When the $300,000 project is completed, it will be the first Buddhist temple in Kettering and one of two in the greater Dayton area.
"Kettering is a diverse community that welcomes new ideas and customs," said the city official, Terry Welker.
"The space was previously a multitenant unit. I'm not sure when construction will begin, but they've got the green light to go forward."
When the temple is completed, local followers of Shinnyo-en will no longer have to commute to Chicago to practice their faith.
"In the Dayton area, we have many people who have to travel to the Chicago temple," said Ryoko Hattori, an official from the Shinnyo-en temple in California.
"That's quite far away. It's a whole weekend trip to worship once a month because they can't do it more frequently. We wanted to provide a place for members in the Dayton area to worship — somewhere closer so they don't have to spend an entire weekend attending the service."
Dayton's first Buddhist community, based at the Gar Drolma Buddhist Center, 1329 Creighton Ave., was formed in 2003.