Dayton commission approves $1.4 million purchase of downtown parcels for new police station

The Dayton City Commission on Wednesday approved emergency legislation to acquire two downtown parcels — 101 South Saint Clair Street and 118 East Fourth Street — for $1,400,000 as the preferred site for a new Central Business District police station.

The vote came after a lengthy presentation from Major Paul Saunders of the Dayton Police Department and more than an hour of public comment. The ordinance was declared an emergency and passed in a roll-call vote with Mayor Jeffrey J. Mims Jr., Commissioner Joseph and Commissioner Shaw recorded as voting aye and Commissioner Fairchild recorded as voting no; Commissioner Turner Sloss expressed support while urging the same urgency for neighborhood blight issues.

Major Paul Saunders, who led the department presentation, said the parcel selection followed a multi-year feasibility process and an evaluation of downtown options after the city found existing downtown structures could not meet modern building-code requirements for new public safety facilities. "This is probably gonna be the most one of…