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Today, we also take an in-depth look at the historic Wright factory buildings and how recent degradation could make it more challenging to redevelop the site.
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Wright factory building has partial collapse, which officials say is ‘unfortunate’ but not a ‘dealbreaker’
Part of the façade of one of the historic Wright Co. factory buildings has partially collapsed, two years after the property caught fire, which officials say is an unwanted development in a two-decade effort to revitalize the property.
• Facade collapse: Video footage from security cameras at a nearby construction site suggests the collapse likely happened in July. the arched parapet wall of building 1 had caved in. The wall is on the western side of the building above the entrance.
• Fire damage: A fire at the site on March 26, 2023 damaged the masonry walls of the hangar buildings and trusses, timber beams and wood planks on the roof. Parts of the roof collapsed.
• Location: The Wright Co. site, located near the intersection of West Third Street and Abbey Avenue in West Dayton, consists of two historic airplane factory buildings and several replica buildings that were constructed years later.
• Who owns the property? The city of Dayton owns the Wright factory site and wants to see it redeveloped. The hangars were home to the first purpose-built airplane manufacturing facility in the world.
• Structure ages: Building 1, which is about 11,000 square feet, was constructed by the Wright Co. in 1910, and the adjacent, second hangar building was constructed the following year.
• National Park Service interest: The NPS has identified the Wright factory buildings as a potential site for a new museum, learning center, administrative offices and maintenance spaces.
• Redevelopment challenges: Further degradation of the buildings could make it more challenging to redevelop the site and may reduce the likelihood that the National Park Service will move forward with a proposed acquisition.
• What they are saying: “The partial collapse is not a dealbreaker,” Mackensie Wittmer, the executive director of the National Aviation Heritage Area, said. “It is an indicator of the urgency that the city of Dayton and the National Park Service have to consider as they move the project forward. The time is now.”
• Other roadblocks: The National Park Service remains interested in acquiring the buildings, but the acquisition process cannot move forward until deed restriction issues involving the Ohio EPA are resolved.
• Future plans: A new library has been built on the property south of the hangars, and a new police station is being constructed west of the buildings. The vision for the site is a walkable, mixed-use campus.