here in town. I would say that’s priority number one for probably more than a few years.” The retail leakage problem afflicts many suburban communities, but Dayton’s situation carries particular urgency given the residential explosion underway. Thousands of new residents will need places to buy groceries, clothing, household goods, and everything else that fills daily life. Currently, those dollars flow to neighboring cities with established commercial corridors. Jarmon sees the housing boom as leverage. “The city’s approach focuses on attracting retailers who can anchor commercial development and provide the shopping options residents want and need,” he says. “With developments spanning every major highway and price points attracting diverse demographics, Dayton can now demonstrate market depth to potential retail tenants.” The median household income of $61,307 has nearly doubled since 2000, showing economic strength alongside population growth. ahead of it and make sure that the capacity is there to serve all the new folks coming in.” KEEPING DOLLARS LOCAL Ask Cooper-Bell about priorities for the next few years and her answer comes quickly and bluntly. “Definitely bringing in options for local shopping because our retail leakage is really terrible,” she says. “So many people live here, but the bottom line is they shop everywhere but here. We’ve got to give them some more options to shop and keep that money 30 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 01
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