Investments Power the Dazzling Downtowns of Southwest Ohio

New developments in downtown Dayton and other communities are making these center cities great places to live and work.

By Val Hunt Beerbower on June 22, 2023

Jeff Adkins

In Southwest Ohio, downtowns are the heart of their communities, marrying historic buildings with trendy restaurant, retail and hotel concepts.

Since 2010, when the public-private Greater Downtown Dayton Plan was enacted, nearly $2.2 billion in new development projects have been completed, and there’s another $848 million in project investment in the pipeline, totaling more than $3 billion invested in downtown Dayton.

Downtown Dayton is Booming

In downtown Dayton, hospitality projects are booming. In addition to the $34 million renovation of the Dayton Convention Center that’s already underway, two new hotels are set to open in 2023.

“People want to be part of this ever-growing and evolving downtown community,” says Sandra Gudorf, president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership. “The high occupancy rates coupled with the continued development of new lodging and living options show that demand is great and people are excited to see what downtown is becoming.”

Hilton Hotels’ boutique brand, the Tapestry Collection, will open a 76,000-square-foot Hotel Ardent in the historic Barclay Building. The art deco-inspired space is located in the arts district and will feature Bistecca, an Italian steakhouse, on the first floor. In the city center, phase two of the historic Dayton Arcade’s multimillion-dollar revitalization project will include a 90-room Hilton Garden Inn.

Across town near Day Air Ballpark, the new AC Hotel by Marriott International offers 134 rooms and The Foundry, a rooftop bar, just steps away from where the Dayton Dragons baseball team plays for sellout crowds. This new development area, located in the Water Street District, is part of the $100 million-plus projects from the collaboration between Dublin-based Crawford Hoying Development Partners and Dayton-based Woodard Development.

Hot New Neighborhood

The latest project underway in the smoking-hot Water Street District is the 550,000-square-foot, eight-story Delco building, which was most recently the home of Mendelson’s liquidation center.

“Crawford Hoying purchased this site as part of our ongoing investment in the revitalization of the downtown Dayton area,” says Brent Crawford, principal at Crawford Hoying. “We’re eager to further add vibrancy to the city in developing this project.”

When the project is completed, there will be 160 luxury apartment units, nearly 500 parking spaces, about 80,000 square feet of office space and 18,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space.

In addition to this site, Crawford Hoying has developed (in partnership with Woodard Development) the historic renovation and restoration of Delco Lofts, now home to 133 apartments and Lock 27 Brewing; the Water Street Apartments and Flats, featuring 215 units; the 112-unit Centerfield Flats with key restaurant tenant Local Cantina; and earlier projects, the 90-room Fairfield Inn & Suites and commercial offices in the 312 Patterson Building. The 70-unit Sutton and 124-unit Monument apartment buildings are slated to open in 2023.

Jeff Adkins

Think Big, Work Small

It’s not just big names making headlines in downtown Dayton. Entrepreneurship is booming throughout the metro area. Downtown Dayton sits at the nexus of incubators, accelerators, startup programming and other small business support, most of which are located in a centralized spot at The Hub at the Arcade, powered by PNC Bank. Free and low-cost services at a convenient location are helping burgeoning businesses find their footing in the marketplace.

These efforts are paying off; in 2022, 36 new businesses leased space or opened their doors downtown – 25 of those are first-floor businesses, like restaurants, retail shops, fitness centers, salons and other consumer-based businesses.

Despite the pandemic striking a huge blow to the local economy, it seems the grit of the local business community just can’t be kept down for long.

“These small business owners are our neighbors and are part of our community. Supporting them is essential to keeping our local economy strong and helping downtown thrive,” Gudorf says.

Another crucial element to downtown Dayton’s success is its accessibility. Startup initiatives like Launch Dayton, the Miami Valley Small Business Development Center, the Greater West Dayton Incubator, the Entrepreneurs Center and the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce are turning more attention to creating equitable economic opportunity for minority-owned businesses – and it’s paying dividends.

“More and more Black-owned, woman-owned and minority-owned businesses are finding their opportunity here downtown, but it’s crucial that we do everything we can to support them and help them find success,” Gudorf says.

Great Downtowns Around Southwest Ohio

The Dayton region features several smaller communities that boast charming downtown districts.

In Champaign County, Urbana has a downtown area known as the Monument Square District that features restaurants, cafes, bakeries, pubs, a market, a brewery and coffee bars. Downtown Urbana also has more than 20 stores as well as The Gloria Theatre, Legacy Park and several annual events.

In Clinton County, Wilmington has a historic downtown with locally owned businesses of all kinds. Other attractions include Pocket Park, The Murphy Theater, Wilmington Public Library and a scenic bike/walking trail.

In Darke County, downtown Greenville has a Main Street program that promotes historic preservation and economic development. Signature events include First Fridays, Adopt-a-Box & Planting Day, an annual Farmers Market, Downtown Greenville Mural Project and a Hometown Holiday Horse Parade. There’s even a volunteer Downtown Greenville Clean-Up Crew that gathers every other Wednesday night in May through October to keep the district looking its best.

Meet These Downtown Dwellers

Seeking new experiences and diversity in offerings, more young families are moving to downtown Dayton, where new residential spaces abound, offering perks like walkability, vast entertainment options and access to rich cultural amenities.

Cody Scarberry and his wife, Taylor, were in their 20s when they were shopping for a new home.

“We moved to the Dayton area to attend Wright State University,” Scarberry says. “I had an internship and job offer with a local company that kept us in the area upon graduating. We decided to try living downtown for a couple of years and ended up loving it.”

It wasn’t just the low cost of living that kept these London, Ohio, natives in the region. Scarberry says the city’s walkable amenities make urban living incredibly attractive. Their condo on Second Street is one block from the 2nd Street Market, as well as a new brewery.

“We loved the fact that we had a garage, and the library has a park directly across the street for our dogs,” he says. “We are within walking distances to all of our favorite areas and restaurants.”

When the couple had a baby, they decided to keep their active lifestyle and incorporate their daughter seamlessly into their urban lives.

“We’ve been really surprised how much we’ve adapted to living downtown with a newborn, who’s now a toddler. She loves going on walks and stopping in different shops or grabbing chocolate at a coffee shop,” Scarberry says. “It has been so great living downtown, and it only seems to be getting better as new restaurants, bars and activities are opening up constantly.”

– Staff Writer Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.