Article reposted with permission from Dayton Business Journal.
There are new details on a long-plotted plan to bring a national attraction to Dayton. The $75 million project will add hundreds of jobs and increase tourism.
A plan to bring the National Veterans Affairs History Center (NVAHC) to the Dayton VA Medical Center seems to have expanded in scope or begun a new phase, as the project seeks $5 million in funding from the Dayton Region Priority Development & Advocacy Committee (PDAC).
The new application comes after the center applied for the same amount in funding last year for a different part of the project. The Dayton Development Coalition, which leads the PDAC committee, deemed the project a regional priority.
Last year, the center’s application focused on two historic facilities at the Dayton VA Medical Center, buildings 116 and 129, with plans to invest $33 million. Building 116, the former headquarters building, will provide public access to the center, while building 129, the former clubhouse, will be used for the center’s artifact/archive storage and restoration.
That is in line with a post on the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs dating to last April that says the NVAHC will occupy the two historic buildings, with a forecasted opening in 2025-26.
“Once complete, the NVAHC will be the central location for seminal artifacts and archives of historic significance from across hundreds of VA locations,” the post says. “The site will provide storage, preservation, and access to these materials, as well as a museum and education center. The project will include a robust online access to digitized materials for researchers, writers, and scholars, and virtual museum exhibits available to the public.”
Now, the center is applying for funding for a $75 million project to house the “baseline” center, according to its application. It encompasses three buildings — two existing historic facilities, buildings 120 and 126, and a new building to be constructed.
Building 120, the Putnam Library, will house the Public Archives Research Center; building 126, the former warehouse, will be used for the center’s artifact storage and restoration; and the newly constructed building will house the NVAHC Museum.
The added cost to stabilize, renovate and restore buildings 120 and 126 is $25 million, and the Dayton VA Medical Center has already obligated, or reserved for obligation, over $8 million of that total. The new building will cost just over $45 million, which will come from a fundraising campaign.
The project is estimated to create 400 new long-term historian, archivist, curator, retail, tourism and education jobs, in addition to 130 short-term construction jobs. It’s also expected to increase tourism by providing the western “anchor” to a “Historic Tourism Corridor” running from the Dayton VAMC to the Huffman Prairie.
The application notes that the center would be ready to spend the funds within the next six to 12 months.
The project’s applicant, Dennis Samic — the vice president of the National VA History Center Foundation Board of Trustees — did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The PDAC process’ public comment phase ended Nov. 15. All submissions are evaluated by one of five review panels, which submit their recommendations to the full committee for final consideration.
The Dayton VA Medical Center is the Dayton region’s third-largest hospital, according to DBJ research, after seeing almost $625 million in revenue last year. With almost 300 licensed beds, the hospital had over 5,500 admissions in 2022.
Jarrell, Zachary. “$75M, Hundreds of Jobs: New Details on Long-Plotted Plan to Bring a National Attraction to Dayton.” Bizjournals.com, Dayton Business Journal, 21 Nov. 2025, www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2023/11/21/national-va-history-center-dayton-va-2023.html.