NEW DETAILS: Columbus firm could take reins of downtown Dayton project

A Columbus-based company is looking at taking over a project to redevelop of the Fire Blocks District in downtown Dayton, which faces a key deadline this month related to state tax incentives.

Dayton's city manager and other sources have confirmed with the Dayton Daily News that the Windsor Companies is interested in the project.

Scott Gibson, CEO of the Ellway Group, confirmed there is a group attracted to the project, but declined to identify them.

The Ellway Group owns many buildings in the Fire Blocks District, which is centered around the 100 block of East Third Street.

RELATED: Dayton Fire Blocks District could get new developer

Windsor Companies was behind the renovation of the Vetro Lofts in Italian Village in Columbus.

Windsor bought the building in 2013 in a court auction for $4.3 million and converted its apartments into 35 luxury condos, which are very modern and sleek, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Units are selling for more than $300,000. The Dispatch identified Alex Dorsey as the principal of Windsor.

In 2013, Windsor purchased a vacant senior housing complex in Hilliard for about $8.3 million, not including the costs of a negotiated settlement with bond investors, according to Columbus Monthly.

The Dayton Daily News has contacted the company and will update the story with its responses.

RELATED: Dayton’s Fire Blocks faces deadline, could lose $4.5M in funds

Time is running out for a project to rehab two of the Fire Blocks buildings: the David (or Huffman Block) building and the Elks building.

In 2016, Ellway Group was awarded about $4.5 million in state historic tax credits to rehab the structures.

But earlier this year, the state told the developers that the project had not made sufficient progress. The state gave developers until the end of this month to prove the project has financing or return the tax credits.

Last week, Downtown Dayton Partnership Executive Director Sandy Gudorf said the Fire Blocks redevelopment plan was being restructured and a new developer was at the table.

Though she declined to identify the company, she said they have the capacity and vision to get the project completed.

CityWide president Brian Heitkamp also confirmed last week that the Fire Blocks project could get “new blood.”

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