The development corporation has been awarded a $1 million strategic investment grant from the state of Ohio to build a 40,000-square-foot SCIF office building at the site. Dubbed the High Security Innovation Hub, the building would also include about 7,500 square feet of high bay space, and would be a commercial headquarters for several small to medium suppliers and a management center for Department of Defense research programs, city documents show.
SCIF, or sensitive compartmented information facility, is used in military or national security operations, and the Skyway Plaza site would likely be leased or sold to a smaller defense contractor that “often cannot afford to build their own SCIF space,” Schell said.
Other potential amenities at the site include a coworking or maker space, prototyping facilities and lab space, as well as restaurants, coffee shop, gym or convenience store, according to city documents.
The city is also pursuing an educational and workforce component to the former Skyway Plaza site, Schell said, adding that “This is the first small bite.”
The former shopping center is located on Ohio 444, near the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base main gate.
Skyway Plaza has been one of the top redevelopment priorities for the city and the development corporation predominantly because of its proximity to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Schell said, adding that there is a need for SCIF office buildings.
“Since the City of Fairborn acquired the Skyway Plaza in 2016, our goal has been aimed at redevelopment,” said City Manager Mike Gebhart. “The Skyway Plaza offers excellent development opportunities to new and expanding companies in Fairborn and beyond.
“The site is ideal for technology-oriented businesses or the manufacturing of innovative products, especially those that have synergies with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Air Force Research Laboratory. We are excited about the future development the Fairborn Development Corporation has planned for the site and the new business it could bring to the City of Fairborn,” Gebhart said.
Skyway had about 250,000 square feet on about 20 acres for retail business, Dayton Daily News records show.
About the Author
