7 big area projects that opened or made major progress this summer

The Dayton area saw progress on multiple big projects this summer, from a new entertainment venue to one of the most unique aircraft hangars in all of Ohio.

Here’s a look at seven of them:

Levitt Pavilion

After a not-so-long wait, the Levitt Pavilion Dayton opened with a concert on Aug. 9. The new venue was built in less than a year on the former Dave Hall Plaza in Dayton as organizers saw the need to draw more people downtown with free concerts. Levitt Pavilion features a large lawn area for seating with blankets, lawn chairs or on the grass. A big difference from other concert venues is that you can bring your own food and drink, but no glass containers.

BrightFarms

BrightFarms in Wilmington celebrated its first harvest on Aug. 3 with an open house for local business and government leaders. The 120,000-square-foot Ohio Greenhouse grows spring mix greens for local distribution with energy and water saving techniques.

PHOTO GALLERY: BrightFarms Ohio Greenhouse harvests first hydroponic greens in Wilmington 

Air Force Centrifuge

A new, one-of-a-kind human centrifuge facility officially opened in August for the training of fighter pilots in the Air Force and other branches of the Defense Department at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine operates the g-force machine that assists fighter pilots in training for high-g combat maneuvers. The centrifuge is also equipped to for g-force research and is expected to have a service life on approximately 30 years.

Connor Hangar

The Connor Group in Miami Twp. has built a new hangar on the Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport for its flight department next to its corporate headquarters at the corner of Austin Boulevard and Springboro Pike. The glass-walled airplane hanger complements the highly designed steel exterior of the business office and added an eye-popping factor at the corner of the Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport.

PHOTO GALLERY: See why this huge local aircraft hangar is considered one of the most unique in Ohio

Montgomery County Fairgrounds

The new home of the Montgomery County Fair was officially opened in July in Jefferson Twp. Organizers of the Fair pulled off the development of the 65 acres in less than a year and watched the opening day attendance triple over last year’s number.

Cresco Labs

Cresco Labs Ohio in Yellow Springs is in the final construction stages of a 50,000-square-foot medical marijuana cultivation and processing facility located on the edge of town next to Antioch University Midwest. Cresco was the first marijuana processor in Ohio to break ground. The building is about half greenhouse and half processing facility.

PHOTO GALLERY: Aerial view of new medical marijuana facility 

Fuyao

Fuyao Glass America has completely filled the former GM truck plant with equipment and workers to manufacture more than eight million glass sets (windshields and windows) for cars and light trucks. The company recently announced that it will be building a new distribution center adjacent to the factory in Moraine.

PHOTO GALLERY: Companies struggle to find workers as job market tightens

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