A residential development in the South Park neighborhood that has already added apartment buildings to a busy corridor is now on its third phase which consists of smaller townhome units. The first phases of the Flats at South Park added two large apartment buildings on … [Read more...] about New Townhomes for Flats at South Park and Martin Sheen in Dayton
What’s Happening at the Dayton Fairgrounds and Nearby Housing, Office, and Commercial Projects
I recently released a new Dayton Vistas podcast episode and video focused on several major projects taking shape near the urban core, along with some of the history that helps explain why these areas matter today. This episode covers new housing, office, and commercial … [Read more...] about What’s Happening at the Dayton Fairgrounds and Nearby Housing, Office, and Commercial Projects
West Side Chevy Building: Will San Marco Adaptive Reuse Move Forward?
The potential redevelopment of the site around the former Zion Baptist Church has the potential to significantly enhance the gateway to the Wright-Dunbar neighborhood, a key connection between downtown and West Dayton. But there's another site in between that corner and … [Read more...] about West Side Chevy Building: Will San Marco Adaptive Reuse Move Forward?
$6M Cornerstone Project Advances on West Third Street in Wright-Dunbar
The commercial district on West Third Street in Wright-Dunbar has welcomed a number of new businesses in recent years. The West Social Tap & Table food hall which opened in 2022 at the corner of West Third and Williams has been the biggest. But another large project … [Read more...] about $6M Cornerstone Project Advances on West Third Street in Wright-Dunbar
The Eagles Building: A Historic Fraternal Hall That Survived South Main’s Transformation
South Main Street beyond Dayton's Central Business District has lost a huge percentage of its historic urban fabric over time. A large portion was removed for the construction of US-35 in the 1960s, and I've covered buildings that held on longer but ultimately were razed, … [Read more...] about The Eagles Building: A Historic Fraternal Hall That Survived South Main’s Transformation
Historic Church Redevelopment Could Shape Wright-Dunbar’s Future
I've been covering the ongoing redevelopment in and around the Wright-Dunbar neighborhood, located just across the Third Street Peace Bridge, a $17 million project that opened in late 2021. There is a 17-foot wide multi-use trail on the bridge, but right across it at the … [Read more...] about Historic Church Redevelopment Could Shape Wright-Dunbar’s Future
Dayton Fairgrounds Redevelopment: The Historic Roundhouse and the OnMain Development
Redevelopment of the former Montgomery County Fairgrounds has slowly shifted from planning and fundraising toward visible construction. The 38-acre site along South Main Street is now being developed as onMain, a long-term partnership between the University of Dayton and … [Read more...] about Dayton Fairgrounds Redevelopment: The Historic Roundhouse and the OnMain Development
New Retail Shops Now Open in the Dayton Arcade’s North Arcade
Last Friday I attended the reveal of the new retail spaces inside the Dayton Arcade’s restored North Arcade. It was striking to see such a large crowd gathered inside a landmark that sat vacant for decades. I have been covering the Arcade’s story for years, from … [Read more...] about New Retail Shops Now Open in the Dayton Arcade’s North Arcade
Three Historic Buildings Lost in Dayton in 2025
Several notable buildings disappeared from Dayton’s landscape in 2025. In Episode 2 of the Dayton Vistas Podcast, I cover three structures that are different in almost every way, but each represents a piece of how Dayton grew and changed over time. They weren't … [Read more...] about Three Historic Buildings Lost in Dayton in 2025
The Santa Clara Business District: History, Preservation, and Recent Fire
The Santa Clara Business District is one of the most intact early neighborhood commercial strips left in Dayton, but has suffered through decades of disinvestment and faces an uncertain future. This article pulls together its early history as well as more recent … [Read more...] about The Santa Clara Business District: History, Preservation, and Recent Fire