** Paraphrased from the Dayton Daily News **

(A note from your humble editor - The original article was nearly incomprehensible! I have reformatted and rearranged parts to improve readability, but it's still pretty deplorable! Miss Marsh is probably spinning in her grave)

WOODY'S COULD FALL SOON
County grant sought to help cover demolition
By Jaclyn Giovis, Dayton Daily News
WEST CARROLLTON The demolition of a colorful West Carrollton fixture could help spark redevelopment at the city's gateway. Plans are in motion to tear down the vacant Woody's Market, a 70,000-square-foot grocery and restaurant building on East Dixie Drive, just east of Alex-Bell Road, but property owners and city officials are waiting to see if they will receive a county grant to help cover the $150,000 demolition costs. If the building is razed, the land could be split into two parcels and marketed for redevelopment, said Pete Nichols, a broker for Miller-Valentine Group. "We think it would definitely help us with the marketing of that property," Nichols said. "It's hard for them (potential businesses and investors) to visualize what that property would look like because the building really commands the property."

Other redevelopment and plans to complete the Interstate 75 interchange at exit 47 also will spur economic development, city officials said. "There's tremendous potential in the vicinity of that interchange," said Tracy Williams, West Carrollton city manager. Preliminary studies show nearly 3,500 new jobs could be created within a 1-mile radius of the improved interchange, he said.
*** If you believe this, I have some stock that I would like to sell to you!!! *** -ed.

The Ohio Department of Transportation has approved the $22.8 million interchange project, which would include adding four ramps to the existing interchange to complete the traffic flow patterns. The project is slated to begin in January 2009.

Soon city officials will find out whether the Woody's demolition project will have the funding it needs to move forward. West Carrollton requested a grant from the county's Economic Development /Government Equity program for $50,000. The match funding is secured through Woody's Market Inc., the owner of the property and the city of West Carrollton, which have each committed $50,000 to the project's total cost. The ED/GE committee is expected to make its funding recommendations to the county commission May 18.

If approved, the Woody's demolition is scheduled to begin in June and be complete by August. Woody's is a landmark in West Carrollton, there's no doubt about it," said David Humphreys, assistant city manager and economic development director. "It'll be difficult to see the building go."

Last summer, residents who attended the city's public forum on economic development expressed a desire to save the building and find another user. But Woody's Market has been vacant since January 1999 with little prospect of reuse, Nichols said. The building was expanded several times, and would be difficult and expensive to convert to another use. "Shovel-ready sites are really the only kinds of sites that have the chance to be redeveloped," Humphreys said. Land open for development can be found across the Dayton region, and sites not yet primed for new opportunity often are overlooked because of competition, Humphreys said.

Near Woody's, where a beer drive-through was located, other development plans are moving forward. McDonald's is planning to relocate from Central Avenue to Alex-Bell Road between Central Avenue and Dixie Drive, Humphreys said. The West Carrollton Planning Commission on April 7 approved plans for the McDonald's restaurant, and building permits soon will be issued, he said. "It will provide a catalyst for the redevelopment," of the area, Humphreys said. "This will be a quality project." The McDonald's will be a 4,500-square-foot restaurant with a brick exterior. "Part of the reason for the relocation was better access for our customers to be able to get into our restaurant," said Jeff Kane, Ohio regional marketing manager for McDonald's.

Contact Jaclyn Giovis at 225-2348.
- posted by Mikey @ 3:49 PM