High Tech Targeted For Mall Site

By Bruce Kettelle

Trotwood officials want the former Salem Mall site to become a long-term technology anchor for the city’s future. In a turnaround from previous discussions that included attracting concentrated retail to the location, new consultants have recommended a strategy to bring research and development offices to help replace the region’s 100-year dependence on the automotive industry.

Similar to the Tech Town project in Dayton, Trotwood’s yet to be named center will offer entrepreneurs expertise to identify new markets for inventions and assistance in identifying venture capital sources.

“EMTEC specializes in finding applications for new technologies and commercializing them,” said Frank Svet the company’s president and CEO. EMTEC will become the city’s technology experts in the project. “We’re going to provide them the knowledge infrastructure.”

The physical planning falls on Norm Essman Consulting and a master plan design firm to be selected soon. Essman is a former economic development specialist with the City of Dayton and had a hand in the Tech Town project planning.

“We won’t have to repeat the hardships Tech Town went through,” said Essman. He said to expect the firms locating here to be researching and prototyping new products. Actual manufacturing would not take place on the campus.

According to Essman, “These tech workers tend to be younger, entrepreneurial (meaning they work too much), and like to live and play near their work.” He wants the master plan to take these factors into consideration for both the mall site and surrounding area.

After hearing the presentation to city council on March 22, Trotwood Mayor Joyce Sutton Cameron was encouraged by the change in strategy. “We were aware that a completely commercial project was not the way to go,” said Cameron. “Technology is the future, we want that here to sustain growth and jobs.”

Trotwood city manager Mike Lucking supports the shift for the site. “We are trying to leapfrog the community forward with a concept that lasts generations.”

Lucking expects the master planning to move ahead quickly. The consultants believe the skeleton roadway plan presented last fall by Bird and Hauk can be utilized for the technology center. Lucking wants to start construction of the first interior roadway in the spring of 2011. The city will seek federal funds to pay for those infrastructure costs.