Dayton Arcade Restoration (Cincinnati, Warren, Green: apartment, credit, buyer)

[Natural510]

It's sad, but I think at this point it should be razed and replaced with something else. It's inexplicable that the Arcade went through a full remodel in the 1970s and closed after being sold only 15 years later. That action was pretty much the death-knell for the building.

[woxyroxme]

It would be a shame to lose the arcade, it used to be such a nice place when I was a kid but then the rest of downtown was too.

[SWOH]

^Agreed. But it's setup will make it hard to retrofit. Amandarthegreat did a great job pointing out just some of its limitations.

Another thing going against it is it's design. It doesn't have much usable street frontage. It is a beautiful, ornate building, but it's long corridors without street access facing Main and Third make it near impossible to convert into residential. The market is over saturated with office properties, and even if it could be upgraded to Class A office, which is supposedly in demand, why would a developer do that when they could do the same to another building built specifically as office like 111 w First? And the demand for retail, aside from possibly a grocer, is near nonexistent. So to me, the only logical use is institutional.

That comes back to a museum use, like an aquarium. Sure Newport has one, but Columbus, Indianapolis, and Toledo do not. Cleveland just recently added one. Or move Boonshoft or do something different like make a museum dedicated only to powered flight (maybe focus on the Wright Bros background, the discovery, the mechanics of powered flight, and flight innovations since then, for instance). Or even a Dayton History museum or a bid to host the Inventors Hall of Fame. Either way, no matter what happens with the arcade, it will require tax dollars. So I'm hoping Dayton follows Cincy's lead and decides to pursue an addition to the sales tax to fund it. Throw it on the ballot and let Montgomery Co taxpayers vote. But we will see. Rauch is powerful in these parts.

[RDriesenUD]

Originally Posted by Amandarthegreat

The library did a study and said that they could not afford the remodel or utilities, there would be a loss of control (because they would possibly have to lease), lack of parking (they're putting in a free garage at the main branch) and that it would be difficult to monitor the building with only a few staff.

Thanks. Just seems like it would have been a cool/unique place for it. The best city libraries, IMO, are ones that are unique and stand out.

[joe from dayton]

I'm not sure why you keep mentioning Boonshoft. They currently have a great facility with plenty of parking. Where are all of those paying visitors going to park downtown for free? Downtown doesn't offer anything as convenient as their current set up. Some type of Wright Bros/powered flight or the history of flight, but no one is going to pony up the money, especially with the Air Force Museum 15 minutes away. I also like the idea of a Dayton history museum. In any case, where is convenient parking? If it is not easy to get to, the casual visitor is probably not going to bother.

[RDriesenUD]

Originally Posted by joe from dayton

I'm not sure why you keep mentioning Boonshoft. They currently have a great facility with plenty of parking. Where are all of those paying visitors going to park downtown for free? Downtown doesn't offer anything as convenient as their current set up. Some type of Wright Bros/powered flight or the history of flight, but no one is going to pony up the money, especially with the Air Force Museum 15 minutes away. I also like the idea of a Dayton history museum. In any case, where is convenient parking? If it is not easy to get to, the casual visitor is probably not going to bother.

Why are people always complaining about parking? I am not getting on you, but I just chose your post to ask the question. I have never had a problem finding a place to park in Dayton. When I have gone to other cities, I have had to walk to places I wanted to go downtown. I guess I just don't get this debate. IMO, there shouldn't be a lot of parking downtown. There should be garages for businesses, yes, but otherwise, downtowns should be walkable. People seem to be fine going to Dragons games, the Schuster Center, etc....

[SWOH]

^Yeah, I'd rather not see Boonshoft move anywhere either.... the only reason I mention it is because it looks like the only museum the area has that would fit the criteria to fill the arcade. But no one's talking about it happening, so I strongly doubt the idea will ever come up among its leaders or it will ever happen....


And as far as parking goes, the 40 W. Fourth garage could be used, unless the building lands another big tenant. Or the city garage across 3rd could be expanded, and I guess we could have a "parking tower" in Dayton haha. RDreisen has a great point about the Dragons games though, I have never heard anyone complain about parking for those. But the Dragons field has more surface lots nearby from the different businesses, vacant lots, etc. than the Arcade.

There's also a big surface lot behind the DPS building at Fourth and Ludlow. Actually, does DPS even use that building anymore? If it doesn't, demo it and put a garage there.

Either way, I'm hoping Nan takes a hint from Cincy to work to get this on the ballot instead of taking advice from Rauch who will want some fat contract to demo it.

[joe from dayton]

Originally Posted by RDriesenUD

Why are people always complaining about parking? I am not getting on you, but I just chose your post to ask the question. I have never had a problem finding a place to park in Dayton. When I have gone to other cities, I have had to walk to places I wanted to go downtown. I guess I just don't get this debate. IMO, there shouldn't be a lot of parking downtown. There should be garages for businesses, yes, but otherwise, downtowns should be walkable. People seem to be fine going to Dragons games, the Schuster Center, etc....

I haven't had a lot of problems, but I have had issues during peak hours. We also don't have a museum downtown either, which will (hopefully) bring a lot more cars downtown vying for a limited number of spaces. I have been to a lot of museums, and outside of major metro areas, you can see the front door (of the museum) from the large adjacent parking lot. My comment is that we don't have anything like that downtown and that may dissuade potential visitors. Part of it is psychological. You can park out at the airforce museum and still have to walk three blocks to get to the door, but you ARE IN the museum's parking lot, which means you are at your destination.

I've been to Schuster a number of times and they have very convenient parking; you literally park across the street from the venue.

[RDriesenUD]

Originally Posted by joe from dayton

I haven't had a lot of problems, but I have had issues during peak hours. We also don't have a museum downtown either, which will (hopefully) bring a lot more cars downtown vying for a limited number of spaces. I have been to a lot of museums, and outside of major metro areas, you can see the front door (of the museum) from the large adjacent parking lot. My comment is that we don't have anything like that downtown and that may dissuade potential visitors. Part of it is psychological. You can park out at the airforce museum and still have to walk three blocks to get to the door, but you ARE IN the museum's parking lot, which means you are at your destination.

I've been to Schuster a number of times and they have very convenient parking; you literally park across the street from the venue.

Yeah, I am not saying more (in the right places and done right) parking would be bad. I just think it isn't nearly as bad as some people make it out to be. When I went to Seattle, as an example, we walked everyhwere we went. We stayed downtown and just walked to whatever place we were going. Sometimes, the walks were pretty far. For some reason, people have no problem doing that when on vacation or in "big" cities, but they do at home or in cities like Dayton.

[SWOH]

Originally Posted by joe from dayton

I haven't had a lot of problems, but I have had issues during peak hours. We also don't have a museum downtown either, which will (hopefully) bring a lot more cars downtown vying for a limited number of spaces. I have been to a lot of museums, and outside of major metro areas, you can see the front door (of the museum) from the large adjacent parking lot. My comment is that we don't have anything like that downtown and that may dissuade potential visitors. Part of it is psychological. You can park out at the airforce museum and still have to walk three blocks to get to the door, but you ARE IN the museum's parking lot, which means you are at your destination.

I've been to Schuster a number of times and they have very convenient parking; you literally park across the street from the venue.

You put it well. Parking is important, and it is psychological. People are willing to park far away if they feel they are already at their destination. And it's important to play to the current psyche of customers as much as possible to keep people from being dissuaded to come and see whatever.

And for the Arcade, that would be a tough issue to solve. Another strike against it, I guess.


Also - Dayton Sux - if you are out there, are you still involved with the Friends of the Dayton Arcade, and if so, what's their plan now?