The city administration identified five sites, which total eight acres, they want developed:
- 1027 Manchester Ave., formerly the Manchester Inn;
- 101 N. Main St., formerly the Snider building (also known as the Sonshine building);
- 2 N. Main St., formerly First National Bank;
- 39 N. Broad St., known as the Swallen’s Lot; and
- 436 and 437 N. Broad St., known collectively as the North Broad Street lot.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
The sites were chosen due to their “proximity to downtown, common city ownership, prominence within the community and the size of the location to bring a catalytic redevelopment to our urban core, according to Assistant Director of Community and Economic Development Jacob Schulte.
The city has put out one other request for developers in 2022, and Weyland Ventures LLC out of Lexington, Ky. was awarded the pre-development agreement.
After the due diligence period, the company stepped away from the project due to market conditions and their own capabilities, according to Schulte.
This time around is different, though, according to Schulte.
“There has been a stronger emphasis on community engagement in its drafting, as well as the document’s mission to bring a more generalized marketing focus to these properties and our downtown as a whole for redevelopment,” he said.
Following a public Downtown Refresh Town Hall Meeting in early March and two Downtown Refresh Working Group Meetings in June, people said the city shouldn’t limit the development to one developer, but that more than one could approach different areas of downtown in different ways.
Mica Glaser-Jones, who owns the Windamere Event Center downtown, attended these meetings and said the proposal document is “pretty close” to what the group had discussed with the city.
Glaser-Jones, who purchased and renovated the Windamere in 2015 with her husband, said she is “worried” about the short time frame for proposals but hopes the city reached out to some developers beforehand.
“We really would rather rescue (the buildings) instead of (demolishing) them because we really don’t want to lose much more of our history,” Glaser-Jones said.
Middletown released a survey in August for public feedback on the fate of the Manchester Inn and Sonshine buildings, though the results of the survey have not been shared with Journal-News or the public yet.
Based on public feedback in forums and previous surveys, though, a majority of public seem to be in support of the preservation, restoration and repurposing of city and historic buildings.
The city’s “strong relationship” with the Butler County Finance Authority and its president and CEO Joshua Smith has also “built excitement” within the development community, according to Schulte.
BCFA entered into a two-year, $500,000 cooperative agreement with Middletown Port Authority in April.
“Companies seeking access to sophisticated financing tools may now give Middletown stronger consideration,” Smith told Journal-News in April.
Smith said the agreement combines “local insight” with “countywide resources and financial tools” for faster deals and site preparation.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
For this call to developers, the city is hoping for “mixed-use” projects that combine “residential, retail, office and cultural uses,” according to a press release.
Development proposals should also be inclusive of but not limited to these properties, and a site visit is required for any submitted proposal, according to the document.
Public art, murals, facades and landscaping should also be included in proposals to “contribute to the beautification” of downtown.
Qualifications must be submitted in person by Nov. 3 for consideration; city staff will then review submissions, present findings to city council and consider next steps for the properties, according to Schulte.
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