Dayton finalizes Artisan's Courtyard lease

DAYTON — Town Council has signed off on a lease agreement for an artisans courtyard facility that includes a profit-sharing component.

The deal calls for Dayton — as originally agreed — to lease the town-owned space to the Artisans Courtyard Volunteer Network for $1 annually for three years.

After that period expires, the property on Bowman Road would be offered to a private developer in exchange for a longer-term lease. The town and artisans network both could pocket a profit in that case.

Any potential revenue would be spread out like this: 50 percent of the surplus would go to the artisans network for its efforts to create a more marketable property; 25 percent would be distributed to the Arts & Business Connection of Dayton to fund education and beautification programs in town; and the town would get the remaining 25 percent.

The deal requires that before any surplus from a lease is disbursed, $60,000 must go back to the town. That’s to cover money Dayton already has invested to help start the artisans courtyard project.

The agreement also stipulates that the lease doesn’t necessarily go to the highest bidder. Council would have discretion in deciding to whom the space is leased.

“Nobody’s going to be putting an Exxon there, for example,” Town Attorney Jason Ham said. “The idea [is] that it’ll be something similar to what’s happening now.”

Council voted 5-0 this week to approve the lease agreement. Council members Steve Dean and Donna McCormick were absent.

Mark Frazier, organizer of the artisans network, lauded the profit-sharing plan as a model that other municipalities may follow.

“We think [this] will be a way for Dayton to show a path forward for a number of communities,” he said. “We’re going to go the extra mile to make this work.”

The artisans courtyard launched in late November at the site of a shuttered skate park at Cooks Creek Park. Dayton has agreed to provide landscaping services along with parking, signage and utilities during the initial three years of the lease.

Organizers envision the courtyard as an arts hub with workshops and seasonal events helping to attract more visitors to Dayton.