PRIVATE LAND OWNER, DAYTON, OH
Residential and Retail Market Analysis, Economic Feasibility, and Development Strategy

S. B. Friedman & Company was engaged by a private land owner in the Dayton , Ohio , area to create a development program and assist in the master planning of a 327-acre site located in the southern suburbs. The client’s vision for the project is to create a community, rather than simply build a conventional residential subdivision. The objective is to build a neighborhood that encourages people to interact, minimizes internal automobile traffic, provides easy access to services, shopping, and recreation, and is accessible to a diverse range of ages and family types throughout the life cycle.

We performed a detailed market analysis of the residential and retail potential of the site. Working with Woolpert LLP, a design and engineering firm, we then developed a conceptual plan for the site that incorporates many of the fundamental characteristics of traditional neighborhood design while recognizing the specific character and preferences of the local market. The plan was consciously designed to incorporate features and aspects found in the highest value community in the Dayton area, where traditional lots sizes and street lay-outs still command substantial price premiums. One concept that was explored was the potential to mix housing types within blocks through the use of parcel “modules” to assemble residential lots--two modules (or more) for a single-family home, three modules for a duplex, four modules for a group of town homes, etc.