Developers appeal city to clear way for $15M apartment plan in Dayton
A $15 million project that would bring 50-plus apartment units to Dayton’s west side faced a setback earlier this year. Now, the developers are appealing the decision.
The development team behind a proposed 54-unit apartment building on Dayton’s west side — which includes Dublin Capital Group and County Corp. — is appealing the city’s denial of its zoning request. The low-income-housing-tax-credit development at 1306 Bryn Mawr Drive, coined “Cambridge II,” would be worth $15 million and sit at over 73,000 square feet, according to previous reporting.
“The project is being proposed on a parcel of land that is zoned appropriately for the use,” Steve Naas, president of County Corp., told the Dayton Business Journal in an email. “The funding has been secured to make this development happen. The development team is requesting that the City of Dayton consider the reasonable requests for variances for this 54-unit housing development to move forward.”
City officials denied the proposal for several reasons, one of which was the project’s size. The four-to-five-story building would cover 16,000 square feet of the property’s 22,800 square feet, which would take up 70% of the lot. The maximum coverage allowed is 65%.
Brian Coate, founder and CEO of Dublin Capital, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But in documents DCG Cambridge House II LLC — an affiliate of Dublin Capital — submitted to the city, the company stressed its position.
“To meet the requirements, the project would need to be a fraction of the size and would not be viable,” the application said. “We would need to return the grant funds back to the state instead of investing in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Dayton.”
In 2022, County Corp. and Dublin Capital Group submitted a proposal to the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA), saying they “plan to continue their investment in the University Row neighborhood.” Naas said that OHFA approved the project.
A photo of the property at 1306 Bryn Mawr Drive from 2018.
The apartment building, if approved, would include garage parking, an EV charging station, a fitness room, an outdoor amenity deck, a community room with a warming kitchen, building security and “ample” bike storage, according to the most recent application. Units would be equipped with new vinyl flooring, a washer and dryer hookup, and walk-in bedroom closets, among other things.
Dublin Capital Group affiliates also own two adjacent properties on Cambridge Avenue, known as the Cambridge House Apartments, a 45-unit apartment community.
Other developers are targeting the western part of the city with apartment buildings. In August, for example, Dayton City Commissioners approved Michigan-based Magnus Capital Partners’ rezoning request at 325 Homewood Ave. in the Five Oaks neighborhood.
The company expects to bring 260 apartment units and approximately 5,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, totaling 275,000 square feet. The project, which should break ground next year, is projected to cost nearly $80 million.
