November business news in Dayton: JobsOhio sues Mikesell’s, REI Co-op excitement, Outback Steakhouse and more

Here is a look at the latest news on business and development projects planned or ongoing in the Dayton area.


JobsOhio sues Mikesell’s, former Dayton potato chip maker

Mikesell’s, the historic Dayton maker of potato chips and snack foods that went out of business and sold rights to another Ohio company, is accused of breaching its JobsOhio grant agreement.

JobsOhio, the state’s nonprofit organization that works to bring job creation and new capital investment in Ohio, filed a lawsuit on Nov. 10 in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.

In exchange for a $25,000 grant, Mikesell’s and JobsOhio on April 1, 2021, entered into an agreement that required Mikesell’s to create four new jobs at its 333 Leo St. location in Dayton with a payroll of at least $166,400, to retain 72 existing jobs with a payroll of at least $3.65 million and to make a fixed asset investment of $200,000 by Dec. 31, 2023, according to the civil suit.

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Dayton pulls contract after concerns about company’s criminal history

The city of Dayton recently pulled a proposed contract with Evans Landscaping after city management learned that company officials years ago were convicted of defrauding another municipal government in southwest Ohio.

The Dayton City Commission at its last weekly meeting was expected to vote on a nearly $1.5 million contract with Cincinnati-based Evans Landscaping for a stream restoration project for Wolf Creek.

The proposed project seeks to restore a degraded segment of Wolf Creek in the city that is adjacent to the Wesleyan MetroPark and Adventure Central education center in northwest Dayton, said Joe Weinel, the city’s chief engineer.

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Why people are excited about the new REI Co-op coming to Beavercreek

Credit: Suzi Pratt

Credit: Suzi Pratt

REI Co-op recently announced the specialty outdoor retailer plans to open its fifth Ohio location in the Beavercreek Shopping Center next spring.

If you don’t know much about REI stores, or why the announcement created a buzz for the region, here’s what you should know:

The “Co-op” part of REI Co-op can be confusing. All of the REI stores are co-op stores. The company is owned by its members, and according to its website, there are about 23 million of them. This allows them to “focus on shared values, not share value.”

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Investigation at Kettering Health finds financial impropriety

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Financial impropriety related to the use of Kettering Health organizational funds was uncovered through an internal investigation, the hospital said on Tuesday.

Earlier this year, Kettering Health retained an outside firm to conduct an internal investigation in response to “allegations of inappropriate fiscal and operational management at Kettering Health.”

The internal investigation has since been completed, revealing Kettering Health funds had been used for non-business purposes, according to the hospital network.

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Outback Steakhouse to open new Centerville location early next year

Outback Steakhouse’s new location near Interstate 675 and Wilmington Pike in Centerville is set to make its debut in a few months.

Hiring of 60 to 80 employees for the 4,936-square-foot restaurant at 5181 Cornerstone North Blvd. is planned to occur in January, according to Keith Jackson, joint venture partner who oversees nine Outback locations in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas.

The restaurant is expected to open in mid-March, Jackson confirmed Monday.

The property, which is located within the Cornerstone of Centerville North development, was brought before the city’s planning commission in August 2022. It has three public frontages along Wilmington Pike, Village Center Drive and Cornerstone North Boulevard. Drivers will enter on Cornerstone North Boulevard between the restaurant and Home2 Suites.

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Dorothy Lane Market breaks ground on Mason location

After months of site preparation and infrastructure work, Dorothy Lane Market broke ground Thursday afternoon for its upcoming fourth location in Mason.

The Oakwood-based gourmet grocer held a small, private gathering at the construction site to commemorate the milestone, including officials from the city of Mason, Traditions Building & Development Group, Western Row Land Developers, and Cintech Construction, the general contractor for the Mason location.

The planned grocery store is part of the Mosaic, a $150 million project that will include residential, office and other retail development in Mason.

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Developer purchases 12 acres in Vandalia for $675K

A developer recently bought about 12 acres of land in Scholz Industrial Park in Vandalia, Lebanon-based Schueler Group said.

The buyer, Rusian Akhmedov, is a developer specializing in industrial parks, Schueler said. He closed on the transaction last week, the company said.

Mark Langdon, an agent with the Schueler Group, represented the seller, Lebanon’s Bunnell Hill Development. Akhmedov paid about $675,000 or $56,250 per acre, Schueler said.

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Judge deems Miami Twp. wedding venue ‘public nuisance’, bans public assembly, occupancy

A Montgomery County judge ruled against a Miami Twp. resident operating his barn as a venue for weddings and other celebrations, deeming the structure and its operation as “a public nuisance.”

Common Pleas Judge Kimberly Melnick’s Nov. 14 decision in the case of Steve Scott vs. Darren Powlette says the court finds that Powlette continued to use a barn at 7757 Upper Miamisburg Road, Miami Twp., Stoney Hill Farm, as “a place of public assembly and occupancy for numerous events” even after a June 2018 court order.

Once the order was issued, Powlette had been required “to cease all work and use of the building/barn and Stoney Hill Farm as a place of public assembly and occupancy” until the order had been resolved or rescinded by the building fully complying with Ohio law, the Ohio Building Code, and any other applicable state or local laws or rules, according to the case.

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Sheetz sues Centerville, seeks reversal of decision to nix store on Far Hills

Gas station and convenience store chain Sheetz, developer Skilken Gold and the owner of the Elsa’s Mexican Restaurant property are suing the city of Centerville via an administrative appeal.

The appeal, filed Tuesday in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, comes four weeks after Centerville City Council voted unanimously to reject Sheetz’s plans for the 6318 Far Hills Ave. site, just north of I-675.

The city of Centerville’s Planning Commission had approved a major site plan in August that would have allowed Sheetz to construct the 6,139-square-foot store on a site where Elsa’s currently operates.

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Dunkin’ temporarily shuts down Centerville location for ‘refresh’

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

An area location of a popular doughnut chain recently closed for a ‘refresh’ that will take between six to eight weeks.

The Dunkin’ at 9010 S. Main St. in Centerville is being updated with the company’s NextGen Branding, which launched in 2018, according to Julea Schuh Remke, a spokeswoman for Dunkin’ franchisee Gilligan Company,

The remodeling effort will give customers a tap system to allow them to pour some of Dunkin’s signature cold beverages, such as coffees, iced teas, cold brew coffee and nitro-infused cold brew coffee, Schuh said.

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