Like nearly all in-person events during the COVID-19 pandemic, the fifth annual Downtown Development Tour hosted by the Downtown Dayton Partnership was forced to pivot for its 2020 iteration.
Instead of a bus tour, the event went virtual. Audience members, primarily real estate professionals, listened to updates provided by partnership and city staff and participated in virtual tours of individual projects with their developers.
Tour “stops” showcased some of the most exciting in-progress developments in the greater downtown area. Additional talks touched on everything from the state of downtown’s largest office towers to the plight of small businesses during the pandemic.
Although COVID has hit downtown hard and led to an incredibly tough year, the overwhelming message was that the area is still seeing incredible progress.
But despite that progress, maintaining a lively and interesting downtown through the pandemic will require additional patronage from the public.
Downtown Dayton Partnership President Sandy Gudorf called small businesses “the lifeblood of our communities” and said that although they are gritty and fighting their way through COVID-19, more challenges lie ahead with the approaching winter months.
“They need you now more than ever,” Gudorf said.
Scott Murphy, Vice President of Economic Development, shared some of the ways the partnership has worked with other organizations to aid downtown businesses since the initial shutdown in the spring.
This included a focus on first-floor businesses, for which $719,000 in grant money, much of that coming from a major gift from CareSource, has been distributed.
The effort also involved the hiring of a restaurant and retail consultant to assist businesses with shifting inventory, carryout, and delivery online. A highly successful gift card bonus program also provided direct investment to downtown businesses.
And although the pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges, the greater downtown area is still continuing to see growth.
Since the launch of the Greater Downtown Plan in 2010, $1.5 billion in investments have been completed with another $420 million in the pipeline.
New businesses are still launching despite the difficult environment and uncertain near future.
“You always see entrepreneurship in tough times,” Murphy said.
From there the virtual tour bus headed off to its main stops, with the first one being the most highly-anticipated redevelopment in Dayton’s history, the Arcade.
Dayton Arcade Construction Progress
Dave Williams, Senior Development Director for Cross Street Partners, gave attendees a close look at the progress of many of the spaces in the huge multiple-building complex.
Some appeared ready to open today with fixtures and furniture in place, while others are still much in progress but coming along fast.
Williams showcased the large spaces that will become Crafted and Cured and The Contemporary (formerly DVAC), which give both businesses much more room to expand their spaces.
According to Williams, the Arcade renovation in the 1980s turned it into a mall, taking away the interaction between the surrounding streets and the Arcade.
The developers intend to put more glass back in, allowing people to see more people while walking by, and overall “connect these great iconic buildings to the street again.”
He also commented on the project’s larger goals, not only to rehab and reopen these particular buildings (itself a monumental task), but also to “rebuild the economic ecosystem around Main Street (and) focus on creating place.”
Williams described the objectives of backfilling surrounding office tours as well as redevelop “The Nine,” a 9-block area in the southwest quadrant of downtown that includes the Grant-Deneau Tower and the Levitt Pavilion.
He also shared that the developers are working closely with Joe Abboud, the owner of Stop N Save grocery right next to the Arcade on Third Street.
Many say that downtown is hindered by its lack of a true grocery store, but Williams suggested that these critics probably haven’t stopped by Stop N Save in a while.
“Joe has upped his game and wants to be part of what’s going on downtown,” Williams said.
He pointed to fresh cut meats and fresh vegetables as two examples of foods you might not expect to buy in the center of downtown Dayton.
The second phase of development focuses on the North Arcade and the developers will try to work with Abboud to give his store better access to the Arcade.
Progress of Other Downtown Downtown Construction
The Arcade was only one of many developments profiled during the tour.
After years of uncertainty and slow progress, the Fire Blocks district of downtown has shifted into high gear. Apartments in the Huffman Block and Elks Buildings have so far surpassed their leasing expectations, and the long-awaited first-floor businesses are starting to open.
Salt Block Biscuit Co is offering up biscuits, sandwiches, and some bodega-style grocery items in a space in the Huffman Building on the north side of Third Street. It will soon be followed by an activity bar and the Jollity restaurant.
The 124 Building on the south side of Third Street is being turned into offices, and a then-unnamed large tenant had recently committed to the building, which turned out to be the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association (GDAHA) and Ascend Innovations, both relocating from Tech Town into larger spaces.
View a then and now of the 124 Building
Fire Blocks developer The Windsor Companies also gave updates on their other downtown projects.
Construction is finally underway at the Graphic Arts Building at 221 S. Ludlow Street, which will contain first-floor retail space and apartments above.
Read about the history of the Graphic Arts Building
Projects at the recently restored Price Stores Building and the Grant-Deneau Tower are taking a longer timeline as their plans have been forced to change due to the pandemic.
As the next stop on the “tour,” Jason Woodard of Woodard Development, which has done major adaptive reuse and new construction in the Water Street district, gave an update on its current endeavors.
At the Manhattan Building on East Third Street next to the recently-redeveloped Avant Garde and Steam Plant, construction has been progressing significantly and its tenants, Mile Two LLC and Battle Sight Technologies, plan to move in in early 2021.
The Monument, a new five-story building across from Riverscape Metropark that will feature 125 apartments, should begin construction late this year.
The AC Marriott Hotel, another new construction project adjacent to the former Mendelson Building, is ready to begin whenever the hotel industry begins to recover.
Finally, Louisville-based Weyland Ventures gave an update on its projects in the “Oregon East” area.
Project manager Mary Kate Lindsey explained that “we like to work at the edge of ‘cool neighborhoods'” and areas that have suffered from urban renewal.
That description fits the burgeoning district to a T, as it sits adjacent to popular East Fifth Street in the Oregon District but was itself largely cleared out during the 1960s with the exception of some historic industrial facilities.
Having already completed a redevelopment of the Wheelhouse Building which includes apartments, the Troll Pub restaurant, and additional commercial spaces, Weyland looks forward to other projects.
The most significant is the Dayton Motor Car Building, an $18 million project that was recently completed and is seeking tenants for three of its six floors. Gosiger, already a major presence in the area, has already taken up two floors.
Read about the history of the Dayton Motor Car Company Building
Weyland’s next project, a new apartment building known as the 503 Building, is expected to be completed in 2022.
In addition to its building projects, Weyland has larger plans for increasing pedestrian-friendly connections between the Oregon District as well as St. Anne’s Hill and Historic Huffman.
This may include a park, trail connections (Weyland is a major supporter of the proposed Flight Line rails-to-trails project) and even a new pedestrian road called Freemont Street.
Questions About Downtown Parking
Audience members participated throughout the virtual tour by entering questions into the chat.
Responding to a question about parking availability for these new developments, Amy Walbridge, Downtown Development Coordinator for the City of Dayton, shared how the city has worked to create a sense of place and a walkable urban environment.
Thus, a trip downtown transcends driving directly to your destination, completing your business, and getting back in your car and leaving, something that is rarely possible in any larger central business district.
“Some people like to be able to see their car from where they’re standing,” she added, “but we’re an urban downtown and I’m proud of that.”
“We have a lot of parking downtown. You can’t see it from every part, but we have it. We’ve created an interesting walk to make your time downtown more special.”
As all of these development projects move forward during an unprecedented time, their completion will surely seem even more special for downtown visitors and residents alike.
Andrew,
Where exactly will the 503 project come up? If it’s on Fourth Street, it might involve a sad demolition in a highly-integrated block. Developers seem to know how to get their way right now without much historical aesthetic oversight, as everyone’s hungry for development – the latest variation of urban renewal. Build first, ask questions later. I just wondered if you knew.
Definitely agree with your point overall, but here the building will be on vacant land near the tracks (NE corner of Wayne and 4th). It did mean the end of the Garden Station space which ruffled some feathers, but fortunately I don’t think it will require any other structures to come down.
My thanks!