Plans for a new microbrewery in Dayton are no longer on the table.

Announced in mid-October, brewer Michael Schuler was to add the city to the region's booming beer scene with a new spot at 509 Sixth Avenue. Schuler is active in the Cincinnati brewing community and cited Dayton's proximity to downtown as a reason for targeting the location. In an announcement from the City of Dayton on Friday, it was noted that Schuler bowed out of the project after deciding that now was "not the appropriate time to invest in his entrepreneurship".

The project was one targeted to benefit from Dayton's new economic development incentives through its Commercial Community Advantage Program (CCAP).

"This is a setback," City of Dayton Main Street Manager Anthony Cadle said in a news release. "We are not just losing a brewery, we are losing a decent brewer and business person and an attraction."

The CCAP aims to ignite interest in Dayton's historic business district. The Purple Poulet chicken restaurant and Kate's Catering are recent additions to the city's revitalization efforts. When the CCAP was announced, the community had a stale property market that had a commercial vacancy rate of 40 percent.

"Despite this loss of a brewery, Dayton is still doing well, and CCAP is working," Cadle said. "We have dropped the vacancy rate to below 30 percent, the Manhattan Harbor project is doing well and underway with a Berry Street connector and a community Pier in the works."

According to the last report, as presented to Dayton City Council, CCAP has recruited several businesses and has resulted in a total (private and public) investment of $250,652.19 into Dayton's Central Business District. As it stands, for every dollar spent from CCAP, $8.77 is returned to the community via private investment, a news release stated.

Though the current microbrewery project is no longer on the table, Cadle said that Dayton is actively planning for one down the road.

"All plans and conversations, regarding the success of Dayton's Sixth Avenue, includes an attraction that is a microbrewery," Cadle said. "Dayton is actively seeking a brewer/entrepreneur, and has several programs, locations, and resources that we believe will promote their success."

-Staff report

Photo: 509 6th Avenue (via Campbell Co. PVA)