Todd Duplain, a principal at Dayton-based Woodard, said the planned arena could draw “400,000 people here on an annual basis.”
Renaissance Pointe is “down the street from a highway that has 125,000 cars per day,” and is “next to two incredible hospitals.”
“If you think about it, we’ve provided one of the few locations here where businesses, retailers, entertainment venues, food and beverage operators can service two markets with one site,” Duplain said.
Middletown Mayor Elizabeth Slamka called it a historic and monumental day for the city. She also said Renaissance Pointe is one of the largest investments and developments in Middletown’s history.
Last week, council unanimously voted to authorize the city manager to enter into a construction agreement with Loveland Excavating and Paving for the installation of public improvements for Phase I of the Renaissance Pointe development project.
The authorization by motion is contingent on approval of a supplemental appropriation of ARPA funds earmarked by City Council along with the pricing of bond anticipation notes (BANs) Approval will allow for construction to commence swiftly with an expected completion of all Phase I improvements by the end of May 2025, according to city staff reports.
The engineer’s estimate for the Phase I improvements was around $9.4 million. This figure included contingency allotments. As the attached bid tab shows, Loveland Excavating and Paving submitted the lowest bid of $8,885,899.52 which is approximately 6 percent below the engineer’s estimate of cost and within the budget parameters for the project
“The city of Middletown has waited a long time for something special to put in this area,” she said. “This project will create another reason why Middletown is a beautiful destination point while transforming and revitalizing the I-75 exit for Middletown.”
Slamka noted other new businesses opening in the community “with nearly a dozen business ribbon cuttings in 2024 already.”
New fire stations are being built, she said, and Cleveland Cliffs announced it will remain in Middletown for generations to come with an investment of $1.8 billion in the city.
Duplain said his company has a history of developing mixed-use campuses like is envisioned for Renaissance Pointe.
He thanked and congratulated officials from Middletown and Warren County on the project.
“It all began with the city and the county being what I call more mission-driven than just simply compliance driven,” he said.
“They are proactive. They are driven by a mission,” Duplain said, noting they focused on “making a long-term investment for the benefit of this community and its residents.”
He said the location, over time, will be the epicenter of Dayton and Cincinnati growth.
Middletown City Manager Paul Lolli said the work so far has been a long journey but the groundbreaking is significant.
“It’s going to make a lot of people say, ‘Man, this is this is happening.’ And that’s a great thing for Middletown. It’s a great thing for Warren County,” he said.
The groundbreaking is an important step, Duplain said, but, “The reality is the true mission just now commences.”
He expects work to take seven to 10 years.
“We believe you will have a vibrant collection of restaurants, distinctive residential options, essential services, medical office space, hotels, entertainment venues — all anchored hopefully by a state-of-the-art multi-purpose of events center.
“So let me be clear today marks the successful launch, but our mission our mission remains a work in progress.”
Loveland Excavating also is part of the project.