Phoenix Project Welcomes New Pk-8 Dayton Public School To New Fairview Commons Area

Contact:
Buddy LaChance
Neighborhood Development Director
CityWide Development Corporation
937-853-2524
blachance@citywidedev.com

School to be Built on New Site in Fairview Neighborhood; Two Existing Schools will Remain Open until New School is Completed

Dayton, Ohio, December 12, 2006 - A new PK-8 Dayton Public School will be built at a new site within the Phoenix Project redevelopment area near Good Samaritan Hospital. The announcement was made today by the three primary Phoenix partners—Good Samaritan Hospital (Premier), the City of Dayton, and CityWide Development Corporation—along with Dayton Public Schools.

The new school will be located in the heart of the Phoenix Project redevelopment area within an area that will be known as Fairview Commons. Designed as the centerpiece of the Phoenix Project, Fairview Commons will link various public amenities and create a new public space for the neighborhood.

“The Fairview Commons area will serve as a cornerstone for the community,” said Jim Pancoast, president and CEO of Good Samaritan Hospital.  “It will bring new vitality and amenities to the area, enhancing it for future residential and commercial development.”

Carol Bauer, SC, vice president of Mission Effectiveness at Good Samaritan Hospital, added, “The location of this new school represents a milestone in the Phoenix Project and is the result of visionary collaboration. Together, we are building a better and brighter future for our neighbors. The vision for the Fairview Commons area is the start of many great things to come.”

The new school, which will be operational in 2009, will replace the existing Fairview elementary and junior high schools. It is anticipated that students will not be displaced; they will move directly from the old schools into the new school. The cost to build the school is estimated to be about $13 million, while the cost of land assemblage is about $2.5 million. The Ohio School Facilities Commission is providing 61 percent of the money needed to build the school; the other 39 percent comes from the Dayton School District, funded by a levy that voters overwhelmingly approved in 2003.

“The new Fairview PK-8 School will be an anchor for a new and revitalized neighborhood and will serve Dayton’s children for generations to come,” said Dayton Board of Education President Gail Littlejohn. “We are excited to partner with the City of Dayton, Good Samaritan Hospital and Citywide Development to make this vision a reality. We also want to recognize the University of Dayton’s Fitz Center for its work to ensure that this new school will become a vital part of Fairview Commons, serving neighborhood residents as an after-school community center.”

“The new Fairview School will serve as a beautiful and family-friendly landmark for the Phoenix Project area,” said Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin. “The City of Dayton is excited and proud to be a partner on this project. The passion and commitment of Good Samaritan Hospital continues to be a driving force behind the momentum of the Phoenix Project, which is revitalizing the surrounding neighborhood.  In addition, the Dayton Public Schools continue to move aggressively to transform old and outdated school buildings into new and attractive anchors for the community. “

The Phoenix Project is a public-private partnership that is investing millions of dollars for redevelopment activities in the greater Fairview neighborhood. The primary goal is to support Good Samaritan Hospital’s growth by insuring that the surrounding neighborhood remains viable and strong.

Steve Budd, president of CityWide, stated, “demolishing many of the worst structures in the neighborhood and replacing them with a new school as well as other recreation amenities, is a homerun for our community revitalization efforts. We are pleased to have Dayton Public Schools join in our plans to once again make the Fairview area a neighborhood of choice"

Over the next year, the Pheonix Project stakeholders will evaluate options for the two existing school properties.

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