DAYTON, OHIO – Today, Congressman Mike Turner (OH-10) joined local and state leaders in the Miami Valley for a press conference announcing an agreement between Synergy and the Department of the Air Force to enter into a 50-year Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) to develop approximately 43.5 acres of land at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to build the Convergence Research Center, which once operational will be where industry, academia and government stakeholders can collaborate to make innovation happen.
Congressman Turner was joined by representatives from the State of Ohio, Wright-Patt, Synergy, JobsOhio, and the Dayton Development Coalition (DDC) to commemorate the establishment of the Dayton Region’s first EUL. The formal agreement was signed December 6, 2024.
“This is an expansion of that vision, where everything comes together, where our work to grow jobs inside the fence at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, our work to grow jobs outside the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in the commercial sector and the academic sector all marry together,” said Congressman Turner. “We included the net goal of growing jobs in the commercial sector, jobs outside the fence at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and including growing our academic community, our commercial community, so they could be geared and targeted toward opportunities at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.”
“We're here today to celebrate a transformational partnership between the Department of the Air Force and Synergy Development and to share what it means not just for our region, but for our country,” said Jeff Hoagland, President & CEO, Dayton Development Coalition.
“It's going to be a place where industry, academia and government and innovation can happen,” said J.P. Nauseef, President & CEO, JobsOhio. “Looking into the future, we know one of the many places that Ohio is going to be successful.”
“I do think this is a true win-win partnership,” said Col. Dustin Richards, Commander, 88th Air Base Wing. “Synergy is going to have this opportunity to develop the space and build something that's going to be really new and amazing for the community, and we're going to be able to take full advantage of it from the installation. As has been mentioned, the population of Wright-Patt is growing, and in one area, we are not growing just to grow. We're growing because the capabilities and the activities that go on at Wright-Patterson are exactly what the nation needs in this time of great power competition.”
“Not only will this be one of our largest projects ever, this will be one of the largest commercial projects in the history of Dayton,” said Jerad Barnett, President & CEO, Synergy and Mills Development. “I really do have to pinch myself that we actually got this EUL signed. It's been a labor of love for so long.”
“That's one reason why we're here today, one reason why this project and the Enhanced Use Lease exist, and why it is so important not just to our community, not just Ohio, but to our nation, because truly, Ohio is the foundation of innovation in aerospace and defense,” said Joe Zeis, Senior Advisor for Aerospace and Defense, Governor Mike DeWine. “It's the Governor's vision that Ohio leads this nation into the aerospace age of the 21st century.”
Background:
An EUL is a lease agreement between the Air Force and public entities or private developers to create mutually beneficial commercial projects on non-excess, underutilized Air Force real property. In exchange for leasing property, the Air Force receives cash or a combination of cash and in-kind consideration, for no less than fair market value.
Under the terms of this agreement, Synergy will develop land on the base for commercial use, including constructing and managing eight office buildings which will be located outside the installation’s fence line.
This project will be one of the largest commercial projects in the history of Dayton, with an estimated cost of $250 million to build the Convergence Research Center.