The 3,750-square-foot retail space is about four times the size of Omega Music’s former location at 2001 N. Main St. in Dayton.
“Main Street is no longer a retail destination,” Staiger said. “I had a good run up there, but opportunity knocks, the door was open and I had to make a change,” he said.
The locally owned business enhances the mix of retail shops in the Oregon Arts District, Wicker said. The district has attracted nearly $5 million in public and private investment since the February 2008 launch of its economic revitalization effort.
“Obviously, music is a great fit with the arts district concept,” Wicker said.
The new store will focus on music and open with 10,000 vinyl albums. “We’re going to be the largest selection of vinyl records in Southwestern Ohio,” Staiger said.
The store will employ three people full-time, and two or three part-time, Staiger said. He ran the former location solo for the last few years, he said.
Staiger hopes to open by Oct. 30 for the Oregon District’s annual Hauntfest on Fifth, a Halloween street party that draws thousands of people.
“Mainly, it’s about the location and the business climate down here,” Staiger said. “It’s a whole different world. There’s no way to compare being on North Main Street with what’s going on down here.”
Omega Music was established in 1983 and sells vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, games and audio accessories. Its former location closed Oct. 15 in preparation for the move to the Oregon District.
Gem City Records, an Oregon District landmark, closed Feb. 14.
Founded in 1981, Gem City Records was sold in 2006 to Value Music Concepts, a Georgia-based music retailer. Gem City was one of 25 other stores owned by the company that closed in the past year.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2419 or dlarsen@DaytonDailyNews.com.
About the Author