In the late 1940s, the original vision for the area that includes Welcome Park foresaw a 160-acre regional recreation attraction. Today the University of Dayton’s Arena and Dayton Public School’s Welcome Stadium share the space with baseball and football practice fields and the City’s Welcome Park. Located within the Carillon neighborhood, Welcome Park is accessible from I-75, close to Downtown, and adjacent to the Great Miami River Recreational Trail. Completing the vision for the Bike Yard at Welcome Park will add a modern mountain bike amenity to this regional recreation space.

In 2018, the City of Dayton began incremental improvements to the park to ensure Welcome Park remains a neighborhood amenity while supporting the park’s transformation into a biking attraction that serves the region. The City of Dayton replaced and restored the basketball courts and playground equipment, painted the park shelter, updated the bathrooms, and in 2019, installed the multi-use perimeter path. Investments continued in 2021 when the city opened the bicycle playground, the first biking amenity completed at the Bike Yard.

Also in 2021, the City of Dayton announced its commitment to completing the full Bike Yard vision, contributing $1.2 million in Community Development Block Grant funds to the project. By the winter of 2022, the Dayton Bike Yard will be a reality. A grand opening celebration is being planned for the spring of 2023. More details will be announced later this year.