The Ohio legislature has approved $2.5 million for the relocation and redevelopment of the Montgomery County Fairgrounds as part of the proposed two-year state budget.
The whole project involves moving the Montgomery County Fairgrounds to Brookville and then redeveloping the current location. The result would be a commercial and residential development called Midtown, on Main Street near Miami Valley Hospital.
State Rep. Niraj Antani of Miamisburg hopes to see a grocery store, hotel, restaurants, and apartments on the site. He added the $2.5 million request into the house budget proposal.
“This Midtown project sits right there just north of my district, and really in the heart of the county, and we think if we can redevelop that and attract commercial development than the entire region will be stronger as a result,” he said.
But just the cost of relocating the fairgrounds adds up to $18 million dollars. A spokesman with Miller-Valentine, the firm managing the redevelopment, says getting the governor’s signature on the $2.5 million would go along way toward making Midtown a reality.
Governor Kasich and lawmakers have until June 30th to approve the final state budget.
