Newsletter: What local construction projects tell us about our economy

EDITOR’S NOTE: An email sent earlier today contained a previous newsletter. Here is today’s business newsletter.

OK, first: I apologize for jumping on the Browns’ bandwagon. It won’t happen again. I have a brother living in Wisconsin, so go Packers, I guess.

Second, welcome to Tuesday. Hope you enjoyed the weekend; now let’s talk about business.

As a barometer of economic health, you can do worse than keep your thumb on the pulse of local construction projects. That’s what we tried to do with this newsletter’s first story.

Dayton-area construction projects worth watching in 2024

This is the future Joby building, located at 3571 Concorde Drive in Vandalia. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

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Local construction ranges from new-to-the-area chain gas stations in local communities to multi-million dollar buildings with Honda/LG, SEMCORP, Dayton Children’s, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the former Mendelson’s building, among others.

Projects to watch: These projects are anywhere from the planning stage — with not even a shovel in the ground — or days away, perhaps, from opening.

There’s a lot to watch. If work continues, these projects will set the stage for thousands of new jobs in and near Dayton.

Read the story.

10 beloved Dayton restaurants that are no longer with us

05/15/98; King Cole Restaurant, The ground-level, L-shaped restaurant wrapped around the corner and provided dining for 500 after an expansion in the early 1960s. The location was home to the restaurant until 1974, when the demolition for Courthouse Square forced a move.

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More than a few readers took a walk down memory lane with this retrospective, courtesy of Greg Lynch.

Restaurants we loved: The Dayton Daily News took a look back at some of the restaurants diners might miss from the local dining scene. From fine dining to the casual pizza joint, here were look at King Cole, Neil’s Heritage House, The Savory and a few others.

Did we leave any estimable eateries out? Let us know.

And please read the story.

Taft law firm sues Stratacache-tied LLC over downtown Dayton office renovations

Winston Churchill, prime minister of Great Britain during much of World War II, is the subject of the latest downtown Dayton mural on the Stratacache Tower. The image of Churchill, painted by mural artist Erica Arndts, is accompanied by a quote he is associated with, “If you are going through hell, keep going.” LISA POWELL / STAFF

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A prominent law firm has filed suit against the well-known owner of downtown Dayton’s tallest office building, citing problems with its planned renovation of office space.

‘Constant’ problems: In its court filing, Taft claims Arkham — one of the real estate arms of Dayton technology firm Stratcache and its CEO, Chris Riegel — has failed to maintain the building at 40 N. Main St. adequately, asserting “the degraded physical condition” has resulted in “constant” HVAC and plumbing issues, among other problems.

Riegel returns that this is directly contradicted by Taft’s renewal of its lease, twice in recent years.

Read the story for more.

‘Significant’ damage at Miami Valley Hospital due to water line break

Miami Valley Hospital, January 2024

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With the extreme temperatures we’ve seen in recent days, this may become a more common problem. A water line break at Miami Valley Hospital resulted in “significant damage” Sunday, but patient care continued at the facility, officials said.

Break: A water line break at Miami Valley Hospital resulted in “significant damage” Sunday, but patient care continues at the facility, officials said.

The break at the hospital at 1 Wyoming St. originated from a handler on the roof, according to Premier Health.

A hospital spokeswoman Monday said the issues did not affect patient areas of the hospital but were limited to office and other staff spaces.

Also: The National Museum of the U.S Air Force said a water supply issue — whose cause had not been identified at this writing — forced the closure of the museum for a few hours Monday. The museum was expected to be open today.

UVMC among a dozen Ohio hospitals to close or consolidate a maternity unit since 2022

The entrance to Upper Valley Medical Center, 3130 N. County Road 25A in Troy. Premier Health is anticipating establishing residency programs at Upper Valley Medical Center in Troy and Atrium Medical Center in Middletown as part of an updated academic affiliation with Wright State's Boonshoft School of Medicine. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

Credit: JIM NOELKER

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Credit: JIM NOELKER

This story from Samantha Wildow sheds light on a phenomenon that could use more light.

When Upper Valley Medical Center in Troy closes its maternity ward in February it will be the second time Premier Health has shut down one of its birthing units within just two years, and it is among around a dozen Ohio hospitals to do so since 2022.

The Miami County hospital has had difficulty recruiting providers for that specialty, its president told the Dayton Daily News on Monday.

Trend: Since 2022, there have been 13 hospitals in Ohio that have closed or consolidated maternity units, according to the Ohio Hospital Association.

Congratulations.

The Connor Group, a Miami Twp.-based national real estate investment firm, recently announced the promotion of Brock Wright to chief investment officer.

The company said Wright will continue to head the firm’s DARS (Debt-Analytics-Refinances-Supplementals) and Investor Relations departments in this new role. He oversees all property acquisitions and dispositions, ensuring prospective transactions align with the firm’s strategy and meet its investment criteria.

Brock Wright was recently promoted to chief investment officer at The Connor Group.

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“We are pleased to recognize Brock’s hard work and dedication to the firm,” said Larry Connor, founder and managing partner of The Connor Group.

Read these, too

‘DaRon just dominated:’ It’s what he does.

Brunch Pub opens in Centerville: Natalie Jones provides the details, which is what she does.

Dayton Foodbank closes events today and Wednesday. Extreme cold is the reason.

Direct flights to warm weather climes? We can tell you more.

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