Dayton Is Growing… But Can the City Afford What Comes Next?

Episode Summary
What is really happening in Dayton right now?

In this episode of the Dayton Ohio Living Podcast, Anthony Mahone breaks down the growth happening across the Dayton region and the pressure that comes with it. From the opening of Ohio’s first Buc-ee’s in Huber Heights to major downtown redevelopment, airport expansion, and the growing debate around property taxes, this episode looks at what these changes could mean for the future of the Miami Valley.

You will hear how new development can bring jobs, traffic, opportunity, and strain at the same time. Anthony also explains why public services like fire and EMS funding matter more than most people realize, especially when cities are trying to grow without weakening the systems people count on every day.

If you live in Dayton, are moving to the area, or want to understand where the region may be heading, this episode gives you the bigger picture.

In this episode, we cover:

•  Dayton’s current growth and what is driving it 
•  What Buc-ee’s could mean for Huber Heights and the region 
•  Why downtown redevelopment matters 
•  How airport expansion connects to aerospace and defense 
•  The property tax debate and what it could do to public services 
•  Why first responder funding is a bigger issue than most people think 

Useful Links
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@daytonohioliving

Website: https://firesaferealtor.com

Contact: https://tinyurl.com/54dtzdpf

Chapters
00:00 The Growth Landscape of Dayton
04:06 Downtown Development and Its Significance
08:50 Economic Backbone: The Airport Expansion
10:07 The Property Tax Dilemma
12:01 Impact of Funding Cuts on First Responders

This episode is for anyone who wants a clearer view of where Dayton is growing, where it is under pressure, and what that may mean moving forward.

Transcript

Speaker 0:00

What is really happening in Dayton right now? Because if you just look at the headlines, it looks like the region uh has mo uh it has momentum everywhere, to be honest with you. You have Ohio's first Buc-ee's opening in Huber Heights. You have a major movement happening downtown with the center city building and the redevelopment project down there. You have expansion happening at the Dayton International Airport. So on the surface, it looks like growth is happening everywhere. But here is the real question Is Dayton actually getting stronger again? Or are we starting to feel the pressure that comes with the growth? Because while big projects are moving, so are property taxes. And if local funding gets squeezed, the things that people count on most, like fire, EMS, roads, schools, city services, and things like that, are gonna see it first. And they're gonna get they're gonna get cut. Um, but uh we'll talk about that a little bit later on. Welcome to the Dayton Ohio Living Podcast. I'm Anthony Mahone, and this is where we talk about what is really happening in Dayton, Ohio in the Miami Valley, not just the headlines, but what those headlines actually mean for your life, your home, and the future of this region. Today I want to walk you through the five stories that together tell a much bigger story about where this region may be headed next. And I want to save the most important point for the end because one of these stories sounds exciting on paper. One of them may be the clearest sign of downtown growth to date, and one of them may affect your life more than all the others. So let's get into it. So, number one and point number one is the biggest topic that's happening in Dayton currently. I had a video that that kind of took off a little bit and had a lot of engagement and a lot of comments, and that is the Buckeys opening in Hubert Heights. This is not the main story of this region. This is the this the region's growth that's currently happening up in that in that neck of the woods, up in um off of I-70. So, why does Buc-ee's have so much attention? Um, it's a national brand. It is, it is a uh, you know, it is , the first one in Ohio, and they chose it right here in the Dayton region to be in Huber Heights. So it is a it is an important story here for the region. Um, it has a ton of traffic, but I do think that the interchange between I-75 and I-70 was a huge region. Uh, a reason why they obviously chose Huber Heights. They had easy access off the interstate. There wasn't a ton of commercial growth there at that point. And I think that it's just the right fit for this area. Um, but what this says, this could say something bigger about Hubert Heights. I mean, I I I'm I'm an eternal optimist with things. And I do believe that, you know, obviously there's there's continued growth that's been happening in Hubert Heights. The population increase over the last few years is is in well into the double digits, uh, 14%, I do believe. And there's 3,700 homes under construction or planned to be under construction in Huber Heights. 3,700. That is an astronomical number for a region um that that that didn't have that population before. Over 600 being currently homes, homes being built in New Carlisle. And I do believe that the the low end of Park Lane is going to is going to see some continued growth as well. So um what could follow this? Uh, it could be a mixed bag. There could be retail, there may be hotels. I have no idea. I I hope that that region can continue to grow and compound over this uh with the with the Buc-ee's coming up there. Um, but I you know we don't we don't know for sure yet. We won't know until it happens. And it is opening today on April 6th. So I'm anxious to see. There's gonna be a lot of news coverage about it, and I do think that it's gonna be a good thing for the region, but uh it's something to keep an eye on over the next few months, into the years, to see if this growth actually does come. Does it continue to build up in the the I-70 corridor? I'm anxious to see that and let me know in the comments what you think. But if you think Dayton's growth story is only happening on the edge of town, uh it is not. The next story actually says otherwise in the downtown Dayton. So, number two, downtown Dayton growth in the center city development. So downtown growth has been uh talked about for a while in the center city development. Excuse me. The center city, the center city development may be one of the first projects uh that makes growth feel like it's finally happening and real in downtown Dayton because that that building, uh 36 through 44 South Main Street, is actually one of the hallmark buildings of the downtown skyline in the city of Dayton. So there is there is much to be excited about with that. Um it's had momentum for a long time. Downtown Dayton has had it uh for the last 10 plus years, but people are still questioning it. And I think that this, the redevelopment project, may be the one that kind of tips the scales a little bit back in the favor of the city of Dayton and the downtown area. Um it it matters because how visible it is. It is a, like I said, it's one of the hallmark, you know, buildings of downtown. And why does a building like that change perception? I believe we experienced that a few years back with the arcade opening, and obviously, you know, the projects are still continuing there, but we experienced that a little bit there. We we we we got a little bit of a shift in perception of downtown after that. I think this might be the building that kind of takes it over the edge. And I'm hoping that is the case because that's what this city needs. And I do believe that this project may be the one for that. So, uh, like I said, it may be this shift from potential in downtown growth to to the true traction taking place and other projects continuing over the next few years. And if center city tells us downtown growth is getting more visible, the airport story tells us something just as important. The region's economic backbone may be even getting even more stronger. The Dayton International Airport expansion. So let's talk about the airport because this one is easy to overlook and it may be one of the most important stories in the whole episode. This week, uh Sierra Nevada Corporation opened two new hangars in the Dayton International Airport, officially marking the completion of a $100 million expansion project for the region. Uh the company now has a total of four hangers, and these are not uh this isn't airport, just got bigger. These hangars were built to support major new contract involving 747 aircraft, Boeing 747s, according to the Sierra Nevada leaders. And that matters because now we're talking about, you know, we're not talking about a cosmetic airport upgrade. We are talking about Dayton adding serious aerospace and defense capabilities. And we are talking about more maintenance, modification, and aviation work happening here in the region. We're talking about larger aircraft coming here, getting work done, and creating more reasons for companies to keep investing in the Dayton area. And that's why I think this story matters more than people realize. It's not as flashy as Bucky's, it's not as visible as a large downtown building, but this is the kind of project that strengthens the region underneath the surface. And the Dayton region has a ton of those happening. It points to jobs, it points to industrial growth, it points to the defense dollars being spent here, and it points to Dayton continuing to matter in aviation, which I think is probably one of the most important things. It's a big deal for the city that allows leaders to lean on the aerospace industry, the defense industry, and Wright Patterson Air Force adjacent economic activity. So when I look at this airport expansion, I don't just see two new hangers. I see a stronger signal that Dayton is leaning back into what it has always been good for, and that is aviation, defense, and strategic infrastructure. Now, if you stop right there, Bucky's center city in the airport, it would be easy to say that Dayton is clearly winning right now, and rightfully so. But when you hit topic number four, this is where the conversation gets complicated fast. And this is gonna be a this is gonna be a topic for me that that's uh we're gonna see how it goes. So topic number four is Ohio property taxes being on the ballot in November. So let's talk about property taxes because this issue is real. People are frustrated, homeowners are frustrated, buyers are frustrated, retirees on on fixed incomes are frustrated, and people all over Ohio uh they're feeling a tightening and a squeezing in their in their in their wallets. And I completely get it because when you look at housing payments, uh, you know, the homes are unaffordable and income does not rise at the same speed. So people are starting to look for relief. That frustration is real. I do feel that myself. And this is where the conversation falls apart because people uh stop at this point. Property taxes are too high. Okay, fair. I agree. But the next question has to be what exactly are those taxes paying for? Because state leaders warning against the full elimination of property tax in Ohio said local governments collect about $24 billion in property taxes. And they argue that the state could not simply backfill that gap. And that is where the conversation stopped being emotional and starts becoming real. Because once that money disappears, the state does not magically wave a wand and make every city whole again. That money goes somewhere, it goes to schools, fire, police departments, roads, city services. So, yes, people want relief. I understand that, and I empathize with that. But if we are honest about what gets hit when local funding gets crushed, then we are not having a serious conversation. We are just yelling about the pain and talking about the cost of fixing it. And that leads directly into the last topic because this is where this the theory of property taxes turns into reality. This is where policy talk becomes everyday life. And this is near and dear to me. So um, and number five is what happens to your city when first responder funding gets cut. This is the part that almost nobody wants to talk about, honestly. And I'm going to do that as a firefighter paramedic and have done that for many years in city governments. Um, everybody wants lower taxes. I understand that. Nobody wants, nobody liked the reality of reduced service. Um, and this is where the fire service gives me a different lens on the conversation than most other people. Because fire and EMS do not run on good intentions. They run on staffing, they run on apparatus, they run on training, they run on maintenance of the vehicles and the apparatus, the fire engines and the ladders, the medic units, uh, and they run on response cape uh you know capacity. So what's gonna happen? Here's how I see this playing out with property taxes being eliminated potentially, unless there is another option where those funds are replaced somehow, fewer people are gonna be responding to your emergencies. And what this means for you is if your house is on fire at 2 a.m., you may have four people show up. You may have less. If your child is not breathing, you may have two people show up and you need more. There are local examples happening currently in this region that I don't necessarily want to talk about, but you can reach out to me directly and I will tell you where that a fire department that runs over 8,000 calls a year is getting reduced staffing down to six people on the road every single day. And this is a real life example that's currently happening in the region that is going to have a vast impact on the state of Ohio as a whole if this goes through. I hope there's another way, but you're gonna have less people showing up, you're gonna have older apparatus and older fire vehicles, you know, fire engines and ladders and medic units coming to your emergency. You're gonna have maybe inadequately trained personnel coming to help you. You're gonna have older fire stations, you're gonna have longer response times. And this is just the fire service. This is not counting law enforcement, this is not calling you know counting roads, street departments, parks. Um this is not a firefighter issue because we we do what we do. We love helping people and we love responding to emergencies, but this is a city issue, and this is gonna be this the issue that cities and townships in the state of Ohio face unless there is another measure to replace this income. Um you know, like I said, snow removal is gonna fill it. Everybody's gonna fill it. And everybody wants lower taxes until they need the systems that those taxes were helping to pay for. Everybody wants lower taxes and um, you know, until the, you know, until the call is for their family. You know, you don't you don't need it until you need it. Um it's a it's a it's a thought that's in the back of your head until you actually need it. And unless unless there's a replacement, I don't, I don't see, um, I don't see this ending ending in a good way for a lot of residents. Not to not to say even the loss of jobs. There will be a tremendous amount of job loss if this happens. It's just, you know, I I just that's that's my thoughts on it. Um it becomes personal, and I think that that's why it matters so much because if Dayton is growing on the surface, but the systems underneath it um are stretched thinner and thinner, that's not strength, that's pressure, and pressure will show up eventually. And I think that that is where we're at. I think that's the potential that could happen in November if state officials don't have a replacement in place for this. So when you put all five of these stories together, here's what I think it tells us. Dayton is not standing still. There is movement, there is investment happening here, there is change. Um, you obviously have the Buckeys changing, you know, bringing attention to the Huber Heights and New Carlisle region. You have Center City going downtown, which brings back the visual redevelopment story for the downtown growth, along with the arcade, obviously. You have the airport expansion with Sierra Nevada, you have the property tax fight exposing how much pressure people are feeling and what that's gonna happen. And you have the bigger question underneath all of it can the systems that people rely on actually hold up if the pressure keeps building? Because growth by itself is not enough. Growth is exciting, but growth also reveals pressure. And that is the question I think Dayton and the Miami Valley has to answer next. Not whether growth is happening, because it is. The question is whether this region is building the kind of foundation that can actually support it. And that is what I'd love to hear from you. Which of these five stories do you think matters the most for the future of Dayton? Let me know in the comments. I read every one.