City opens one-stop business center

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) -  The Dayton Business Resource Center, a one-stop shop for business location and expansion in the city of Dayton, opened to the public on Monday, February 9.

The Center, which occupies 2,300 square feet of newly renovated space at 371 W. Second St., brings together the services of several development agencies under one roof to provide help with permits, plan review, zoning guidance, financing and incentive information, site-seeking and other services.

Representatives from the City of Dayton Office of Economic Development, CityWide Development Corporation, the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Dayton Partnership staff the Center.

"Dayton means business," said Mayor Rhine McLin, whose Mayor's Council on Economic Development provided leadership in the Center’s development. "The City and its partners are working diligently to make it easier for businesses to grow in Dayton, and the Business Resource Center is just one way that we are improving Dayton's business environment."

City Manager Rashad Young said the Center and its staff will offer a "just ask" approach to helping businesses.

"The Dayton Business Resource Center is designed to quickly provide a variety of services and information for virtually any kind of business seeking to grow in Dayton, "Young said. "he business community is our customer. If you need help, just ask."

"Businesses today have a host of options open to them when it comes to deciding where to locate,” said Ron Budzik, who serves on the Downtown Dayton Partnership board and the Mayor's Council on Economic Development. “High on the list is a community that offers excellent customer service and responsiveness. The Dayton Business Resource Center will definitely help meet those expectations.”

Creation of a one-stop center was one of the key recommendations of a study conducted in 2007 to evaluate the community’s overall economic development system. The study, conducted in partnership with Montgomery County and the Dayton Development Coalition, resulted in recommendations emphasizing the need for inter-agency cooperation to spur successful business retention and expansion efforts.

Bart Schidecker, Special Projects Administrator in the City’s Office of Economic Development, will manage the day-to-day operations of the Center. Free parking is available behind the building.

For more information, go to www.daytonbrc.com or call 333-3629.