Project Overview
The Dayton Arcade project is a $40M renovation and adaptive reuse project that will revive six historic buildings built between 1902 and 1935. It is the first phase of a plan to transform an entire block in the heart of downtown Dayton. The complex of 322,000 square feet will be a vibrant center for new downtown housing, street front retail, a city-wide artist hub, a grand meeting space and an entrepreneur center for the University of Dayton. The project is a historic tax credit and low-income tax credit project.
Historic Overview
Upon its original opening in 1904, the Arcade had the latest innovations and was well-known as downtown Dayton's premier location for supermarket shopping. The glass-domed rotunda that connects the five historic buildings contains 468 glass pieces.
In 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Dayton council for Defence required the rotunda to be painted black in anticipation of potential air raids.
In 1975, the Arcade was put on the national register of historical places and new plans for renovation began. It reopened as the Arcade Square in 1980 as a retail shopping and food center.
In 1991, the Arcade officially closed to the public and briefly reopened in 1992 and 1993 for holiday events; though it was not enough to keep the Arcade profitable and remained closed to public. Since then, the Arcade has sat vacant.
Future Plans
The fully restored rotunda building's grand center atrium will be the venue for major events and will also serve as the visual focal point of The Entrepreneur Center, which will be a LEED Certified project. A new atrium is being created between the McCrory and Rotunda buildings that will be the functional hub for the center.
Synergies will be created with the new life brought into the complex with residents, artists, restaurateurs, and entrepreneurs. This historic block has great potential to positively change the character of this part of downtown Dayton.
You can learn more about the progression of the Dayton Arcade at their website here.
Best,
The Sandvick Team