Simms plans to unveil housing developments

Residential developer Charles Simms is far from finished, saying he is on the verge of announcing new residential developments.

“We’re definitely almost sold out,” Simms said Wednesday. “There are areas by the Oregon District, and there may be opportunities in some of the outlying communities (still within the city of Dayton).

“There’s nothing we can really publicize yet, but we’re working hard,” he added.

Simms moved into one of his own developments, Monument Walk, from Washington Twp. about three months ago, making him one of downtown’s 2,000 residents.

In six years, Simms has been the driver behind six downtown Dayton projects, most recently City View, at Fourth and Patterson streets near the rebuilt downtown library main branch. Charles Simms Developments has built almost 105 town homes downtown, with about 100 sold.

Fueling these kinds of projects and are tax credits and federal grants, Simms said in a joint news conference with U.S. Reps. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, and Brad Wenstrup, R-Cincinnati, who is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Congress’ chief tax-writing committee.

Even though Simms said he has not employed federal credits for his nonhistorical, new construction projects, he hailed what he called “private and public partnerships.”

“We need them for the overall picture,” Simms said in the news conference. “Water Street and other residential developments would have not come into place without those tax credits.”