| Grafton Hill was mostly developed in 1875 when John Stoddard, a wealthy and prominent farm implement manufacturer, opened the exclusive Belmonte Park residential area. Other upper middle class homes followed suit and the construction of the Dayton Art Institute (1919) and the Dayton Masonic Temple added to the affluent aura of the community. Today the grand homes remain in tact and Grafton Hill is still a relatively sought after neighborhood for those who appreciate its historic charm and convenient access to Downtown. But its commercial corridor along Salem Ave is decimated greatly diminishing the neighborhood’s walkability. There is a fair amount of blight on the fringes as some pretty rough areas surround Grafton Hill. Rebuilding the neighborhood’s urban commercial corridor would be my first priority here. |
URBAN STRENGTHS:
| * Good sidewalk and ADA infrastructure throughout the neighborhood. * Quality public transit throughout the neighborhood and Downtown is very convenient… literally just across the river. Its a 15-20 minute walk to the heart of Dwtn from Grafton Hill. * Good street grid and connectivity. * Decent bike infrastructure with a dedicated bike lane running along the Great Miami River and one bike share station. Would like to see more bike lanes crossing thru the neighborhood. * Wonderful array of historic single family homes. * Park amenities include the Miami river trail, a tennis court and McKinney Park a nice medium size park. * Great tree canopy. * A couple elementary school options in the neighborhood and several high schools options in adjacent districts including Dwtn. |
URBAN WEAKNESSES:
| * Okay diversity. Neighborhood is 75% Black. While 40% of residents are living in poverty still decent economic diversity with a sizable middle class. * Only 30% of households are family but good adult diversity. * Decent for sale housing stock. Maintained SF homes sell in the 100KS & 200Ks. Fixer uppers sell below 100K. So cheap condo product as well. * Rental product is generally limited and cheap. * Cultural amenities are pretty limited but Grafton Hill does host the Dayton Art Museum and the Dayton Masonic Center and is walkable to the many cultural amenities Dwtn. * Retail amenities are limited to a dollar general, a couple salons and the post office. The neighborhood’s main commercial district, Salem Ave, is run down and mostly auto centric now. * Generally pretty safe district, but on the edge with some other pretty high crime areas in Dayton and blight is prevalent along Salem Ave. |
Evaluating our Urban Communities [with a focus on America] 