Dayton, Ohio – In a key step meant to revive Dayton’s urban scene, the Montgomery County Land Bank is scheduled to purchase and get prepared the historic Centre City Building for a big renovation project. Approved on January 8 by the City Commission, the Land Bank will start pre-development work required to give this famous building new life.
Rising at the crossroads of Fourth and Main Streets in downtown Dayton, the Centre City Building is evidence of the architectural legacy of the city. Constructed in 1904, originally as the United Brethren Publishing Building, this 254,000-square-foot complex was Dayton’s first skyscraper and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. Following decades of use followed by years of emptiness, the structure is ready for a radical rehabilitation.
A $4 million funding agreement with the City of Dayton development fund supports the project, which will pay for both necessary remediation services and acquisition expenses. The building’s age and the length of time it has been vacant demand for mandatory maintenance including property inspections, asbestos studies, and other remedial actions to guarantee its integrity and safety.
The repair of the facility will be supported by another $2 million from the Dayton Recovery Plan, a component of the city’s approach to make use of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. These funds are set aside for “soft costs”—that is, architectural and engineering services—related to the redevelopment. They will also help to gather the tools and supplies required to once again make the building livable.
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The Centre City Building is strategically located among important downtown sites including the Levitt Pavilion Dayton, the Dayton Convention Center, and the newly renovated Dayton Arcade. This close proximity to important sites highlights the building’s ability to significantly improve the core of Dayton’s economic activity and energy.
“Restoration of the Centre City Building will reclaim its importance, catalyze investment, and contribute to the ongoing transformation of Dayton’s urban core,” said City Manager Shelley Dickstein. “We are happy to move ahead with the Land Bank partnership in anticipation of some very exciting future possibilities for this special property.”
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More than 200 homes will be part of a $110 million mixed-use project envisioned by the redevelopment plan. Apart from restoring the architectural magnificence, this project seeks to meet the rising need for residential areas in the city core. Following many ownership changes and a ten-year period of neglect that left the building in need of thorough repairs and stabilization, the project promises to be a pillar in the larger attempts to rebuild downtown Dayton.
The Centre City Building is poised to change from a symbol of previous success to a lighthouse of future possibility as the Land Bank and municipal authorities advance with their plans, ushering in a new era for Dayton’s downtown district.
