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Business Development News Politics

Hamilton County leaders eye land banking as potential cure for area’s housing woes

Our nation’s housing crisis and subsequent economic recession has led to an enormous increase in housing vacancy, abandonment, and foreclosures across the country. Hamilton County is no exception; the crisis has left many in the region homeless and has put a fiscal burden on local governments across the region, leaving them with the multifaceted challenges associated with widespread vacancy.

In many cases, property vacancy creates a domino effect that leads to further desertion and vacant properties within a neighborhood. This not only results in less tax revenue for cities; vacant property can also lead to increased rates of crimes such as drug dealing, prostitution, and arson. Because vacant property damages are so extensive, it is becoming more and more important for a metropolitan area to have a mechanism in place to transfer vacant property to owners who can/will pay taxes and redevelop the property.

A land bank is a tool that is growing in popularity, and on Tuesday morning local governmental and nonprofit leaders met to discuss how a Hamilton County land bank should be formed, funded and operated.

In April, Ohio Sub House Bill 313 was passed, enabling Ohio counties to create a Land Bank/County Land Reutilization Corporation (CLRC). The purpose of the CLRC is to facilitate the acquisition, reclamation, rehabilitation, and reutilization of vacant, abandoned, tax-foreclosed, and other real property. While there are still many steps that need to be taken before the CLRC is fully functional, county officials are hoping to have the land bank chartered by the end of the year.

Although no specific funding decisions were made at the meeting, there are multiple ways the CLRC can be supported fiscally. For example, the treasurer could recapture penalties and interest on delinquent taxes and assessments on behalf of the CLRC, the group could generate revenue from the resale of rehabbed property, and/or the CLRC could be authorized to issue bonds, accept gifts, and apply for grants. The recently announced NSP3 dollars can also be used to acquire homes for the CLRC.

Not only will the land bank help to address vacancy problems regionally, it will also give local CDCs and nonprofits a chance to obtain blighted property before private out-of-town investors. With a broad jurisdiction, the CLRC will be able to acquire both mortgage foreclosed and tax foreclosed properties. Moreover, the legislation allows land banks to waive delinquent taxes owed in order to clear the title on the property. This tax abatement component is crucial because often the taxes owed on abandoned property are more than the property’s actual market value.

At Tuesday’s meeting, there was a clear consensus that the land bank not just be a pilot program, but instead be a comprehensive and wide-ranging tool that helps to alleviate one of our region’s most pressing problems.

“The Board of County Commissioners want to ensure that the way this is set up is consistent with the community’s vision,” Assistant Hamilton County Administrator Jeffery Aluotto stated on Tuesday. “Land banking holds a great deal of promise as a means of addressing the increase in vacant housing stock we have seen since the recession, and the direct impacts that those vacancies have on the quality of life and economic vitality of our communities.”

With successes in Cuyahoga County and Gennessee County, Michigan, local leaders have high hopes for the potential impact that the CLRC can have on our region.

UrbanCincy will continue to follow this story as it progresses in the coming months.

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Business News

UrbanCincy programming note for rest of 2010

For nearly three-and-a-half years I have worked to grow UrbanCincy while also growing myself both professionally and personally. Early rants have turned into breaking news and what I hope is unique insight about Cincinnati’s urban core. Over that time there have been other changes including the site’s contributing members, the amount and quality of content, and the location in which I have run things.

Since June 2009 I have been living full-time in Atlanta where my full-time job is also located. This lesser known fact was not meant to be secretive, nor was it meant to be advertised. It simply was what it was.

Now, however, another change will be taking place. Over the next two months I will be living and working in Seoul, South Korea full-time. This new job assignment will keep me extraordinarily busy between now and mid-December, and will also keep me away from UrbanCincy to a certain degree. Fear not, as UrbanCincy’s contributing members have been rallied and intend on keeping the site active and interesting during this time.

During this time I hope to occasionally poke my head in and share some profound wisdom, or simply share something interesting from my urban experience in Seoul and elsewhere.

This news does not mean I will be completely absent from the site and its material, but it will mean the amount of content may decrease over the next two months. The whole point of writing this piece is to let you know that there is nothing to be concerned about as UrbanCincy will be back to its normal, and hopefully better, operations by the start of 2011. In the mean time enjoy the contributions from UrbanCincy’s highly capable team of writers and photographers.

Those needing to reach me should contact me by email at rsimes@gmail.com. For immediate needs please contact either contributing editor Travis Estell [travis.estell@urbancincy.com] or staff writer Jennifer Kessler [jenlkessler@gmail.com]. Thanks again for reading UrbanCincy and supporting Cincinnati. Cheers.

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Development News Politics

Cincinnati to host form-based code webinars at City Hall

Cincinnati leaders are hosting five webinars sponsored by PlaceMakers to give local residents a chance to learn more about the implementation of form-based codes. The sessions are intended to compliment the city’s ongoing effort at developing a form-based code.

According to Vice Mayor Qualls’ office, the webinars will take place on the third Thursday of each month starting October 21, 2010 and running through February 17, 2011. Each training opportunity will have its own unique focus led by specialists in that area.

On October 21, Ken Groves and Chad Emerson will look at the Montgomery case study. Dan Slone will then discuss how to integrate a form-based code with an existing code on November 18. The webinar on December 16 will include a discussion about SmartCode calibration basics led by Susan Henderson. At the second-to-last webinar Galina Tachiva will look at how to repair sprawl development patterns, and the final event will look at the Miami case study with the help of Marina Khoury.

The 75-minute webinars will be held at 2pm at City Hall (map). Those interested in attending the free sessions are asked to contact Jennifer O’Donnel at jennifer.o’donnell@cincinnati-oh.gov.  City Hall is accessible by Metro bus service (plan your trip), and free bicycle parking is available in the immediate surroundings.

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Business News

Cincinnati conducting public surveys about city’s business climate

City leaders are looking to gather public opinion about how Cincinnati performs economically. In two concurrent surveys the city is asking residents and business owners about the economic climate here, and what can be done to improve that climate.

The Cincinnati Business Survey takes approximately five to ten minutes and asks business owners and managers about the greatest challenges and opportunities presented to them by doing business in Cincinnati. The survey asks about everything from quality of life, education and recreational opportunities, workforce, and even the region’s transportation and utility infrastructure.

The Cincinnati Community Survey, meanwhile, is open to all residents in the Cincinnati area and takes roughly five minutes to complete. In this survey, respondents are asked about why they have chosen to live in the region, what its greatest assets are, and what are the greatest challenges facing the region as it moves forward.

Cincinnati’s interim economic development director, Patrick Ewing, says that the two surveys will remain open through Wednesday, October 13 and will help guide elements of the Economic Development section of Plan Cincinnati – the city’s new comprehensive plan.

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Business Development News Politics

A strategic residential plan for Cincinnati’s center city

There are increasingly fewer and fewer development sites remaining inside Cincinnati’s central business district. There are small surface lots scattered about the CBD, and some larger collections near City Hall and the Hamilton County Courthouse, but outside of that there is not much land left to be built upon.

This makes the things we do build on those sites even more important. The Banks seems like it will end up being successful in an urban design context, as well as an urban vibrancy context with its inclusion of so much residential in addition to office, retail and entertainment space. The recent Procter & Gamble daycare facility on Broadway Street, not so much.

What has long held back Cincinnati has not been a lack of tourists, commerce, or entertainment, but rather it has been the lack of a critical mass of residents. The lack of this critical mass is what has prevented the CBD from attracting everyday retailers, groceries, affordable dining, and later evening hours for all of the above.

According to a 2009 Downtown Cincinnati Inc. report, there are 9,000 residents living in the greater downtown area which primarily includes the CBD and Over-the-Rhine. According to the same DCI report, that number of downtown residents is expected to grow to 12,500 by 2012 largely in part to the opening of the initial phase of The Banks. Even while this growth is encouraging, if Cincinnati wants its center city to be truly vibrant around the clock, more needs to be done.

Cincinnati leaders should identify residential focus areas and work with developers on a comprehensive plan that would strategically place residents throughout the center city in the most economically feasible, and beneficial ways. Based on Cincinnati’s current central business district buildout, its surrounding neighborhoods, and potential opportunities I have developed a general plan for two residential focus areas for which Cincinnati leaders should develop.

Core High-Rise:
Within the CBD itself there are several real opportunities to not only add to the urban context, but its vibrancy. Surface lots at Fifth & Race, Seventh & Vine, Fourth & Plum, and Third & Race offer the greatest potential of them all. These sites could all potentially host high-rise residential living which could finally put Cincinnati’s center city over the top.

Affordable and successful residential high-rises can be done. Many cities around the country have experienced this first-hand. In Atlanta, 30- to 40-story residential towers have sprung up throughout Midtown and Buckhead like weeds, and were often built in an almost cookie cutter way that was sure to deliver profits for the developer. The same has happened in Charlotte, Miami, Austin, Portland, Seattle, Philadelphia, Denver, San Diego, Chicago, and elsewhere.

These efforts should not exist on their own, but rather also work with potential residential conversions of aging office structures nearby. This will remove antiquated office space from the market, and add critical new housing opportunities within the center city.

Mid-Rise Community:
Another great opportunity for the CBD is a collection of low- to mid-rise residential structures near City Hall on approximately four city blocks of available surface parking lots. The area is bounded by Over-the-Rhine to the north, the Betts-Longworth Historic District to the west, Ninth Street Historic District to the south, and the Court Street district to the east. All of these surrounding areas are made up of three to five story structures which would make a three to five story residential community ideal in this area.

It would make sense to include townhouses/rowhouses along Ninth Street and Central Avenue to help create a natural blend with the surrounding areas, but also provide a greater mix of residential offerings. The rest of the residential focus area would be made up of multi-unit mid-rises similar to those being built at The Banks right now. This addition of residential activity would inject new life into arguably the most lifeless part of the CBD, and it would create a tangible connection from the CBD to Over-the-Rhine and the West End.

While not identified as a focus area due to its small size, the surface lots near Eighth & Sycamore should also be developed with a residential focus to compliment the burgeoning residential district there.

By developing a strategic approach for implementing new residential offerings in Cincinnati’s center city, city leaders and developers will be able to improve the area’s urban framework and its vitality.  New residents will demand new retail offerings that will benefit the thousands already living within the greater downtown area, and more residents will help drive existing businesses to maintain later hours to serve the growing residential base.

The buzz surrounding 21st century planning has often been about creating 24/7 urban communities where people live, work and play.  Cincinnati already has a great set-up for exactly that, its leaders and investors simply need to take advantage of those opportunities and position the center city for even greater success.