The Dayton City Commission recently approved a development agreement that will provide a $1.5 million grant to support the project.
“This $9-plus million project will modernize the facility; it will create 60-plus new jobs, retain 10 jobs and generate a nearly $13 million (annual) payroll,” said Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein. “This will be a great improvement to East Third Street.”
A company controlled by Jason Woodard, principal of Dayton-based Woodard Development, purchased the former KK Motorcycle Supply building in 2019, along with a couple of adjacent structures to the west, auditor records show.
Woodard knocked down a couple buildings on that 400 block of East Third Street. But the firm is renovating and adding on to the remaining two-story warehouse, at the northwest corner of Third and Madison streets.
Jason Woodard said the building was a solid, windowless concrete structure that was used for warehousing operations. But once redeveloped, he said, a significant portion of the building will be glass, and the exterior will have attractive accent lighting.
“The building will have a contemporary look and feel while maintaining the massing and the zero lot line dynamic,” he said. “The building will have a two-story addition that will include a new elevator, common area and conference rooms.”
Woodard said construction should be completed in the second quarter of 2026, and the building will be fully occupied when it opens.
“This is a significant win for the city, attracting over 60 new jobs with strong wages, which will add significant income tax revenue but also support local businesses throughout downtown,” Woodard said.
Gondol’s memo says the project will significantly improve the streetscape, and city officials say the project will help activate that part of East Third Street.
Dayton’s $1.5 million grant will help pay for building improvements and fund upgrades to electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems and purchase machinery and equipment.
Woodard Development already has made major investments in that part of downtown. The firm rehabbed the former Lotz Paper Building on the 600 block of East Third Street into the Avant Garde, which is home to offices, Sueño Mexican restaurant and Tender Mercy, an underground cocktail bar.
The company also revitalized the adjacent J.K. McIntire building into offices, rebranding the property as the Manhattan. Woodard Development also helped create hundreds of new housing units, some in mixed-use buildings, in the Water Street District. This includes the Delco, the Delco Lofts, the Water Street Flats and an office building and hotel at Monument Avenue and North Patterson Boulevard.
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