| It’s Tuesday, which means we’re here to talk business. And there’s a lot to talk about. If you’re buying a home, you should start factoring in the cost of your agent’s commission. That’s one upshot of historic new rules from the National Assocation of Realtors that recently went into effect. Old habits die hard. Before, home sellers covered the commission of a buyer’s agent when they listed a home. Now, it’s up to what the buyer and seller can negotiate. If they can’t come to terms, the buyer is responsible for paying her or his agent. New rules for buying, selling homes take effect Saturday after lawsuits Reporter Eric Schwartzberg recently talked with a few Realtors about the new landscape. Some quotes: “If an agent will not present a readable contract that is consumer-centric, a consumer should look for another agent,” said Stephen Brobeck, a senior fellow with Consumer Federation of America. On the buyer’s side “it’s clarifying that the buyer’s agent provides services to the buyer ... and they advocate on behalf of the buyer,” said Ali Whitley, president of Ohio Realtors. Read the story. With $95M investment on the table, Dayton named 2nd Ohio ‘Innovation Hub’ What advocates have called the “OnMain” development plan for the former Montgomery County Fairgrounds has been a mystery wrapped in an enigma nestled in a puzzle for some time. However: It’s amazing how a proposed $95 million investment can bring a plan into focus. The plan: “We’re looking at a roughly 120,000-square-foot facility, five floors, a couple of those floors would have secret SCIF (sensitive compartmented information facility) capability spaces,” Brian Heitkamp, CEO of OnMain, said Monday. “That’s a fairly large building with a fairly large chunk of secure space in it.” The investment: $35 million from the Ohio Innovation Hubs program, $23 million from local governments and a hoped-for private-sector investment of up to $37 million, advocates (including Gov. Mike DeWine) said Monday. The story. Reaction to Wittenberg cuts mixed: Faculty frustrated, leaders look to long term Credit: Bill Lackey The Census Bureau counted 1.1 million fewer people under the age of 18 in the 2020 census than it did in 2010′s tally. That impacts colleges in a big way. The University of Dayton says it’s preparing for smaller student bodies. And Wittenberg University in Springfield is making workforce cuts. Quote: “The devil is in the details, which we do not yet know. No faculty, not even the provost, who is the chief academic officer, were allowed in the room where this plan was crafted,” said Lori Askeland, American Association of University Professors advocacy chapter president at Wittenberg. Read the story. Dayton’s Kettering Field athletic complex to get $15M makeover The situation: Dayton will soon work on the first phase of a $15 million effort to revitalize, upgrade and expand Kettering Field, which officials hope will become a top-notch sports complex and a regional draw. This historic site used to be McCook Field, very much the precursor to today’s massive Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The potential: Now an athletic complex, the city hopes to build new athletic fields, synthetic turf surfaces, pickleball and tennis courts, new lighting, seating and parking. Read the story. Trotwood responds to lawsuit spurred by council rejection of apartment plans The city of Trotwood is having its say in court to appeals from Oberer Companies, St. Mary Development Corp., and Pivotal Housing Partners after Trotwood City Council voted down three separate housing plans submitted by the companies. The crux: The city asserts it acted “reasonably, lawfully, and in good faith,” and that it was not responsible for any harm sustained to Oberer, St. Mary Development, or Pivotal. The city is asking the court dismiss the complaint, while the developers want the court to render the applications approved, or for the April council decision to be overturned. Read the story. Contact Me: Thank you for reading this newsletter, wherever you are. You can reach me at tom.gnau@coxinc.com. Direct messages are always on at Xwitter. And I hang out sometimes on Facebook here and here. Quick hits The original Cheez-It factory: Got its start in Dayton. The original daytime talk show host: Got his start in Dayton. More convenience stores? This sounds like a brand new idea. ‘A cloud of flour and know-how:’ Celebrating Middletown’s Central Pastry. The Flyers’ season: Comes into focus? | 