With the new Third Street Bridge once again connecting downtown to innerwest Dayton, several projects are underway on West Third in Wright Dunbar, most notably a food hall.
But one historic property associated with the Wright Brothers is still languishing in limbo with demolition very much a possibility.
The City of Dayton has released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the development of the Gem City Ice Cream Building, with a deadline of Thursday, February 17 at 3pm.
The Request for Qualifications comes after the city first moved to raze the structure last year but was halted by the Landmarks Commission. The Board of Zoning appeals then overturned that decision which put demolition back on the table.
The building is in the West Third Street Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in the late 1800s with additions through 1928, it is associated with the Wright brothers’ first bicycle shop. The Antrim family, founders of the Gem City Ice Cream company, were also friends of the Wrights.
The RFQ states that the city is looking for developers “to lead the redevelopment of a strategically located 1.1-acre site with along West Third Street into a dynamic mixed-use project that will serve as a focal point for the community.”
Preservation Dayton is advocating for a developer who will save the building, pointing out that the building’s status as a contributing structure to the historic district makes it eligible for historic tax credits.
The local organization has also shared financial breakdowns of rehabilitation vs. new construction and pointed to examples of successfully saved facades elsewhere in Dayton, such as the Miller Building at Salem Ave and Grand.
More information on the RFQ and building history is available on Preservation Dayton’s website.
City RFP is out, they’re going to demo this facility and possibly salvage some historical pieces. Once again, Dayton’s solution is more demolition.