Dayton Reporter

University of Dayton recently issued the following announcement.

Brian Heitkamp, president of CityWide Development Corporation, will join the team leading development of onMain: Dayton's Imagination District.

Heitkamp joins an onMain leadership team that already includes Buddy LaChance, who has led the work since 2019. The expansion of the team demonstrates the University of Dayton and Premier Health’s commitment to the collaborative venture. 

The University and Premier purchased the 38-acre site at the corner of Main and Stewart streets in 2017 and created an ambitious plan to develop it into a vibrant area that emphasizes employment and includes housing, retail and community uses. 

"We are committed to advance this project," said Andy Horner, onMain board member and executive vice president for business and administrative services for the University. "Brian brings a wealth of experience that will benefit the growth of onMain.”

“We are excited to have Brian join the team,” said Joann Ringer, onMain board member and chief administrative officer at Premier Health. "His deep expertise in urban development right here in the city of Dayton will expand our ability to engage with and accelerate development opportunities."  

Heitkamp has extensive experience in economic development, financing and project structuring through 20 years at CityWide, working alongside LaChance who served as CityWide’s director of neighborhood development prior to joining Premier and then onMain. Heitkamp will serve jointly as CEO of onMain and UD's assistant vice president for real estate management. He will oversee UD’s complex real estate interests that include the Marriott at the University of Dayton, The Hub powered by PNC Bank at the Arcade, the Greater West Dayton Incubator, the new Brown Street medical building, and hundreds of houses in the student neighborhood.

“Brian will help the University manage our very diverse and growing portfolio of real estate interests," Horner said. "Many of our projects involve multiple partners, innovative development agreements and complex finance structures. Brian's broad CityWide experience will be extremely valuable to help the University manage these projects and pursue new opportunities."

Heitkamp, a 1999 UD finance graduate, joined CityWide in 2002 and was promoted to president in 2017 after serving as chief operating officer and vice president of economic development. As president of CityWide, he has overseen the organization's mission and strategy, economic development financing, real estate development, and the creation and implementation of comprehensive community development strategies and programs. 

Through his CityWide leadership, Heitkamp has been involved in development of onMain.

“As CityWide president, Brian has been a critical member of the extended team helping to advance onMain development, and in this new position we are able to bring him on board to champion the project from the inside,” said LaChance, onMain president and chief operating officer. 

Currently onMain continues to engage with developers and seek funding to help with infrastructure improvements and construction of the Think Dayton building, the first commercial building planned for the district. 

“As a UD graduate and through my work at CityWide, I already have a lot of experience and involvement in some of the transformative developments completed like the GE EPISCenter and Arcade projects, and I’m looking forward to being more intimately engaged with onMain and UD,” Heitkamp said.

“My hope is to continue to contribute to the advancement of the onMain development and University of Dayton while impacting and providing benefit to the local community.”

Heitkamp will join onMain and UD April 25. For more about onMain visit onmaindayton.com.

Original source can be found here.