Dayton Most Metro

Last week on our DMM Forum, I did a quick post about an economic development project happening in Cleveland (and covered by Smart City Radio), and compared it to one economic development project happening in Dayton.  After a few received comments and much thought afterward, I decided to go a bit more in depth on the topic and post it here for those who may still read this blog but aren’t yet involved on the forum.  Besides, it was time for a new post since I’ve been completely absent here for a long time now…

On a recent SmartCity Radio show, Carol Coletta interviewed Ned Hill – VP of Economic Development at Cleveland State University.  “He’s combining the Cleveland area’s history, talent and expertise” to create the District of Design. This district would take a concentrated area of downtown Cleveland and transform it into the industrial design capital of the U.S.” …

First, I encourage you to listen to the program:

In my opinion, this is what true economic development is all about – taking a city’s existing strength and expanding it by using a cluster strategy, partnerships between city government/business sector/universities, and community building.  Unlike fad developments, as Mr. Hill explains, this District of Design makes sense because it “connects to the balance sheet” (ie generates revenue).  It is ultimately something that will attract more businesses, create more jobs, and grow a “creative class” group of designers based in a part of Downtown Cleveland.  And the residual effect is that it brings more life to downtown in the form of more workers – which will ultimately attract more retail and restaurant/bar business.  This is economic development – which Mr. Hill eloquently defines as “the art of connecting the dots that nobody else see’s”.

Dayton is also working on such a district – called Tech Town – but it is moving at a snail’s pace and seems to be more about real estate than about actually nurturing a business sector.  Sure, there is the technology business incubator (The Entrepreneur Center) that is there now, but I don’t see its connection to Tech Town other than simply being its first tenant.  Tech Town looks more like a “build it and they will come” real estate proposition.  Of course, in the past year the City of Dayton seems to have had its focus not so much on Tech Town as much as the “future”‘ Ballpark Village – which brings me to the main point of this post…

First, let me say that I’ve had mixed feelings about BPV from the start.  I started out excited about this when it was first announced.  Since I live two blocks away I wanted to see this happen – it would be great to have a whole new riverfront destination to walk to from my condo, and it will be nice to see more crowds of people coming downtown.  Then again, I do not want to see another generic “lifestyle center” ala The Greene with a bunch of boring chain restaurants that will simply poach customers from our existing independent businesses.  And now there isn’t even a developer, which makes one wonder if there is actually a market for yet another retail & restaurant cluster in this region.  But even more important than all of that is the fact that the city is treating BPV as if it were an economic development project.  And while I’m not the first blogger to claim this, I am here to say that BPV is NOT economic development.

BPV is first a real estate project (just like Tech Town), and secondly it is a consumerism project.  Consumerism in that it simply offers another venue for consumers to spend money – not a project that city government should be initiating.  It will not create jobs other than low-paying service jobs.  It will not enhance any existing businesses (other than maybe the Dayton Dragons but as they’re still selling out games what help do they need?).  And ultimately it does nothing to “connect to the balance sheet” or “connect the dots”.  Sure, IF the consumers do show up then there is tax revenue to realize – which I imagine is what the city is looking to score.  But other than additional tax revenue that might not even make up for the amount of money the city is spending on property acquisitions and whatever tax subsidies it will have to offer in order to attract a developer and tenants, what exactly is BPV going to do in terms of economic development?

This city and region are losing jobs by the thousands these days.  Our local economy is in the crapper.  Do we really need another consumer-based development?  Hell, with more and more people losing jobs and the cost of fuel and food rising to catastrophic levels, can the region even support the restaurants and retail we have now, let alone support a whole slew of new ones?  No, as much as I’d personally like to see BPV happen so that I have a new place to walk to and spend my money, I can’t say that this will be good for the city or the region in the grander scheme of things.

Instead of trying to be land developers, the city should be working on ways to help support and grow the businesses and industry we have here now.  Tech Town is a good place to start since it is already underway – instead of relying on the “build it and they will come” strategy that seems to be in place now, focus on fostering the partnerships between government, business and universities that will help to create a true cluster.  Make this much more than a real estate proposition and Tech Town may just succeed.  Focus on the other areas of downtown instead of ignoring them like is happening now (how many empty buildings do we currently have?).  Work with area developers on ways to not only rehab and reuse our existing building stock, but also put real plans in place that will actually encourage development.  Residential is a good place to start, but even that must be part of a bigger plan.

Ballpark Village is not the type of development the city should be trying to accomplish.  Listen to the story about the Cleveland District of Design and you’ll get a better sense of what a true economic development project looks like.

I’ve posted this on the DMM Forum – if you wish to comment on this then sign up and get involved in the conversation there.

What if federal, state and county governments were to end the cycle of sprawl by coming up with a system that is more fair… one that charges appropriate impact fees to developers who choose to tear down trees and build new housing developments that require more roads and infrastructure.  Perhaps some of those fees could go to rewarding developers who choose to undertake the often more expensive and challenging task of rehabbing current building stock in older and more established urban (and closer-in suburb) neighborhoods and districts that already have existing infrastructure in place.  This might provide a more level playing field between struggling city neighborhoods and the endless sprawl that continues to suck life out of our urban core.

The following is an article from the Boston Globe that we found on Richard Florida’s blog (who found it on The Economist’s View blog).

What do you think?

[Read more…] about A Level Playing Field

Last night the Creative Region Initiative was officially kicked off as the organizers of the project and the 32 chosen catalysts met one another at the Westcott House in Springfield.  There was quite an energy in the room – we have some great people in the group and it is possibly the most diverse group of people I’ve ever been involved with in my life.  There is also the sense that this ambitious and unique effort is very different from any other community-based project ever executed in the past.  I believe there is a ton of potential to do some projects that have a huge impact on our community and will hopefully inspire even more spin-off projects in the future and beyond.

[Read more…] about Creative Region Initiative Officially Kicks Off

Ok, this is actually an extended ad for BMW, but it is interestingly tied to Richard Florida’s Creative Class theory.  And while it is simply an ad for BMW, I believe it communicates the definition of the Creative Class in a very well done and well produced video.  Now I realize that this probably took a ton of money to produce, but imagine if Dayton could have some marketing like this!  THIS is what it means to be creative – watch it and tell us what you think… (click on the pic)

I had been meaning to write about this for some time now, and this recent article from the Columbus Dispatch inspired me to do it now (insert the name Dayton wherever you see the word Columbus):

Poll: Some don’t link ‘burbs, city
Sunday,  December 9, 2007 3:28 AM
By Darrel Rowland, Alan Johnson and Mark Niquette
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

If the core of Columbus and other Ohio cities fail, the problems they’re experiencing will spread to the surrounding suburbs, exurbs and townships, experts warn.

If the core of Columbus and other Ohio cities fail, the problems they’re experiencing will spread to the surrounding suburbs, exurbs and townships, experts warn.

As many as 30,000 central Ohio residents might consider living Downtown, poll results showed. Such "urban pioneers" would help fuel a revival Downtown, attracting stores, restaurants and entertainment to the city’s core, one expert says.

Only about a third of the people who live around Columbus agree that a "strong link" exists between the health of the city and the health of the rest of the central Ohio region, poll results show.

Experts say Ohio’s big cities will never get turned around until people who live in the surrounding suburbs and exurbs realize their areas’ fates are linked to the health of the core city.

Without that understanding, the "why-should-I-care" attitude will not only thwart the cities’ comebacks, but will contribute to a spread of urban problems into the very areas people fled to escape them.

But only about a third of the people who live in the areas surrounding Columbus buy into this concept, judging from a poll by Saperstein Associates. That portion agrees a "strong link" exists between the health of the city and the health of the rest of central Ohio. Another 36 percent see "somewhat of a link."

[Read more…] about The Great Dayton Disconnect

Ok, we’ve now all heard about the Smart Decline initiatives being implemented in Youngstown, Ohio and being considered (?) in Dayton.  Here is another great idea from the king of struggling American cities – Flint, MI…

I often hear about the inferiority complex that we have here in Dayton.  Of all the places I’ve lived in, Dayton’s complex is certainly one of the most noticable – but I’ve never lived in or been to a city that DID NOT have an inferiority complex.  I suppose it is human nature to think that the grass is always greener on the other side.  Here are some cities I’ve lived in and their inferiority complexes: