| A decade ago, the Dayton Convention Center, then 42 years old, was struggling. The consensus in early 2015 was that the center needed upgrades desperately. At the time, the center was starting its seventh year in the red. In 2022, a $45 million renovation project was launched. “Before the renovation, it just needed love, it needed updates and care and deferred maintenance was real,” said Pam Plageman, executive director and chief executive of the Montgomery County Convention Facilities Authority. “We were chasing leaks, and we had to replace the skywalk roof.” The center cost about $5.3 million to build; adjusted for inflation, it would cost about roughly $40 million in today’s dollars. In this newsletter: Auteur Estates roads going unrepaired in Clearcreek Twp. A new trucking academy eyes Harrison Twp. Proposed apartments make headway in Yellow Springs. Check out some of the $45M in improvements at the Dayton Convention Center Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. speaks at the relaunch of the newly renovated Dayton Convention Center on Friday, June 27, 2025. CORNELIUS FROLIK / STAFF Ribbon-cutting: A ceremonial ribbon cutting last week capped off a project advocates say changed nearly everything about the Dayton Convention Center, from exhibit halls to ballrooms to meeting rooms to the exterior and entrance. Community members last week got to see the changes during an open house. What they’re saying: “If you haven’t been over there to take a look at the convention center, you really should, it’s something to see,” said Dayton City Commissioner Chris Shaw. Read the story (and see the photos). New Yellow Springs apartments make headway A rendering of proposed apartments at site of the former Antioch College student union in Yellow Springs. CONTRIBUTED Progress? A proposal to turn the derelict former Antioch College Student Union building, with another building, into residential apartments has made headway in Yellow Springs, though the developers’ plans were modified after public scrutiny. Windsor Companies has proposed two properties, both on the southeast side of Yellow Springs near Antioch College, that would bring just shy of 140 apartments to the village. And opposition: Windsor’s original plan included a 128-unit apartment complex, though this was met with a backlash at a village Planning Commission meeting in May. Residents packed village chambers, many voicing opposition to the project during a public hearing, with one resident calling it “an offense to the neighborhood.” Read the story. Warren County plans to go after developer in Clearcreek Twp. Auteur Estates in Clearcreek Twp., Warren County. JEN BALDUF/STAFF Credit: Jen Balduf The situation: Warren County commissioners are going after a housing developer after road repairs have gone undone. If repairs aren’t made this year, costs could triple, a Clearcreek Twp. administrator said. Commissioners declared the housing developer for Auteur Estates in default for not making required street improvements. The warning: “The streets in Auteur Estates are critically degraded, and our road superintendent and I feel that, waiting another season, we may lose those roads entirely and be looking at a full-depth repair,” Clearcreek Twp. Administrator Matt Clark said. “That’s why time is of the essence.” Read the story. National truck driving academy eyes Harrison Twp. location The 160 Driving Academy location at 5260 N. Dixie Drive. THOMAS GNAU/STAFF The Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce is planning a Harrison Twp. ribbon-cutting this week for a company that says it is the largest national truck driving school in the United States. On the road again: Steve Gold, the academy’s president and chief executive, has said his school is the “largest driver training school in the U.S.” The company oversees 152 schools in 44 states and will graduate about 30,000 students this year, Gold has said. Read the story. Dayton History plans Sports Heritage Center at Carillon Park The Dayton Triangles football team (1920-1929) played in the first game for what is now known as the National Football League (NFL). Credit: HANDOUT The plan: Dayton History is planning its next decade, and among the projects on the drawing board — a “performance barn” and a heritage center at Carillon Park dedicated to exploring Dayton’s contributions to the world of sports. The sports heritage center will explore such corners of local history as the first game of what is now the NFL, played in Dayton on Oct. 3, 1920, in Triangle Park. What the CEO said: “It’s not a hall of fame,” Dayton History President and CEO Brady Kress said of the planned center. “We don’t do halls of fame. These are anchor stories that wowed the world.” A center dedicated to sports history would simply add to Carillon Park’s variety, in Kress’ view. Read the story. Contact me: Thanks again for being here. Tell me about your business at tom.gnau@coxinc.com or at X and Bluesky. I’m also on LinkedIn and on our Dayton Business page, with my colleagues. Find me as well on my Facebook page. Quick hits Lower gas prices: Expected this coming weekend. Dayton Arcade: Home to new restaurant concepts. PHOTOS: Tablescapes at Dayton Dines by Design. Rest in Peace: Rosa Hawes, Dayton real estate pioneer. Renewed: Centerville’s Stubbs Memorial Park | 