Wright or wrong: Should building go?

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - City officials will hold a meeting Wednesday to talk about tearing down a building that was home to the Wright Brothers' first cycle shop.

The building at 1005 West Third Street was used in the early 1890's before the Wright Brothers moved to a different location.

The building was then taken over by the Gem City Ice Cream Company until it closed.

Since then the building has fallen into disrepair. Only three walls remain from the Wright Brothers shop. The front facade was replaced years ago by Gem City Ice Cream when they added onto the original building.

The city will hold a meeting on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission Center for Regional Cooperation at 1100 West Third Street to talk about tearing the building down.

"I think it's important to save them," says Michael Perkins with The Sustainable Community Project. "We lost most of them and this is our opportunity to save another one."

But city officials say these walls have seen better days.

"It's a tragedy to lose them," Mayor Gary Leitzell says. "Sometimes it's criminal to let them rot."

City officials tell 2 NEWS they would be interested in proposals to keep the building but it will come down to somebody having the money to pay for renovations.