The plan will look at growth needs alongside community priorities such as land use, economic development, transportation and connectivity.”
The Miami Crossing Joint Economic Development District is an economic development tax district between Miami Twp. and Miamisburg.
Miami Twp. Community Development Director Alex Carlson said the township, through the district, has hired Planning NEXT to facilitate the planning process.
“There are a wide variety of local leaders and business owners who have joined the plan oversight committee, including Hull Property Group, Industrial Commercial Properties, Crossroads Church, Kaden Companies, Montgomery County, Greater Dayton Regional Transportation Authority, Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission and many more,” Carlson told Dayton Daily News. ”We’re excited to work with these groups to lead process focused on meaningful public engagement."
Started in late 2014, the 2015 Dayton Mall Area Master Plan was adopted in December 2015, he said. Implementation of that plan was “largely stalled” due to the mall’s former owner filing for bankruptcy along with the COVID-19 pandemic, Carlson said.
In late October, Augusta, Georgia-based Hull Property Group spent $37 million for four parcels, including the 1.4-million-square-foot mall at 2700 Ohio 725.
Carlson said with Hull Property Group as the mall’s new owner, and other key areas within Miami Crossing coming under new ownership, Miami Twp. officials believe “now is the time to deliver the long-awaited and significant community change.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“The new plan will continue where we left off in the previous plan with the ultimate objective of transitioning the area toward a more walkable, mixed-use environment with opportunities for pedestrian-oriented retail, additional density, and residential components,” he said.
The planning process formally started in November, with a targeted completion of this coming fall, Carlson said.
The development district is a partnership established between Miami Twp. and the city of Miamisburg to facilitate economic development in the area surrounding the Dayton Mall.
It comprises 192 acres between Interstates 75 and Interstate 675, and Ohio 725, and includes the area around the Dayton Mall. The district levies a 2.25% income tax on businesses located within its boundaries. That tax revenue is split between the township and the city, with Miami Twp. receiving 70% and Miamisburg getting 30%.
Carlson said to garner ideas and insights about the plan, multiple opportunities to provide input will be provided, including a survey at www.miamicrossingmasterplan.org
Input from anyone who lives, works, owns property in or shops in the area is considered “critically important to the plan’s success,” he said.
“The plan is designed to deliver significant, long-awaited change, and its success relies on broad community backing,” Carlson said. “Public input ensures the plan’s recommendations achieve full alignment between the desired outcomes of both our community and prospective businesses and development we hope to attract.
He said an interactive station at the Dayton Mall last weekend found organizers “overwhelmed by the positivity and outpouring of support and ideas” they received from the public.
More information about the Miami Crossing Master Plan process, including upcoming engagement opportunities, is available at www.planning-next.com/miami-crossing-master-plan.
The Miami Crossing District is considered “a vital economic asset, meaning a lot to both Miami Twp. and the larger Dayton region,” Carlson said.
“We believe this is supported by the community interest and support already in this process, along with the support from the members of our oversight committee,” he said. “Miami Crossing serves as priority long-range planning area for the township, as Miami Twp. doesn’t have a traditional downtown. The goal is to transform the area into a revitalized, mixed-use property that will support existing businesses and provide new amenities to help support the growth of our region.”
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