Falling Dayton Arcade windows being boarded up

Workers board up windows at the Arcade complex's Commercial Building on Monday, April 22. CHRIS STEWART / STAFF

Credit: Chris Stewart

Credit: Chris Stewart

Workers board up windows at the Arcade complex's Commercial Building on Monday, April 22. CHRIS STEWART / STAFF

The owner of the Dayton Arcade has begun boarding up windows in the historic structure downtown to address safety concerns from the city, which deemed the structure a public nuisance.

Glazing holding windows in place in the 10-story Commercial Building began failing last year. So the city blocked off the sidewalk along the 1908-era structure at Fourth and Ludlow streets to protect pedestrians from an intermittent shower of falling glass.

Gunther Berg, co-owner of the Arcade complex that includes five buildings, said his goal is to secure the building so that it’s safe to open for tours during Urban Nights scheduled for May 10.

Kevin Powell, the city’s acting division manager of housing inspection, said a city inspector toured the Arcade and is preparing a list of requirements that must be met, before the complex can be opened to the public.

A unique architecture feature of the Arcade, the glass-domed rotunda — 70 feet high and 90 feet in diameter — along with the glass-covered walkway just past the Third Street entrance also has suffered storm damage. Berg said the development group is currently exploring the best temporary fix for those windows, whether it be to cover them with plastic or to replace the glass.

About the Author