Dayton has seen a surge in redevelopment projects in recent years, but a few that were announced with much fanfare haven’t been able to get off the ground years later. This What’s Going On With series will chronicle those first announcements as well as later updates in order to paint a more complete picture of their status, like we did with the Dayton Arcade a few months ago. (To be clear, this series is not meant to call out the developers who invest their time and money in Dayton which we greatly appreciative. Instead, it aims to be fair to the people of Dayton by following up on the original pronouncements and being realistic about the likelihood these projects will happen anytime soon.)
The Balsley Building is an iconic Victorian structure and a major symbol of the Oregon District as one enters from the west. The building was constructed circa 1878 and was the carpentry shop of John Balsley, the inventor of the stepladder. The upper floors were lodge halls and although today the Oregon is notable for its bars, back then the Murphy Movement, a temperance organization, held meetings in the space which they called “Murphy Hall.” Another notable feature of the building is a roller skating rink on the third floor that survives to this day. Some have speculated that the top floor may have been used as an illegal speakeasy or gambling establishment during the prohibition years. The Balsley Building has been vacant for decades.
In October 2012, the building was sold to Clive and Geeta Wilson for $200,000, and at that time the president of the Oregon Historic District Society said the sale “is huge for the neighborhood” and that “people are just giddy with excitement.”
The new buyers took a few years to get started, but in May 2015, the Dayton Business Journal reported that the couple was planning to open several businesses in the space, starting with a bakery. At that time, they were said to have “poured hours of work and hundreds of thousands of dollars into cleaning up” the building, and that they hoped to open the bakery by the end of 2015. Other businesses planned included “a gift business, eco-friendly products, and a restaurant specializing in cuisine that will be new to the area.” Around then, the couple received offers from local businesspeople to build a penthouse on the third floor but they turned them down because “we don’t want it to be only enjoyed by only one person. It’s all about the community. We want to honor the past and ignite the future.”
Despite the enthusiasm, progress soon stalled. In March 2017, the couple bought a new building, the Postal Family Credit Union building at 803 E. Fifth St, and at that time it was reported that the Balsley project had been put on the back-burner because the couple were now renovating a house (interestingly, the John Balsley mansion directly behind the commercial building) instead. They said the Balsley Building redevelopment is “an expensive undertaking” because they’re self-funded. By that point they would also have to resubmit plans to the city. The Wilsons hoped to resume the project by the end of 2017, but as of April 2018 no visible progress has been made.
This current effort is not the first redevelopment proposal for the iconic but long vacant building. In 2009, Michael Martin, then president of the Oregon District Business Association, envisioned “an incubator for struggling artists there, where they could work and exhibit” but that never made much progress.
Long before that in 1992, developer Ross Sussman hoped to open a nightclub in the space, but that would have required a transfer of a liquor license or the issuing of a new one, which has long been opposed by many in the neighborhood.
Hopefully progress can resume soon and a fully-restored Balsley Building will welcome passersby to the Oregon District.
Image via @jonwhite17
Sources
Oregon District building holds history, promise – Couple undertake $1 million rehab of structure. Dayton Daily News, June 2, 2015
Historic Oregon District building sold. https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/historic-oregon-district-building-sold/SvOS4KOYP0a5xr1wgLvidJ/
See inside the Oregon District’s historic Balsley Building in mid-transformation. https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2015/05/27/see-inside-the-oregon-districts-historic-balsley.html
Exclusive: Dayton family to open bakery in historic downtown building. https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2015/05/27/exclusive-dayton-family-to-open-bakery-in-historic.html
Company buys second Oregon District property – Dayton owner of Be Nice LTD researching uses, but not telling yet. Dayton Daily News, March 20, 2017
Oregon District businesses say arts initiative working – Most storefronts are occupied and investment continues despite recession. Dayton Daily News, March 6, 2009
Obstacles Remain for Oregon Complex. Dayton Daily News, May 19, 1992
Oregon, Oregon Historic District Society, Inc. 1978
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