Construction to begin on first building at onMain

onMain, a partnership between Premier Health and the University of Dayton, is breaking ground on its first building Friday at the former Montgomery County Fairgrounds on Main Street.

The groundbreaking is set for a five-story, 120,000-square foot building that will be called Think Dayton. It will be the first commercial structure in the onMain Innovation District.

The milestone marks the beginning of physical development on the 38-acre site across the street from Premier Health’s Miami Valley Hospital. onMain was established in 2017 as a partnership between UD and Premier Health.

More than $70 million has been invested in the project from multiple sources, including $35 million from Ohio’s Innovation Hub Program.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration developed a $125 million Innovation Hubs Program in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly to spur investment outside of Ohio’s major metro areas. Other investments included the Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace and Defense, Greater Akron’s Polymer Innovation Hub and Northwest Ohio’s Glass Innovation Hub, according to the state.