“It means so much for the neighborhood. ... This is a decade in the making,” said Jennifer Heapy, executive director of Greater Dayton Premier Management. “It will provide stability for people ... and opportunity, which is what this area really deserves.”
Nell Cross, a longtime resident of DeSoto Bass, said she can’t wait to move into the new apartment building.
“I’m so happy that I have a new home,” she said.
GDPM on Thursday held a ribbon-cutting for Germantown Crossing, the new affordable apartment property located at 1520 Germantown St.
Leasing is underway, and tenants are expected to start moving in within the next couple of weeks. Some of the renters are people who currently live in DeSoto Bass, which is the largest and oldest public housing site in the Dayton area located a few blocks away.
GDPM has started to remove and replace DeSoto Bass’ 354 units, which were built in the 1940s. DeSoto Bass is in the Miami Chapel neighborhood, which has one of highest poverty rates in the city (42%), according to a Dayton Daily News analysis of Census data.
DeSoto Bass units are obsolete and lack modern systems, amenities and features that renters today want and expect, Heapy said.
“Just because it’s affordable housing doesn’t mean it shouldn’t meet current standards,” she said.
A significant number of DeSoto Bass apartments near the corner of Germantown Street and Danner Avenue have been demolished. New apartment buildings are going up.
GDPM wants to redevelop DeSoto Bass in a way that reduces the concentration of subsidized housing. Heapy said the hope is new units at DeSoto Bass will open in mid-2026.
That part of Dayton is seeing a variety of new investment. Dayton Children’s Hospital is building a new urgent care facility across the street from DeSoto Bass, and the Boys & Girls Club of Dayton is building a new facility nearby.
Larry Dunson, 53, who has lived in DeSoto Bass off and on for about 30 years, said he is looking forward to relocating to Germantown Crossing.
He said the new apartments are much cleaner and the building has more security and a better atmosphere. He said his current unit has a variety of issues that date back years, and his housing situation is about to significantly improve.
“It’s time for a change,” he said. “I’m ready to move in.”
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