Dayton finalizing construction in downtown ahead of NATO
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Dayton is almost ready to host delegates for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, but the city still has some items to check off its list before that happens.
Some residents may question why Dayton has been hard at work on recent construction projects. Officials say a lot of the construction was already on the calendar, but with a big week ahead, priorities were rearranged to get it done faster.
'A lot of the beautification stuff that we've done was already planned work,' said David Escobar, Dayton city engineer. 'We just sped it up.'
LIST: What is closing in Dayton during the NATO Assembly?
A lot of the work is focused on the downtown area, including updating lighting, streets and landscaping.
'The lighting, the street trees and landscaping and concrete work,' said Escobar. 'We've painted poles, we've done some patching, some pressure washing, just some cleanup stuff to kind of beautify some things.'
That downtown area also happens to be where the NATO Village will be. Security will be stricter during the summit to ensure safety of the international visitors.
With the influx of people, city leaders have also added antennas for increased cell coverage.
Everything the city is doing now, had to be done, all in preparation for the world stage.
'Make sure we've got everything done and buttoned up,' said Escobar. 'And we know that it's working and functional so that it can be cleaned, swept and ready to roll for the conference.'
NATO is coming to Dayton, here's what to know
The construction work isn't just to make the city look nice for international visitors — Escobar says the improvements are truly meant for residents to enjoy for years to come.
'It's infrastructure that will be in place for many years,' said David Escobar, Dayton city engineer.
A walkthrough is planned for this Friday. Officials say all construction should be clear by Monday or Tuesday at the latest.
NATO delegates arrive next week for the Parliamentary Assembly happening May 22-26.
Click here to learn more.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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