TRENTON — With Trenton ramping up its economic development prospects, it has a number of new businesses either already open or coming to town — but there is one coveted store still missing — a grocery.

A Family Dollar Store opened late last month, and a Mexican restaurant and Little Caesar’s pizzeria are slated to debut later this year, both in the Trenton Crossings shopping center.

The city has tried to solicit a grocery, but hasn’t found any takers for the store that has been closed since 2006, despite offering incentives.

“We have facilitated discussions between several grocery store buyers and the McGee’s IGA. The building is actually in pretty decent shape. I think it’s entirely workable for a full-service grocery store,” said James Foster, the city’s economic development director.

“I believe that people that were potentially interested in opening a grocery store at that location were reluctant to make the investment under the present economic circumstances. I can understand that and sympathize,” Foster said.

Some residents have wondered why the city got a Family Dollar when it already has a Dollar General, and why the city is getting a Little Caesar’s when it already has Cassano’s, Domino’s and Richard’s Pizza.

The answer: Companies come to Trenton and want to compete.

“They’re coming in because they want to. Quite frankly if they meet the code, they will be issued a permit. They are not actively solicited by the city, nor does the city interfere in the free enterprise system. It isn’t appropriate for us to discourage competition.”

New high school, possible bypass generate optimism

To some, it may seem like not a lot happens in Trenton. However, there is quite a lot happening behind the scenes to prepare the city for a potential influx of business in the future.

Those could come courtesy of Edgewood City School District’s new high school, slated to begin construction next year, or further down the pike, some sort of bypass around the city, said James Foster, the city’s economic development director who has been with the city for about a year.

The city has made economic development a priority in recent years, hence the hiring of Foster, even though development has been slow to get going with the weak economy.

Even so, “I think we are well poised for the future when the economy picks up and folks are more interested in doing investment kinds of things,” Foster said. Those “kinds of things” include development of the city’s industrial park on Kennel Road.

“I think we’ve established the ambience for our 175-acre industrial park. We’re interested in the very first buildings establishing an aesthetic standard and especially establishing substantial employment levels. I’m very pleased to say we have serious interest from a buyer that is interested in exactly these things,” said Foster, who anticipates movement on the property next year.

One obstacle to economic development in the city has been its lack of easy access to an interstate. The city is interested in a bypass of some kind, whether it be the long-stalled Ohio 63 extension, or another bypass altogether. City officials have drawn up an alignment for one that would run southeast around the city.

As for the Ohio 63 project, “I don’t see the two as being incompatible, but if the political issues with Route 63 are addressed successfully, and if a funding strategy is out together that would allow Route 63 to be built, I still see it as a number of years in the future.”

“For that reason, it may be quicker and easier to actually construct a southeast bypass around Trenton in order to facilitate some of these transportation issues, until and if a Route 63 extension can be built,” the economic development director said.”

To facilitate development, the city has reactivated its community improvement corporation consisting of city officials and other community members. One of those is Pam Cottle, the owner of the Now or Latte coffee shop.

“We’re just getting started reorganizing. Our main objective will be to find buyers for the industrial park,” she said.

Foster has some other ideas for new business as well.

“I see Trenton as being well located to provide services for northeast Butler County, southeast Preble County, and maybe even southwest Montgomery County. To that end, we would certainly like to attract a medical facility of some sort ... I think there are opportunities for things like a hardware store,” Foster said.

Another prompt for development could be the new high school.

“Those (construction) people are going to need places to eat. They will not only patronize our existing businesses and restaurants, but we see opportunities for additional businesses and restaurants,” Foster said.

“Now I’m not suggesting that Trenton will become a convention center and have many multi-hundred room hotels. But I am suggesting there are opportunities associated not only with what we anticipate will be our increased employment levels, but also people traveling and people visiting,” he added.

Whatever new development comes, Cottle welcomes it, saying, “Anything that will bring me traffic makes me happy ... we’re not just a state route thoroughfare. If we (the city) were a destination, that would be nice.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.