February 8, 2008...1:19 pm
Ballpark Village?
Apparently Ballpark Village is still a go to some degree. I can’t believe so little is being said about this project in the media.
City finishes plans for $230M Ballpark Village
Dayton Business Journal - by Jacob Dirr, DBJ Staff ReporterThe Ballpark Village development is a step closer to becoming a reality. Dayton city officials have completed their plans for the potential $230 million project and have submitted them to one of the developers for approval, city commissioner Nan Whaley said this week.
The Ballpark Village project would be the largest development in the history of the city. Many believe the retail, office and residential development would help revitalize downtown Dayton. But the project still has not received any official go ahead.
The project has two developers, Cincinnati-based Bear Creek Capital and California-based Mandalay Entertainment. Ken Stickney, Mandalay Sports Entertainment managing director, said that Mandalay is still committed to the village. “Out of respect for the city of Dayton, we are not giving specifics. From our standpoint nothing is changed,” Stickney said. “Our message is stay the course.” Mandalay is owner of the Dayton Dragons minor league baseball team. Bear Creek officials deferred comment to the city of Dayton officials.
Tom Biedenharn, spokesman for the city of Dayton, said that the city manager’s office is not ready to discuss the development. Speculation has swirled around the development since an imposed Thanksgiving deadline yielded no news from the city. While the city has remained largely mum, Stickney confirmed that city manager Rashad Young visited his office in Los Angeles in December. “I’m not sure how to characterize the meeting,” Stickney said. “We had a nice sit down.”
Whaley said the commission was told it would see plans for the mixed-use development by the end of January, but that has not happened. Others involved in the Ballpark Village project have received mixed messages from the city as to its current state. Alan Pippenger, president of Requarth Lumber, said that plans call for the city to buy his Monument Avenue building and tear it down in the first phase of development. His building was initially set for the third phase of the project. “The uncertainty has been difficult and it has made planning very difficult. We are looking forward to getting it resolved one way or the other,” Pippenger said. He said advance notice will be needed as it will take about six to eight months to relocate his company. If his building is included in the first phase of development, the project could take half a year to get underway once the city buys his building and helps relocate the business. “I think the project has been changing as (city officials) worked through some different options,” Pippenger said. He said that his company and the city are still negotiating about the fate of the building.
7 Comments
February 11, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Phil, it’s a “midwest thing,” you know. Very quiet. Very under the radar. Very slow. Very, oh my god, I wish they’d get on with it. Anyway, let’s hope we hear something from Mandalay and the city very soon.
February 11, 2008 at 11:09 pm
They’re always planning something to “revitalize” D-town aren’t they? Explain to me a little about this Ballpark Village Phillip. Or are you sworn to secrecy “out of respect for the city of Dayton” too?
You know what I think would revitalize Dayton? An American Apparel and a Sephora.
February 12, 2008 at 10:41 am
Everything is supposed to “revitalize” Dayton. That gets on my nerves when I hear it. Like one project is all that is needed to turn the whole ship around. Let me state that BPV will not revitalize Dayton—it will be but one stepping stone in the process.
BPV is kinda like the Greene but a bit more authentic. It’ll be next door to the Dragons stadium and would really rock.
There’s an American Apparel in Cincinnati. It seems a lot cooler than it really is. I bought a v-neck t-shirt there. I had to take it back—it was just too…how do I say gay without saying gay… (and to any gay readers, I use that term in a colloquial way, I’m a lover of the gays [in a non-gay sort of way!]) Urban Outfitters is a way better choice, imo. There’s a Sephora down here too. Erin loves it. I loathe it.
February 12, 2008 at 11:34 am
Sephora is coming to the Greene soon.
Phil don’t know if you caught the article in the DDN today about the plan to evolve the Oregon District. It’s pretty much a new parking garage near Gem City Records and some new art galleries. They said that they want it to be a unique art district, which surprised me since it’s exactly the opposite of a unique art district now. And that was an attempt at dry humour right there.
February 12, 2008 at 11:52 am
That was as dry as a martini with two olives. Yeah I read the DDN article on Urban Ohio today. Bill at DMM has a lot more in-depth article about it if you’re interested:
http://daytonblogs.mostmetro.com/dayton_topics/2008/02/oregon-district.html
I might actually go down to the OD now that I have somewhere to park my H2. Doubtful though.
February 12, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I guess I really just need to pay Cincinnati a visit. It’s already been revitalized correct? Because I’m not coming if it hasn’t.
I hate the Greene.
February 17, 2008 at 1:59 am
Hey Phillip, I went to American Apparel in Columbus tonight. And guess what I bought. That’s right, a v-neck t-shirt.
And it was just the right amount of gay for me.
Let’s hang out sometime in March.
Come to London March eighth if you can. I hear I may have an interview or something along those lines.
Night night friend.
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