West Third Street is seeing a surge in new commercial investment in the Wright Dunbar neighborhood near downtown, but there hasn’t been as much activity on the blocks west of Broadway.
But now at West Third and James H. McGee Boulevard, a husband and wife team is breathing new life into a building built in the 1920s where they plan to open a new bar and lounge.
Demeeckus and Johnna Dorsey have been working on a “complete remodel” of the structure and have already given it a new roof. They expect to open Big Motion Lounge, “a softer, laid-back vibe where people can relax after work” in the summer.
History of the Bowers Building
The building was completed in 1927 after some delays in construction. It was built to be the new home of The City Trust & Savings Bank which relocated from its old home across the street at 1719 W. Third St.
The “new and modern brick building … of an attractive architectural effect” was “especially equipped for the purposes of banking.” It gave the bank the additional space it needed, and the row of three storerooms next to it were leased to other businesses.
It was a local branch bank, as noted in an opening announcement: “This is a West Dayton bank, operated for West Dayton people.”
Of those neighbors, the article said that “THEY are known here–their NEEDS are known, and as a result, they get the kind of personal service they like.”
It also noted the convenience of the bank being “close to the business center of the West Side and you do not have to take the time and trouble to go downtown.”
This was one of six “City” bank branches, with its headquarters “Under the Clock” at Third and Main downtown in the Callahan Building, long since demolished but with the clock surviving atop a tower at Carillon Park.
A wide range of other tenants occupied the Bowers Building in the mid to late 1900s, including a flower shop, meat market, bank, and drug store as well as offices for children’s services, social security agencies, mortgage and insurance companies, and a law firm.
Evolution of a West Side Corner
One thing that jumps out when looking at the building today is the unusual orientation in relation to the street and the odd sized lot next to it.
This is due to the path of James H McGee Blvd, which was created in 1988 as a widening of the old Western Ave visible in this 1950 map:
Here is a view of the building built out to the old Western Ave around its construction:
It’s also interesting to see how the corner evolved prior to the 1920s.
In this 1918 map, you can see a 2 story building operating as a saloon at the corner with homes next to it. A decade later, they had been replaced by the current building.
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