New restaurant overlooking river coming to downtown Dayton

Credit: Jessica Herndon

Credit: Jessica Herndon


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Basil’s on Market, a bistro-style restaurant that opened in Troy in June 2014, is seeking to open a second location in downtown Dayton.

The restaurant intends to build out space at 312 N. Patterson Blvd. just north of East Monument Avenue in the Water Street development — in the same building that holds PNC Bank regional headquarters and a retail bank on the ground floor. The restaurant will also be on the ground floor, overlooking the Great Miami River, according to Todd Uhlir, co-founder of Basil’s on Market.

Plans call for a 4,800-square-foot restaurant with a 2,200-square-foot patio overlooking the river and its fountains, Uhlir said. The bistro will have seating for 140 inside and another 140 on the patio, and will employ an estimated 45 people. The new Basil’s on Market will have an indoor-outdoor bar and 20 taps, several devoted to locally produced craft beers, Uhlir said.

Although cautioning that the project still must get permits and other approvals, Uhlir said, “We’re shooting to open by June 1.”

Uhlir, who previously served as executive chef at the Troy Country Club for nine years, said the downtown Troy location of Basil’s on Market, at 18 N. Market St., has been very successful. And if all goes well with the second location, Uhlir said he intends to expand the concept and open more locations under the same name in this region and beyond.

“We’d like to go toward Columbus, and eventually be all over Ohio, if not more,” he said.

Renovations to the Troy restaurant utilized wooden beams salvaged from the former Stockyards Inn in Dayton, and some of that salvaged lumber is destined for the downtown Dayton project, Uhlir said.

Last week, Crawford Hoying and Woodard Development, the developers behind the Water Street project, announced that Marriott has awarded a 115-room Fairfield Inn and Suites franchise to the Water Street development. The seven-story hotel will complement the existing 50,000-square-foot office and the retail building that will house Basil’s on Market.

The Water Street District multi-use project also includes 215 apartment units currently under construction and the renovation of the nearby historic Delphi building into 134-loft apartment units with first floor retail, the companies said. Plans also call for a second office building at the northwest intersection of Webster and Monument streets, the developers said in August 2015.

Uhlir said he is planning a strong lunch presence and happy-hour specials to accommodate those who will be living and those who work in the surrounding buildings.

“There are a lot of great things going on in downtown Dayton, and we want to be a part of that,” Uhlir said.

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