The Dayton Daily News through a public records request obtained a May 2024 building site assessment by App Architecture that says the former DP&L “power house” at 118 E. Fourth St. and the vacant Vex night club and Diner on St. Clair property at 101 S. St. Clair St. provide the best opportunity for an “efficient and secured” police facility in downtown.
City records indicate that App Architecture evaluated several other southeast-downtown sites, including the Arby’s fast-food restaurant near the western entrance to the Oregon District; the former Gilly’s jazz club in the Transportation Center parking garage; and vacant property on Stone Street just east of the Dayton Convention Center. The firm’s assessments say these sites had potential issues with parking, meeting building code requirements or space constraints that likely would carry higher construction costs.
The Dayton Daily News also found that Montgomery County Treasurer’s Office recently filed for a tax foreclosure against the power plant property, and the diner/night club property had its tax lien sold.
Some business leaders and community members say a downtown police station at the proposed location is badly needed and will improve safety and perceptions of safety.
Other community members opposed the city’s decision to buy the power plant and night club properties for a new station, saying the asking price is very high and they believe there are more suitable sites downtown that do not belong to “negligent” property owners.
Assessment of sites
Last month, the Dayton City Commission voted 4 to 1 to spend $1.4 million to buy the former night club and power house properties for the purpose of building a new downtown police station. City Commissioner Darryl Fairchild cast the lone dissenting vote. The Dayton Police Department’s current station for the Central Business District is located at 248 Salem Avenue in northwest Dayton. The city also has a police headquarters site at 335 W. Third St. downtown, but that is administrative space, not a police station.
The Dayton Daily News recently obtained a three-page building site assessment that App Architecture sent to Dayton police Major Paul Saunders in May 2024.
The document says that App Architecture conducted an on-site review of properties at Stone Street, between South Jefferson Street and South Patterson Boulevard; the Arby’s restaurant at 160 S. Patterson Blvd., near the rail underpass that leads into the Oregon District; and the former Vex nightclub (Diner on St. Clair) and an adjacent DP&L power plant.
A May 2025 letter this newspaper also obtained indicates that App Architecture also evaluated the former Gilly’s jazz club at 132 S. Jefferson St. and adjacent spaces in the ground floor of the massive Transportation Center parking garage.
App Architecture’s assessment says the Stone Street site that is south of the Transportation Center is narrow (55 feet wide) and a new police station would have to be two stories to meet the police department’s space needs. App Architecture said the police department would have to use parking spaces on the ground level of the existing parking garage, and one potential downside is that a new hotel is on track to be developed on a nearby, city-owned plaza. The assessment says constructing an elevator and staircase would increase project costs by about 9%. The new hotel and the newly renovated Dayton Convention Center plan to rely on the parking garage for guests and visitors.
The assessment document also says a new station on the Arby’s site also would have to be two stories, which would increase project costs. The letter says the site is surrounded by three streets, and some of the police parking spaces would have to be created across St. Clair Street, which could be a safety hazard for officers and potentially could delay response times.
App Architecture‘s May 14, 2025 letter says Gilly’s jazz club and adjacent spaces in the parking garage are not a feasible location for a police station because the transportation center does not comply with Ohio Building Code requirements for police stations. Major Saunders said the building code requires police stations to be able to withstand earthquakes and other natural disasters, and this building isn’t up to code.
Saunders said the night club and power station sites are a “perfect” location for the police facility. He called the project one of the most important and impactful projects he’s ever been a part of.
Saunders said the new station likely will be 6,000 to 8,000 square feet and probably will cost less than $10 million to construct.
City and police officials say the night club and power plant properties are very close to the Oregon District and the area around the RTA bus hub, which has had crime and public safety problems. Some business owners and leaders have asked the city to increase the police presence and the police department’s visibility in the Oregon District and elsewhere downtown.
But some community members said the city owns multiple properties downtown that probably would be just as suitable for a police station. Some people said the city’s purchase agreement rewards a property owner who has significant unpaid taxes.
Commissioner Fairchild, who voted against the city’s purchase agreement, said he wanted more time to evaluate the deal and he asked for more information to justify the price tag.
“This is all about making sure we’re making the right decision,” he said.
Other members of the commission said they felt comfortable approving the agreement. Commissioner Chris Shaw said he worried the city’s purchase offer could be at risk if the city did not act quickly.
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