Homefull plans to bring grocery store, new housing to West Dayton

WEST DAYTON — A local non-profit has plans to add jobs, housing and food to West Dayton through a new development project.

Homefull announced plans to develop the 16-acre empty lot that formerly housed Carlson Elementary on 807 S. Gettysburg Ave as part of the vision they share with the city for the redevelopment of West Dayton.

There will be multiple phases to the development project, something the city says will improve the neighborhood where there is limited access to food and housing.

City Commissioner Matt Joseph says they are thrilled the space on Gettysburg is being used for development.

“After a long time of not having accessible groceries for folks downtown here, now in the space of a couple of years we’re going to have two,” Joseph said.

Joseph says the impact of the project could be compared to that of Gem City Market, which opened on Salem Ave. back in May.

>> Gem City Market opens to customers after years of planning; SNAP EBT now accepted

“I think the best way we can show what this new market will mean is to show what Gem City has done. Since they’ve opened they provided a new sense of community that didn’t exist before in that stretch of the city. Not only are they focused on groceries, which are vital, they’re also focusing on bringing people together with the coffee shop, healthcare, cooking classes, the meeting room,” Joseph said.

Homefull is a non-profit dedicated to combatting poverty, and that’s why they’ve taken on the estimated 50-million dollar project.

“It is about affordable housing, it is about livable wage jobs. It’s about creating an environment that is open and accessible to food and all of the other things that really make a community healthy and thriving. We kind of always knew West Dayton is where we would make it our home,” Homefull’s CEO, Tina Patterson, said in a statement to WHIO.

In addition to housing and a grocery store, Homefull plans to create a food hub, outdoor market, pharmacy, clinic, and administrative office.

This week, Homefull received land use approval for the development project.

All phases of the project still need to go before a planning board for final approval. They are still working out whether the housing will be market rate or affordable.

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