Fairgrounds redevelopment decision decades in the making, officials say

Decades after the idea was first floated, the redevelopment of the Montgomery County Fairgrounds is moving forward after receiving the enthusiastic support of city of Dayton leadership.

The city commission on Wednesday night approved establishing a planned development for the former fairgrounds site on South Main Street and also authorized changing the site’s zoning from open space to urban business district.

The actions pave the way for onMain, a joint partnership between Premier Health and the University of Dayton, to start bringing its vision for the 37-acre site to life.

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Reaching this moment was long journey that arguably dates back to John H. Patterson, who first declared his support for moving the fair and reusing the property during the turn of the 20th century, officials said.

“I’m very excited that my legacy will be something that John Patterson always wanted,” said Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley before the commission voted 5-0 to approve the development and zoning change.

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