But the company is renovating the 22-story Grant-Deneau Tower at 40 W. Fourth St., just across from the south side of the Dayton Arcade, into a mix of uses, including about 150 upscale apartments.
Eight floors of that building are mostly done, and the company hopes that it will be able to continue to invest in the urban center for years to come.
“We really want to keep it going,” said Jason Dorsey, asset director for Windsor Companies.
On Saturday, Windsor Companies is going to host a grand opening and open house for the Home Telephone Lofts at 48 S. Jefferson St. in downtown Dayton. The event runs from 1 to 5 p.m.
Windsor Companies has converted the former Price Stores building at 4th and Jefferson into 19 apartments, which are expected to open early next year. Preleasing begins this weekend.
Price Stores was a well-known men’s clothing retailer. The former store’s distinctive multi-floor siding that covered the windows for decades has been removed, taking the building back to its original look.
Each level of the Price Stores building has unique floor plans. The apartments have hard wood floors, Art Deco light fixtures with “modern twists” and tall windows that provide plenty of natural light.
When completed, the Home Telephone Lofts will be the fourth apartment project Windsor Companies has completed in downtown, primarily in the Fire Blocks District, which is built around the 100 block of East Third Street.
Windsor Companies’ downtown Dayton housing includes 84 apartments in the Huffman building and 20 units in the Elks building, both on the 100 block of East Third Street.
Windsor also rehabbed the Graphic Arts building at 221 S. Ludlow St. into 20 new apartment units. The buildings have first floor retail and restaurant spaces.
The firm also owns and is redeveloping the Grant-Deneau Tower, an office tower at 40 W. Fourth St., just a couple of blocks west of the Home Telephone Lofts.
The 22-floor office tower, which is one of downtown Dayton’s larger, more prominent buildings, has been vacant for years.
Windsor says it plans to invest about $58 million into the skyscraper.
Windsor plans to turn floors 6-22 of the building into upscale apartments. Dorsey said the apartments will be of a higher quality than any other rental units available downtown.
“I think there’s a level of living that’s not here yet, that Dayton hasn’t seen yet,” he said.
Floors 2-5 are expected to offer office space, he said, and the building will have more than 5,200 square feet of retail space.
Dorsey said floors 6-13 are mostly done, and the apartments hopefully should open in early 2025.
Demand for downtown housing is very strong, and Windsor Companies’ investments have made downtown a better place to live, said Jessica Sands, public relations and marketing manager for the Downtown Dayton Partnership.
The Fire Blocks District has seen tremendous growth over the last several years, Sands said, and the area has become a downtown destination, in large part because of the Windsor Companies.
“We’re glad to see such a strong community of businesses and residents in the Fire Blocks District and are excited to see the company continue its work in the Fire Blocks District as well as other areas of downtown,” Sands said.
The Fire Blocks District had many empty buildings and storefronts until Windsor Companies came along. Now it’s thriving with businesses including Salt Block Biscuit Co, Jollity restaurant, Tony & Pete’s, Skeleton Dust Records, Now & Zen plant and terrarium shop and the Two Social bar and games spot.
Windsor Companies’ renovation of the Grant-Deneau Tower would help rejuvenate a southwest quadrant of downtown that has not experienced the same level of revitalization as other parts of the center city.
That, however, is starting to change because of the more than $130 million being spent to rehab the Dayton Arcade, just north of the Grant-Deneau Tower.
Windsor Companies also purchased and tore down the former Midwest Tool & Engineering Co. building on Webster Street, near the 2nd Street Market.
The firm wants to construct about 119 new apartments on the now vacant site. The Webster Flats, as the project is called, is expected to cost about $23 million.
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