The streetscaping is an improvement, but they left the power lines and the planters are just in the way

 

 

 

 

They were proposing roundabouts

 

Just what that historic beauty needed, an 80's style arcade

 

A decent start, I suppose

 

wow... that 80s arcade is incredibly offensive

Well, the streetscape is a big improvment though. Power lines are usually very difficult and costly to bury, and utilities are sometimes reluctant to do so -- which just sucks for all of us.

Maybe it's just me...but I don't see any roundabouts in this rendering, or was that your point?

 

Of course it was.

What is that giant d1(d0 in the public square? Comon, at least put a nice sculpture in the city square...

Love the lustrous Lustron home in the first picture.

 

Mason doesn't have much historically, but their small, pathetic little downtown has potential.

 

Greatest intro for a thread ever.

Well, I think that having a non-traditional downtown -- one with houses that function as businesses, small one and two-story buildings, and a random assortment of other buildings can be charming too.

Well, you're wrong.  WRONG.

I suspect some of those downtown buildings/houses, especially the wood ones, are pretty old and could be made into something really nice if stripped of layers of cladding and restored.

Well, I think that having a non-traditional downtown -- one with houses that function as businesses, small one and two-story buildings, and a random assortment of other buildings can be charming too.

Ahla Springboro?

 

Mason has a new downtown....it's called Deerfield Town Center.  When I drive through this, I blink and miss it.

 

Thanks for getting me to see the bigger picture.

I like the look of downtown Mason and can't wait to see how it develops over the next several years.  Having so many million dollar homes within 1-2 miles of the Mason downtown core can only help.

 

I understand liking storybook looking downtowns, but I don't get the overall concensus on this board that everything has to look like late 19th, early 20th century row buildings to count as being legitimate.  High end finish work and just being plain clean is far more important in my opinion.  St. Gregory St. only has a few old row type commercial buildings for that business district, but I don't think too many would turn their nose at that little downtown area.

 

I think Mason has a nice little mix of architecture.  Sure, some of it needs redone (like the 5/3 Bank building on the corner), but it has one of the coolest city buildings I've ever seen.  If any of you have been inside of it you will know what I mean.  Very cool art deco inside and out (even after the remodel).  Even their new city building is pretty over the top with the big boulder rocks out front.

 

I like the new square they are building.  That sculpture is supposed to be glass I think.  It's going to be interesting to see how that turns out.  You have to look at Mason's medians to get a feel for how they fix things up when they get going.  I've never seen a town overly landscape and have lawn sprinklers in their medians before.  It's really weird to drive down Mason Montgomery Rd. in the early morning and get a car wash at the same time.  But it's worth it b/c those medians look like a million bucks and are a nice entry way into the city.  No matter how pathetic it is.

"I like the look of downtown Mason and can't wait to see how it develops over the next several years.  Having so many million dollar homes within 1-2 miles of the Mason downtown core can only help."

 

 

 

My friend!

Throw a couple SUV's out front to put on a dog & pony show and SHABAM!

 

I present to you, just one of the many forclosure listings for Mason, Ohio.   It doesn't matter how many million dollar houses are around it.   Look at some of the square footage on some of these homes on the other pages and tell me how these are not overkill.    ECCESS is an understatement!!!!

 

http://realestate.yahoo.com/Ohio/Mason/Homes_for_sale/result.html?cc=realestate&p=Mason,%20OH&priceHigh=&priceLow=&nodeId=750007014&sortBy=price%202&radius=&bedrooms=&bathrooms=&type=foreclosure&b=21

 

 

Don't get me wrong, the pics of the original town are cool, but for the rest of Deerfield,      Well :evil:

There are a lot on those pages.  I was surprised that many were in Mason.  I wonder how many of those listings are outdated.  Having been in the real estate business and marketing bank homes since '02, certain areas have very few foreclosures.  Mason is one of them.

 

I just went on MLS though and looked up solds over $1,000,000 in the last 5 years within 2 miles of downtown Mason and there were 66 sales.  18 of those sales were over $1,500,000.  And that doesn't include the probably 20-30 that were not in MLS, but went directly through a builder or custom built, etc.

 

Here's another interesting fact (and this again doesn't include custom built homes or builder direct that are not in MLS), in the last 5 years 393 homes sold within 2 miles of downtown Mason starting at $500,000.  That's a lot of money surrounding that little downtown.  Granted, there are also numerous homes within a few blocks of the downtown that sell below $100,000... but you're talking older and smaller type homes that are mostly in modest condition.  Future tear downs for sure.

 

Downtown Mason almost has no choice but to become high end in the future.

Ahhhh...Mason - grew up there and now spend my daily life in CLE.  Mason has changed a lot.....but that downtown still has most of the same buildings I visitied when I was in 8th grade.  Angilos pizza makes the best cheese fries.....

 

One poster was right...go down mason-montgomery rd and see the new mason.....25 years ago that was all corn fields.