DAYTON — One of Campbell County's poorest cities could be the next Ohio River Riviera, as the developer who shined up Newport's Mansion Hill looks downriver.

        Mirroring a Newport project that offered financial incentives to people who bought, fixed up and either sold or moved into neglected houses, Dayton officials hope to breathe some life into a community known mostly for its rough politics and historic floods.

Dayton has a good supply of large, solid homes like these on Sixth Street. Another rehab planning meeting is Tuesday in council chambers. (TONY JONES photo) | ZOOM |

        Woodlawn real estate broker Terry Rasche, who was largely responsible for Newport's “rehab-a-rama,” says Dayton will benefit from a growing trend of people moving out of suburbia and into historic homes near the city.

        “Dayton, Kentucky, seems to be the next hot spot,” Mr. Rasche said.

        Mr. Rasche and city officials are in the planning stages of a new “rehab-a-rama,” which will provide buyers with low- or no-interest loans, a moratorium on city real estate taxes, and an exemption from the 6 percent state sales tax on construction materials.

        City officials, Realtors and business owners all think this is just what the Ohio River city of 6,000 needs right now.

        The city is on its third police chief in less than a year and has a mayor who stepped in after former Mayor Bobby E. Crittendon was impeached for nepotism in 2000.

        The city, about 10 minutes from downtown Cincinnati, didn't fare well in the recent recession. It saw a $400,000 budget surplus dwindle and slashed services, including the popular Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE.

        In 10 years it also has been unable to bring its 16 percent poverty rate down closer to Campbell County's 9 percent rate in 2000.

        “I think there's a lot we have started and a lot left to be done,” said Mayor Ron Gunning.

        The city has seen a 675 percent increase in the number of households with incomes of $150,000 or more — 31 in 2000, up from four in 1990.

        An industrial park housing at least 13 businesses has opened in the eastern part of the city. A new YMCA teen center opens next month. And Mr. Gunning said a planned streetscape project and a veterans monument will help beautify the city.

        “We're so handy to Cincinnati and I think it's a small little river town that has a lot of potential,” he said.

        Joe Naiser said he would love to see improvements made in Dayton. Mr. Naiser has owned Naiser Furniture Restorations on McKinney Avenue for 15 years and believes Dayton is “grossly undersold.”

        The median housing value did rise from 1990 to 2000, from $36,000 to $59,000.

        That's compared to a Kentucky state median housing value of about $89,000 and median housing values in Kenton and Boone counties of $105,600 and $131,800 respectively. The Campbell County median housing value for 2000 was $101,000.

        Mr. Rasche said many of the Dayton homes were built in the late 1800s and have original woodwork and fixtures.

        Mr. Rasche and John Coffman, co-owner of Coffman's Realty in Fort Thomas, say Dayton is ideal because people want to fix up and live in older homes.

        “They want to get the older home, the bigger rooms and closer to work,” Mr. Coffman said.

        “Dayton is like Newport, you can get more bang for your buck.”

Curfew expungements may be difficult
Dayton's ripe for its renaissance
Judges promote options
High spirits as UC grads say goodbye
Charter school's fate left undecided
'Enquirer' wins nine first places
Local test scores improve
Man charged after escape, carjacking
Man gets life terms in slayings
Maruska takes temp job in L.A.
Obituary: Clyde Myers, 86, fought in Battle of the Bulge
Pair give all to area school
Tristate A.M. Report
MCNUTT: Neighborhoods
RADEL: The people's parks
THOMPSON: Faith Matters
New LeSourdsville Lake reopens, recalling the old
Play area design proves to be hard
Sister of rescued missionary thankful, but sad over death
W. Chester event goes to the dogs
12 apply for Clean Ohio grants
Drug czar: Anti-drug ads too soft, ineffective
Excavation finds 200-year-old fort
Grad gifts brim with advice
Groups voice ideas for Wayne Forest
Homeless camp cleanup defended
New law: Heimlich in lunchroom
Plankton lesions mystify scientists
County worker missing since Tuesday
Firms hurt by hall fire get aid
Kentucky News Briefs
Locals petition center
River authority to seek funding to fix locks
Town welcomes mobile homes; even city hall is in one
Wal-Mart must pay pair $40K