$4M condo project set for district

 

Dayton Business Journal - December 8, 2006

by Yvonne Teems

DBJ Staff Reporter

 

An area developer is launching a $4 million condo project in the Oregon District.

 

Tom Tornatore said he plans to renovate the Chapel Electric Building on Sixth Street into 12 condominiums and penthouses by fall 2007. The Excelsior Condominiums project is located next-door to Jay's Seafood restaurant, in the 20-block neighborhood of rehabilitated, historic homes and within reach of Fifth Street shops, restaurants and bars. The project's success will be a result of its location, said local Realtors.

 

"It's a very established residential community. You have tremendous community pride," said Steve Brown, broker and president of Irongate Inc. Realtors, which works with downtown housing, including the condos at Performance Place on Main Street. "That's one reason why any development in or around the Oregon District has always been successful."

 

More at the DBJ!

www.daytonbusinessjournal.com

From the Dayton Daily News...

 

 

$4 million renovation to yield condos in Oregon District

By Lisa A. Bernard

Staff Writer

 

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

 

DAYTON — A $4 million renovation of an East Sixth Street relic is under way, with promises of delivering swank condominiums to the Oregon Historic District.

 

Midtown Development Corporation has announced plans to transform the Chapel Electric Building, built in 1912, into the Excelsior Condominiums. Development plans include spaces for eight 1,500-square-foot flats and four 2,100-square-foot penthouses, said company president Tom Tornatore.

 

More below:

Get rid of that parking lot and we have a deal.

The rendering makes the bldg look like a suburban office bldg with balconies....but more people is more people and I would be pleased.

The rendering makes the bldg look like a suburban office bldg with balconies....but more people is more people and I would be pleased.

 

If i didn't know better (and i don't) I'd say that the structure is in dayton's suburban office park depot.

I'm not such a fan of the parking lot but I guess it's only 16 spaces. Maybe a nice parking lot close to the one beside Gem City Records will encourage them to clean theirs up.

Oregon District to get more galleries, parking

 

By Terry Morris

Staff Writer

Monday, February 11, 2008

 

DAYTON — A plan to establish an arts district and improve parking in downtown's historic Oregon neighborhood will be announced Tuesday in a new gallery that will be part of the project.

 

Spearheaded by neighborhood resident and former Downtown Dayton Partnership co-chairman Dr. Michael Ervin, the effort is a collaboration between the City of Dayton, the partnership, Oregon District residents and businesses, and Citywide Development Corp.

 

http://www.daytondailynews.com/e/content/oh/story/entertainment/arts/2008/02/11/ddn021108oregonweb.html

Ronnie, thanks for the update! Oregon is unique and needs to maintain its edginess, but it also needs to attract folks who drive cars. I'm looking forward to an arts district that also sports one-of-a-kind retail and local restaurants. This will be big for downtown.

Spearheaded by neighborhood resident and former Downtown Dayton Partnership co-chairman Dr. Michael Ervin, the effort is a collaboration between the City of Dayton, the partnership, Oregon District residents and businesses, and Citywide Development Corp.

 

FYI... Dr. Ervin is who bought the old Southern Belle bar in the Oregon District and turned it into a $1.6 million home.  I know he was very active in Grassroots Greater Dayton and the effort to build a streetcar system in Dayton.  Dayton could use a few more people like him and the Shifflers.

 

I'm glad to hear this new effort for the Oregon District.  Not only is it something that I personally look forward to, but hopefully it will help set the OD apart from the Greene.

Sounds great...the free parking should be quite a selling point (unfortunately).

Spearheaded by neighborhood resident and former Downtown Dayton Partnership co-chairman Dr. Michael Ervin, the effort is a collaboration between the City of Dayton, the partnership, Oregon District residents and businesses, and Citywide Development Corp.

 

FYI... Dr. Ervin is who bought the old Southern Belle bar in the Oregon District and turned it into a $1.6 million home.  I know he was very active in Grassroots Greater Dayton and the effort to build a streetcar system in Dayton.  Dayton could use a few more people like him and the Shifflers.

 

I'm glad to hear this new effort for the Oregon District.  Not only is it something that I personally look forward to, but hopefully it will help set the OD apart from the Greene.

 

Completely agreed.

Mike Ervin & Mike Elsass talked to me about the project this past Sunday (and then gave me a tour)... they wanted MostMetro.com to put the story out first but I had to promise to wait until 10am today to publish it all.  (the DDN was not supposed to publish their story but perhaps they heard we were getting the scoop)

 

I'll add the entire post here when it is official, but I can tell you that some AMAZING things will be happening on 5th Street.  Art galleries are a big part of it but it is much more than that.  Details coming soon...

 

That's great news Billy! Cannot wait to get back from work and read up on it!

Oregon District - Using ART for Economic Development

 

Once known for its seedy bars and seedier people (yes some are still there), the Oregon District has undergone a bit of a transformation over the past few years with places like Pacchia, Thai Nine, Cafe Boulevard, Jay's Seafood and John Henry making this one of the Dayton Region's only classy dining destinations for independent restaurant lovers.  There have also been a few random art galleries to add to the urban experience, but nothing like what is being announced today....

 

At 10am today, community leader Dr. Michael Ervin and Dayton artist Mike Elsass along with the City of Dayton, City Wide Development and the DDP are officially announcing their efforts to transform the Oregon District's 5th Street into a unique and exciting urban arts district. The plan includes a significant subsidy for artists that wish to open galleries in one of several currently-empty spaces along 5th Street - enough so to make it possible for many artists to participate.  You may have already noticed places like Gallery FiveOneNine, 510 Gallery (former Dolcessa space) and Visceral (across the street)... coming in March you'll also have a  chance to see Elsass's own Color of Energy gallery behind Pacchia.  At least 5 additional galleries are already in the works, with potentially many more yet to come.  Dr. Ervin has kick-started this effort with $250k of seed money that will also go towards marketing the new arts district, implementing a design plan for 5th Street (see the PPS paragraph below), hiring an arts director for the district and directly helping the artists that are moving into the spaces.

 

The plan includes more than visual art - one group is looking at bringing a holistic medicine center and yoga studio to the district.  And this plan has sustainability in mind since it requires all artists to submit viable business plans before obtaining help with setting up their galleries.  When it's all said and done, 5th Street will become the DEFACTO arts district of the entire region and may even give Columbus's famous Short North a run for their money.  And as more and more people are attracted to this truly unique district for a taste of truly unique arts and culture (pay attention, Warren County) the district may finally become the interesting and authentic destination it has always striven to be.

 

But wait, there's more!

 

The folks behind this effort have a clear understanding of the challenges that the OD (and all of downtown for that matter) face in terms of attracting more people to visit here.  Parking has always been near the top of those challenges, so the City of Dayton is stepping in and putting some serious money ($850k) into a total transformation of the parking lot behind Jays, Thai Nine and Gem City Records.  The existing lot is to be completely torn out and then expanded (by over 70 spaces) and repaved with better lighting and landscaping.  This lot will be FREE for OD visitors at night, and visitors will no longer be greeted with signs that say "Jay's Parking Only - Violators will be Towed!", etc.  because the entire lot will be available to all.  Yes, I know - we'd rather see a parking garage... but it is a start, people.  And there are additional parking solutions on the drawing board to make the OD even MORE user friendly in the near future.

 

Finally, Project for Public Spaces out of New York has been hired to come in and design some solutions for making 5th Street into a TRUE community place.  Here is part of their mission statement:

 

  Imagine a town square bustling with people who are greeting each other, buying, selling, and exchanging ideas. For everyone striving to make public spaces better, PPS is that town square. Our vision is to act as the central hub of the global Placemaking movement, connecting people to ideas, expertise, and partners who share a passion for creating vital places.

   

 

    Since 1975, we have worked in more than 2,000 communities in 26 countries around the world, helping people turn their public spaces into vital community places, with programs, uses, and people-friendly settings that build local value and serve community needs.

 

Yes, you read that right - 26 COUNTRIES... talk about a world class outfit!  Hmm, sounds straight out of a Cool Town Studios post, doesn't it?  Well I would not be surprised to soon see a post there about the crazy cool ideas being implemented right here in Downtown Dayton/OD District.  All of this is coming from what we at MostMetro.com have been hyping here all along - not the city government or other bureaucratic agency, but a true grassroots effort spearheaded by people who passionately care about this community in which they live in and are a part of.  Kudos to Dr. Ervin and Mike Elsass for having the vision to make this all possible.  In the words of the great BTO (look it up, kiddies) - YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET!!!!

 

From MostMetro.com

 

Sounds good!

Billy, with the new interest in getting UD students downtown, was there any mention about the trolley system that would be connecting the OD and other points downtown?

Now if they could only get rid of the XXX stores downtown and in the OD...

^The streetcar project with an initial line going from UD to the OD/CBD is still very much alive; ironically Mike Ervin is involved in that one as well.  It sounds like a $40million capital investment, but as other cities are proving - streetcar lines are responsible for many times their cost in new economic development.

 

As for the XXX stores - all I can say is that the porn store business isn't what it used to be - now with people buying their "products" online.  Don't be surprised if the OD's porn stores don't last too much longer.  Btw - I've always found it amusing that so many people in this region are so put off by the XXX stores.  Sure, we could stand to lose 4 out of 5 of them... but one would be ok.  It is something else that can't be found at the Greene!  :angel:

Agreed...but I still believe the sex shops shouldn't find a haven in the OD or downtown.  As you quote over at the DaytonMostMetro forum: No urban area will prosper unless it attracts those who can choose to live wherever they wish. - Jonathon Barnett

 

Great news for Oregon regardless, moving on up!

Sweet. I visited the OD for the first time this past weekend. Some friends and I ate at the Cafe Boulevard then hit up club Pearl. It was pretty awesome...sure beats sitting in a hotel room on Wright-Pat all weekend!

Now if they could only get rid of the XXX stores downtown and in the OD...

 

 

Ohhh, I'm sure that's coming :-)

^

I'm sure certain elements in the Dayton community would like to get rid of the gay bars downtown, too.

 

 

When it's all said and done, 5th Street will become the DEFACTO arts district of the entire region and may even give Columbus's famous Short North a run for their money.

 

..and I don't see why not.  Those few blocks of 5th, from the viaduct to Wayne, always seemed to me to be unrealized potential.

 

As I was familiar with places like Bardstown Rd in Louisville and the Short North, I was always puzzled why the Oregon never was "finished", why there was those remants of the skid-row era still on the street (the porno places and second hand stores), why there was those empty storefronts, especially since this wasn't that long of a street, easily walkable and perfect for shopping: either boutiques, galleries, or better antique stores, or all three.

 

Now hopefully the place is being finally given the push to reach it's full potential as a cultural district.

 

And reworking that crazy parking lot behind Gem City..well, its about damn time! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^

I'm sure certain elements in the Dayton community would like to get rid of the gay bars downtown, too.

 

The gay clubs don't bother me. As a matter of fact, I go to Masque occasionally. I am not gay, but I do go with my girlfriend and my best friends because they (the Masque) have about half a million invested in their light show alone and it's one of the best, if not thee best, light shows in Ohio. I'm also a big euro-trance listener, so I like going there for the music. But I do admit, I have seen things there that do not need to be seen and the clubs do need to address this. Other than that, I have no problem with them.

I was driving through Oregon today and I was wondering if maybe the OD would eventually expand around to Wayne Ave on down to Coco's? It would be great to see this stretch get a little attention as well. It would double the size of the main drag and be a good bit of revitalization.

^

...Im seeing an expansion in the opposite direction, as there already is a nightlife presence w. Gillys, Pearl. Hammerjax, Neon, and there is that defunct Elbos.  Up the street, around the corner past Price Bros is Century, which has a young/hipster clientele late. 

 

Here's a concept (for deep pockets)...converting that big old powerstation on 4th betw St Clair and Jefferson into a peformance space/nightclub.

 

And then the ground floor of the St Clair Lofts could be gallery space, too.

 

 

 

I agree that we certainly don't need 5 porn shops within a 4 block radius... my point is that they're there and people shouldn't stay away from downtown or the OD because they are there.  Anybody that refuses to come downtown because there is a porn store here is probably not going to find downtown to their liking anyway.  The porn shops don't bother me half as much as all of the vacant buildings do.

 

As for people wanting the gay bars to go away, well I would tell those people to not come downtown because they are the ones not welcome here.  I live across the street from Aquarius and Masque (yes, I've been to Masque and Ronnie is correct - best sound/light system in the region), and they don't bother me.  I have two neighbors that are gay, and they are some of my favorite people here.  Of course, people that live downtown typically don't have the same prejudices that many other folks from across the region have.  Of all the places I've lived, the Dayton Region (and probably the entire midwest for that matter) has a lot of work to do when it comes to tolerance. 

^

I sometimes pick up on this 'santize downtown' thing with a subtext that gay nightlife is grouped with porn stores, hence I'm a bit leery of where people are coming from on this issue.  I know at least one of those places pitches itself as the 'gay' porn shop, but its more what some straight guy thinks a gay porn shop should be, or maybe that gay = porn. 

 

@@@

 

Masque is representative of where gay dance club nightlife is going as it has more or a mix of gender and orientation, rather than being just for gay males (old school concept)...more for people to dance as much as cruise (particularly that upstairs dance space, which is deep into the dance thing).

 

 

 

 

In any case, this move with the Oregon is really positive. 

 

I particularly like hearing that Project for Public Spaces is invovled. 

 

When I was researching the Arcade this group came up via the work they are doing around public markets as a community building tool.  I think they or one of their staff was involved with the Ashville arcade revival, or they cited this arcade as it involved a public market as a part of the redevelopment plan.

 

So 'Im pretty pumped they are being engaged to work on 5th Street.  This was a very good choice.

 

 

 

a

Here's a link to a map of some of the galleries and the reconfigured free parking: http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/02/12/38170393_ddn021308OregonTP.html

 

I'm new here and haven't figured out how to get pictures into posts yet.  I personally don't have a problem with walking from the big parking lot near Gem City Records down to Wayne Ave. but does anyone know about the parking situation closer to Wayne?

^

If Im going to the Dublin Pub, and theres nothing going on a the Gym Club, I can usually find a spot further down on that access street that runs between Wayne and the Dayton Towers (AKA "M"), roughly parallelling Wayne. 

 

There are times I've parked off by the railroad on Wayne and walked down to the Oregon or DubPub, behind that old factory building thats' some sort of supply company now (its painted white).

 

 

In addition to the GLBT and other issues being discussed, let's not forget the transit project that I believe connects all these things together. A trolley system connecting the UD/Brown St. neighborhood with the OD via Wayne Avenue would bring those who appreciate the creative forces of our town into the urban core. Is RTA partnering with the new Arts District, Webster Station, DDP, et al, to make this happen?

trolley

 

Better watch that word. Maximilian will get ya! :-D

I have not heard anything about RTA partnering on this. Maybe they will pick up on this and utilize it in their best interest...

^so the proposed trolley system would connect UD/Brown to OD via Wayne?  Does anyone know the proposed route?

 

This link (http://docs.mvrpc.org/dahc/Dayton_Streetcar_1.pdf) specifically addresses the (now defunct?) idea of connecting all the National Aviation Heritage sites first with a "south loop" that would place a streetcar system down Brown St., not Wayne.

 

I support streetcars 100% but they must be done correctly so as not to sour potential.  A route down Wayne Ave. would NOT connect UD to OD, UD students just wouldn't use it.

 

Does anyone know the specifics of the plan as it pertains to UD/OD?

I'm pretty sure the streetcar route is proposed along Brown St. I think there is a little confusion going on here.

Here's a PDF on MVRPC.org that shows proposed routes apparently dating up to 10/2007. I would imagine these would be fairly close. There is one proposal (phase 2) near the bottom apparently linking Carrilon, MVH and UD along Brown, Jefferson, Stewart and Warren Streets.

 

http://docs.mvrpc.org/dahc/DACTS_Revised_091506.pdf

Might as well put all what's happening in the Oregon District in here.

I take it this never happened?

 

 

***Edit: I was referring to the 4 million condo project that was to happen in the Oregon District.***

I don't believe any article has laid out the proposed streetcar route. See Dayton OS in December 2007 http://daytonos.com/?p=643. All it says is RTA would connect UD/Brown and MVH with the OD and downtown points beyond. One logical route would be Brown to Warren to Patterson Blvd to Fifth and the OD to Wayne to Third to Webster to Monument. But I think a better route might be Brown to Wyoming to Wayne to Fifth to Jefferson to Monument. That would better service South Park and open up Wayne Avenue which is a really cool streetscape waiting to be developed. Just a thought.  :drunk:

Four new business are going to open in Dayton's Oregon Arts District.

 

http://www.daytondailynews.com/business/four-new-businesses-preparing-to-open-in-oregon-district-1374239.html

 

These, along with the recently opened Dayton Cyclery on Wayne Avenue shows that there seems to be some momemtum in that area.

$3M downtown condo project ahead

 

 

A new downtown housing project will bring 18 loft condominiums to the Oregon District by this spring.

 

The Greater Dayton Construction Group is developing the Sixth Street Lofts in partnership with the city of Dayton and CityWide Development Corp. The project, located at 207 E. Sixth St., will convert the historic Excelsior Laundry building — built in 1915 — into lofts ranging from 925 square feet to 1,800 square feet.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/print-edition/2012/10/05/3m-downtown-condo-project-ahead.html

Awesome.  I checked out Dayton last year for a job and the Oregon District impressed me.  Nice to see new residential going in, although I kinda wish it were rentals.

.

.

Sixth Street Lofts project in Oregon District

 

 

The Sixth Street Lofts in the Oregon District has already welcomed its first resident, with three more scheduled to move in during September.

 

The project, which converted a vacant old industrial building into upscale urban living spaces, is one of many projects underway to provide more residential options in Dayton’s core business district.

 

More below with slideshow:

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2013/09/03/photos-sixth-street-lofts-project-in.html

Dayton historic building gets tax credits for $7.9M redevelopment

 

A $7.9 million proposal to convert a vacant building on Wayne Avenue into a mixed-use building has received tax credits to move forward.

...................

ink[/member], who oversees the tax credits program for the state, said the re-use comes as the space could bridge the gap between the growing Oregon District and new developments to the north, like Water Street, Fifth Third Field and Tech Town.

 

"There's a lot of activity going on in Oregon District and Webster Station, and this building would help bridge the gap between them," he said.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2014/12/18/dayton-historic-building-gets-tax-credits-for-7-9m.html?page=all

$9M Downtown Dayton development moves forward

 

 

A $9 million downtown redevelopment has advanced to the point that it could begin construction as soon as next month.

 

The developers behind the plan to convert the Weustoff and Getz building at 210 Wayne Ave. expect to close on the financing for the project at the end of February, and are beginning to seek construction and contractor services for the building, according to records obtained by the Dayton Business Journal.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2016/02/05/exclusive-9m-downtown-dayton-development-moves.html

Dayton to sell Oregon District building, 40 residences planned

 

 

City of Dayton will vote Wednesday to sell buildings to a Louisville developer who plans to redevelop 40 apartments near the Oregon District.

 

City Commission will vote to sell the Weustoff and Getz building at 210 Wayne Ave., as well as the vacant commercial building at 15 McDunough St. to Louisville-based City Properties Group, through its Oregon Innovation District LLC. Each building will be sold for $10 dollars.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2016/03/21/dayton-to-sell-oregon-district-building-40.html