Commission to weigh incentives for downtown law firm

Dayton City Commission is scheduled to consider a $60,000 retention incentive for a downtown Dayton law firm tomorrow.

According to an agenda for commission’s Wednesday meeting, the city’s Office of Economic Development is asking for commission’s approval for $60,000 retention agreement with Coolidge Wall Co., a business-oriented law firm which has 58 full-time employees at 33 W. First St.

The money would be used to renovate 20,000 square feet of office space and complete facade improvements at the company’s suite there. The law firm will be expected to maintain an annual payroll of $5.7 million over the five-year agreement terms, according to city documents.

Also, Coolidge Wall will be expected to boost payroll by $300,000 payroll within the next two years, according to the commission’s agenda package. That could mean three full-time positions, according to documents.

In 2o11, another Dayton law firm, Thompson Hine LLP, announced it would move about 100 employees from its downtown Dayton location to new offices near the interchange of Interstate 75 and Austin Boulevard. A few months after that, CPA firm Clark Schaeffer Hackett announced its own plans to consolidate its downtown Dayton and Middletown offices near that interchange into a single office.

About the Author