Developers looking to give life to the former Salem Mall site; Want communities’ feedback

TROTWOOD — Developers are looking to give new life to the vacant Sears store at the former Salem Mall site in Trotwood, which has sat empty since 2014.

The Trotwood Community Improvement Corporation, Cross Creek Hydroponics and a group of University of Dayton Senior Engineering students want the communities’ feedback about turning the building into a community-based market.

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The market would feature locally grown fresh produce and food products, an education kitchen, hydroponics, and a space for community engagement, according to a post on social media.

The developers are asking the Trotwood community to complete a survey that will close on March 4.

News Center 7 previously reported in December that a UD mechanical engineer student was working to design a system that focuses on growing food in a unique way at the Salem Mall site.

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In the previous report, a member of the community said that the closing of the Salem Mall was difficult for the community.

“It was a prosperous area. We had all kinds of shops here. Basically, you could get what you wanted or needed. When it shut down it took away all the business for this side of town,” Jefferson Township resident, Linda Smith, told News Center 7.

For more information, you can visit trotwoodcic.org.

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