Downtown Middletown Inc.
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Government
Forum Name: Economic Development
Forum Description: Local government efforts to develop the local Middletown area economy.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5032
Printed Date: Apr 18 2025 at 10:27pm
Topic: Downtown Middletown Inc.
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Subject: Downtown Middletown Inc.
Date Posted: Feb 01 2013 at 9:54am
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Posted: 6:00 a.m. Friday, Feb. 1, 2013
Local businessman to lead Downtown Middletown Inc. boardBy http://www.middletownjournal.com/staff/michael-d-pitman/" rel="nofollow - Michael D. Pitman Staff Writer MIDDLETOWN — Retired businessman Roger Daniel was appointed earlier this month as the chairman of the Downtown Middletown Inc. board of directors.
The board also welcomed five new board members and two ex officio members from the city of Middletown and Cincinnati State Middletown. “The buck stops with the board. The more the volunteers are involved, the more successful you’ll be,” said DMI Executive Director Patrick Kay. “One thing you want to have in a strong chair is someone who does almost as much work as the executive director and who meets with the executive director on a regular basis — and the more that happens the more successful the group’s going to be.” Downtown Middletown Inc., which was born from a public-private partnership through the city of Middletown, is a not-for-profit champion of the city’s downtown. The 11-member board is a group of volunteers who have a vested interest in downtown Middletown. “The idea is to support growth downtown,” said Daniel, who lives in the South Main Historic District. “People who have invested in downtown knows what it takes to grow downtown.” The board’s new members are TV Middletown Executive Director Ty Thomas, Middletown YMCA Executive Director Angela Howard, Forest Hills Country Club & Sportsplex President Roland Lutz, Art Avenue Custom Framing owner Phillip Harrison and attorney Joe Mulligan. Mulligan, who is a first-term city council member, does not represent the city on the board. Ex officio board member Matt Eisenbraun, the city’s economic development program manager, represents Middletown. Cincinnati State Middletown Assistant Director Judy Bober represents the college. Daniel, who joined the board about 18 months ago, became involved because he wanted to help downtown grow. “We’re downtown all the time,” Daniel said about he and his wife. “We would like to have restaurants to go to, entertainment to go to. I just wanted to help support the downtown be more vibrant, have a better quality of life attractions for downtown.” The group will focus on projects in 2013 that involve partnerships with Cincinnati State Middletown, which Daniel said “is the reason many people decided to pull the trigger investing in downtown,” and the Sorg Opera Revitalization Group. Downtown Middletown Inc. board Here is the board of directors for Downtown Middletown Inc. Those with an astrick are newly appointed: |
Replies:
Posted By: Neil Barille
Date Posted: Feb 01 2013 at 11:53am
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I've heard a saying by Bengals coach Marvin Lewis: "I see better than I hear". So while not diminishing what is currently going on downtown, I'd rather SEE a lot more activity instead of HEARING all the endless optimism and promises. |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Feb 01 2013 at 3:00pm
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Well, we should all hope and pray, as I do, that the
former downtown succeeds. If it doesn’t
we can be sure that Barack Mulligan and Hillary Gilleland already have another
multi-million dollar, taxpayer-funded TARP-type “stimulus plan” ready and
waiting to go. And we can be sure that
it will be very similar to all of the other plans that have been tried: overregulated and based on public funding
directed at the same narrow market. Just as with our current administration in Washington,
they simply can’t seem to understand that only private investment guided by vision
based on market forces will ultimately bring success. The government, whether federal, state or local, cannot “make” the people “like” things. They can only keep subsidizing things that their pals like, using other people’s money, until the taxpayers run out of money and their borrowing power is exhausted. ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Feb 01 2013 at 5:14pm
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"Retired businessman Roger Daniel was appointed earlier this month as the chairman of the Downtown Middletown Inc. board of directors" "The buck stops with the board. The more the volunteers are involved, the more successful you’ll be,” said DMI Executive Director Patrick Kay. “One thing you want to have in a strong chair is someone who does almost as much work as the executive director and who meets with the executive director on a regular basis — and the more that happens the more successful the group’s going to be.”" Wow, now we have a chairman (who will do "almost as much work as the executive director" according to Kay) AND an EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR who does "the most work". Kinda top heavy and laden with bureaucrats isn't it?  This isn't downtown New York Patrick and it isn't like the job is so monumental that it would overwhelm anyone. "The idea is to support growth downtown,” said Daniel, who lives in the South Main Historic District" How convenient. The task of protecting the S. Main St. folks and their property contnues. “People who have invested in downtown knows what it takes to grow downtown.” Well, the people of Middletown have invested in downtown with their tax money as much as any private investor Mr. Daniel, yet, I noticed we are left out of your little inner circle group downtown. You want to use our money but not listen to our ideas. Where is the voice of the people on your board appointments? Using our money should have given us a slot in your little hierarchy. Another example of exclusion at it's finest. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Feb 01 2013 at 6:21pm
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looks like about one board member per business in that area
if we have a director, why all of these other positions/members?
how much $$ do they have, and from where did it come?
since this is a PUBLIC/private organization(= funded by our tax $$). I see these as legitimate ?s
could we get a list of city loans, which ones have been forgiven and which might be delinquent for that area?
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Posted By: Middletown29
Date Posted: Feb 02 2013 at 8:25am
| I heard from a source at city hall that Kay is paid $60,000 a year. The city pays half or $30,000. |
Posted By: Bill
Date Posted: Feb 02 2013 at 10:48am
| Other than being quoted in the MJ, what does Kay actually do? |
Posted By: Middletown29
Date Posted: Feb 02 2013 at 7:42pm
| I understand he works about 20 hrs a week for his $60,000. How do we get a job like that? |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Feb 02 2013 at 8:23pm
| Wouldn't the fact Joe Mulligan is on this committee prevent him from voting on any matters concerning the city as he is also on city counsel? |
Posted By: Bill
Date Posted: Feb 02 2013 at 9:06pm
| That guy ought to be pounding the phones trying to find tenants for all those buildings. 20 hours isn't going to cut it. |
Posted By: ktf1179
Date Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 6:57am
An interesting article from the Columbus dispatch.Cities’ hearts beating strong in Ohio’s three C’sEuclid Avenue was the spark in Cleveland, as a bus rapid-transit system ignited development along the important Downtown artery once lined with so many mansions it was known as Millionaires’ Row. The rebirth of downtown Cincinnati started with Fountain Square and in Over-the-Rhine, a historic neighborhood filled with stately but crumbling homes. In Columbus, the Arena District rose on the blighted site of a long-closed prison. This started a wave of development that has spread south, to the river and the land formerly occupied by the failed City Center mall. Now, after many years and a combined investment of about $10 billion, Ohio’s three largest cities are enjoying downtown booms that have added residents, jobs, economic impact and vibrancy. “It’s an overnight sensation 30 years in the making,” said Edward Hill, dean of Cleveland State University’s Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs. “We’ve noticed it and are thrilled,” said Pat Barker, interim director of TourismOhio. “And, what’s even more amazing is so much of it, the construction projects and plans, was done during the recession.” Even in the midst of the recession, Ohio’s three C’s indeed moved forward with major projects, many of them initiated with public money. “The reason Columbus has fared so well is our public and private leaders work so well together,” said Guy Worley, chief executive of Columbus Downtown Development Corp. and Capitol South, which operates Columbus Commons park. Development expanded outward from these cities’ projects, which included parks, arenas and stadiums, museums and universities, hotels and, in recent years, casinos. The simultaneous rebirth of Ohio’s three biggest cities could help change the image of a state that too often has been linked to job losses and fading industries, experts said. Such a reversal also could boost economic development and reverse the so-called brain drain. “Instead of losing these young professionals to Chicago and the West Coast and East Coast, they’l l stay here if we have something vibrant going on,” said Mark Patton, managing director of JobsOhio. “It’s part of our long-term planning.” This planning, he said, includes a commitment to creating jobs in financial services, information technology, health care and marketing. “They’re the knowledge workers,” Patton said. “And they are college-educated, more-upscale and are looking for a downtown vibrancy.” Generational shiftOhio’s downtown projects have caught the attention of both the millennial generation and empty nesters yearning to live in a downtown environment filled with nearby amenities. “You can no longer find an apartment or condo in downtown Cleveland,” Patton said. “Vacancies are zippo.” It is the same in Columbus and Cincinnati, as the vacancy rates downtown have dropped in recent years and the list of new projects continues to grow. All these feet on the street in the three downtowns led to the opening of scores of restaurants and shops and the construction of more apartments and condominiums that will fuel the opening of more restaurants and shops. It’s a virtuous cycle of urban renewal. All these amenities also have helped the three cities increase the number of regional and national conventions and meetings they attract. “These meeting planners know that just because they hold a meeting someplace doesn’t mean people will come,” Barker said. “They’re looking for cities that have vibrant things to do at night, places people can walk to, and all three cities have this now, and it’s a huge benefit.” This is a big change from a decade ago. In Cincinnati, the city’s nine Fortune 500 companies banded together to create a real-estate development fund that became Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., or 3CDC. The first projects were the restoration of Fountain Square, in the central business district, and Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine. The organization also has bought 200 vacant buildings and 150 vacant lots in Over-the-Rhine, said Anastasia Mileham, spokeswoman for 3CDC. Finding people to live in downtown residential developments has been a breeze in Ohio. And nationally, many other cities are in the midst of downtown revivals. “The Generation Y’ers (also called the millennial generation) are the biggest demographic bubble we’ve ever seen, 60 million strong,” said Conor McNally, chief development officer of Carter, the Atlanta-based developer of the Banks project in Cincinnati and HighPoint at Columbus Commons. “They have lit a fire for urban, rental housing,” he said. “It’s creating something phenomenal and has changed the tone of downtowns.” HighPoint is a $50 million project that includes 302 apartments and 23,000 square feet of retail space that is part of Columbus Commons park. The Banks is a $600 million, multiphase project that will take 10 to 15 years to complete, McNally said. As the name suggests, the 18-acre development is along the Ohio River, nestled between Great American Ball Park and Paul Brown Stadium. The $400 million Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati is scheduled to open in the spring, and the city also is building a $110 million-plus streetcar system that will run from the riverfront through the central business district and into Over-the-Rhine. “What we’re seeing along the river is so exciting,” McNally said of the parks, foot traffic, restaurants and events at the stadiums. “The riverfront in Cincinnati was never treated in the way it deserved over the years. It was like the city had turned its back on it.”About $2.6 billion has been invested in the urban core of Cincinnati, said Chris Kemper, spokesman for Cincinnati USA Partnership, a regional-development initiative. Answers by the lakeIn Cleveland, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance has helped spur $5 billion in investment, including about $3 billion in the central business district, said Michael Deemer, its vice president of business development. The Euclid Avenue corridor has been the epicenter of all this development. “What we did here was create an innovative rapid-transit system,” Deemer said. “And since it opened (in 2008), it has created several billion in development along Euclid Avenue, by the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland State University, the hospitals and the Horseshoe.” The $350 million Horseshoe Cleveland casino opened last year. “In the first two months, it attracted over a million visitors,” Deemer said. “It brought people to downtown Cleveland who hadn’t been here in a while to check it out, and they’re finding a fun, vibrant environment.” The $465 million Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center opens this year. It is part museum and exhibit space and part training center, and it’s expected to bring thousands of health-care professionals to the city. “It’s the first of its kind, a medical-innovation showplace,” said David Gilbert, chief executive of Positively Cleveland, the convention and visitors bureau. The Arena District was the beginning of the boom in Columbus. Nationwide Arena opened in 2000, and the district now also has more than 1.2 million square feet of office space, numerous restaurants, two completed residential projects, with a third under construction, and a ballpark. Capitol Square Ltd., the real-estate arm of The Dispatch Printing Company, owns 20 percent of the Arena District. After the Arena District created the momentum, Worley said, the next key projects were renovating the empty Lazarus building and razing the vacant City Center mall in the Capitol South area of Downtown, which in turn has led to residential projects and restaurants. “We had a 1.2 million-square-foot empty mall and 700,000-(square)-foot empty department store,” he said. Downtown has had about $2.55 billion invested, according to the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District. The goal with Columbus Commons and other major projects is to create the hub leading to spokes of development that reach farther and farther and connect with spokes from other major developments. “You have to create not just a building,” said Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, “but an environment.” WITH THE GEN Yer's MOVING TO DOWNTOWN DOES THIS MEAN AN END TO SUBURBIA LIKE MIDDLETOWN, SPRINGBORO, FRANKLIN, AND MASON? OR SHOULD MIDDLETOWN INSTEAD FOCUS ON REMODELING ITS BUILDINGS FOR CONDOS AND APARTMENTS IN DOWNTOWN INSTEAD? |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 7:52am
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ktf: "WITH THE GEN Yer's MOVING TO DOWNTOWN DOES THIS MEAN AN END TO SUBURBIA LIKE MIDDLETOWN, SPRINGBORO, FRANKLIN, AND MASON? OR SHOULD MIDDLETOWN INSTEAD FOCUS ON REMODELING ITS BUILDINGS FOR CONDOS AND APARTMENTS IN DOWNTOWN INSTEAD?" If the focus in downtown Middletown were to turn to the development of condos and apartments, what would be the drawing points to lure people to live down there? Some arts places, one college building attracting 350 students off and on throughout the week for classes, a few restaurants and alot of empty lots and buildings, doesn't offer enough attraction nor interest as yet for potential residents. It's still too deserted to offer any interest. JMO Also in the story.... "Development expanded outward from these cities’ projects, which included parks, arenas and stadiums, museums and universities, hotels and, in recent years, casinos" Casinos. (a totally crazy idea to some) Not going to get sports teams to inhabit any arenas or stadiums. Won't be any hotels being built with the light weight activity downtown as yet. IMO, don't think CS has the potential as yet to make a difference on stimulating activity. May never have. Going to have to be alot more interest in the CS program than what has been demonstrated so far. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: ktf1179
Date Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 8:51am
| Now if Miami University, Wright State, University of Dayton, University of Cincinnati were to open up a branch campus in "Downtown" Middletown, then you would see changes. Because those students would bring more money to the area than a community college would. Granted it would be in the way of coffee shops, restaurants and small shops. I also believe CS will continue to struggle, unless that make it an easier way to get to downtown. Trying to follow Ohio 122 into Downtown can be tricky if you are not from here. Also I feel Downtown Middletown needs to get rid of the one way streets. Downtown Dayton has and it has made it easier to navigate the city. |
Posted By: 409
Date Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 9:25am
Speaking of downtown streets....These were put out Friday evening for auto & crowd control at Broad & Central.
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 9:57am
Auto and crowd control? And just how many cars and people were at the intersection of Broad and Central Friday evening? Would have been interesting to have seen that many people downtown at one time.  Kinda like Times Square I bet. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
409 wrote:Posted By: Neil Barille
Date Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 10:12am
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Vet, I know you've mentioned casinos before. You do realize this is all controlled by state law? At this point the only permissible casinos are the four that were approved by state-wide vote a couple Novembers ago (Toledo, Cincy, Col, Cleve). So no chance of a Middletown casino.
The fact is Middletown unfortunately seems to not meet any criteria as far as hosting a large scale attraction. No museum, no arena, no waterpark, no amusement park. Sadly, the fact of simply being in between Cincy and Dayton (a dying city) is not really worth much.
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 11:18am
I have no doubt you are correct in your information Neil. Which led me to consider how Monroe got a racino as it is not a major city as you have mentioned and a horse track nearby in Lebanon. Wonder how they managed to accomplish that and Middletown, just 3 or 4 miles up the road, with the same I-75 exposure that Monroe has, has a dilapidated, undeveloped entrance with no activity in the planning? I think the other towns that are successful just have smarter people at the helm, who have better game plans and who know how to execute a winning proposition. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 6:39pm
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Vet, Middletown no longer has the land to build a HS as the spot they had chosen is to be a middle school which requires less land. The other cities you mentioned have the available land whereas Middletown does not. Many of you on here moan and groan every time the city goes to tear down a cock roach infested house, let alone the bigger buildings filled with asbestos and would cost far more to renovate than to just demo. Unless Misdletown annexes more land you will most likely never see a large facility of any kind being built here. Pacman |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Feb 05 2013 at 6:07am
Pac- Won't try to explain why others "moan and groan" about things being torn down in this town, but for me, it all goes back to the memories I have of the buildings when they were of some use and value. I understand why they are demolished, but understand, at the same time they are demolished, they are taking away physical representations of the memories. It would be like seeing your childhood home being demolished and an empty lot taking it's place. Gotta work on the minds of most people I would think seeing what matters hauled to the dump. As to the land issue..... Rumors were thrown around some years ago that when the Midd. schools purchased the land that now has Miller Ridge school on it, it was slated to be the site of a new high school. Never panned out as the new high school site. Got alot of land to the east side of I-75 that once held some promise don't we? If Fenwick went out to Hunter, why couldn't Midd. build a new high school out by Atrium somewhere? It's already on the northeast side up on Breil, right? How about all this "green space" that the city seems to be obsessed in creating? Nothing large enough for a school on any of these sites? Just asking. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: ktf1179
Date Posted: Feb 05 2013 at 6:44am
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Exactly Vet, we should use the land on the east end of town for the school. Actually they should build it in view of I-75 as a way to promote the new Middletown . As for lack of land I am in favor of Annexing more land. A former Springoboro City Council member Don Ross said "A City either grows or it dies." Middletown could annex land west of the Great Miami River, or Annex Land further east to Red Lion, and north to Franklin and Springboro if they wanted too.
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Feb 05 2013 at 7:29am
Don't know if the West Middletown folks would want Middletown's intrusion because of the way Middletown always handles things. If it can go wrong, you can bet the Midd. city officials had their hand in it. Middletown, due to it's past actions, hasn't made too many friends with the surrounding communities. As for annexing land up toward Franklin and out to Red Lion? Remember the war that developed when Middletown annexed the Towne Mall area from Warren County. Hard feelings developed out of that fiasco. Doubt if Warren County has forgotten and will probably make life miserable if Middletown even mentions intruding on their turf. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: Neil Barille
Date Posted: Feb 05 2013 at 8:55am
| I don't think the "it grows or dies" comment necessarily has to mean land expansion. It really means business growth or some kind of renewal or development. This is why I'm in favor of tearing down whenever it makes sense -- we must adapt or die. Stop holding on to the past. |
Posted By: bumper
Date Posted: Feb 05 2013 at 9:54am
As for annexing more land, they can't take care of what they have now.. they did alot of land grabbing over the years, they kinda put the nail in their coffin on getting anymore...IMO heck just bring in more bull dozers and send-em in all directions downtown and all around they can open land.. Vet IMO they have done bull dozed memories of the past middletown, to where it really dosen't matter anymore...when to let everything go to he ll, its really the only thing you can do...so ya gotta look on the Brighter side
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Posted By: ktf1179
Date Posted: Feb 05 2013 at 10:16am
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The problem with a old city like Middletown, everything becomes historic. I think we should keep those buildings that are historically and architecturally important to the city. However if they are so damaged that it is too expensive to bring up to code they might have to tear them down. The main issue is that Middletown has acquired so many areas over the years that the current zoning does not make sense. Personally I think the city should look into re-zoning the entire city so it makes sense. Why have a residential neighborhood next to AK Steal? No one in there right mind would want live to that close to a place like that. The current values for houses next to AK Steel is below 100K, thus driving down the property values for everyone else . Go to www.zillow.com or www.trulia.com to see what I am talking about. Why not re-zone that area in to light industrial or commercial instead. And re-zone some of the old Commercial, and industrial areas back to to Residential development? That way you can re-invent Middletown with new development within the city limits. |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Feb 05 2013 at 10:20am
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Neil Barille - I don't think the "it grows or dies" comment necessarily has to mean land expansion. It really means business growth or some kind of renewal or development. This is why I'm in favor of tearing down whenever it makes sense -- we must adapt or die. Stop holding on to the past. Neil I agree with your analogy for the future growth of the City of Vail Jr. High School – If Mr. Adkins wants so many of the houses in the 2nd Ward torn down why don’t we just demo 10 blocks of these old houses and build a new school. Or maybe we could consider the area around the old |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Feb 06 2013 at 1:02pm
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Posted: 6:00 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013
DOWNTOWN MIDDLETOWN
Sponsorship campaign could lead to job creationDMI executive director: ‘This is everybody’s downtown.’By http://www.middletownjournal.com/staff/michael-d-pitman/" rel="nofollow - Michael D. Pitman Staff Writer MIDDLETOWN — Downtown Middletown Inc. is giving an opportunity for everybody to be involved in downtown’s revitalization efforts, which can lead to new local jobs, according to the organization.
The not-for-profit downtown champion organization is now seeking sponsors to help with its mission of improving the city’s core. “I’d like to have more people caring about the downtown,” said Patrick Kay, DMI executive director. “This is everybody’s downtown.” The DMI sponsorship campaign kicked off three weeks ago where people were asked to financially support the future of downtown Middletown. “Downtown is a reflection of our pride, prosperity and quality of life,” he said. “It’s the whole idea of shop local. If you want your downtown to be successful, give and be a part of it.” Renee Selby, owner of Miss Selby’s Soaps, became a sponsor at the “Advocate” level because “it gives me the feeling like I’m doing my part in helping out.” “It’s exciting,” said the Madison Twp. native and resident. “I want to make sure my business is successful, and downtown.” Selby has a retail location inside the Pendleton Art Center, 1105 Central Ave., and moved her production of natural soaps to 1131 Central Ave. this past summer. Kay said the goal is to get at least 150 people to invest in the annual sponsorship. As of Tuesday, DMI has 23 sponsors giving $3,700. By investing in downtown, Kay said, more money stays in the city by supporting local small businesses, and more local jobs can be created. DMI is in the process of becoming an Ohio Main Street program through Heritage Ohio, the administrator of the state’s program. The sponsorship is part of that process, said Jay Moorman, DMI board of directors vice president and co-owner of BeauVerre Riordan on Central Avenue. “There are so many people that care about downtown in this town,” he said. Starting at $25, people can become a sponsor at various levels. The higher level sponsorships are named for historic Middletonians, including the city’s founder, Daniel Doty. If you invest
Donations are tax deductiable. For more information, call 513-217-4573 or visit http://www.downtownmiddletown.org/" rel="nofollow - www.downtownmiddletown.org . |
Posted By: Neil Barille
Date Posted: Feb 06 2013 at 1:58pm
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Who writes these headlines? I need them to work on my resume -- very, um, optimistic!
As for the article, so what Mr. Kay is saying is that it is not enough the city hall has catered for years to a small group of property owners, historians and preservationists, and funneled our tax dollars into pet projects, but now we all must pony up even more? I think Mr. Kay should call Duane Gordon at the foundation. He may have better luck.
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Feb 06 2013 at 3:15pm
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"Downtown Middletown Inc. is giving an opportunity for everybody to be involved in downtown’s revitalization efforts" Oh, I see, NOW they want EVERYBODY to be involved in the downtown effort. Why then has ALMOST EVERYONE BEEN EXCLUDED from participation, especially from the outset when the whole town theme of artzy glitz and specialty shops were on the burner? We didn't seem important enough to be needed then. "I’d like to have more people caring about the downtown,” said Patrick Kay, DMI executive director. “This is everybody’s downtown.”" Almost comical coming from Kay. If you truely wanted "more people caring about the downtown", you would have INCLUDED, not excluded, more than just inner circle S. Main St. residents and artzy business people from the outset. "The DMI sponsorship campaign kicked off three weeks ago where people were asked to financially support the future of downtown Middletown" And now we know WHY, all of a sudden, they want more participation......they want YOU, who they intentionally excluded to date, to "come on down" and be friends.......and, by the way, make a monetary donation to THEIR cause. (By the way, when you donate to them, be sure not to offer any opinions that would allude to changes in their program) Just get your money out and hand it to them....then go home. "Downtown is a reflection of our pride, prosperity and quality of life,” he said. “It’s the whole idea of shop local. If you want your downtown to be successful, give and be a part of it.” DOWNTOWN IS A REFLECTION OF THOSE THINGS? I THOUGHT THE EAST END WAS WHERE IT WAS AT NOT TOO LONG AGO. "IF YOU WANT YOUR DOWNTOWN (since when was it ever MY downtown?) TO BE SUCCESSFUL, GIVE.....HE SAID "GIVE" and "BE A PART OF IT". A LOT OF NERVE FROM THESE DAM DOWNTOWN PEOPLE........NOW, they ask us to donate? Mercy! “There are so many people that care about downtown in this town,” he said" BOY ARE YOU OUT OF TOUCH. NEWSFLASH KAY.....THERE IS AN EXTREMELY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THIS TOWN THAT CARES ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN...... THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A BUSINESS TO RUN AND THOSE THAT SUPPORT THOSE BUSINESSES AND ARE INTERESTED IN THE ARTZY THEME THAT A FEW HAVE CONCOCTED. Starting at $25, people can become a sponsor at various levels. The higher level sponsorships are named for historic Middletonians, including the city’s founder, Daniel Doty. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you invest Downtown Middletown Inc. is asking the community to invest in the downtown by becoming a sponsor of the not-for-profit organization. Here are the sponsorship levels: Friend: $25 Advocate: $100 Middletonian: $250 Founder levels: Stephen Vail, $500; George Verity, $1,000; Daniel Doty, $2,500 Middletown Leadership Circle: $1,500 a year for three years AND WHAT DOES ONE GET FOR THIS MONETARY DONATION BESIDE THE "SATISFACTION" THAT THEY HAVE HELPED YOUR LITTLE GROUP ATTAIN THEIR DREAMS WHILE THE OTHER 95% OF MIDDLETOWN COULD CARE LESS? AGAIN.....ALOT OF NERVE KAY. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Feb 06 2013 at 3:18pm
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Amen Neil Most of the business owners and citizens with whom I have spoken since recieving this mailed request find it to be incredibly self-serving. So--we are supposed to additionally fund many of our competitors(even those not yet "created") now in this one small self-important area? Won't the presence of C St. be enough? I heard rumor that this organization has also offered free property to a private entity desiring to open a brew pub. So--are we now taxpayer funding the opening of bars in this area also? Could it FINALLY be time for this area to stand on it's own, and let the current property owners fend for themselves in creating self-supporting businesses(as the rest of our city continues to do)? If not now--when? jmo |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Feb 06 2013 at 9:15pm
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Vet, As far as I know Fenwick & Middletown Christian are private schools. I do not know if they are bound by the rules & regs as public schools. Public schools receive funds from the state and federal government therefore must abide by certain regulations set forth by the state. Religious schools are funded privately, I'm not sure but I'd don't believe they have to follow the same rigorous rules as far as buildings go. Any time MHS want an extra acre of land tell to call me. I am located on the NE corner of their property. As far as the land situation goes, other cities such as Monroe ans West Chester have large tracts if land that can be custom built to suit large businesses. While Middletown, with it's poor reputation of dealing with others has no large tracts of land remaining, has poor amenities for a blue collar worker, and even fewer for white collar workers, has added demo costs plus hazardous material handling costs, is not a attractive to or able to handle large employers (ie: 200-500 employees). Pacman l |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Feb 07 2013 at 8:30am
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Spider Don't forget that Miss Judy is wanting a 2 Million Dollar Bond later this year to demo more buildings in "THEIR DOWNTOWN".
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Posted By: 409
Date Posted: Feb 08 2013 at 7:30am
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DON'T FORGET FOLKS..... You may still be able to get in on the 'Sponsorship Program' ! For a small donation, you may be eligible for..........  |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Feb 08 2013 at 8:47am
Good reminder 409. By all means PAC folks, bring back the car hood idea. but give Kay the credit. After all, he does most of the work with the chairman doing "a little less than most of the work". Right Kay?  ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Feb 17 2013 at 10:56am
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Well, well....like clockwork, each Sunday, comes another "downtown feelgood story" from the Journal..... Momentum, hope builds for downtown business owners MIDDLETOWN — Since opening in July, owners of The Barber Stop say they have seen a lot of growth in downtown. Cincinnati State Middletown opened Butler County’s first community college, the Liberty Restaurant reopened under new management, and business owners were able to fix up their store fronts with a city facade grant. Many changes in downtown are expected in 2013, according to those who have recently invested there. He said the city has been “stale for a long time, and out of that there comes a point where people are tired of it.” And that breeds a determination to do something about it, he said. "THE CITY HAS BEEN STALE FOR ALONG TIME"......KINDA SAYS IT ALL AS TO THE EFFORTS FROM THE CITY LEADERS, DOESN'T IT. AND NOW, FOR SOME SUNDAY MORNING HUMOR FROM OUR BUDDY PATRICK KAY..... Patrick Kay, executive director of Downtown Middletown Inc., said 2013 won’t be a make or break year, but it will be an important year. “I guess this is the time to kind of see if it takes and the community embraces it,” he said. “You have all the right ingredients to make it work. It’s just a matter of how much the community embraces it.” Skepticism is only natural, Kay said, because “for the longest time the community has been disappointed with efforts that have tried and failed in the downtown.” But there comes a time, he said, when people have to give downtown a chance. "SEE IF THE COMMUNITY EMBRACES IT".....HE DIDN'T JUST SAY THAT, DID HE? HELL KAY, YA DIDN'T EVEN ASK THE "COMMUNITY" WHAT THEY WANTED DOWN THERE FROM DAY ONE. YOU AND A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE, WITH AGREEMENT FROM CITY OFFICIALS, SET UP THE ARTS THEME WITHOUT ASKING ANYONE OUTSIDE THE LOOP WHAT THEY WANTED. MERCY SON. NOW YOU WANT TO MAKE THE STATEMENT THAT YOU WANT TO SEE IF IT TAKES AND THE CITY EMBRACES IT? KINDA LATE IN THE GAME, ISN'T IT? AND THIS FROM ROGER CONNER...... For those naysayers about the potential of downtown’s success, Conner said, “It’s time to get over it.” “If the city doesn’t care about the revitalization about downtown, there won’t be a city,” he said. The summer will be interesting for downtown, Conner said, because there are a lot of people looking at the city to bring business. “It will be interesting to see what rises out of nothing,” he said. “It could be like the phoenix, the destination point for people to come to and see things are happening and things are changing.” There have been many failed attempts at revitalization in the past, which is where many of the doubts and skepticism originates. But Conner said one difference is the city’s buy-in. CONNER, GOT NEWS FOR YOU SON. IT AIN'T TIME TO "GET OVER IT" UNTIL WE SEE SOME REAL ACTIVITY AND SUCCESSFUL DECISIONS DOWN THERE. UNTIL THEN. WE CAN'T "GET OVER IT" BUD. WHO'S ZOOMIN' WHO HERE CONNER? THE CITY DOESN'T NEED TO CARE ABOUT THE REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN FOR THE TOWN TO EXIST. THE REAL GROWTH HAS BEEN, FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS, IN THE EAST END. THAT WAS THE CORRECT FOCUS YEARS AGO. THE DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE OF LOCATION, WILL ALWAYS BE IN SECOND PLACE AS TO DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES. BY THE FREEWAY AND ALOT OF EXPOSURE TRUMPS 7 MILES TO THE WEST AND HARD TO GET TO IF NOT FAMILIAR EVERYTIME. ONE DIFFERENCE IS THE CITY BUY-IN? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? EVERYTHING THE CITY HAS TOUCHED HAS BEEN A CLUSTER.CHECK THE FAILED ATTEMPTS BY THE CITY AND YOU WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND ON THAT STATEMENT. MERCY BUD, DO YOU NOT REMEMBER PAST CITY CLUSTERS? MORE CONNER..... “It’s always been hopeful, but you have to have people that says, ‘Okay, no matter what the economy is, who’s the president, I’m going to step outside the box and I’m going to take a chance,’” he said. EASY TO SAY WHEN YOU AREN'T USING YOUR MONEY AND THE TAXPAYER IS PAYING THE TAB. YOUR STATEMENT HAS CREDIBILITY WHEN NOTHING BUT PRIVATE MONEY IS USED AND NOT 100% FUNDED BY THE TAXPAYER. By the start of the fall 2013 semester, more than 600 students will be taking classes at Cincinnati State, with the lion’s share taking classes at the downtown campus, said Tom Hale, an assistant director of the Middletown campus. But this year will see the school complete its construction on the remaining 3-1/2 floors at 1 N. Main St., he said. And if downtown succeeds so will Cincinnati State. “The more the city revitalizes and develops, the more we revitalize and develop,” Hale said. “With more activity happening down here, it kind of breeds itself.” "AND IF THE DOWNTOWN SUCCEEDS, SO WILL CINCINNATI STATE" I THOUGHT CINCINNATI STATE WAS SUPPOSE TO HELP THE DOWNTOWN SUCCEED, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. 600 STUDENTS BY THE FALL? THOUGHT WE WERE AT 350 OR SO. WILL IT ALMOST DOUBLE BY THEN? HOW? And the students feel downtown Middletown is a place they want to be, he said. REALLY, WHY IS IT "THE PLACE THEY WANT TO BE". PLEASE EXPLAIN. EVEN MORE CONNER...... But Conner said while Cincinnati State “is a wonderful thing,” all the pressure shouldn’t be on the community college. “We’re putting a lot of hope, and responsibility and expectations on them,” he said. “Not that they can’t come through, but there’s a lot to live up to. And we’re so hungry, we needed a shining light and they can be our shining light but sometimes I think we should be careful to not to put too much pressure on one person, on one company.” A "SHINING LIGHT"? WOW....ALOT OF DRAMA AND EMBELLISHMENT HERE. A NICE "FEEL GOOD" STORY BASED ON HOPES AND DREAMS AND ALOT OF "MAYBE'S" ABOUT DOWNTOWN. TOO BAD THE ACTIVITY DOESN'T MATCH THE EMBELLISHMENT NOR THE CONTENT OF WHAT IS REALLY DOWN THERE. THE FOCUS IS STILL THE EAST END DUE TO LOCATION AND EXPOSURE, WITH THE DOWNTOWN EFFORT COMING SECOND. SOME DON'T SEEM TO SEE THE CORRECT PICTURE. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: bumper
Date Posted: Feb 17 2013 at 2:02pm
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heck vet i think all that BS is starting to work on me.. think im starting to see cars backed up from both ways on 75 bumper to bumper all the way to downtown with red light cams flashing like krazy..
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Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Feb 17 2013 at 2:06pm
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Seems as if the same story is run every week-end (or more frequently). At least they didn't beg for money today. You might think that the MJ might occasionally visit other city business areas that are struggling, yet as active or more so... I honestly hope that the former downtown area eventually gets their act together and becomes a self-supporting success. Many have worked very hard down there for a LONG time now. If that area eventually becomes stand-alone, then the rest of the city might get some well-deserved attention. The S Main Street light situation returns this Tuesday. That area is poorly lit, though not differently than the rest of the city. My street is just as poorly lit, with street conditions even worse. No hope for improvements our way unless the residents absorb the full cost. So-- with both Mulligans sitting this one out, two NO votes could shoot down this added expense for all residents. Don't see it happening though. As Mr. P mentioned, it would be much cleaner if the residents simply agreed on a common fixture, and had the light poles installed on their property adjacent to their sidewalk and had the lighting wired directly to their residences. That way it would be a wonderful neighborhood improvement at no cost to citizens outside of that area. Still don't understand why the city didn't take the lighting all of the way down to 14th and Barnitz Stadium. That would seem more logical and complete IMO. |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Feb 17 2013 at 3:47pm
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I agree 100% Spiderjohn. I can't understand why the folks on S. Main and downtown think when they want something, they are entitled to have the rest of us pay for it. ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Feb 17 2013 at 6:42pm
According to MJ article quoted by Vet above...
tying a success of any educational institute is an oxymoron. Did anyone at the city hall bother to ask CS about their graduation rate or did they just get so giddy and overwhelmed that they jus overlooked the graduation rate. According to the Obama Score Board the graduation rate at CS in Cincinnati is 12.7% or in other words a student has about a 1 in 8 chance of graduating from CS. This is pathetic if you ask me. Pacman  |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Feb 17 2013 at 7:32pm
PAC- a small correction to your post for accuracy...... Roger Conner originally said "and if the downtown succeeds, so will Cincinnati State". I was merely quoting Conner on that one to make my point. As to the graduation rate at Cincy State being 12.7%....how long do you think CS will be in business in the downtown with that kind of success? ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Feb 17 2013 at 8:53pm
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What I meant was that this vote will probably pass.
Hey--praise those on S Main for wanting something nice, organizing and following it through.
Many there have worked long and hard to make those old places alive again.
Nothing wrong with wanting a safe and attractive neighborhood.
Just don't see where the city needs to be involved
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Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Feb 18 2013 at 12:21am
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60% of the property owners involved want these decorations, 40% don't. The 40% are being forced to spend thousands of dollars (which many cannot afford) for something they want no part of, and the rest of the citizens are being forced to pick up the tab for the ongoing utilities and maintenance month after month in perpetuity. And the kicker is they are claiming it is in the name of "HISTORY" when in fact it is historically INACCURATE!!! There is a viable alternative available where those who want it can do it themselves and leave everyone else out of it...but these "entitled ones" won't be happy unless everyone else helps pay for decorations to upgrade THEIR property. This is a travesty and should FAIL to receive even one vote. ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Feb 18 2013 at 12:38am
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There is a Duke Energy power pole at one of the back corners of my property. When we first moved here, I noticed that there was a $10 per month charge on my electric bill for "security lighting". When I questioned this, CG&E (at the time) said it was for that light. Since we were on a fixed income, I told them that we did not want to pay for that, so they took the light fixture off the pole...leaving our and our neighbor's back yards in darkness. Now...if we are going to be forced to help pay for extra lights on S. Main street, shouldn't we be able to have that light re-installed and have the $10 monthly fee paid by the rest of the citizens of Middletown...just like the South Main Street folks want to do??? If not, why not??? At least with our light there is an ACTUAL, HISTORIC precedent of a light having been there!!!
------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Feb 18 2013 at 8:40am
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I still don’t understand all these statements and flag waving about |
Posted By: groundswat
Date Posted: Feb 18 2013 at 10:56am
| Where does it end? Why can't all of us get new street lighting? I get that they are organized and like me have dumped thousands into their homes but what is the benefit to me after you spend my money? Already sent emails to all other than the Mulligans asking for a NO vote. Trust me I hear the crickets in the background. |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Feb 18 2013 at 3:00pm
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You are exactly right, Groundswat!! Citizens all over our city spends thousands of dollars maintaining and improving thier homes. This is NOT something that is unique to South Main Street. If Council passes this, then they MUST allow any other citizen who decides to install a decorative lamp post near their sidewalk to bill the electric (or gas) and maintenance costs to the City to be shared with the rest of the taxpayers! Any other result is absurd and a travesty. ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Feb 18 2013 at 5:04pm
| Did you see Larry Lewis had a knife held to his throat at the gas station at Roosevelt and Jackson Ln. He's ok I think. Police got the guy at an apartment building. Wow,thought with you Larry!!! |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Mar 10 2013 at 4:34pm
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Today's Journal... An additional $650K could be invested in downtown Second round of facade grant program to award $50K more to downtown businesses. MIDDLETOWN — More than $1.2 million may be invested into downtown by the end of this summer. Downtown Middletown Inc. is accepting applications for round two of the Facade Improvement Program grant, a city-funded program that provides downtown business owners money to improve the exterior of their businesses. Two additional business owners were each awarded $2,250 by DMI last month,..... City Manager Judy Gilleland said she appreciates DMI’s management of the program. “The façade program is designed to leverage private dollars with small amounts of public dollars,” she said. “This program has assisted some amazing projects in the downtown area.” WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!!! THE CITY INSISTS ON USING TAXPAYER MONEY TO HELP SUBSIDIZE PRIVATE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT TAXPAYER APPROVAL FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BUSINESS OWNER STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS. WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE BUYING THESE NEW BUSINESS OWNERS FACADE IMPROVEMENTS, NEW WINDOWS FOR THEIR BUILDING, AND ARE HELPING PRIVATE BUSINESS DEVELOP. AGAIN, THE CITY NEEDS TO STAY OUT OF PRIVATE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND LET THE PRIVATE SECTOR HANDLE THE BUILDING OF DOWNTOWN, IF IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT ALL. STOP USING OUR DAM MONEY TO HELP A PRIVATE BUSINESS GROW. LET THE SUCCESS BE DICTATED BY THE NEED FOR THE SERVICE AND THE MARKET INTEREST. LET THE PRIVATE BUSINESS OWNER MAKE THE BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS WITH ANY PROFITS GENERATED FROM THE BUSINESS. JMO ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: greygoose
Date Posted: Mar 10 2013 at 8:24pm
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Wow..... I see that everybody here is still a big bundle of sunshine. ------------- "If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got" |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Mar 10 2013 at 8:47pm
GOOSE, IT IS WHAT IT IS. THEY CREATED THIS SCENARIO. IT AIN'T ALL SUNSHINE AND ROSES AS SOME THINK AND IT AIN'T NOTHIN' TO BE PROUD OF IN MOST CASES. BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO SEE WHAT IT WAS AND WHAT IT HAS TURNED INTO. IT AIN'T PRETTY. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Mar 10 2013 at 8:52pm
Someone once said:
Oh, wait...it was Greygoose himself!!! Well, they've done the new facade (with taxpayers' money) several times, and every time we taxpayers have gotten the same thing--NOTHING--while the friends of city hall have gotten their maintenance done at taxpayers' expense. We can expect the same results this time...seven more pizzas per Middletown family down the drain. ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Apr 14 2013 at 6:19pm
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And yet another Sunday story to stir those old feelings of revitalization....and another dose of embellished humor...... Now the downtown foot traffic is picking up. Kinda like it used to be on a Saturday afternoon where you had to walk in the street because there were so many people on the sidewalks. DOWNTOWN MIDDLETOWN Downtown foot traffic picking up By Michael D. Pitman Staff Writer MIDDLETOWN — Downtown Middletown has had no problem drawing scores of people to concerts and events held there, but maintaining a daily flow of foot traffic once the fanfare subsides continues to be a challenge. Hundreds of people — some of them out-of-towners — attend the monthly First Friday events at the Pendleton Art Center on Central Avenue and Broad Street, and thousands more come to the bi-weekly summer concert series, Broad Street Bash, on Governor’s Square. Come May 11, downtown advocates hope up to 250 women will be downtown for the inaugural Women’s Wine and Chocolate event, where they can sample up to nine wines and nine chocolates — all from Ohio — and essentially be pampered the day before Mother’s Day. 250 WOMEN DOWN THERE.....LOOK OUT TIMES SQUARE! And while events like these attract people downtown, getting those people to come back on a more frequent basis hasn’t happened yet, said Patrick Kay, Downtown Middletown Inc. executive director. “If the momentum continues the way it’s going right now, I would say by the end of this year, we would be (half way to thriving),” Kay said. KAY SAYS IF THE MOMENTUM CONTINUES WE WILL BE HALF WAY TO THRIVING!!! AND HOW WOULD WE JUDGE "HALF WAY TO THRIVING" KAY? WHAT WOULD BE THE CRITERIA FOR THIS PHENOMENON? About five years ago, Forbes Magazine proclaimed Middletown as one of America’s fastest-dying cities. But that was before the Pendleton Art Center and Cincinnati State Middletown opened. THE PENDLETON AND CINCY STATE DID ALL THAT? ALREADY? Betsy Hanavan has great hope for the city’s downtown, which is why she and her husband moved to South Main Street a year ago. She sees downtown’s traffic growing, both foot traffic and vehicle traffic. “I think the events are kind of spring-boarding the traffic,” said Hanavan, a member of the Sorg Opera Revitalization Group board of directors and vice president of Preservation, Revitalization Improvement of South Main. “What we have is a wonderful start, and it’s the most stable that the downtown has been in years. It’s definitely setting up for a good base in the future.” I LIKE OPTIMISTIC PEOPLE. EVEN THOSE WHO DENY REALITY. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO DATE THAT HAS PROMPTED ALL THIS ENTHUSIASM? WONDER WHAT THEY SEE THAT SOME DON'T? And if potential business owners are looking to open a storefront downtown, she said they need to do it soon. “At the speed of development taking place, the opportunities today will be gone tomorrow,” said Hanavan, who’s lived on both the East and West coasts, Cincinnati and in Liberty Twp. “Middletown has a sense of community that I’ve never experienced before. They have a passion that’s unparalleled.” WHAT? "MIDDLETOWN HAS A SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT SHE HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE"? WONDER HOW ONE COULD REACT LIKE THIS TO A CITY THAT HAS LOST SO MUCH AND IS A SHADOW OF ITSELF? IF HANAVAN LIKES IT HERE NOW, SHE SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT 4 DECADES AGO. SHE WOULD HAVE REALLY BEEN IMPRESSED. “The events brought people but there was not much to stay for. Now there is,” said Linda Moorman, who owns BeauVerre with her husband Jay Moorman. “It’s a small city feel with a big city energy.” OH, HELL YES MOORMAN.....LIKE CHICAGO OR NEW YORK. “Long-term residents are coming downtown to dine and discovering the regeneration of the downtown,” Moorman said. “Young and old alike are discovering the core of our city again.” GOD, WHERE DOES SHE GET THIS STUFF? HAVING LESS THAN 5% OF THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN THE DOWNTOWN WITH A FEW OUT-OT-TOWNERS THROWN IN DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A REGENERATION NOR A "DISCOVERING OF THE CORE OF THE CITY AGAIN". City Manager Judy Gilleland believes the city is more than halfway towards a revitalized, thriving downtown. “I’m pleased with how far we have come,” she said. “Events like (the Women’s Wine and Chocolate) tend to build momentum for downtown, and keep attention on downtown in Middletown residents’ minds.” NO GILLELAND, IT'S NOT THE DOWNTOWN WE ARE INTERESTED IN AT THIS TIME. IT'S THE DAM STREETS WE DRIVE ON EACH DAY THAT'S TEARING THE HELL OUT OF OUR CARS. IT'S THE INCREASED CRIME PARTLY CREATED BY YOUR GHETTO BUILDING IDEAS. IT'S THE INCREASE IN HEROIN USE. THE LACK OF DECENT JOBS. Before Stained 1054 Bistro, Liberty Restaurant, @ the Square and Mockingbird’s Cafe all opened, there wasn’t a reason to come downtown, Scherrer said. STILL ISN'T FOR MOST UNLESS YOU LIKE THE ARTS AND WANT TO PAY 10 BUCKS FOR A GOURMET HAMBURGER WITH A PICKLE AND SOME CHIPS, HARDLY DESIRED BY THE MAJORITY OF MIDDLETOWN. “People are coming back to downtown for no purpose other than to eat,” she said. “People are starting to come downtown; it’s becoming a destination.” Downtown restaurants are one necessary element to bring people back before or after a downtown event because “people come back for food.” YEAH, FOR PERHAPS LESS THAN 5% OF THE POPULATION. WOULDN'T NECESSARILY CALL THAT A SUCCESS. “Once you’ve got a few restaurants opening up, and then you got a few more retail places in between all the restaurants, then you’ve created a whole afternoon of something to do,” Kay said. “It’s not there yet. It will come, but it’s not there yet.” Downtown living is another needed element, said Mike Robinette, a local commercial real estate agent and Downtown Middletown Inc. board member. “The only way you develop a consistent flow of foot traffic in a downtown is to develop some boutique retail that’s not competing with the malls or the strip center, and the other component is housing,” he said. “You need to get some businesses that support the people that live there.” The former city economic development director said there will be some announcements in the next few months about downtown housing projects, which would be more urban, loft and townhouse-style developments. “With downtown revitalization, there isn’t a silver bullet,” Robinette said. “You have to have a variety of things that are happening simultaneously.” Gilleland said in the next year, there will be some action toward downtown living, including starting a fellowship and co-op program that would “entice” candidates to live downtown. “Residents living downtown provide the population to support restaurants and entertainment venues,” she said. “Daytime population alone often cannot support these establishments and so we need to build in more of a constant population.” But success downtown will be tied to cross-promotion and support, Scherrer said. “We’re going to have to have people get along with each other,” she said. “That was an old problem we had were turf wars, and the turf wars are pretty much over down here.” GOOD LORD!!!! WHY ISN'T THERE AS MUCH EFFORT ON THE BASICS AND SO MUCH EFFORT DOWNTOWN? 90% OF THE CITY'S FOCUS IS DOWNTOWN AND THE REST OF THE TOWN IS GOING TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET. WHY CITY PEOPLE, WHY???? ARE YOU THAT NARROW MINDED THAT YOU CAN'T FOCUS ON THE BIG PICTURE ENCOMPASSING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY? I WOULD THINK THAT IF YOU WERE GOING TO TELL THE PUBLIC ABOUT YOUR SUCCESS STORIES, YOU WOULD HAVE SOMETHING EYE-OPENING TO BACK IT UP. SO FAR, YOUR THEME HAS BEEN TO EXAGGERATE THE SUCCESS THAT HAS OCCURED. ONE CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH THE SHALLOWNESS OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. IT'S NOT AS MONUMENTAL AS YOU CLAIM. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: ktf1179
Date Posted: Apr 15 2013 at 8:41am
| I would like the Middletown Journal to do a follow up story in each of the neighborhoods, and subdivisions of Middletown to find out what the "True" Middletown resident thinks of the City spending all it's money on revitalizing downtown, and not on the subdivisions, and neighborhoods holding this city together. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jul 18 2013 at 6:47am
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Another story from the Journal concerning downtown development..... DOWNTOWN MIDDLETOWN Middletown group wants more liquor permits issued downtown MIDDLETOWN — Attracting sit-down restaurants is one strategy being implemented to help revitalize downtown Middletown. But that cannot happen if the city does not find a way to acquire more liquor permits, specifically D-5 ones, which allow alcohol to be consumed on premises or sold for carry out in sealed containers until 2:30 a.m. Downtown Middletown Inc. board member Mike Robinette led an application process to bring 11 more liquor permits to the downtown area. They would be designated as a D-5j, which are permits just for a “community entertainment district.” “As we continue to focus on redevelopment of downtown and bring in additional business, most of the businesses are focused on entertainment and most of those businesses want to serve alcoholic beverages,” he said. Patrick Kay, DMI executive director, said the district will also allow the downtown to compete with the city’s East End, which has a significant amount of additional traffic than downtown with box stores, chain restaurants and Interstate 75. “We want the downtown to be an entertainment district, where people come and have dinner and go out for entertainment and to just go out and have fun,” Kay said. “We want it to be a center of activity and entertainment, and to do that we have to have a separate amount of licenses designated for this particular area.” DOES ANYONE BELIEVE KAY'S CLAIM THAT THE DOWNTOWN WILL EVER BE THE "CENTER OF ACTIVITY AND ENTERTAINMENT"? MIGHT BE TRUE FOR A VERY LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THIS CITY, BUT FOR THE GENERAL POPULACE.......PROBABLY NOT. I WOULD IMAGINE THAT MOST ARE JUST FLAT OUT NOT INTERESTED IN WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO OFFER DOWNTOWN. ARTS......UPSCALE FINGER FOOD RESTAURANTS.....DOESN'T MATCH THE CLIENTELE WHO OCCUPY THE CITY DOES IT? HE, THE DOWNTOWN MIDDLETOWN FOLKS, THE ARTS PEOPLE AND THE OTHERS DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS COMMUNITY NOR WHAT WOULD PEAK THEIR INTEREST. THIS IS COMICAL FROM OLD LESLIE LANDEN..... “We’re in the process of doing due diligence on this,” said Law Director Les Landen. “We’re checking to make sure the projects being proposed meet the zoning requirements of the city. We want to talk about the impacts of the liquor permits, talk with outside counsel about some liquor issues and make sure we’ve got a good bead on what this means.” HAS OLD LES DONE "DUE DILIGENCE" OR HAD A "BEAD" ON ANYTHING HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH? ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: bumper
Date Posted: Jul 18 2013 at 7:47am
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im thinking they have been hitting the liquor purdy hard...
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Posted By: LMAO
Date Posted: Jul 18 2013 at 4:30pm
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I find it very amusing and sad at the same time.Who in there right mind would think downtown Middletucky is going to be "CENTER OF ACTIVITY AND ENTERTAINMENT"? Do the few think cos we have Cincy State its going to turn into a Party Central? I find it sad cos whoever thinks that has been tipping the bottle a lil bit to much. Stop focusing on Downtown you have wasted enough money.
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Aug 28 2013 at 6:34am
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Aug 28th Journal story..... DOWNTOWN MIDDLETOWN Mockingbirds to move out of PAC MIDDLETOWN — Mockingbirds Cafe will have its last day at the Pendleton Art Center on Friday. PENDLETON HAS HAD ALOT OF TURNOVER SINCE IT OPENED HASN'T IT? Then it will close up shop for a few months while the former Tenho building down the street from the Pendleton on Central, is renovated for the cafe. DON GOSE STEPPING UP AS SPOKESPERSON FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA..... MPH Group, a limited liability corporation of several Butler County area business men and women, said Don Gose, a partner in the group HERE COMES THE CHEERLEADING PART..... “We’re anxious to expand in the downtown area,” said Gose, who added that MPH stood for Making Progress Happen. “We’re just trying to make progress.” AND “The downtown is coming back,” he said. “(People) need to take the time and re-visit the downtown and see what’s happening. There’s a lot of new shops that have opened and we’ve added to that list.” DON'T GO DOWNTOWN MUCH THESE DAYS. CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THE NEW SHOPS THAT GOSE TALKS ABOUT HERE ARE MOSTLY SPECIALTY SHOPS AND THEREFORE PRICES ARE MARKED UP CONSIDERABLY? IN GENERAL, ARE THE PRICES ABOVE THE AFFORDABILITY OF MOST MIDDLETONIANS? HOW ABOUT SELECTION? WOULD MOST OF MIDDLETOWN BE INTERESTED IN WHAT THESE SHOPS OFFER? CUP OF COFFEE AT THESE SPECIALTY SHOPS PERHAPS LIKE A STARBUCK'S PRICE? YOU COULD ALMOST BUY A WHOLE CAN OF COFFEE FOR THE PRICE OF A CUP AT STARBUCKS. TO ME, HARD TO JUSTIFY THE PURCHASE. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Aug 31 2013 at 9:49am
| Due diligence,what an interesting concept. Did you do "due diligence" or "fiduciary responsibility" check on the millions of dollars you've squandered in the past 5 years? Oh well, it's "other peoples money" so who cares. |
Posted By: Perplexed
Date Posted: Aug 31 2013 at 2:20pm
| Thanks for your comments, Over-The-Hill. What's really shameful are the two other prominent MUSA participants who continually ignored the glaring waste of HUD funds over the past five years. I encourage all to research older MUSA posts to see the reckless faith that they've bestowed upon Judy G. and Doug A. during this time frame. How sad. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Sep 10 2013 at 2:53pm
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And yet another story about the excitement downtown from Pitman. DOWNTOWN MIDDLETOWN Flurry of downtown activity shows support of investors MIDDLETOWN — Revitalizing downtown was once thought by many an impossible dream as businesses were moving out or closing up, and Middletown was named one of the top 10 dying cities in the country in a 2008 Forbes Magazine article. But the faith of a few business investors in downtown and the city’s leadership has seemingly led to the strongest revitalization attempt in years. The groundwork was laid one piece at a time — which started with taking the roof off the old City Centre Mall and investing demolition money into a building slated to be razed — and now multiple projects are working in harmony AMEND THIS TO SAY "THE CITY LEADERSHIP AND THE INVOLUNTARY TAXPAYER'S MONEY" NOW HERE'S A STATEMENT FROM GILLELAND THAT IS JUST PLAIN WRONG.... “Our strategic plan involved working in all aspects of the city simultaneously,” said City Manager Judy Gilleland. “We’ve been hitting every piece hard for the last five-and-a-half years. In the last year, we have begun to see the fruits of our labor.” YOU HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING ON "ALL ASPECTS OF THE CITY SIMULTANEOUSLY". YOU HAVE CONCENTRATED THE ENTIRE EFFORT INTO DOWNTOWN WITH MONEY AND FOCUS. “There’s a lot going on,” Robinette said. “I think you’re going to see a much greater level of activity in the next two to three years in downtown. How much of that will be in relationship to now, I don’t know. But as Cincinnati State continues to grow and these other properties are renovated and come online, you’re going to see a lot of activity.” MAYBE...MAYBE NOT ROBINETTE. CINCI STATE HAS DROPPED THEIR NUMBER PROJECTION ON ATTENDANCE TO REPORT BETTER RESULTS. STILL ALOT OF BUILDINGS STANDING VACANT. DESPITE THE START OF BUSINESS OCCUPANCY, THERE IS STILL NOT ENOUGH DOWN THERE TO MAINTAIN CONSTANT INTEREST. Cincinnati State Middletown, which opened its doors in August 2012 in the former CG&E building at North Main Street and Central Avenue, continues to develop its building and will eventually redevelop the former First National Bank building the city donated to the college (it was one of the five buildings the city purchased for a collective nearly $500,000 to attract the college "WILL EVENTUALLY REDEVELOP".....PERHAPS. "THE CITY PURCHASED FOR A COLLECTIVE $500,000 TO ATTRACT THE COLLEGE"......COURTESY OF THE TAXPAYER WHO HAD NO SAYSO IN THE MATTER.  “It was dead and everyone was aware of that,” said Jay Moorman. “Then you get to a tipping point that people decided that they should get in there and do something.” What that tipping point was, Moorman is uncertain, but now people are seeing the activity “and they don’t want to miss out.” "PEOPLE DECIDED THAT THEY SHOULD GET IN THERE AND DO SOMETHING". YES THEY DID MOORMAN, BUT IT WAS DONE BY A FEW, WITH INTEREST FROM A FEW, TO BENEFIT A FEW AND DID NOT REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS CITY. THE FACT IS, NO ONE ASKED THE PEOPLE IF THIS WAS WHAT THEY WANTED FOR THEIR DOWNTOWN AREA. “I think it was life or death for us that downtown had to work,” Moorman said PERHAPS LIFE AND DEATH FOR YOU AS AN INVESTOR BUT THE INTEREST LEVEL IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, OF THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE, DOESN'T NECESSARILY REFLECT THAT SENTIMENT. But the goal of Moorman and his investment partners, which includes people involved in MPH Group LLC and Grassroots Ohio LLC that are invested in projects along Central Avenue, is to build up the western part of downtown and “that is going to be the model for the rest of downtown.” “From Broad to Main to First, this is the template for what downtown is going to look like, and it’s going to go all the way out to the tracks,” said Moorman "ALL THE WAY TO THE TRACKS", HUH? GONNA HALF TO GET RID OF THOSE BRIGHTLY COLORED PAWN SHOPS BY THE TRACKS AREN'T YOU? NOT EXACTLY "ARTZY" AND "CULTURAL" ARE THEY? And Gilleland said the city will be more hands off now that revitalization momentum is speeding up GOOD, MAYBE YOU'LL QUIT SPENDING OUR TAX DOLLARS BUYING BUILDINGS AND THEN GIVING THEM AWAY TO INDIVIDUALS. PATRICK KAY AGAIN.... “A lot of progress is happening downtown, a lot of people are doing things downtown,” he said. “I think people are taking pride in what’s going on, people are excited about what’s happening. I think the tide is starting to turn. I think people are starting to believe.” MERCY. Rick Pearce, the newly hired president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton, said it’s a combination of serendipity and timing that’s aligned all these projects to happen at once. “It’s good to see a lot of activity,” he said, and it’s important to make sure the city is balanced in its prosperity BUT IT'S NOT BALANCED IN PROSPERITY WITH ALL THE FOCUS ON DOWNTOWN PEARCE. WHERE'S THE CITY HELP FOR THE OTHER AREAS OF TOWN THAT HAVE BUSINESS? 90% OF THIS CITY HAS BEEN LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: Neil Barille
Date Posted: Sep 10 2013 at 3:21pm
| Vet, did the MAJORITY of this town vote on YOUR pet project -- the Senior Center levy, which benefits a relatively select few? |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Sep 10 2013 at 3:56pm
Neil. First of all, we don't go to the Senior Center as my wife can't get out of the house and easily go places. Just Drs. visits and the hospital when we call 911 for her. Secondly, the Seniors Levy was placed in front of the voters and the town had it's say. Not so with the downtown effort. YOUR tax money was taken from you, and without your "vote", sent to their passion developing the downtown to include buying buildings to give away. I hardly think they compare. If your wife was paralyzed and needed special transportation, you would have done the same thing to get her to her medical appts. Walk a mile in my shoes bud. I use the Seniors services for our specific needs. Doesn't make it a "pet project". ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Sep 10 2013 at 4:48pm
 ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: bumper
Date Posted: Sep 11 2013 at 12:19am
| they think people are starting to believe... http://youtu.be/dByBJdbrtBs" rel="nofollow - http://youtu.be/dByBJdbrtBs |
Posted By: bumper
Date Posted: Sep 17 2013 at 8:53pm
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been a while since we had any I BELIEVE!! I BELIEVE!! I BELIEVE!! I BELIEEEEEEVVVVVVEEEEEEE!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAH! OH-HO! Oh I BELIEVE ! I BELIEVE! I BELIEVEEEEEEVVVVVVEEEEEEE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAH! OH-HO! Oh stories heck maybe next week...
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Oct 14 2013 at 1:02am
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More Kay Krap from the Journal.... Latest round of facade grants issued MIDDLETOWN — Downtown Middletown Inc. recently awarded more than $25,000 to help business owners improve their store fronts and create “curb appeal,” according to Patrick Kay, executive director of the organization. The city has invested nearly $100,000 in grants during the past two years through the Downtown Middletown Facade Grant Program, and that money is projected to leverage around $1 million in building projects, officials said. Earlier this year, the group awarded grants to eight businesses, totalling more than $42,000. As Kay drives downtown and sees how the grants have been used, it’s made “a significant difference,” he said, in the overall appearance of the business community. “It creates more positive momentum,” he said. Critics of those revitalization efforts have mostly taken issue with the city spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to make it happen. Any revitalization, critics say, should be driven by the private sector and not the government. ONLY TRUTH TO THE WHOLE STORY. Bob McMullen, one of the owners of Denny Lumber, said he understands the role his business plays in Middletown’s image. As people drive into the city’s downtown, Denny Lumber, 1800 First Ave., may be the first business they see. Because of that, McMullen said he wanted to make a good impression and applied for financial assistance through the Facade Grant Program to help offset the cost of painting the outside of the building and adding murals Now that's hard to do to see Denny's Lumber driving INTO downtown since Denny sits on First Ave. as you drive OUT OF DOWNTOWN. THE CRAP CONTINUES IN JUSTIFYING THE USE OF TAXPAYER MONEY RATHER THAN REQUIRE PRIVATE BUSINESS TO USE THEIR OWN MONEY FOR THEIR NEEDS. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: HdMechanical
Date Posted: Nov 18 2013 at 11:01am
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Just a thought.....didn't at least two businesses which received grants relocate to the towne mall.....Do they repay the grant or just get a free ride?
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Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Nov 20 2013 at 10:24am
| GOOD QUESTION |
Posted By: swohio75
Date Posted: Nov 20 2013 at 1:57pm
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False. Where are you getting your information? Propety owners receive grants for facade improvements. Grants are matching grants up to 50% of the total project cost. There are three businesses that have been associated with downtown that established locations at the Towne Mall. None of them owned their location in the downtown area, so they would not be eligible for grants. Property owners could have applied for the grants on behalf of a business, but I don't believe this was the case for the businesses in question. * All About You Cafe and Catering: was located INSIDE Pendlenton and occupied a very small space. They also own property on First Ave--but this is outside the area that is eligible to receive grants, and I have never seen them on the list * The Splattered Platter: Leased space in the old Rogers retail location. No facade improvements made other than building signage. Since moved out of the Towne Mall. * Miss Selby's Soap and Such: Was located in TV Middletown building. Opened a retail location in the Towne Mall. Moved out of TV Middletown int othe old Roger's retail location. Still operating out of this location. Is this what you are referring to? |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Nov 20 2013 at 2:24pm
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* All About You Cafe and Catering: was located INSIDE Pendlenton and occupied a very small space. They also own property on First Ave--but this is outside the area that is eligible to receive grants, and I have never seen them on the list |
Posted By: swohio75
Date Posted: Nov 20 2013 at 2:40pm
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That is a correct with the exception that it is available to property owners. The original program was limited to a certain area in the downtown (former mall area)--but was recently expanded. That said, the property mentioned above has never been included in facade grant announcements that I can recall. |
Posted By: HdMechanical
Date Posted: Nov 20 2013 at 3:28pm
Yes
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