By Tristan Navera from Dayton Business Journal

A downtown Dayton housing development under construction is getting a reconfiguration.

Monument Walk, the $7.1 million townhome project at Monument and Ludlow streets, is being changed to reduce the number of townhomes in favor of more green space between the four buildings.

City plan board approved the change Tuesday night. Monument Walk is being reduced from 18 lots to 17 lots, as the space between the three buildings along Monument Avenue is increased from nine feet to 20 feet. The four-story buildings are being developed by Charles Simms Development as one of several new hosuing developments in the works downtown.

Charlie Simms has already sold several of the townhomes, which are the highest-end of the three projects he is developing downtown. The condos range from 3,200 to 3,500 square feet with elevators and garages, marketing for $400,000 to $500,000.

"It's an added bonus for open space there, though they're reducing one unit," said Abigail Free, city planner.

Simms also is finishing up $4.5 million Brownstones on Second, as well as the new City View development along Patterson Boulevard.

The plan board also combined several city lots into one around the Dayton Daily News building at Fourth and Ludlow streets and moved the building itself into a separate lot — an administrative move made to make it easier to develop the property. The city is buying the vacant lot with an intent to market to developers for new housing, but current owner Steve Rauch Inc. is keeping the building itself for potential other uses.