What is the Dayton Recovery Plan demolition strategy?

A comprehensive inventory of structural nuisance properties in the City of Dayton to inform residents, City leaders and staff of the scale of this issue affecting neighborhoods.

What is a structural nuisance property?

Any property possessing critical structural deficiencies that pose a safety threat to occupants of the property, adjacent properties, and the public in general.

A structural nuisance property can be rehabilitated depending on the severity of the structural issue. Property owners must obtain a Special Service Inspection from the Building Services Division. This inspection will inform the property owner of the required improvements to bring the property into compliance and removal from the structural nuisance list.

How did the City identify these properties?

In early 2022, City of Dayton Housing Inspectors initiated a thorough assessment of qualified nuisance structures in the City’s 64 Neighborhoods. The process confirmed structures already inventoried and identified new structures to be added to the Structural Nuisance list. This process also accounted for structures damaged by fire and knocked into a pile until funds can be secured to remove the debris. Further, structures that could be added to the Structural Nuisance list but have yet to be “certified” were placed on a Pre-Structural Nuisance list. These properties will need to be reviewed by a Nuisance Abatement Specialist and Supervisor to determine eligibility.

Is the Structural Nuisance list the same as the Demolition list?

No. The City does not maintain a demolition list. The City identifies properties eligible for demolition from the Structural Nuisance list. The placement on the Structural Nuisance list does not imply the property will be demolished, but that critical structural issues exist that could lead to the eventual demolition if the issues are not addressed.

What is the difference between funding sources shown on the graphic?

The Dayton Recovery Plan includes four different funding sources for demolition:

• Federal
  • American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) = $12,426,000
  • Dept. of Housing & Urban Development Community Development Block Grant (HUD CDBG) = $3,543,028.
• State of Ohio
  • Department of Development (ODOD) = $2,929,883
• City of Dayton
  • General Fund (GF) = $2,999,369

Are there conditions where and how funds can be used?

Yes:

• Federal funds can only be used in qualified census tracts. Not all of the City’s neighborhoods are qualified, therefore federal funds cannot be used for demolition in these communities.
• State funds can be used for commercial and residential properties that are not brownfields.
• City of Dayton General Funds can be used anywhere in the City for commercial and residential demolition and fire pile removal.

What is different from this strategy versus previous years?

The Dayton Recovery Plan demolition strategy is a multi-year, multi-funding source approach whose goal is to considerably reduce the number of demolition-qualified properties in a defined timeframe and cohesive strategy. The addition of ARPA and ODOD funds is a one-time opportunity coupled with annual funding from HUD CDBG and the City’s General Fund.

How were neighborhoods assigned funding sources?

Following guidance from the Dayton Recovery Plan:

• the neighborhoods included in the Focus Areas (Old North Dayton, Five Oaks, Wolf Creek, Carillon, Edgemont, Miami Chapel) and Focus locations Twin Towers and the Wright Factory site were prioritized first. These are identified with green shading and a black boundary in the map graphic.
• Adjacent neighborhoods, which were eligible per ARPA’s guidelines, where then chosen as they meet the desired goal of significant impact and continuity with the Focus Neighborhoods and Locations.

Following guidance from HUD CDBG:

• Neighborhoods in qualified census tracts, with adjacency to ARPA-funded neighborhoods to create a critical impact by addressing all of the eligible properties in the timeframe outlined by the Dayton Recovery Plan.

Will properties in Historic Districts (purple hatched) be demolished?

Federal funds (ARPA & HUD CDBG) are not eligible to be used on structures located in historic districts. General Funds may be used if the property receives approval for demolition from the City’s Landmarks Commission.

Why are Ohio Department of Development funds not assigned to one or more neighborhoods?

Properties assigned this funding were made in consultation with the Montgomery County Land Bank which is the lead agency for these funds. These properties have already remediated any environmental conditions that need to be addressed prior to demolition so they could meet the funding expenditure deadline set by the State of Ohio.

My neighborhood isn’t shaded or contains numerous red dots (Unassigned)

A result of this comprehensive strategy was to identify how many structures remained after all the available funding sources have been assigned. The unassigned properties give City leaders and staff a clear picture of what our unfunded need is and where it is. These areas will be considered if additional funds are made available to the City.

How much does a demolition cost?

On average, a demolition will cost $17,865. The City is required by the US EPA to verify the absence or presence of asbestos and the removal of the material prior to the demolition.

Properties where the City cannot produce this verification (structure too unstable, fire-damaged, etc.) the City must treat the property as if it contained asbestos which increases the cost by 30-50% due to disposal precautions and requirements.

What impact will I or my neighborhood experience?

The Dayton Recovery Plan demolition strategy is designed to significantly reduce the number of structural nuisances beginning in 2023 through 2026. Work will commence concurrently in the Dayton Recovery Plan Focus and HUD CDBG Neighborhoods, at ODOD funded sites, and with the removal of previously demolished structural and fire-damaged remaining piles.

Properties will be assigned a Year code: 1 = 2023, 4 = 2026. These will be shared in the coming months on this site. 

Why does it take so long to demolish a property?

This is a two-part response:

• 1st - City staff must follow a legal process prescribed by the Constitution to ensure homeowner rights are not violated. The associated graphic outlines this process.
• 2nd - Availability of funding. The City of Dayton must be judicious in determining the greatest threats to the public safety when allocating its HUD CDBG and General Fund allocations for demolition. The Dayton Recovery Plan presents a significant opportunity to leverage multi-funding sources to rapidly reduce the number of structural nuisances in our neighborhoods in the next few years.

Who owns these structural nuisance properties?

Nearly all of the properties identified are privately owned. For numerous reasons the owners have disinvested in these properties resulting in their structural nuisance, negatively impacting the neighborhood and leaving the City of Dayton as the agency of last resort to address the issue. Despite this, the City must adhere to the process outline in the associated graphic.