Op-Ed | Investing in the core is an investment in the region

VIEW ARTICLE AS FEATURED IN THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS

August 29, 2026 – Downtown Dayton is not simply a collection of buildings. It is the economic heart of our 14-county region. When our core is strong, our entire region is stronger. Businesses have a reason to locate here. Workers have a reason to stay. Visitors have a reason to come. And developers have a reason to put their capital to work. Right now, that is exactly what is happening.

More than $700 million in recent developments and announcements is transforming downtown Dayton and its surrounding urban core. These investments are not theoretical. They are cranes in the air, construction workers on the job, new businesses opening their doors and developers putting significant amounts of private capital behind their belief in Dayton, which includes over $100 million in new hotel space, over $200 million in mixed use space, over $250 million in new housing and $70 million in office space.

That is almost ¾ of a billion dollars betting on the core of our region. Investors are not making that bet because they have been told to be optimistic. They are making it because they see an opportunity. At a time when cities across the country are confronting the challenges facing traditional urban cores, Dayton has a choice. We can talk about national trends and wait for someone else to solve our problems, or we can take action. We are choosing to act and so are investors. The $700 million in investment is a powerful statement of confidence in the region. But it is also a challenge to all of us to keep going.

We cannot afford to treat successful projects as isolated wins. We need to use them as a platform for the next $700 million, and the $700 million after that. That means making it easier to invest. It means identifying and eliminating unnecessary policy barriers. It means creating incentives that make difficult projects financially viable. It means having government, business and economic development organizations at the table together, solving problems instead of passing them around. Most importantly, it means making sure developers know that when they invest in Dayton, Dayton will invest in them. That is what successful economic development looks like. 

The City of Dayton’s recent establishment of a citywide New Community Authority (NCA) is another tool to help make that happen. It gives businesses a direct voice in identifying and supporting the capital investments that matter most to them and support their financial investments. That is the kind of proactive partnership that drives more investment.

But we shouldn’t stop there. Next, we should be asking what other barriers are standing in the way of investment and then removing them. Downtown Dayton and the surrounding areas has something special: momentum. Momentum creates confidence. Confidence attracts capital. Capital creates jobs. And those successes create more momentum.

For developers that aren’t familiar with Dayton and our region, my message is simple: You are missing out. You will find a core and a region that understands that economic development is not about waiting for the perfect project. It is about creating the conditions for investment and then working relentlessly to make that investment succeed. You will find public and private partners willing to roll up their sleeves and solve problems. What’s happening in downtown Dayton is not yesterday’s opportunity. It is happening right now.

Chris Kershner
President & CEO
Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce