Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein told commissioners that the building study is a similar approach to the redevelopment of the Arcade.
“We have to have expertise in both camps so that there’s a comprehensive, very well-informed discussion to come forward with recommendations as to whether something comes down or whether something is pursued for development,” Dickstein said.
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, invited a group of community leaders to serve as an advisory committee to explore options for the downtown building last year.
The committee consists of Gosiger Inc. CEO John Haley, Economy Linen CEO Bruce Feldman, Synergy CEO Jerad Barnett, Henny Penny Executive Chairman Rob Connelly, CDO Technologies President Al Wofford, PNC Bank Regional President Dave Melin and Thompson Hine Senior Counsel Robert Curry.
A March 13 memo from the Dayton Department of Planning, Neighborhoods and Development to the city manager’s office say the firm will participate in building tours and meeting with the committee appointed by Turner to “evaluate the future of the building.”
The building is mostly hollow, with a lightwell that drops down to the third or fourth floor, said Dickstein. This allows natural light to come into every level of the building, which could make it attractive to housing redevelopment, Dickstein said.
The study will include work like a historical character analysis, preliminary structural research, use analysis, conceptual design and floor layouts, preliminary historic preservation services and more.
Turner told this news outlet that the North Main Street building is an important location in downtown Dayton.
“It’s great that the city is looking to get additional professional expertise to aid in the evaluation of future opportunities for this site,” he said. “It’s a critical place, right across from Courthouse Square. And certainly the building itself, with its historic facade, also contributes to the vista of downtown and Main Street.”
The Main Street property was damaged by strong winds in early 2025, resulting in $5 million in emergency repairs to the building.
KeyBank tower, also once called Paru Tower, has a history with many twists and turns. Stratache Tower is on the building’s left and the building that houses the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and CityWide Development Corporation is on its right.
A self-proclaimed Hindu guru, Annamalai Annamalai, who called himself Dr. Commander Selvam, bought the 34 N. Main St. building for $525,000 in cash in 2010. After legal troubles, which resulted in a 27-year federal prison sentence for Annamalai, the building accumulated back taxes and sat vacant before the city paid off the property’s tax debt and purchased the building.
Dayton purchased the 14-story property in 2016, with ownership transferring to the Montgomery County LandBank the next year, according to Montgomery County Auditor’s Office records.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
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