Vinyl posters went up that cover the north entrance of the massive arcade complex. The coverings feature a 40-foot-long giant, who is a metaphor for the Arcade’s long sleep and eventual awakening, according to Cross Street Partners, the firm that is working to redevelop the arcade.
The arcade, which consists of about nine interconnected buildings, has been dormant since the early 1990s.
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But Cross Street Partners hopes to wake the big fella up. They hope to turn the arcade into a mix of uses, including housing, retail and innovation space.
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“For the next 18 months or so, the giant will reside and evolve as the project’s construction moves forward,” the firm said. “The next big steps for the development is finalizing the final funding sources and creating a financial closing date.”
Kirk Fry is the designer and illustrator from The Mill in Winston-Salem, NC.
The artist said another part of the metaphor is to show what a giant project this is for downtown Dayton.
The visual of the giant sleeping inside the Arcade pulled the history and new plans for the site together in a fun and exciting way, Fry said.
The art was created full size in Photoshop. The costume colors and detail were taken from the interior elements of the Arcade, Fry said.
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