Dayton Lists Former Diner for Auction
The city is auctioning the 1988 downtown diner at a $5,000 starting price to clear the site for a planned police station.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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The City of Dayton has listed the former diner on South St. Clair Street for online auction with a $5,000 starting price, and nine bids were placed early Thursday, November 5. The online auction closes at 4 p.m. November 30.
Why it matters
The city bought the diner property and an adjacent property in 2025 for $1.4 million, and the diner sits on the permanent location of a planned Dayton Police Central District station. City Manager Shelley Dickstein has said the police station site will not be ready until early 2029.
The auction is open with nine bids recorded, and the buyer must remove the diner through a licensed, insured transportation company within 10 business days. Items left after removal incur a $10 per day storage fee, and the final sale price remains undetermined until the auction closes.
The players
City of Dayton
Dayton is a city in Ohio that owns the diner property and is conducting the auction.
Shelley Dickstein
Shelley Dickstein is the City Manager of Dayton who has stated the police station site will not be ready until early 2029.
The details
The diner, moved to Dayton and the downtown site in 1988 after being manufactured as a prefabricated roadside diner, must be relocated by the buyer, who handles all packing, loading and transportation with no city assistance. The May 2025 Dayton City Commission vote of 4-to-1 authorized the $1.4 million purchase of the former night club and power house properties.
Timeline
1988: The diner was moved to Dayton and the downtown site.
May 2025: The City Commission voted 4-to-1 to buy the properties for $1.4 million.
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026: Nine bids were placed early in the day.
Nov. 30, 2026, 4 p.m.: The online auction closes.
Legal Context
The city's downtown acquisition follows the May 2025 Commission vote of 4-to-1 to buy the former night club and power house properties for $1.4 million. Clearing the diner from the site is the step that lets the planned Dayton Police Central District station move toward construction.
Residents near South St. Clair Street should expect the diner's removal and the downtown site work to continue as the city prepares the land for a new police station. The city's timeline points to the station site not being ready until early 2029.
The takeaway
Anyone interested in the diner must plan a move within 10 business days of winning, with licensed transport and no city help. The auction is a practical signal that the downtown police station project is moving toward its site-clearing phase.
What happens next
The online diner auction closes at 4 p.m. on November 30, 2026, and the winning buyer must then remove the diner within 10 business days.
Further reading
Explore more Dayton law enforcement coverage to see how the city is planning its new police facilities.
More information
View the full terms and bid activity on the City of Dayton diner auction listing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dayton Daily News.
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