DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – The Dayton City Commission authorized funding to preserve and redevelop the Wright Factory site in West Dayton Wednesday night.

The commission adopted the resolution to authorize more than $1.4 million to stabilize the site. The funding comes from the State of Ohio through the National Aviation Heritage Alliance.

With the funding, the city wants to clean up the site as they work with the National Park Service to create a museum in the hangar space. Hangars one and two were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.

“As we work with the National Park Service to eventually realize a museum in that space, this will help us kind of paint the building, stabilize the building, so that it becomes more of an attraction versus an eyesore,” Dayton Supervisor of Economic Development Veronica Morris said.

The city’s plans include putting down new topsoil and grass seeding and adding a walking path to turn the area into a green space for the West Dayton community.

“So people can come on site and walk,” Morris said. “We’re also going to be putting benches, and tables and lighting so that we can use it as a campus to compliment the $12.5 million investment made by Dayton Metro Library and the opening of the new West Branch.”

It’s just one of many projects the City of Dayton has recently invested in West Dayton.

“We at the City of Dayton have been very purposeful in the last 10 years coming up with ideas to redevelop and spark interest in the community,” Morris said.

From funding for the Edgemont Community Solar Garden to revitalizing the Westwood neighborhood, and new businesses moving in, Mayor Jeffrey Mims said it’s exciting to be part of the momentum.

“I live in the Wright Dunbar area, which is so close to all the good stuff that’s happening in the City of Dayton,” Mims said. “The work in Wright Dunbar with the Wright Factory and all the other investments we have there, it’s showing a tremendous rebirth of not just that part of Dayton, but all parts of Dayton.”

The city already invested $5.3 million into remediating the site to Ohio EPA standards in 2013.