The Dayton Arcade complex is in the very heart of downtown Dayton. Some say it
is the heart of downtown Dayton.
Possibly the most endangered building of signifigance in Ohio? The building has been vacant since 1991. Maintenance stopped and the utilities were turned off in 2005, and the complex is now deteriorating due to water damage and weathering due to the freeze-thaw cycle. The building most likely will be sold at sheriffs sale in December, and stands a good chance of being demolished in the next few years.
The loss of this complex would not be missed in larger citys, but in a smaller city like Dayton it will leave a real hole.
The complex was built between 1902 and 1908. It comprises five buildings…a small corner high-rise, two flanking blocks, a central domed market hall and an arcade, the arcade piece being a joint venture between two owners.
A period Sanborn giving the layout of the complex at the ground floor (outlined in red). The market hall had cold storage in the basement, and icemaking machinery under the sidewalk.
The corner high rise (called the Commercial Buidling) and the two flanking buildings, which are done up as outsized Mannerist palazzos
Commercial Building under construction...
The Commercial Building was the headquarters, in later years, of one of Daytons’ first postwar suburban shopping center developers. Local suburbia was planned out from the 7th floor….
Vintage shot of one of the flanking buildings. The church was razed in the mid 1920s and replaced by a 3 story commercial block
The interesting thing about this complex was that it was true mixed use, with housing, offices, and retail in the same building.
The Third Street “arcade” side was designed in a quite different fashion, modeled after a guild hall in either Belgium or Amsterdam.
..but inside was a rather suprising interior space
..which leads to this even more suprising (since its so buried in the block) domed area….with surrounding skyscrapers (such as they are in Dayton) visible through the glass….the oirginal glazing was tinted, like a coke bottle, with wire mesh reinforcing.
As this was a market hall, the top of the dome is ringed with tin turkeys and tin food cornucopias, painted to look like fruits and vegetables. This “food” detailing carries out into to the exterior of the Commercial Building as terra-cotta trim.
Period shot of the Arcade as a market
The Arcade part had apartments, too.
...and this was mixed use, too, especially on the lower floors, where aparptments often alternated with offices and other commercial uses.
Some occupancy stats.
Taking a look at the ground floor, a snapshot of use in 1950, before suburbia took off and killed downtown…
This Arcade cafeteria was a downtown institution, and has been recreated in a suburban historic park.
The Arcade Market declined as a citywide food market with the rise of chain stores and supermarkets, but remained a viable downtown place for downtown residents and shopers, before urban renewal cleared out what was left of downtown residential
Under the Dome through time…this place had everything…a popcorn stand, a remote radio broadcast booth, a news stand, bijou jewelry, as well as food…
Fans of the TV show West Wing might recall the fictional character Leo McGarry. Here is the real Leo McGarry, who Martin Sheen must’ve known from his youth in Dayton. This McGarry was a longtime grocer at the Arcade and downtown Dayton character…
…the Arcade was remodeled between 1977 and 1980 into a downtown shopping center/entertainment center.
…which received national attention, and won for the design firm an Ohio AIA gold medal.
But the entertainment concept never panned out and the shopping center went bankrupt in 1984.
As a way to try something different a food court was installed …
..but that didn’t work and the Arcade was finally closed in 1991.
The tax lien was sold last year, and the complex will go to sheriff sale this December
Whither the Arcade?
…at least someone cares enough to write a message in the dust…
…and these buildings
are dying.
(yes, a bit maudlin, I know).
For an excellent interior & rooftop tour of the vacant complex by a local photographer (plus some arty interior shots with a female model), click
here
So there you have it. Dayton is called the Gem City, and this. along with the old courthouse across the street, is the architectural diamond. A diamond that will be shortly ground up for dust
Threaded Mode