“Confidence is essential,” Barton told council Tuesday night during a public hearing.
He said the development would take up to 15 years — what he called “a long, long time commitment” — but in the end, the neighborhood would become “a much better place to live.”
Council will vote on the historic designation at its Feb. 4 meeting.
Several residents in the neighborhood said they were in favor during the public hearing, and no residents spoke in opposition.
One of those in favor is Celeste Didlick-Davis, who moved to Garfield Street about 15 years ago. After the meeting, she said the “biggest trouble” in the neighborhood is the lack of screening from landlords of their potential renters. She said cars shouldn’t be parked on front lawns and living room furniture shouldn’t be stored on the front porch.
While she understands poverty may be an issue for some residents in the neighborhood, she added, “We can establish a community standard.”
Council member Ami Vitori called the decision regarding the Oakland neighborhood “one of the most important in the next decade” for the city.
Council member Joe Mulligan said the neighborhood has struggled for decades, but he’s confident in its future because of the “proven method” that has been effective in other communities in Dayton and Cincinnati.
Acting City Manager Susan Cohen said creating a historic district will help open up historic tax credits in the redevelopment of the neighborhood. That creation only “starts the process,” she said.
If council grants its approval, the proposed historic district designation will be forwarded to the National Register of Historic Places of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The Middletown Historic Commission recommended that council create the landmark designation of the Oakland Historic District, which is approximately bounded on the north by First Avenue; on the west by Verity Parkway, which is the former Miami Erie Canal site; on the east by the Pioneer Cemetery property, Cohen Brothers Inc. property and the west side of Lamneck Street; and on the south by Calumet Avenue.
Barton and Dan Mayzum of Architecture Renewal have been working on the Oakland neighborhood revitalization project with city officials since 2018.
A Neighborhood Association planning meeting has been set for 6 p.m. Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. at St. John’s Church. The public is encouraged to attend. There have been 11 community meetings in the neighborhood in the past three months where residents have shared their opinions on the future of the community.
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