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Did Dayton road construction kill another business? Denny’s to close tomorrow

Although the management out of Cleveland won’t confirm, it’s pretty clear that Denny’s at 1136 S. Main Street is closing tomorrow.

No more late night hangout downtown after everything closes. Nope. Not allowed. Work a long second shift and want to grab a bite at 2 a.m.? Too bad. Not in Nan’s city.

Now, before you go look at the Google reviews, or Yelp or Trip Advisor and say – “yeah, well, they sucked” – you also have to understand the forces they are up against- mainly- a road that no one wanted to drive down for a year plus. It’s hard to keep good help, when business is choked off. Why it took so long to repave a mile of road is a mystery. The Allies landed on the Normandy beachhead and managed to cross 7 major rivers that had the bridges bombed- in less time on their march to Berlin.

Of course, Denny’s doesn’t matter to the City of Dayton. All that matters is Miami Valley Hospital- where the overpaid leadership contributes healthily to the campaign of Mayor Nan. Or UD, or Miller Valentine. Or GE, or Emerson- or other companies that either don’t pay property taxes, or get huge tax-abatement gifts- in exchange for the promise of higher-paying jobs for people who can’t vote in the city because they live in the ‘burbs for the most part. Denny’s hired Dayton residents. Jobs. Not great ones- but, every job and every business should matter.

There was a lot of second guessing about what the city should have done to keep NCR in Dayton- but, no one will wonder what Dayton should have done to keep Denny’s.

Before the construction of the building on Brown that now houses Hot Head Burritos, Ginger & Spice and Subway, a small developer wanted to put an IHOP in that was going to be a 24-hour establishment- just like Denny’s. The hospital and the “Fairgrounds neighborhood” fought it. Noise complaints. Safety complaints.  Never mind the helicopters at all hours of the night. The developer was being told they’d have to hire an off-duty Dayton cop around the clock. Screw it. He stopped doing business in the city.

The real test will be to see what happens to the empty building. If the hospital buys it- or if someone else has their fingers in it already. It’s registered to BGZ Investments out of Addington, Texas, on the super slow Montgomery County auditor’s site (thanks Tyler Technologies). In the 15 years available on the site- the tax value has climbed from $390,400 to $460,530 despite the building being in pretty sad shape. Since 1999, they’d paid $250,799.40 in property taxes.

Best of luck to the employees in finding new jobs. Some of them had been there for a really long time.

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Ralph

I took a long drive last Saturday, getting off the I-75 fecal highway at N-main St and headed south through the sterile wasteland known as downtown that once urshed hundreds of shoppers at places like Rikes, and Elder Beerman. I passed the soon to be demolished Fairgrounds (that everyone really knows will be a development for MV Hospital – since there are no other business in turdville). Then looked upon the rotting roof of Denny’s (wondering if it was even open), then I traveled on through a wasteland that used to be a bustling NCR campus that is now occupied by the chocking monopoly know as COX (or is that COCKs?).

If we’re down to reminiscing about the disgusting Denny’s on south Main then I was wrong. I was wrong. I thought we hit rock bottom along time ago. I guess not, there’s plenty of room to fall in Nanny Whale’s Dayton.

Bismark

Rest assured that even the mighty MVH will succumb to decay, sooner than later. The Affordable Care Act and it’s 2016-implemented charges (hospitals being charged facility-fees, previously waived but not under ACA) will see this tree fall, too. Then those overpaid leaders will be swimming in the same fecal pond as the rest of us.

Grene

Will miss Moons Over My Hamy.

Not certain Cox is a monopoly, and Rikes and EB left years ago. Dayton suffers bc of the party that runs the city. And cities for the most part are only run by one of the two parties. Anyone want to guess which party?

It doesn’t matter though. The suburbs are growing and offer a safe and clean environment and good schools. Just move.

Roberta Smith

What seond shift is going to dennys? I can tell you no one from the hospital is gonna clog their arteries what that. And none of the second shift facorty workers live anywhere that would take them by the shitheap. The one time I went there it was filled with sketchy junkies and prostitutes. This had nothing to do with your claims.

OHKID

I respect your ideas, and I’ve seen some doozies of stupidity thrown around here, but this… I don’t even know where to start with this steaming pile of shit.

First off, the place was a filthy hellhole. I’m really surprised it passed a health inspection.

Second, it attracted drug addicts. Your evidence is in the bathroom. Or the kitchen.

Third, the IHOP guy should have been driven out of that site with that proposal. Building a low-density car-oriented building in that spot would have been murder for the Brown St. corridor. Might as well build a Hustler Hollywood next to Marycrest while you’re at it, because at that point you’ve just devalued the entire area and prevented good development like the one that occurred

And fourth, if you didn’t see this coming then you’ve got issues bigger than I can address…
This place was meant for the wrecking ball 10, 20 years ago.

Sorry, normally I don’t have to post stuff like this, but man this is the dumbest post I’ve ever seen! I mean really. This is Trump-esque bad. This kind of illogical nonsense makes our city look like the second coming of the cone-heads. Dayton has 24-hour dining options, and the area is ripe for redevelopment. Let better things come, and purge this crap.

OHKID

There are a couple of McDonald’s and the new Hardee’s. So yes, I agree there could be more.

But it won’t take a genius to figure that out. UC has a Waffle House in a development very similar to Stewart Square. Many restaurants downtown have experimented with late night hours, with some success. And the Oakwood/UD/South Park/OD/Downtown swath which patronizes Brown St. has strong median incomes.

We don’t need to be tied to the old Denny’s. A better option will come.

Auston Hensley

Which McDonalds is 24 hours in the city limits? The only one I know of is on Wilmington Pike in Kettering, near the Dorothy Lane intersection.

Didn’t there used to be a White Castle on Brown Street? Those places were usually 24 hours – although nowadays you’d have to drive down to Franklin to find a White Castle…

Gene

Why does there have to be a late night option for sit down dining?
Most of the late night Denny’s crowd were drinkers – they can get fast food. As for second shift folk – pack your dinner. I think this isn’t a real problem. Who really cares about late night sit down dining?

OHKID

From this search:
https://www.google.com/#q=24+hour+restaurants+dayton+ohio&rflfq=1&tbm=lcl&tbs=lf:1,lf_msr:-1,lf_od:0,lf_oh:24,lf_pl:-1,lf_tr:-1

I found these places are open 24 hours:
1. McDonald’s @ 1219 Gettysburg Ave, Dayton (at Hoover Ave)
2. McDonald’s @ 3918 Free Pike, Dayton (at Salem/Gettysburg)
3. Hardee’s @ 2217 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd, Dayton (new one in Love’s truck stop)
Bonus:
4. McDonald’s @ 1517 N. Keowee, Dayton (at Stanley)

You are right, the Brown St. corridor has no 24-hr dining options.

Nuge

Some of the most harsh and critical commentary of the city of Dayton seems to come from native born Daytonians. Many have the mindset that if at a certain age they live in the city opposed to the pretty suburbs that they somehow are a failure. Those who have moved to the burbs have a sense superiority as evidenced by their incessant criticism. Many perhaps are angered by the fact that Dayton cannot, will never will be the Dayton it once was.
Dayton has been my home for the last 11 years. Prior to that the Dayton burbs were home. Living in the burbs, there no sense of community. Neighbors do not know nor do they care to know each other. The traffic sucks, the restaurants are predominately chains, the tax burden is heavy, real estate is more expensive and the nightlife is just not as interesting. Apparently Dayton life seems to be more attractive to the transplant than to the native. If I didn’t live in Dayton I probably wouldn’t live in Ohio. The thought of living in lily white heterosexual suburbia would be absolutely terrifying to me and my wallet.
As far is Denny’s goes, their food sucked! You would have to be beyond drunk to eat their food. Their substandard, disgusting food was the draw for the undesirable element that patronized them. Somehow, I will personally pick up the pieces and move on. Maybe I’ll enjoy some Asian wings at the South Park Tavern or a hamburger at Tanks. Good riddance Denny’s!

Auston Hensley

Where in Dayton are the taxes lower than the suburbs (Oakwood notwithstanding)?

The city income tax is second-highest in the area at 2.25%, behind Moraine which “temporarily” increased theirs to 2.75%.

With regards to property tax rates, Montgomery County is the second most heavily-taxed county in all of Ohio (behind only Cuyahoga County). All those mills subsidizing Sinclair have to come from somewhere.

When I was house searching I actually fired my first realtor as she repeatedly ignored my “no Montgomery County” request when sending me listings.

It’s not that taxes are necessarily a bad thing – but the services received in the city of Dayton are insulting and hopelessly inadequate in proportion to the tax burden.

It’s why I and the other 100,000 upwardly mobile people have left Dayton in the past three decades have made that choice to leave the sinking ship.

I will watch Channel 7 and laugh derisively at the latest shooting, scandal, or property deal that City Hall manages to fubar… from a safe distance on the outside of I-675.

Gene

Dayton may be more interesting than the suburbs but lack quality schools, safe neighbors and neighborhoods, decent supermarkets and jobs. The suburbs are boring – but have a lot if you are raising a family. Dayton isn’t awful, it’s just behind in schooling and safety among other things. I lived in dayton a number of years. People trying to hustle you for money and trash in unkept yards and parks that look like a battlefield wasn’t exactly utopia. And I know my neighbors in suburbia – and we collectively understand to leave each other alone. It’s better than my ex neighbors who were always sizing me up. “When you going on vacation?” Questions were met with a very expensive alarm system. Too many criminals in Dayton as compared to the suburbs. I don’t feel superior living in the suburbs. I do feel safe however, something Dayton could not do for me. Night life? Really? What are you 23 years old? People at a certain point realize that they can drive or take a cab or uber if they want an interesting (and more dangerous) nightlife. I am in bed by 930 most nights.