What used to be in the Arcade? (Dayton: activity, best)

[Dayton Sux]

THeres a pix on this the linked post that shows what used to be in he Arcade during the last renovation

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=13191.0

And some maps showing the retail mix in the older days....

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=13169.0

[Trolleyfan]

I remember going downtown with my Mom to do our Christmas shopping. We're talking approx. 1954 thru 1962. I remember a lot of shops down there, but what I remember the most was the lunch counter inside the arcade. It wasn't inside a structure, but right outside in the arcade, and twisted around like a succession of letter U's. The had the best Sloppy Joe sandwiches and that is what we got most of the time we went down there. One Sloppy Joe Sandwich, a Barqs Root Beer and a small bag of Mikesells Potato Chips. Can't beat it, if you can find it !

[PantryPeeler]

The only hope of restoring downtown to something better, it to raze it to the ground a build something new. The buildings down there simply would need too much done to them to make it cost effective for businesses to move in. RTA did a lot to make Wright Stop Plaza into something more modern while keeping the old aesthetic. But that is a small building and they have more money than sense, along with political handlers that care more about the glory of Dayton than sound business decisions.

Simply put, why spend the kind of money that would be necessary to renovate the old buildings into something that you can use, when you can instead spend less by buying some land somewhere else (Wilmington Pike and Feedwire comes to mind as a recent example), get it zoned, clear it, and start making your money back while your first round of incoming business and residential tenants build your center for you. That way you have the added benefit of not having the Decent People coming to shop being disappointed that instead of the shopping experience from the glory days, it would be full of the same corporate stores that you will find at Fairfield Commons or Dayton Mall only without the ample parking.

[SWOH]

^And what exactly would they build in its place?

Heritage needs to be preserved. The Arcade can be successful again if it has the right purpose - institutional or museum use comes to mind. I agree shopping isn't going to work, but the downtown retail viability ship sailed long ago and isn't coming back (at least at any point in time that I can see right now).

Because if we keep bulldozing our past, we'll forget who we are and where we came from.

[RDriesenUD]

I'll stay with this even though it will never happen. Casino/hotel!

[Natural510]

Originally Posted by SWOH

^And what exactly would they build in its place?

Heritage needs to be preserved. The Arcade can be successful again if it has the right purpose - institutional or museum use comes to mind. I agree shopping isn't going to work, but the downtown retail viability ship sailed long ago and isn't coming back (at least at any point in time that I can see right now).

Because if we keep bulldozing our past, we'll forget who we are and where we came from.

So who's gonna pay for the renovation? No one's stepped up the past 25 years, and right now its doors are just a place for bums to take a **** downtown.

[hensleya1]

Originally Posted by Natural510

So who's gonna pay for the renovation? No one's stepped up the past 25 years, and right now its doors are just a place for bums to take a **** downtown.

He probably wants a tax levy. You'd need 2 or 3 mills countywide to raise enough money to issue a bond and pay for the restoration. But that's (1) levying another tax in a county that already enjoys the second highest property tax rates in all of Ohio behind only Cuyahoga County, and (2) there's no guarantee that the building will get used as intended.

AKA you could blow $150 million restoring it, but it would just be a very expensive place for the bums to take a **** downtown.

[SWOH]

Originally Posted by hensleya1

He probably wants a tax levy. You'd need 2 or 3 mills countywide to raise enough money to issue a bond and pay for the restoration. But that's (1) levying another tax in a county that already enjoys the second highest property tax rates in all of Ohio behind only Cuyahoga County, and (2) there's no guarantee that the building will get used as intended.

AKA you could blow $150 million restoring it, but it would just be a very expensive place for the bums to take a **** downtown.

That's one of the possible solutions. It worked in Cincy with Music Hall and Union Terminal, and they are higher tax than us (the Reds' and Bengals' stadiums didn't come from the owners' pockets, that's for sure).

But yeah, no one would go for a tax levy (or hopefully demolition) without a solid plan of action. Which is why I would be recruiting every possible large tenant I could for the building, because it probably does need to be a entrance-barring facility (require an admission fee, offices only, etc.).


According to the task force, stabilizing the arcade (which is not in poor condition) would cost $1 million.
Demolition would cost at least $12 million.
Task Force Talks Future Of Arcade Square - WKEF-TV ABC 22 News :: News - Top Stories


They could keep the arcade stable for decades for the cost it would take to demolish it.

To put it simply, demolition is the most moronic option out there.
Downtown is being revitalized, so keep the arcade stable until it can find a good use. In the end, stabilizing only would probably be the option that will cost the least and do the best job preserving it for generations to come.

[SWOH]

And most of the repairs are happening:

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/ne...e-repairs.html

[Natural510]

I suppose that wouldn't be a bad option, for now, since it's not a complete eyesore. I think it would depend how quickly more residents move downtown to keep a desirable influx of people within its walls everyday. No tenant will move in if it's just a place for the unemployed of Dayton to huddle indoors and idle all day long.