Dayton Live preps for $25M in capital improvements

 

Longstanding properties pushing forward Dayton’s arts scene are in desperate need of improvements following decades of deferred maintenance.

 

Dayton Live recently publicly launched its Spotlight on the Future Capital Campaign to raise $25 million for improvements on its properties. Over $10 million has already been raised over the course of the campaign’s soft launch since fall 2023.

 

The organization has an annual economic impact on the Dayton region of $33 million annually, bringing more than 400,000 people to 400 presentations annually.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2024/09/15/dayton-live-capital-campaign-25-million.html

 

Downtown Dayton is ‘on a roll’ in its post-pandemic recovery, on track to hit $3.5B in investments

 

Brighter days have come to downtown Dayton area as post-pandemic recovery and investment continue to prove promising, according to a recent report.

 

The Downtown Dayton Partnership hosted its annual review of progress in the Special Improvement District (SID) on Thursday, Nov. 14, at THE NEON movie theater in Dayton. Property owners, business leaders, community partners and other key stakeholders gathered to hear updates highlighting recent progress.

 

Highlights from the events included an update on vitality and progress across downtown as well as the upcoming SID renewal. A conversation on mixed-use development trends in downtown Dayton shared insights about several large downtown projects and those currently underway.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2024/11/14/downtown-dayton-on-a-roll-post-pandemic.html

 

All eyes on Dayton

2025 NATO conference will ‘introduce the world to Dayton’

 

A global event that gathers leaders from around the world will be held in downtown Dayton next year. In preparation for the momentous occasion, the city —along with local partners — are embarking on a series of improvements and renovations aimed to enhance the downtown area and improve visitor, and resident, experience for years to come.

 

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly's spring session will meet over four days from May 22 to May 26, 2025. U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Dayton) heads the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. He lobbied for the delegates to meet in Dayton on the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.

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The city of Dayton will embark on a six-month journey to redevelop downtown and beautify the area before delegates arrive. The planned improvements will hit most parts of downtown, spanning from minor efforts — such as repainting light poles — to significant developments such as streetscaping.

 

NATO provided $3 million for conference activities such as meals, dignitary dinners and meeting spaces. The city of Dayton is requesting additional state funding for the efforts but have currently put aside $1.5 million dedicated to downtown improvements.

 

Main Street will be a primary focus of the remodeling, with the city of Dayton engaging in numerous landscaping and streetscaping projects to enhance the city’s natural beauty and complement the spring weather. The streetscaping effort will replace features installed in the 1980s, replacing curbs and sidewalks that have been worn down.

 

“Main Street is the only corridor like it in the region,” said Shelley Dickstein, Dayton city manager. “There’s no other Main Street that has the scale and the historic architecture and the character. So how do we better market that and showcase it?”

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Other DDP efforts in the next six months include enhancing the downtown flower program; stringing up NATO-specific banners; beautification enhancements to local hubs such as Courthouse Square; and activating underutilized and vacant storefronts.

 

Several blighted buildings within the downtown region will soon see a facelift to their first-floor interiors, which will host galleries and museums featuring Dayton-made products.

 

Designated facilities have not been released yet, but Meyer shared lobbies of multiple downtown towers and buildings will be transformed into exhibits that have received “national interest from museums and cultural institutions” who will travel to Dayton and share their relics and pieces of history related to the Dayton Peace Accords.

 

And WAY more below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2024/12/06/nato-parliamentary-spring-assembly-dayton-ohio.html

 

Rare occasion of NATO doing anything good haha

Explain to us what the negatives of NATO has been. They have stood with and supported Ukraine against Soviet aggression, pretty much promoted and maintained peace in Europe, and fought against terrorism, just to name a few things.

2 hours ago, vulcana said:

Explain to us what the negatives of NATO has been. They have stood with and supported Ukraine against Soviet aggression, pretty much promoted and maintained peace in Europe, and fought against terrorism, just to name a few things.

Money pit. Massive money pit.

Historic long-abandoned downtown Dayton building may get new life

 

A historic downtown Dayton building that has sat vacant for over a decade is poised for redevelopment pending approvals from the city of Dayton. The project will likely spur new jobs and amenities in the area while providing affordable housing for regional residents.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2025/01/07/centre-city-building-dayton-revitalization.html

 

They better make some actual ***** movement on redeveloping it this time, or I'm going to SCREAM!

Completion at 90%: Dayton Convention Center already pursuing enhancement projects

 

The convention center is set for completion this spring.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2025/01/30/dayton-convention-center-update-2025.html

 

Dayton OKs $1.4M downtown purchase of former diner, club for new police station

A long-vacant corner of downtown may soon get its first tenant in nearly a decade. City leaders recently convened to discuss the purchase of the historic property and its future.

The city of Dayton approved an emergency ordinance at its latest city council meeting for the purchase of property at 101 South St. Clair St. and 118 E. Fourth St. for the purpose of building a new police station.

The $1.4 million purchase represents a "strategic investment in public safety, revitalization and downtown visibility," according to a letter from the Dayton Police Department penned to the city of Dayton.

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2025/05/08/dayton-st-clair-diner-vex-police-station-new.html

Will the station be in the diner?

I wish.

Downtown Dayton gets a diplomatic makeover ahead of NATO conference

A global event gathering leaders from across the world will soon be held in the heart of Dayton. Before Dayton is thrust into the global spotlight, city leaders are nearing completion of major redevelopment efforts in preparation.

...

Over the last six months, the city of Dayton has embarked on a major redevelopment effort in downtown to beautify the area before delegates arrive. City leaders have implemented accelerated capital investments for the NATO assembly which has hit most parts of downtown.

Some of the biggest improvements include streetscaping advances, such as replacing brick pavers which were originally planted in the early 80s with new concrete, curving the sidewalks, and planting new landscaping beds which will be visible all along the Main Street corridor.

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2025/05/09/nato-parliamentary-spring-assembly-dayton-ohio.html

Always happy to see any kind of improvement to downtown Dayton, but it's a shame that it takes a visit from foreign dignitaries for these types of improvements to happen.

On 5/9/2025 at 8:57 AM, anusthemenace said:

Will the station be in the diner?

Donut shop haha

Dayton Convention Center's $45M renovation complete, grand unveiling set

The $45 million renovation and reimagined Dayton Convention Center is complete and ready for its grand unveiling.

Later this month, the Montgomery County Convention Facilities Authority (MCCFA) will host the ribbon cutting ceremony and community open house of the transformed 150,000-square-foot convention center.

The ceremony will begin at 3pm on Friday, June 27 at the Convention Center plaza, located at 22 E. Fifth St. in downtown Dayton. At 4pm, the convention center will open to the public for activities, tours and small bites.

MCCFA Executive Director/CEO Pam Plageman said the revitalized Dayton Convention Center has been designed to serve as a dynamic gathering space for conventions, exhibitions, cultural events and civic celebrations.

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2025/06/04/dayton-convention-center-unveils.html

Downtown Dayton's next chapter: resilience, revitalization and $3.5B in progress

While many downtowns across the nation are grappling with post-pandemic challenges, Dayton stands as an outlier.

New projects and businesses — along with high-visibility events such as the NATO Parliamentary Assembly — are paving the way for the region to establish itself as a premier destination in the Midwest.

In 2024, over $400 million in projects were completed in downtown Dayton, putting the region on track for a projected $3.5 billion in total investment over the next five years. An additional $436 million in projects are currently underway, furthering the area’s transformation.

Amid rising vacancies, lack of affordable housing and suburbanization in other regions, Dayton is experiencing a clear resurgence powered by bold investments, new businesses and key projects led by devoted local developers.

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2025/06/11/the-future-of-downtown-dayton-2025.html

I'm so glad I'm getting to witness the resurgence of downtown Dayton firsthand these past few years after having to suffer through the dark days of the 80s and 90s. I'm also glad to see that the renewed interest in transformative urban projects doesn't end at the borders of downtown as evidenced by all the great things currently going on in the Wright-Dunbar district.