Downtown Apartments Coming

Journal story...

HOUSING COMING DOWNTOWN

Eventually, two former Middletown buildings may provide needed downtown housing, city officials said. The former Fifth Third Bank Tower, also known as the Goetz Tower, was recently purchased by Grassroots Ohio LLC. The non-profit development group is investing an estimated $2.5 million to convert the second through seventh floors into market-rate loft apartments and renovate the first-floor into a retail location, said Mike Robinette, a principle with Grassroots.

Robinette said he expects the apartments to be between 8oo to 1,200 square feet and rent for $800 to $1,200 per month.

Hamet said housing is always one of the “essential pieces” to revitalizing an urban area.

“It puts feet on the street,” she said.

Robinette said the project probably won’t be complete until March 2015.

Investment groups recently toured the Manchester Inn & Conference Center, which has been closed for three years, and have said the former hotel probably could be converted into a hotel/apartment complex. They believe the need for housing is strong enough to support the Manchester and the area needs a banquet center

800 to 1200 sq ft apartments for $800 to $1200 per month? In that location, with minimal amenities within a reasonable distance? The average rental customer in Middletown can't afford this can they? Robinette and company must be depending on attracting renters from outside that would enjoy "the artzy-cultural" thing. Don't know if the location fits in-town renters as to interest.

Anyone think they will be successful in filling the bank building?

swohio75 wrote: I think they could be very successful for those empty nesters looking to downsize.

You may be right sw. Just trying to find a reason to rent down there given the lack of current activity and offerings. Surely those empty nesters could find a better location generating more interest than that, right? There is a commuter college and a few over-priced restaurants there now coupled with some scattered artzy dealers. Is this enough to entice people and hold their interest for any length of time? Right now, it would be a tad bit boring down there wouldn't it?

Hmmmm…..Now 260 deluxe rental units are being built next to I-75.
Mr. Robinett’s Investment Group will be building deluxe apartments in the bank tower and above the Rose Furniture and the house next door.
Then we have more rental apartments being built at the Journal Building.
While yet another 75 apartment units are planned to be built at the Manchester Inn.
We have been assured that none of these will have Section 8 rental units

All this while City revenues are decreasing
Population is decreasing
Average income is 38,000 dollars
City to demo 300 houses that are vacant because of decline in population.

So the big question is…where will all these new citizens be coming from and where will they be employed?

Well, and airstrike in Dayton would hit Middletown as well.  LOL

Rhodes wrote: The idea of apartment living should have been done a long time ago.  It would work b/c it has worked.  Trinity Place has been a huge success for 30 years.  The idea of individual buildings without convenient parking or amenities has not been tested.  If the city really wants more people downtown they should copycat Trinity Place.  Seems so simple, yet you rarely hear any of the downtown crowd bragging on the success just a few blocks away.

Rhodes:

"If the city really wants more people downtown they should copycat Trinity Place. Seems so simple, yet you rarely hear any of the downtown crowd bragging on the success just a few blocks away."

Not sure....Trinity Place represents subsidized housing doesn't it? If so, even though the city leaders voluntarily brought low income to town and agreed to the Trinity Place location and tenant status, I doubt that it fits into their "upscale/artzy/wine tastin'/cheese eatin'/ cultural environment they are trying to create in THEIR downtown. Probably not mentioned because they are ashamed to have it so close to their "cultural mecca". It would damage the "refined" image they are so desperate to capture down there. Places like the Hope House and other homeless shelters and the gala-colored "border town" gold shops up by the railroad tracks on Central aren't necessarily in the downtown spotlight. Places like the Liberty are tolerated in close vicinity because it is an icon, like the Jug, in this city JMO

Good morning HD,

Trinity Place has never been subsidized housing.  If anything, I think they're the most expensive apartments in Middletown.  The place has a reputation for being expensive and well maintained.  That's the first time I've ever heard anyone lump Trinity Place into the low income pool.

Vet, you're talking about Trinity Manor which is a building that is across from the Trinity Place apartments on Clark.

I tried to edit my previous post, but there is some weird little screen telling me I waited past 5 min. and I don't have permission. ???  I guess there must be a big problem with edits on this site?  Anyhow...

I thought there were sec 8 voucher holders in Trinity Place. Somebody call the sec8 office and ask.