DAYTON — Imagine trying to run a successful family-owned retail business with limited foot traffic and a huge empty parking lot across the street.
It’s not an easy job.
Xenia residents are looking forward to new opportunities in the heart of downtown. The inauguration of the Xenia Market District has community members excited about new economic momentum.
“It was the original store or one of the original stores. We went to five places around town,” said Dawn Rader, manager and gemologist at Tiffany Jewelry Inc., as she flipped through the family business’s photo album.
Tom Swigart is the fifth generation jewelry store owner on West Main Street.
It has been a staple of Xenia for 175 years.
Swigart and Rader saw the city change.
Swigart was 12 years old when the massive F-5 tornado devastated downtown.
“Being in Xenia has been great. It’s just a sad situation after the tornado and we lost our downtown. Xenia was a great place to come. Everyone came to Xenia for shopping. We had anything and everything here,” he said.
Business is good, but they have had to evolve with the times by expanding the store and adding dining options.
“We haven’t used the front door for several years now. We actually keep it locked now,” Rader said.
In front, there is not much to see or do, just a large empty lot.
“Most of our customers come through the back door. We don’t have that kind of thing downtown anymore, walking on the sidewalk, window shopping, anything like that,” Swigart said.
That’s why they, like many others, are excited.
After a year of gathering public input and developing a master plan, the Xenia Market District is on its way.
Vibrant townhouses, a new hotel, retail, restaurants and community spaces will replace the former Xenia Towne Square.
Lead developer Dillin Corp is expected to invest more than $140 million.
“This public piece will last a little less than a year. The first buildings should begin near the end of this period,” said Larry Dillin, president and CEO.
“The buildings across the street, down the street, we all have to succeed. This tornado did not affect a single person,” said Sarah Mays, mayor of the town of Xenia.
The new opportunities are exciting and companies like Tiffany Jewelers hope to benefit from this investment.
“We have a lot of women who come just to spend a day shopping, having lunch and coming downtown. So it would be great if we could offer them restaurants and things like that,” Rader said.
“So I’m hoping that the design and what they’re doing there with the retail space will be a good thing,” Swigart said.
Dillin Corp estimates that overall development will take approximately five years.
The plan also provides more than $11 million for public infrastructure improvements, including the creation and expansion of new streets and the construction of a grand entrance.
So far, developers have already invested more than $3 million in renovations for the project.
They should start in the coming weeks.