The complex could take shoppers and potential business development from Clark County.
“It is a major concern,” said Clark County Commissioner John Detrick. “If (a consumer has) a choice of going three miles instead of 10 miles, they’re going to go three miles. This will directly affect long range sales tax revenues.”
The complex will especially affect Huber Heights and state tax revenues.
When The Heights of Huber Heights is finished, 201 Corridor Management predicts the state will get $500 million in tax revenue and the city, school district and county will get another $500 million during the next 30 years from the complex as well as from the 625-acre housing development at Carriage Trails in bordering Miami County.
The complex will be located in the northern-most portion of Montgomery County where Interstate 70 and Ohio 201 intersect.
Despite the possible competition, Springfield’s economic development director Tom Franzen said he wasn’t concerned the new complex would greatly affect Springfield while the city attempts to attract more businesses.
“It depends on what kind of stores are going there,” Franzen said. “They may have more competition with the Greene or Fairfield Mall.”
Detrick said he was skeptical that the development would even happen. With mall vacancy rates at 15 to 20 percent in the area, filling The Heights will be a challenge.
“I question the value of putting another mall up,” Detrick said. “They have tried this before in many ways and the development hasn’t happened.”
While partners George Jenkins and Bill Jump say the area will attract “high-end” retailers and an upscale hotel and office buildings, they don’t expect larger department stores to come to The Heights.
“The whole idea is to have a master plan,” Jump said. “This isn’t going to happen overnight. Businesses want to know who’s moving in next to them, and when. We want to have our restaurants be more sit- down than fast food.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@Dayton DailyNews.com.
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