< Previous40 JULY 2018 SI T E S E L E C T IO N Master sample Pull Quote, to use as a template.” — John Doe, vice president, Sample Company D A YT ON | INTELLIGENCE REPORT capabilities in fl exible electronics that have enabled acceleration of our manufacturing plans,” said Dr. Oxana Pantchenko, Profusa’s Wearables Technologies lead. Armor As AFRL’s Donna Lindner reported in June, “Transparent aluminum, a technology fi rst suggested in the science fi ction fi lm ‘Star Trek IV: Th e Voyage Home,’ is now a reality.” AFRL and the DoD-wide Manufacturing Science and Technology (DMS&T) program support the manufacturing of aluminum oxynitride products for a transparent ceramic armor that provides superior ballistic protection at less than half the weight and thickness of traditional glass laminates. ALON is a transparent ceramic material composed of aluminum, oxygen and nitrogen, formed into unique shapes and made transparent through the application of high temperature and pressure. Because of the support since 200, ALON windows have grown from a limited size of 2.8 sq. ft. to up to 8 sq. ft., now manufactured routinely by a small business, Surmet Corp. Transparent armor is currently used on U.S. Army Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters. ALON’s excellent durability and impact resistance have made it of interest to NASA for Cupola scratch pane windows on the International Space Station. As depicted in the “Star Trek” and “Jurassic World” movies, ALON also was used in creating windows in a giant aquarium as well as a protective bubble vehicle. “Obtaining eight square feet is an accomplishment that we have been working on for years, and [we] couldn’t have done it without funds from AFRL and DMS&T as well as other organizations,” said Richard Porter, manufacturing lead of the Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies Division, AFRL. “Manufacturing a larger window that is both lightweight and durable is an enormous enhancement in enabling the warfi ghter to fulfi ll the mission.” Th e next step? Make it curve. “Th is eff ort demonstrates that science fi ction can become reality thanks to science and engineering,” wrote Lindner. Missions Abroad A group of AFRL scientists and engineers, hosted by Dr. Ehud Galun of the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD), visited universities throughout Israel to learn about their technology focus areas and explore areas of common interest. Th ey learned about the technical advancements taking place within Israel and shared AFRL research activities and goals, with the objective of increasing S I T E S E L E C T I O N JULY 2018 41 collaborative opportunities and cooperative technology development with IMOD. According to AFRL Senior Scientist Dr. Ruth Pachter, the visit was an opportunity for researchers from the Air Force materials and manufacturing community to meet with some of the country’s most technologically- minded entrepreneurs. She and the team visited every major university in the country, meeting with leading researchers in the areas of optics, composites, metals, biotechnology, and other areas of interest to both the military and commercial sector. “Th ey are a small country that engages in three-legged collaborations among the military, academia and industry,” said Pachter. “Th ey have the highest number of per capita startups in the world, and they engage in very innovative work that couples research with application. It is a good incubator for technologies that can support our own eff orts.” Autonomous Technologies AFRL’s ARCNet portal launched in May. ARCNet is the Autonomy Research Collaboration Network, an electronic platform and business opportunity which facilitates collaborative R&D related to autonomous technologies for AFRL. ARCNet membership is open to academia, large and small businesses, start- ups and all of AFRL, and allows ARCNet to serve as a conduit for communication among potential research partners. “Th is platform creates a ‘new collaboration paradigm’ for autonomy technology development,” said Dr. Corey Schumacher, ARCNet Chief Technology Offi cer. “Th e consortium platform allows for a deeper dialogue between the government and potential performers on research projects, allowing the potential performers to participate in defi ning the requirements and execution strategy for a project.” ARCNet was established Feb. through a $19 million cooperative agreement between AFRL and the SPG Institute, a technology-driven Ohio nonprofi t organization. “Th e response from potential consortium members has been remarkable and refl ects the energy and diverse knowledge base around Members of the Metro Early College High School’s The Metrobots work on their machine in the team’s pit area on the fl oor of the Nutter Center, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, March 8, 2019, between qualifi cation matches of the FIRST Robotics Competition Miami Valley Regional competition. U.S. Air Force photo by R.J. Oriez courtesy of DVIDSMaster sample Pull Quote, to use as a template.” — John Doe, vice president, Sample Company D A YT ON | INTELLIGENCE REPORT DID YOU KNOW?DAYTON TRENDS in 1970 , Ohio released a new type of music thus giving Dayton the claim to funk fame. Ohio’s Miami Valley region has of paved, multi-use recreational trails stretching across county lines, schools, parks, historic landmarks and area attractions. over 340 miles Standing at 408 feet, the Kettering Tower is the tallest building in Dayton. 305 ft. Statue of Liberty S I T E S E L E C T I O N JULY 2018 43 D A YT ON | INTELLIGENCE REPORT autonomy technologies,” said Schumacher. Gaming and Education AFRL’s Gaming Research Integration for Learning Laboratory (GRILL) celebrated not only its new location, but also a new partnership with the Dayton Regional STEM School (DRSS) in a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 7. Th e GRILL’s new space is part of the local STEM school’s 30,000-sq.-ft. expansion, which also includes fi ve classrooms, a science laboratory, an assembly space and the Vectren Innovation Laboratory. Th e new GRILL space, which consists of a parachute simulator, 3-D printers and a host of computer stations, is one of the few Air Force labs now located inside a public school. Th e total expansion will allow the school to grow the student population by 20 percent by 2025. “Th is is the culmination of work to develop a collaborative DRSS GRILL space, funded by the State of Ohio as well as the school,” said Dr. Winston “Wink” Bennett, the Readiness Product Line lead for AFRL’s 711th Human Performance Wing. “Th e goal was to graduate the GRILL from the technology incubator at its former location (Tec^Edge) to a full-fl edged gaming, modeling and simulation- based research and development space — one that also supports STEM development with the school and larger community.” Maj. Gen. William T. Cooley, Air Force Research Laboratory Commander —U.S. Air Force photo by Wesley Farnsworth44 JULY 2018 SI T E S E L E C T IO N D A YT ON | INTELLIGENCE REPORTD A YT ON | INTELLIGENCE REPORTD A YT ON | INTELLIGENCE REPORTD A YT ON | INTELLIGENCE REPORTD A YT ON | INTELLIGENCE REPORT Dayton has 17 Opportunity Zones. That’s a prime number. The Opportunity Zone Program enacted as part of the 2017 federal tax reform aims to drive investment in rural and low-income urban communities that have struggled to recover post-recession. Among the incentives for investing: A temporary deferral of taxable income for capital gains reinvested into an Opportunity Fund; a step-up in basis for capital gains reinvested in an Opportunity Fund; and a permanent exclusion from taxable income of post-income appreciation from the sale or exchange of an investment in an Opportunity Fund if the investment is held for at least 10 years (limited to 2047). Dayton has 17 census tracts designated as Opportunity Zones, distributed across eight distinct geographies, each with its own compelling value proposition. “We feel like the City has a very robust development toolbox and are glad that we can add the Opportunity Zone program to it,” says Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein. After all, investments already are catalyzing the reactivation of 3 million sq. ft. of former offi ce buildings, half of them with historic designations. What’s more, downtown will become the largest historic district in the state in 2019, providing the opportunity for hundreds of thousands of square feet of underutilized space to access state and federal Historic Tax Credits for their repositioning. OZs simply paint another attractive layer into the picture. “We’ve had several successful conversations as a result of our OZ investment prospectus,” says Dickstein. Th e following are “Opportunities” highlights from the eight geographies described in the city’s prospectus: Downtown: Arts & Innovation • Several legacy towers remain under-utilized downtown, each poised for redevelopment into residential, commercial, retail, hotel or restaurant space. Once offi cial, the pending historic designation will make 95 Opportunity Zones Land of OZ(s) Northwest Industrial Park Northwest Dayton West Springfi eld St. Corridor Northeast North of Downtown South of Downtown Downtown S I T E S E L E C T I O N JULY 2018 45 D A YT ON | INTELLIGENCE REPORT more structures eligible for project fi nancing incentives. • Invest near the historic Dayton Arcade, whose $95 million transformative reuse will catalyze further development south of Th ird Street. Th e fi rst phase of restoration of the iconic 9-building Arcade complex is underway, scheduled to reopen in 2020 as the hub for the emerging downtown innovation ecosystem. A 90,000 square foot innovation hub will be anchored by the University of Dayton and Th e Entrepreneurs Center. • Invest in a downtown startup in the healthcare or aerospace fi eld, with industry partners and workforce close at hand. • Invest in bringing new amenities to downtown’s many visitors. Dayton West: Opportunities in Motion • Part of the Dayton West area has been designated for a HUD Choice Communities Planning Grant, with an Implementation Grant application to follow. Dayton’s Choice Neighborhood Plan is the result of a two- year community engagement process in which residents designed a plan to improve the Miami Chapel community. Over $1 million is currently being invested to improve neighborhood infrastructure and transportation access, while the plan’s most ambitious goals are to replace antiquated public housing with 250 units of aff ordable, mixed-income housing in this revitalized community two miles west of Dayton’s thriving downtown. • Th e Wright Factory site has been acquired by the City of Dayton to facilitate catalytic redevelopment. Th is historic project encompasses 52 acres and will include a new $10 million branch library. In partnership with the National Aviation Heritage Alliance, which plans to contribute $1 million to restoration of the original factory buildings into a museum, the new development sets the stage for reimagining the site as an educational and entrepreneurial campus.46 JULY 2018 SI T E S E L E C T IO N D A YT ON | INTELLIGENCE REPORT Northwest: Architecture & Opportunity • Th e Omega Community Development Corporation is raising funds to build “Th e Hope Center,” a community health, education and workforce development facility. • Th e site of the former Good Samaritan Hospital, closed in 2018, presents a unique redevelopment opportunity for commercial, medical, residential or mixed use on a large site just 1.5 miles from downtown. South of Downtown: Imagination District • Th e 38-acre former Fairgrounds property, owned by a partnership between the University of Dayton and Premier Health, is envisioned as a mixed-use, technology- oriented hub called OnMain. Th e current vision includes up to 1,200 new mixed- income residential units; additional commercial, retail and recreational space; urban agriculture infrastructure on building rooftops; 2,000 additional structure parking spaces; an autonomous shuttle; and repurposing the historic roundhouse to preserve an important part of the city’s history. • Additional development-ready property lies adjacent to the Fairgrounds site. • Invest in student amenities near campus, or housing for medical staff . • Invest in a startup that leverages the research strength of nearby institutions. Springfi eld Street Corridor: The Aerospace Hub • Th e Springfi eld Street corridor is Dayton’s gateway between the Downtown Innovation District and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and includes a substantial cluster of advanced manufacturing technology companies. Springfi eld Street is slated for a $ million infrastructure rehabilitation project. • Th e Corridor has many underutilized buildings that can be repurposed into manufacturing, distribution, or research facilities. • Redevelopment in several of the corridor’s rising neighborhoods could include opportunities for residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects. • Invest in a growing high-tech fi rm with positioning for major Air Force contracts. Northeast: Old North Dayton • Children’s Hospital recently completed new $150 million patient tower. Historic McCook Field, once home to the precursor to Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, is now home to approximately 10,000 jobs in advanced manufacturing. • Invest in an advanced manufacturing business to facilitate growth, benefi t from economies of scale and gain access to signifi cant logistics infrastructure. • Much of the Northeast Zone is overlaid with a Community Reinvestment Area, off ering a potential property tax abatement in addition to Opportunity Zone incentives. • Invest in an immigrant-owned small business to capitalize on market density while building on the cultural vibrancy of the district. Th e share of immigrants living in the DaVinci/Northeast Opportunity Zone is more than fi ve times as high as in the broader region. Many of these immigrants have started businesses in the area. North of Downtown: Culture and History • Home to the Dayton Art Institute, historic neighborhoods and some of the city’s most well known festivals, the area now has enhanced transportation options, with a completed phase 1A of the I-75 rebuild, the rebuild of the West First Street Bridge, and the $ million Helena Street Bridge reconstruction fi nished in 2017. • North Main St. and Salem Ave. feature signifi cant underutilized assets that are uniquely positioned for investment immediately across the river from downtown. • Northwest Industrial Park: Regional Logistics Hub • Northwest Industrial Park is one of the last greenfi eld development sites left for large- scale manufacturing in Dayton, with over 200 acres of farmland available, and utility access that includes a massive 40MW electric transmission line owned by Dayton Power & Light. o Th e area is bisected by Route 49, giving companies in this zone fast and easy access to both I-75 to the east and I-70 to the north, as well as the Dayton International Airport. 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