Over the next couple of years, the complexion of Troy’s East Side will drastically change. The cornerstone of this change will no doubt be the redevelopment of roughly 10 acres at the east end of Water Street.
The map above shows where two large anchors of the neighborhood will no longer exist. First, Spinnaker Coatings (or Brown Bridge as some of our more seasoned readers may remember it by) sold their property for $1.3 million in 2022 to a limited-liability corporation in Dayton. This property is now completely demolished and while some site work still needs to be complete, it appears ready for redevelopment.
The second anchor that will no longer be in the neighborhood is Van Cleve School. With the passage of last November’s building bond issue, the school is one of a handful that is slated to be demolished. The building was erected in 1914 and has served as a high school, a junior high school, an elementary school and is now a sixth-grade building. It has proven to be one of the older and more versatile buildings in the district.
Combined, the two parcels come in at just around 10 acres as it fronts an entire block of East Main Street facing the boulevard and the rear of the property is set back against the Great Miami River. The former Spinnaker property is zoned M-2, Light Industrial and the Van Cleve property is zoned R-6, Two-Family Residential. Undoubtedly, these properties will be rezoned to accommodate future development.
And as the property gets re-zoned, the City and the community has a unique opportunity to come together. It’s not very often that 10 acres of vacant land comes open in an already well-established neighborhood, and any new development on this acreage will have an impact on the community for at least the next one hundred years.
Residents of this neighborhood are beginning to ask a lot of questions. If the properties are re-zoned, what could we expect to be there? How long will the development take to happen? What will happen to local traffic patterns? Perhaps the most important question….how will the neighborhood be involved?
This publication would strongly advocate the city involve the neighborhood in the planning process sooner rather than later. There are real concerns that this property could end up with another gas station. While we can appreciate the value of the free market, putting a gas station where there are already documented concerns with below-ground contamination isn’t a great idea.
There are also some real neighborhood needs, and any attempts to change the neighborhood with amenities that don’t involve at least some conversations with the neighborhood will probably not be met well. Instead of setting up future fights, the city should begin the process of developing outreach with the residents of the neighborhood.
By working together, the city, the neighborhood and the property owners can come up with collaborative solutions that can help reshape Troy’s east side for decades to come.
So, what do you think should be developed here? What are some things that you would not like to see here? Feel free to leave your ideas and insights in the comment section!
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Progress is important for a city to continue to grow . History is also important to remember what got us here. I am always sad when we destroy Historical building. I wish we had city planners with the vision to keep and develop these structures for more modern use.
The school could be converted to apartments.