The historic Wright Company Factory site in West Dayton was severely damaged by fire back in March. Now, Republican U.S. Representative Mike Turner has proposed $4 million be dedicated to restore the buildings through a House Appropriations Committee bill.
The west-facing facade of the buildings are still standing, through the roof of hangars one and two, where hundreds of early planes were constructed by Orville and Wilbur Wright, collapsed.
The city is still investigating how the fire started. Dayton Mayor Jeff Mims said it's suspected to be arson since the building was not connected to utilities.
The city bought the 54-acre property five years ago for $1 million. The following year, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The proposed $4 million — which is part of the appropriations package for Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development — would be in addition to an already secured $5.9 million from other sources for the restoration.
“We have been working collaboratively, as a community, to try and restore these buildings to make them part of our fabric again in telling our story of our history with flight,” Turner said. “I have been working with the House Appropriations Committee, and we have received their support for $4 million that will go to the overall costs of renovating this facility.”
Part of the funding will go toward planning, roads, utilities and the stabilization of the buildings, according to Mackenzie Wittmer, the executive director of the National Aviation Heritage Area — a local nonprofit organization.
Though, she said the exact future of the site is still not clear. She said the city is still waiting on a structural analysis report of the buildings.
“The fire was a significant loss. There is damage, and the extent of that damage is still unknown. It would be premature to talk about restoration or reconstruction.” Wittmer said.
The bill still has a long way to go, it needs to pass the House, the Senate, and be signed by the president.
Alejandro Figueroa is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
