at this site.

 

 

Social Row Road to OH 48

 

The Austin Road interchange will have a big effect on the land around it (28,000 new jobs is the optimistic projection when the area is built-out).  But another big impact will be along Social Row Road, next to the Warren County Line. 

 

Social Row will be widened to five lanes (four traffic and a turning lane), and will become the primary route to the interstate system for far south Montgomery/far north Warren.

 

Large local developers are already active in the area, though most of this land was held in speculation and contract farmed for many years prior.

 

 

One of the sharpest local developers active in this area is RG Properties, who was instrumental, in the 1980s, in retail development on OH 725, and in the 1990s in the Wilmington/I-675 area.  RG is also a development partner with Wal-Mart, being involved in W-M activity throughout the Midwest.

 

Owner Randy Gunlock (RG) sponsored the Cattle Baron’s Ball on his Springboro ranch  (Cancer Society fundraiser)

 

As one can see on this map, RG owns or is working options on some key parcels in the area, great retail locations.  I’m really impressed with this strategy.

 

 

The first major intersection on Social Row is with Yankee Street.  Yankee, right now, is congested closer in, as its the major route to I-675, so the Austin interchange will relieve some of that traffic.

 

RG holds a large parcel in this area,  but there are some in-holdings and ribbon development.  Another player is Oberer.  The subdivision just visible below Yankee at the bottom of the pix is Waterbury Woods, the first development in this area (late 1980s).  WW is the source of some NIMBY sentiment directed at commercial and retail use.  Ram Precision owned a large parcel, but they partially subdivided it into housing and are selling the remainder.

 

 

Great aerial of Ram Precision Industries, the RG holding, and Success Lane.  Ram makes metal parts for packaging machinery, I think.  Though this is just a big machine shop, it is given a rather unexpected rustic look with the diagonal board siding and wood outriggers and wooded landscaping.  Probably built in the 1970s?  An early example of leapfrog growth out into suburbia, as is Success Lane in the background.  This is FLWs Broadacre City come to life.

 

 

A closer look at the Yankee/Social Row intersection from the air and at Success Lane, currently being developed by Tipton.  The sportsplex on the site has an indoor ice rink, popular with some Lexis-Nexis workers for hockey after work or during lunch.

 

 

One of the local landmarks is the funky shaped “pyramid”, which looks like an incomplete Mayan pyramid, or mansard roof gone horribly awry (this is actually a pretty old building, dating from either the 70s or 80s)

 

 

The “pyramid” with more recent Tipton-era  buildings.  These are a mix of offices and light industrial.  The sign on the property does indeed “I-75 Access Coming Soon”.

 

 

An example of the houses found on the large lot ribbon development.  Very interesting to see how this is subdivided or redeveloped

 

 

Ram selling off its land

 

 

Recent spec office buildings

 

 

The first retail development at the Social Row/Yankee intersection.

 

 

Oberer property SE corner of intersection.  They are planning a mixed use development here, but with another gas station site at the intersection

 

 

 

 

Heading east on Social Row on can see more players involved with development.  The big one is Oberer, but also Miller Valentine.

 

 

This is a key intersection…Social Row & Sheehan, with Paragon Road in the background.  I think M-V has plans for a retail/commercial development along the frontage here.

 

 

The massive Oberer development south of Social Row.  I’m not sure but I think the Mead family owned this land (maybe).  It was all held by something called “Dividing Ridge Ltd” in the early 1990s.

 

There is some interesting site planning here, using green space as buffers and as pedestrian/bike connections within the development (and the power line ROW),  Note that the high density houses is slated for Social Row frontage, as a barrier of sorts.  This is pretty typical practice in the area.  I like how they have the intersection designated as a church/daycare/park site, and how they are doing access control here.

 

 

Some views of the area

 

 

This will connect up with Paragon…

 

 

 

 

The Meads might have owned the land to the right, across Social Row, too (Not sure, but they did own land in the area on spec)

 

 

OH 48 and Social Row/County Line

 

This is turning into a very hot area.  Recall that with the interchange this is going to be a lot closer to the interstate, thus better access to jobs and shopping elsewhere in the region.  But sprawl was happening here years ago, illustrated by the ribbon lots and an early leapfrog subdivision.

 

In this area two national developers are active: Beazer and Ryan.

 

 

RG's excellent holding for a retail site.

 

 

A really instructive aerial from Oberer, showing their proposed commercial project.  I like this as it shows how suburban Dayton is really a large urban forest or savanna, very wooded, compared to the surrounding open cropland/farm lot landscape.  Downtown is way far away north somewhere.

 

 

The proposed Oberer project

 

 

“Fountains of Beazer.  Utopia Boulevard” (alt rock fans will get the reference)

 

 

Beazer Homes Winding Creek is huge.  I wish I had a site plan of this one like the Oberer development, as they seem to own a big block of land here.

 

 

 

The Ryan Homes development, first section.  These are good-size houses for a Ryan subdivision (they used to build smaller for the mid and lower end market).

 

 

Even more RG land at an intersection (Lytle Five Points/OH 48

 

 

Soraya Farms was last development to be announced for the area and it’s probably the best.  They are using greenbelt planning principles to some degree, but also a bit of new urbanism the way they develop their shopping/commercial area as sort of a gateway/street.  They are even contributing a stretch to a proposed bikeway system (Clearcreek Twp has plans for regional bikeways but are pretty ineffective in implementing them, compared to Mason and vicinity)

 

Still, some nice, coherent site planning here.

 

 

 

 

And a look at how retail/commercial development might shake out over the next 15-20 years

 

 

And a stab at a theory of sprawl, as a landscape transitions from family farm ag production to suburbia.  Note that there is a period when a landscape might look rural, but the underlying economics are no longer tied to long-term ag production…sort of this “zombie state” where land is contract farmed but the intentions are to subdivide.

 

 

I will probably be taking a closer look at some nearby development a bit later.

 

 

 

Oh geeze.

 

 

Wow.

My general feeling is disgust. I grew up in D8ton and I biked a lot into Warren County through this area in the late 1970s. Some of my best rides were on the small (at the time) roads like Pennyroyal down the hill into Franklin. It felt small, intimate, Balkanized in a small towny way. This suburbanized sh*t, along with the western reaches of Beavercreek which have already been paved over and desecrated, is like they are trying to turn Dayton into friggin' Columbus. I treasure knowing, for example, that there was a small crossroad village on Dayton-Xenia Rd just east of Fairfield Rd that had the name "Zimmerman" and had a green place name sign. Local identity is just absolutely forbidden when this kind of plastic schlock overtakes a region like cancer.

^

Since Im not from here I dont have that old association.  I do feel similar when I return to Louisville.  My Dad feels that way about the gentrification of Chicago.

 

 

Blast from the past! The Dayton Ballet used to use the "Pyramid" as a "south school" before they recently opened the SSK (SSK-initials of a Kettering legacy) "south school" in a strip center at the intersection of Spring Valley and 48.

This thread depressed the hell out of me. I take it the Dayton economy must not be that bad to support all this sprawl, or is this just coming at the expense of the city?

 

The Dayton economy is chronically horrible. Dayton is NOT growing, it is just sprawling out more thinly into temporarily cleaner and newer developments. The perimeter is ever-expanding, but it's not population or business growth.

 

The city has already paid the expense of earlier waves of growth from the 70s and 80s. This development is coming at the expense of earlier-developed nearby areas such as the Dayton Mall/Miami County corridor around 725 and 741. The new stuff at Austin Road will build up and the 725/741 area will then start to resemble a low rise commercial ghetto as commercial developments here compete with the mall area. That has already started, vacancies are becoming a blight there.

 

They are planning for some huge growth along 741 at Austin Pike. The new intersection there - not the interstate entrance, I mean the junction of Austin and 741 - is this crazy "figure 8" traffic pattern that has left turning traffic directed to the left of oncoming traffic via an island. I suspect that there are solid traffic engineering reasons for this, but it is nucking futz to drive through.

 

When I see something that "innovative" around here, I figure that there is some escapist grandeur about the planning. Like, if they just build stuff there cool enough, it will not really be Dayton anymore.

Wow, this thread has become dated!

 

Some updates:

 

Beazer has pulled out of the area and Ryan Homes has taken over their developement

 

Soraya Farms is under construction with some houses up. 

 

Miller-Valentine couldn't get the zoning they wanted for their Social Row property and are now trying to sell the parcel. 

 

Some comments on Rusty's posts (I love this guy!)

 

The city has already paid the expense of earlier waves of growth from the 70s and 80s.

 

The city is dead.  It's not "little Detroit" just yet, but is about to hit the mass abandonment stage that Detroit has passed through. 

 

This development is coming at the expense of earlier-developed nearby areas such as the Dayton Mall/Miami County corridor around 725 and 741.

 

Definetly, also at the expense of that older 1970s-era edge city development along I-75 "north", which has as high an office vacancy rate as downtown.  The Dayton Mall area is turing into Downtown Dayton in the 1960s, a declining, increasingly minority area.  I can see it where I live, becoming more an immigrant port of entry place and a landing pad for the foreclosure crisis refugees plus minorities moving out to suburbia.  This is the multifamily stuff around the mall & 725, not the single-family-housing yet. 

 

The new stuff at Austin Road will build up and the 725/741 area will then start to resemble a low rise commercial ghetto as commercial developments here compete with the mall area. That has already started, vacancies are becoming a blight there.

 

...along SR  725.  Strip centers are going downmarket (ie Big Lots and marginal stuff).

 

The Austin Pike area, however, will be the prosperity island.  It will be the upmarket retail destination along with fresh new office stuff (east of I-75) and Belvo Road/Byers Road type light-industrial stuff west of I-75, combined with the the usual gas station/hotel/fast food intechange fuzz.

 

They are planning for some huge growth along 741 at Austin Pike. The new intersection there - not the interstate entrance, I mean the junction of Austin and 741 - is this crazy "figure 8" traffic pattern that has left turning traffic directed to the left of oncoming traffic via an island. I suspect that there are solid traffic engineering reasons for this, but it is nucking futz to drive through.

 

What pisses me off is I can't make a right turn on red.  When Im there, very early Saturday after shopping at DLM, I just run the light.  Screw 'em.  Another ODOT brain-fart. 

 

 

 

When I see something that "innovative" around here, I figure that there is some escapist grandeur about the planning. Like, if they just build stuff there cool enough, it will not really be Dayton anymore.

 

 

The intention is to market Austin Landing to Cincinnati firms looking to consolidate ane expand to serve both the Dayton AND Cincinnati market.  They really do see this as "infill", as the northern extension to the I-75 growth moving up from Cincy as much as Dayton sprawl moving south.

 

 

Excellent commentary and analysis, Jefferey.

 

There is ghettoization of stuff along 741 that is similar to 725. Note the plazas where Click Camera and Wal-Mart used to be. One of em is almost empty. It reminds of me of the old Van Buren Shopping Center in Kettering before it was redeveloped.

 

"Port of entry" comments - I have a brother who lives at Revere Village in Centerville. Your comments sum up that area precisely. The street signs there could practically be printed in Farsi and Arabic.

 

Re: Austin as "Cincinnati Far North". Of course. It really makes sense.

Speaking of the city of Dayton and Austin area, is there precedent for a municipal government selling its airports?  I immediately think of the highway Indiana sold but would selling Wright Bros and Dayton Intl. be a good idea for the city?

 

Just wondering because I've heard rumblings about development at Wright Bros airport.

Cincinnati is selling Blue Ash airport.

There is ghettoization of stuff along 741 that is similar to 725. Note the plazas where Click Camera and Wal-Mart used to be. One of em is almost empty. It reminds of me of the old Van Buren Shopping Center in Kettering before it was redeveloped.

 

What's interesting is whats going on along Kingsridge. Dead Fudruckers and Dead Max & Ermas.  Vacant lot on the site of the comedy club.  Cheap second run theatre, bowling alley, girly joint, pool hall, Saigon Fish Market, short order & pizza places, discount or speciality stores, extended stay hotel....this is a suburban, spread-out version of the old 'fringe-of-downtown' blocks south of 4th or 3rd, where Dave Hall Plaza and Gillys/Parking Garage/Convention Center is at now.

 

Then there is the foreign foods strip center across the mall, that has those Mexican, Lebanese, Turkish or Punjabi places and market.

 

 

"Port of entry" comments - I have a brother who lives at Revere Village in Centerville. Your comments sum up that area precisely. The street signs there could practically be printed in Farsi and Arabic.

 

By me its Indiana/Pakistani and east Asian,  mixed in with the usual Latinos and a scattering with Africans from Africa.  And some lower income whites.  I notice that some are transit dependent or they are walking to work at the restaurants along SR 725.  I'm actually within walking distance (and I do walk to them for some food) to two Indian markets. 

 

So this Mall Area (really Mall + 725 + 741 + Alex Road/Byers Road) is become sort of this working poor/port-of-entry area.  But it makes for a very convenient place to live if you work here. 

Just wondering because I've heard rumblings about development at Wright Bros airport.

 

This could be an unstated intent.

 

The B-J did a good article on this as part of their follow-up edition @ Austin Road.  Apparently there isn't enough corporate jet traffic to justify the work needed to bring the airport into FAA compliance. 

 

And the current construction widening Austin Road up to Social Row means that the airport won't ever be in compliance, becuase that would mean tearing up that highway and relocating it further back, as well as some regrading of that hill or slope north of the runway.

 

So, sure, I can see the city moving to close the airport and redevelop it if the area really takes off and property values rise.  Then they can reap full benefit of a hot real estate submarket. 

 

Maybe the city can use the procedes to fund their demolition program?

"Dead Max and Ermas?" That one closed?

 

Wait... never mind. I found the news articles just now.

 

We went there maybe in early 2009. It was just a pathetic experience.

I don't think I've seen a thread this full of negativity since UrbanSaudi.com let in Barbra Streisand.  Discussion learning towards a closed Max N' Erma's and Fuddruckers...I've seen it all.

 

I bet when that Friday's on Rt. 725 closed for a couple of weeks due to a kitchen fire, folks though "oh hell naw!  Not my Friday's!  Dayton is truely TOAST!"

^

Joes Crab Shack closed too, but that's in a different part of town.

 

I rather like the somewhat snaggletooth fringe strips of the Dayton Mall area.  I mean...Saigon Fish Market?  Lots of interesting things floating around out there. 

 

(The DM Max and Ermas closed probably because there's a new one in Springboro across from the DLM)

"oh hell naw!  Not my Friday's!  Dayton is truely TOAST!"

 

If only there was TOAST in Dayton.

 

TOAST(on Market).

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

From "The Oatmeal" How a Web Design Goes Straight to Hell:

 

^

I just spit an iced tea all over the screen laughing.