The event will have major impacts on accessibility to parts of downtown.
“What our primary responsibility has to be is to make sure that every citizen, whether they come here from out of town or whether they live here in the city of Dayton, is safe,” said Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr.
Dayton officials held a press conference to explain what will be changing downtown and what residents should consider as they’re traveling through the city.
“One of the things we were looking at is trying to find a balance between security, and the citizens and the businesses within Dayton,” said Dayton Police Maj. Christopher Malson.
Roadways in the areas of Second and Main Streets will begin shutting down on Tuesday, with the security zone completely closed off on Wednesday night.
RiverScape MetroPark will be closed to the public May 20-27, and Greater Dayton RTA bus routes that come through the Wright Stop Plaza Transit Center from Tuesday, May 20, through Monday, May 26 will be rerouted.
Malson said they’ll be installing roughly 14,000 feet of fence and 6,000 feet of concrete barriers to secure the area.
Proposed restricted area for 'NATO village'
Access to much of downtown Dayton will be restricted from May 21-27 as the city hosts the 2025 Spring Session - NATO Parliamentary Assembly. All vehicle traffic would be restricted, and pedestrian access would be limited. The boundaries may change.
“There’s a lot that’s going to happen in those 48 hours to get the NATO Village set up,” Malson said.
After the Parliamentary Assembly wraps up in the afternoon on Memorial Day, workers will be downtown to begin reopening streets.
Malson said there may still be concrete barriers, fencing and equipment downtown the day after the Parliamentary Assembly is finished, but the city is aiming to have most roadways reopened.
Traffic through the NATO security zone is restricted during the Parliamentary Assembly. Signs will lead travelers through a detour around the downtown.
Pedestrians will also have limited access to the downtown area, with several entry points allowing access to the NATO Village for credentialed people and residents of buildings within the zone. Airspace will also be restricted for non-emergency drones and other aircraft from Friday through Monday, Malson said.
A “First Amendment” zone will be set up in a parking lot on Second and Jefferson Streets. No one needs to register to stand in that zone, and police will not be within the zone unless an incident arises.
But Malson said DPD expects people may travel outside that zone to protest.
“They have a right to do it,” he said. “And I support that right, I’ll defend that right. Let’s keep it peaceful. Let’s keep it as a protest, and we’ll all have a great week.”
Many police departments and agencies will be contributing to security efforts during the NATO event, Malson said.
“We do not have enough people to do this ourselves,” he said. “We’re bringing in a lot of resources from across the state.”
The city will communicate with residents throughout the week via social media and other alerts. Residents with questions can call 937-333-NATO (6286) for more information related to NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly in Dayton.
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