‘Had to have a hotel;’ Big plans in motion to bring hotel to Dayton Convention Center

DAYTON — Big plans are starting to come into focus in Downtown Dayton.

People are pushing for a new 200-room hotel next to the convention center and county leaders just approved a large amount of money for the project.

The Transportation Center parking garage in Downtown Dayton which used to be an Asian restaurant is where the plan is to build a new 12-14 story hotel.

The location is right across the street from the convention center and the first cash infusion was confirmed this afternoon.

“The convention center had to have a hotel, we already lost some business for not having a hotel right there,” Debbie Lieberman, the president of the three-member county commission board said.

They’ve watched with interest all of the work being done as part of the $45 million makeover of the downtown convention center, but to attract new conventions to this site, hotel rooms within walking distance are needed.

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They have a target number of 500 rooms.

“Well, the other hotel, nothing is happening,” Lieberman said.

That’s why commissioners approved a million and a half dollars from American Rescue plan funds to back this new proposal, which was first unveiled last week.

The new hotel will put 200 rooms right across Jefferson Street, but there is still the former Crowne Plaza facility across Fifth Street.

An investment group bought it and wanted to locate a hard-rock hotel there.

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“They closed in 2022, which has been a challenge for us,” Executive Director of the Convention Center Pamela Plageman said.

She told News Center 7′s Mike Campbell there is work being done, and still hopes to have a hotel open in the former Crowne Plaza and Radisson building.

“What we know today and have been communicated is that they’re going to try to re-open in the fall, so we’re grateful that it’s not going to be a blight,” Plageman said.

However, no one is waiting for that to happen. The focus now is on the new hotel project and county leaders believe their investment will pay off.

“And it will certainly help, not just with hotel-motel tax but with sales tax and that’s what counties live on,” Lieberman said.

The Convention Center renovation is scheduled to be done by April or May of next year, that’s why the Convention Center Facilities Commission wants to fast-track the plans for this new hotel to have it done around the same time if possible.

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