Miami Valley Urban League opens space at Dayton Arcade, works on poverty issues

The Miami Valley Urban League cut the ribbon on their new offices at the Dayton Arcade Monday afternoon. The event was attended by community leaders, stakeholders and local government officials. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

Credit: Jim Noelker

Credit: Jim Noelker

The Miami Valley Urban League cut the ribbon on their new offices at the Dayton Arcade Monday afternoon. The event was attended by community leaders, stakeholders and local government officials. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

The Miami Valley Urban League made its move to the Dayton Arcade official, opening its space at the building’s Innovation Hub this week.

“Today it marks a milestone for the Urban League in continuing our work here in Dayton,” said Nikol Miller, executive director of Miami Valley Urban League.

The Miami Valley Urban League is moving the needle on generational poverty, Miller said, as the organization offers a variety of services including job training and placement.

By opening offices in the Dayton Arcade, the Miami Valley Urban League is closer to its business partners, as well as near the RTA hub.

The Miami Valley Urban League is part of the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, the mission of which is “to help Black people and historically underserved communities achieve their highest true social parity, economic self-reliance, power, civil rights and justice,” its website says.

The Miami Valley Urban League’s offices were previously in a building on the 900 block of West Fifth Street, in the Five Points neighborhood and the Innerwest area. The Miami Valley Urban League serves Montgomery, Greene, Preble, Miami and Darke counties.

Miami Valley Urban League held a grand opening at their new offices at the Dayton Arcade Monday afternoon April 22, 2024. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

Credit: Jim Noelker

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Credit: Jim Noelker

“This space, now being enhanced by Nikol and what she’s doing at the Urban League, is another tribute to the success of Dayton,” said Jeffrey J. Mims Jr., mayor of Dayton.

The city of Dayton aided the group’s move by providing the organization $150,000 to help with its move into the Hub Annex, located at 29 S. Main St, according to city documents.

The funding helped pay for interior and exterior facility improvements, mechanical system upgrades and new equipment, furniture and fixtures.

The total project cost was previously estimated at $433,000.

Unrelated to the move, the city of Dayton provided the Miami Valley Urban League with $1.5 million of ARPA funds to be used for offering business coaching and micro-grants of up to $10,000.

“This is a testament to vision,” said Scott Koorndyk, president of the Entrepreneur Center. The Dayton Arcade’s Innovation Hub has about 150 companies that work in that space, Koorndyk said.

“The issues that we face in our community around this country are real, so it takes the collective community to be able to move the agenda on equity,” said Marya Rutherford Long, Miami Valley Urban League Advisory Board chair who has been volunteering for 25 years at the Miami Valley Urban League.

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