“We consider this a renaissance of Trotwood,” Downing said, noting that the city has dealt with several significant challenges in recent decades. “We’ve faced strong economic headwinds, natural disasters ... (and) Trotwood was uniquely affected by the Great Recession, where we saw significant abandonment in housing, vacancy issues, and businesses leaving.”
The city has touted rapid growth in recent years along its Main Street area with the construction of new amenities, like the Dayton Metro Library Trotwood Branch, the Goodwill Easterseals building, and a new Montgomery County municipal courts building, as well as residential redevelopment in several areas throughout the city.
Credit: Aimee Hancock
Credit: Aimee Hancock
Now, officials are shifting attention toward future redevelopment opportunities in other parts of the city, including potential sites along Turner Road and in the area of West Third Street in the southeastern portion of the city, Downing said.
To guide this ongoing effort, Trotwood is working in collaboration with Harrison Twp., Montgomery County, and the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission to conduct a market analysis, Downing said.
The study, which is being paid for with federal Economic Development Administration disaster funding that came as a result of the 2019 tornadoes, will be overseen and administered by the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.
The study will include a specific focus on three underutilized sites in Harrison Twp. and Trotwood: land near the Wagner Ford interchange, the vacant Forest Park Shopping Center, and the former Hara Arena property, the latter of which is located within the borders of both municipalities.
“Ninety acres of that 120-acre site is in Trotwood and the remainder is in Harrison Twp., so that’s really bringing us together,” Downing said. “A lot of our focus is on how we create more jobs and tax revenue generation.”
The study is set to be completed by the end of 2023. Early findings of the analysis show these sites have potential to support large-scale projects, as well as to attract additional developments to the community, like housing, retail, restaurants, and entertainment, officials say.
“These planning efforts will lead to future opportunities that may take 5-20 years to fully realize, but they are crucial to the future prosperity of our community,” Harrison Twp. Development Director Emily Crow said in a recent township newsletter.
Downing said Trotwood residents can expect to have multiple opportunities to learn more about these initiatives and give feedback during tentatively planned public meetings beginning in 2024.
Through continued economic development, Trotwood leaders hope to see a resurgence in the city’s population and its standing as a location of opportunity for residents and businesses alike.
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