Developers broke ground on the first commercial building at the old Montgomery County Fairgrounds Friday morning, nearly 10 years after the project was announced and extensive site infrastructure work was done.
The 38-acre site is now known as the onMain Innovation District. The project is a partnership of the University of Dayton and Premier Health.
The $70 million Think Dayton building will be five stories tall and takes inspiration from Dayton's aviation heritage. It’s expected to be a hub for universities, government and private industry to work together in office and research spaces.
Operations inside the Think Dayton building will include a digital transformation initiative, in collaboration with the University of Dayton Research Institute, that promotes cutting-edge solutions for the U.S. Air Force and other partners.
The facility will also provide hands-on learning opportunities for students and workforce development.
"We’ve seen our dreams of innovation transform into reality with the foundational work we’ve done with the support of our partners," said Brian Heitkamp, CEO of onMain, Inc., in a press release.
"The new building will anchor the first phase of construction and represents a significant step in the vision to create a vibrant district for research, technology, workforce development and economic growth in the region.”
The project received a $35 million dollar state grant.
The Think Dayton building and two new community spaces are expected to open in 2027.
Work also has finished on the exterior stabilization of the historic Roundhouse on the site that included new windows and doors and repainting, supported by federal funding.
A community open house will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the UD Roger Glass Center for the Arts. Building plans will be on display and the developers will talk about the project.