Background

History

Monroe, Ohio was established in 1817 in the Great Miami River Valley. Up until the early 1900s, Monroe had a population of about 300, two general stores, a handful of churches, a few equipment manufacturing facilities, and residential dwellings . As automobiles became increasingly popular, Cincinnati-Dayton Road became the primary route between Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, and sparked Monroe’s downtown.

In 1969, Monroe was hit by a tornado which went through the downtown damaging many structures that had been around for generations. Some buildings were rebuilt, but the downtown never returned to its original state. Today, the downtown is home to City Hall, the fire station, housing, and limited retail and restaurant options.

Lemon Monroe High School, which was built in 1925, went through many renovations and expansions before being demolished in 2016. A new elementary and high school, Monroe Elementary & Monroe Junior Senior High School, was constructed off Yankee Road to accommodate for the growing student population. Lemon Monroe High School was located west of the downtown, near City Hall. Monroe Primary School is also near the downtown on Macready Avenue. The former site of Lemon Monroe High School is vacant, and the school district has been exploring options for future use. The School Board may use the land for a future expansion project as they address the district’s future enrollment growth and upgrade their current facilities. This land may also be used for part of a future downtown expansion plan to increase access to school facilities for the public.

All historical photos shown have been obtained from the Monroe, Ohio Historical Society Facebook page.

East side of former Pike Street, present-day Main Street, where the Monroe National Bank was originally built before relocating in 1910

Old map of the downtown that identifies building location and property owner Monroe Methodist Church pictured in the distance surrounded by homes

Group of men standing outside the local shops

Study Area and Surrounding Context

The City of Monroe, Ohio is located in the Miami River Valley between the Great Miami River and Interstate 75, halfway between Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. Originally, Monroe was located entirely within Butler County, but eventually expanded into Warren County. The City also crosses multiple townships including Lemon, Liberty, and Turtlecreek. The City has three major thoroughfares which connect it to the rest of the region, Interstate 75 to the east, Hamilton-Middletown Road (State Route 4) to the west, and State Route 63 which bisects the community and is the main east-west corridor. Since Monroe is located between two major metropolitan regions, it creates a unique opportunity for development which services both cities.

Monroe is a diverse community but with little mixing of uses. To the east, around the I-75 interchange, are found auto-oriented commercial shopping opportunities and a number of industrial uses. There is also a centrally locationed node of industrial development down State Route 63 along Salzman Road, a north-south corridor. Just west of I-75 is the downtown along the historic main street, Cincinnati-Dayton Road. The remainder of the City is primarily residential development with some commercial development located on major roadways.

Monroe is known for its industry warehousing, but still manages to keep the “small-town” feel for residents and visitors. Monroe is primarily a single-family residential community, known as a bedroom community, with access to multiple highways and nearby metro areas. Commercial development near the I-75 interchange serves Monroe residents and visitors with fast food options, gas stations, and access to the outlet mall, which serves the greater region between Cincinnati and Dayton. Cincinnati Premium Outlets and development east of the interchange, along State Road 63, is where most of the commercial development, such as retail shopping and restaurant options, are located.

BASE MAP