“It’s an amazing building,” Lauck said. “I think there is a fantastic opportunity to breathe new life into it.”
Plans, as well as the budget, are still being worked out, but the high-level view is to convert the building into residential market-rate apartments. Lauck said there’s a chance plans may include a mixed-use component, “but we’re navigating that now.”
“I don’t have exact details now, but the idea is to do a historic tax credit project, and we’re actively working on that,” he said. “It’s still a moving target on budget and all, but we’re working toward that and getting our pricing together and floor plans.”
Roughly, they’d like to have 36 to 42 apartments, but likely no more than 42, he said.
“The board of directors hopes the iconic 244 Dayton Street building will find its best and most appropriate use in Brad’s hands,” said Wendy Waters-Connell, CEO and executive director of the YMCA of Hamilton. “The sale of the building was not as high as it could have been, the board viewed the sale price to be a reasonable demonstration of their responsibility to help our whole community.”
The former YWCA building was home to not only programming to help empower women and work to eliminate racism, but it housed women fleeing domestic violence and housed low-income women in treatment for mental illness within Butler County. More space was needed, which is why they relocated, and Waters-Connell said their new building allows them to serve more people.
“We are able to serve more people who need us the most, and we hope that that support will continue into the future, especially as we continue to evaluate an expansion of services and programs designed to eliminate racism and empower of women,” she said.
Lauck said the redevelopment of the former YWCA building his first project in Hamilton, and restoring and redeveloping old buildings is in his company’s “wheelhouse.”
While not all of his projects have used the state’s historic tax credit program, Lauck’s worked on a few, including the Findlay Parkside mixed-use development in Over-the-Rhine and The Ransley mixed-use development in Walnut Hills, though . But plenty of his previous redevelopment projects have not used the state’s historic tax credit program, he said.
Lauck said working on a Hamilton project lends some excitement, and not just because the YWCA is “a cool building.” He’s already connected with the City Manager’s office in Hamilton.
“I think it’s evident of how quickly and how much work has gone on in the past few years there,” Lauck said. “Everyone’s been amazing to talk to and work with and really willing to help facility to get the project off the ground. It’s been great from Day One talking with them.”
The former YWCA building sits on the German Village side of Dayton Street and is within walking distance of many Hamilton amenities. It’s two blocks south of the Hamilton Lane Library and Historic German Village, a city block east of Marcum Park and Riverfront Plaza, and two blocks north of High Street and the city’s central business district.
Getting vacant buildings, especially historic buildings, back into productive use is “very important” for the city, said Hamilton Council member Michael Ryan. The YWCA building has been part of the city’s downtown and urban core for decades “and this is just going to be another feather in our cap when it comes to revitalizing and rehabilitating our old historical structures and turning them into new developments.”
There are a number of projects nearing completion or that will begin soon, including the Well House Hotel that’s expected to open for business this fall and the 20 High St. hotel project expected to start at the beginning of 2025. The largest historic redevelopment project, which is still being redeveloped, is Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill, which redeveloped the old paper plant into the complex that includes a hotel, convention center and the country’s largest indoor sports event center.
“It’s just a continuation of the success we currently success around town,” Ryan said. “It’s critical to the continued revitalization of the city.”
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