Number of Warren County Sports Park visitors elevates Ohio 741 roundabout need

The sports park’s popularity has helped elevate the Ohio 741/Greentree Road intersection roundabout to a high priority “both from just a readiness to go and a critical need” for the area around Ohio 63 involving a Miami Valley Gaming tax increment financing (TIF) district, county Development Director Matt Schnipke said.

That intersection averaged about 11,070 vehicles per day three years ago and traffic volume is projected to rise to 13,940 by 2041, according to county Engineer Neil Tunison.

“The Greentree Road corridor is growing with new residential subdivisions being built and expanded as well as increased use of the … sports park and the ever-increasing popular Armco Park,” Tunison told this news organization.

“The primary purpose of the project was to reduce delay for movements through certain approaches to the intersection,” he added. “With the roundabout, we anticipate delays decreasing from four to five minutes down to less than 30 seconds. Severe crash rate will also decrease.”

The roundabout’s $4.1 million construction is a county Transportation Improvement District project expected to be funded by a port authority bond issue to be repaid with money the county will collect through the Miami Valley Gaming TIF, Schnipke said.

That tax district, which was extended 20 years by county commissioners two years ago, is anticipated to generate about $4 million in the future, he added.

“Keep in mind that in this TIF, the schools are made whole and will not take a cut of revenues they are due,” according to Schnipke. “If the TIF doesn’t produce enough to cover debt service, the shortfall would be covered from the county infrastructure bank.”

Bond issue agreements are expected to go before the port authority this month and the county commission by the end of October, Schnipke said.

Construction on the roundabout is planned for next year, county records show.

The sports park hosted 51 events last year and is anticipated to hold the same number this year and in 2025, according to Ben Huffman, sports tourism director for the convention and visitor’s bureau, which operates the site.

The complex, opened in 2020, is estimated to draw more than 1.4 million guests and generate 93,600 overnight stays in county hotels this year while having an economic impact of $102 million, Huffman said.

Those numbers, respectively, are projected to climb to 1.5 million, 96,000 and $105 million next year, he added.

During the roundabout construction, “we will work hand in hand with our county partners to reduce any delays or issues,” he added.

Its completion “should greatly help traffic flow and safety on the roads around the sports park.”