Article reposted with permission from Dayton Business Journal.
A bipartisan group of Ohio congressmen has introduced legislation to permanently locate a national attraction in Dayton.
The group, which includes U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), introduced the bill, the Veterans Affairs Centennial and Heritage Act of 2024, on Wednesday, aiming to permanently house the National Veterans Affairs History Center (NVAHC) at the Dayton VA Medical Center.
The center, which plans to span several buildings on the campus, will collect and preserve VA-related art, artifacts, photographs and records, among other things. Officials expect it to bolster tourism and add hundreds of jobs to the Dayton region.
The plan is already in motion.
Late last year, the project applied for $5 million in funding from the Dayton Region Priority Development & Advocacy Committee (PDAC). In their application, officials outlined a $75 million plan for the “baseline” center — encompassing two existing historic facilities and a yet-to-be-constructed NVAHC Museum.
The project also submitted a PDAC application in 2022, outlining a $33 million plan for two other buildings on the site. The Dayton Development Coalition (DDC), which leads the PDAC committee, deemed the project a regional priority.
Jeff Hoagland os the Dayton Development Coalition’s president and CEO.
DBJ FILE PHOTO
“The bill honors veterans by helping to preserve and promote the history of America’s support for veterans,” said Jeff Hoagland, president and CEO of the DDC, in a news release announcing the legislation. “It also ensures that Ohio will be central to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2030.”
Turner called the newly introduced legislation “critical” — adding it will “preserve the Department of Veterans Affairs’ history of outstanding work and document the special relationship between the United States and our veterans.”
“The Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center is among the finest facilities for veterans’ services in the United States, and I am pleased that it is the home for the future museum and archives for VA history,” Turner said.
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner.
Montgomery County, Ohio
In addition to Turner, the group included U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH).
“The National VA History Center is a great honor for the Dayton community and Ohio veterans and recognizes our state’s unique history of service,” Brown said.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown.
U.S. Senate Photographic Services; Rebecca Hammel
Vance pointed to the Dayton VA Medical Center being “one of our nation’s first hospitals for American soldiers.”
“This institution is steeped in an incredible history, and I am proud to sponsor legislation to honor the crucial role the Department of Veterans Affairs and its predecessors have played for over a century in providing the care our veterans need,” Vance said. “I’m incredibly grateful that this history center will be located here in Dayton and that it will advance the history of this Department for generations to come.”
U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance.
U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance
Landsman added, “The National VA History Center would bridge the past with the present, attracting visitors to Ohio so they can better understand our veterans’ sacrifices and know they will never be forgotten.”
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. “Ohio Congressmen Want to Permanently Locate National Attraction in Dayton.” Bizjournals.com, Dayton Business Journal, 10 Jan. 2024, www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2024/01/10/national-va-history-center-dayton-us-legislation.html.