TOWARD COLLECTIVE REDEVELOPMENT

BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OVER-THE-RHINE

JASMINE METCALF | GRIFFIN RITZE

Over-the-Rhine has been transformed since 2001 by economic
development oriented toward the middle class and the wealthy.

Confronted with a national recession, a countywide affordable

housing crisis and displacement spurred by redevelopment
in the West End, our city must decide whether Over-the-
Rhine should be an exclusive neighborhood for the few
or an equitable and desirable place that is open to all.

JASMINE METCALF | GRIFFIN RITZE

 PROFIT-DRIVEN DISPLACEMENT

POPULATION BY RACE After decades of divestment and population decline,

3CDC’s intervention in Over-the-Rhine following the
OVER-THE-RHINE 2001 riots exacerbated the displacement of black

“
working-class residents as market-rate housing
10,000 development raised property values and rents,
9,000
It sort of feels like you're being 8,000
attracting an influx of predominately white upper
middle class professionals to the neighborhood.
kicked out in some ways... 7,000
It feels like there are these 6,000

$1.4B
invisible forces that will force 5,000
4,000
my hand and make me move." 3,000
- Jai Washington 2,000
30 year resident of Over-the-Rhine 1,000 INVESTED BY
0 3CDC
1990 2000 2010 2014
(ACS) 2004-2018

Black White Total Other

2000

20%
2018
47%
73% REDUCTION OF
AFFORDABLE
HOUSING

2002 - 2015

76% 46%

SOCIAL CONTEXT
01 JASMINE METCALF | GRIFFIN RITZE
 DEVELOPMENT FOR PEOPLE NOT PROFIT

Providing an array of community services Providing greater access to goods and

that supports a diverse working class services to reduce families and individuals
population and grows with them true living cost burden

Supporting economic and social stability Creating a physical and social fabric that
in the neighborhood by connecting generates opportunities for residents.
households to paths toward homeownership

PRINCIPLES
02 JASMINE METCALF | GRIFFIN RITZE
 MAKING OVER-THE-RHINE AFFORDABLE

EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL PARTNERS

■ Commit to significantly expanding otr’s affordable housing
City of Cincinnati 3CDC
stock
■ Preserve or replace existing community resources Community Matters OTRC
■ Address community resource gaps (laundromat, daycare, etc) Model group Cornerstone

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
■ Holding community meetings and conducting surveys to asses
POLICY RECCOMENDATIONS
support for development projects
■ Meaningful deliberative role for working class residents on project ■ 2% Municipal Vacancy Tax
committees ■ Municipal Rent Control
■ City adopts Peaslee Equitable Development
Rubric for all municipally funded projects
COLLABORATIVE FUNDING
■ Leverage institutional access to funding resources through
partnerships toward common goals
■ Collaboration over competition POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES

CBDG LIHTC

SUPPORTIVE POLICY Cincinnati AHTF Econ. Dev. grants

Historic Tax Credits CRA Loans
■ Advocate for policies locally and regionally that support
affordable housing development and stabilize housing costs
■ Re-evaluate policies that have benefited market-rate
development over affordable housing
APPROACH
03 JASMINE METCALF | GRIFFIN RITZE
 PEASLEE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT RUBRIC
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
Market-rate only, no contribution made to
0 Affordable Housing Trust Fund
Market-rate only but includes significant
1 contribution to Affordable Housing Trust Fund
25% of units affordable at 60% AMI or less or
2 10% of units affordable at 30% AMI or less
25% of units affordable at 60% AMI or less
3 or 10% units affordable at 30% AMI or less
65% units affordable at 60% AMI or less
4 or 30% units
JOBS AND LABOR
Project offers no commitment to ethical labor
0 standards beyond basic applicable laws
Project abides by Wage Theft Ord. and meets
1 Ohio Prevailing Wage Responsibilities
Criteria 1 and all contractors meet city
2 Responsible Bidder requirements
Criteria 1 and owner/tenants pay a majority
3 of employees a living wage per the city
Criteria 1 and owner/tenants pay all
4 employees a living wage per the city
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COMMUNITY INPUT
Developer doesn't hold additional public
0 sessions beyond city requirements
Developer holds additional public input
1 sessions during evenings or weekends
Criteria 1 and an additional community
2 engagement survey
Criteria 1 and secures support from majority
3 of social service non-profits in area
Criteria 1 and low income residents hold
4 20% of positions on project's board
COMMUNITY FOOTPRINT
Project offers no plans to preserve or replace
0 existing community asset(s)
Project replaces/relocates assets of equal value
1 with community support (nearby location)
Project maintains asset in place at previous
2 levels of capacity, affordability and accessibility
Criteria 2 and project integrates existing
3 assets to enhance use and benefits
Criteria 3 and makes significant contribution to
4 support community development
APPROACH
JASMINE METCALF | GRIFFIN RITZE
 UTILIZING VACANT PROPERTY
FACTORS
By analyzing Over-the-Rhine’s existing affordable housing
■ VACANCY stock and factoring vacancy, density, the distribution
■ DENSITY of goods and services, and the neighborhood's transit
pedestrian shed into a suitability analysis we identified
■ GOODS & SERVICES
three opportunities zones, that could be developed in three
■ TRANSIT phases within our equitable development framework.
■ PEDESTRIAN SHED

LESS MORE
SUITABLE SUITABLE

PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3

OPPORTUNITY ZONE 1 OPPORTUNITY ZONE 2 OPPORTUNITY ZONE 3

SITE SELECTION
05 JASMINE METCALF | GRIFFIN RITZE
 INVENTORY RACE STREET CORRIDOR

■ FINDLAY PARK Anchored by Findlay Market, Opporunity Zone 1 is a pedestrian-

■ FINDLAY MARKET
friendly environment with convenient access to transit, basic
goods, and social services. These structures provide the
■ OUR DAILY BREAD backbone for a community centric development to thrive.
■ OTR SENIOR CENTER
It is advantageous that developable property in the area is held by
■ OTR REC CENTER so few firms, with nearly 50% of the total properties owned by
3CDC which has undertaken a new commitment to affordable
■ ELEMENTZ
housing in recent years.
■ ST. ANTHONY’S VILLAGE

■ MARY MAGDALEN HOUSE

■ MLK JR ACADEMY

■ CENTER FOR RESPITE CARE

VACANT PROPERTIES 12

VACANT UNITS (EST.) 64

COMMUNITY INSTITUTION RESIDENTIAL SQ. FOOTAGE 43K

20 VACANT PROPERTIES
SUITABILITY OF VACANT PARCEL
126 VACANT UNITS (EST.) RETAIL AND OFFICE SQ. FOOTAGE 17K
PLANNED DEVELOPMENT
$1.5 MILLION MARKET VALUE
PARK/PUBLIC SPACE COMMUNITY STAPLE SPACES 3
9 PROPERTIES OWNED BY 3CDC
OPPORTUNITY ZONE BOUNDARY
10 GOODS & SERVICES WITHIN

PHASE 1: OPPORTUNITY ZONE ONE

WALKING DISTANCE
BUS STOP/STREETCAR STOP

06 JASMINE METCALF | GRIFFIN RITZE

 SITE PLAN RACE STREET CORRIDOR

RESIDENTIAL

COMMUNITY STAPLE
MIXED-USE OFFICE / COMMERCIAL

MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL OFFICE

MULTIFAMILY

ACTIVATION SPACE

COMMUNITY STAPLE

SITE BOUNDARY

MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL MIXED-USE OFFICE

COFFEESHOP

COWORKING SPACE

OFFICE

PHASE 1: OPPORTUNITY ZONE ONE

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 CAFE/CO-WORKING PROGRAMMING
THIRD PLACE SETTING FOR RESIDENTS

WORKER CO-OP MODEL

MANAGED BY LOCAL CDC

2ND FLOOR NON-PROFIT OFFICE SPACE

PROFITS REINVESTED INTO FACILITY AND

OPERATIONS

There are dense pockets of vacant mixed-use residential/commerical properties located throughout OTR, but primarily in the northern quadrants where pedestrian traffic is
lower and some retail and commercial typologies may struggle to stay afloat. Some notable amenities that are missing include a laundromat, early education childcare,
and flexible work spaces with internet access and low-cost barriers. The longstanding lack of demand for retail and commercial space in the area points to an opportunity to
place amenities dictated by community needs over profit maximization.

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE SERVING LOCAL RESIDENTS

LEASED BY CDC & MANAGED BY SERVICE

PROVIDER

FLEXIBLE MODEL CAN BE REPLICATED AT OTHER

LOCATIONS IN NEIGHBORHOOD

PROVIDES A SPACE FOR COMMUNITY

CONNECTIONS TO BE MADE

INCREASES POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR

CHILDREN & FAMILIES
By placing residents near existing amenities and allocating resources needed within the community that help to lower cost-burdens for individuals and families we can
provide a physical environment that serves their needs and allocates space for residents to grow. By creating physical spaces that are flexible and in line with the communty's
needs we can provide opportunities for social networks and capital to build which could help propel resident upwards towards greater social mobility and a higher
quality of life. By promoting retail and commerical that not only serves the basic needs but feed into a cycle of empowerment, personal success, and relationship building
we can cultivate a community that grows together rather than apart.

PHASE 1: OPPORTUNITY ZONE ONE

08 JASMINE METCALF | GRIFFIN RITZE
 LAUNDROMAT PROGRAMMING
The lack of laundry access in Over-the-Rhine has been a perennial development concern raised by
tenants and advocates in the neighborhood. Large-scale redevelopment, tight profit margins and the
availability of on-site laundry machines in new market-ragte housing in the area have discouraged
the development of a commercial self-service laundromat in the neighborhood for the last fifteen
years. This doesn’t diminish the need for this service, but instead identifies market failure.

THIRD PLACE SETTING FOR RESIDENTS

WORKER CO-OP MODEL

MANAGED BY LOCAL CDC

2ND FLOOR NON-PROFIT OFFICE SPACE

PROFITS REINVESTED INTO FACILITY AND

OPERATIONS

PRECEDENT DEVELOPMENT SITE REQUIREMENTS

Founded in 2016 by the Price Hill based non-profit
organization Community Matters, Washing
Well has become a case study for community
development corporations throughout the
region in addressing laundry access.
The laundromat serves 600 households in Price
Hill and is managed and staffed by the non-profit
Community Matters who plan to transition the
facility into a worker-owned cooperative in the
next five years.
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A similar project along the Race Street Corridor ■ FIRST-FLOOR RETAIL / MIXED-USE
is possible with a tenant-operated model ■ MINIMUM 1,200 SQ FT
managed by a partnering non-profit organization
which would offer reduced rent in the building ■ HIGH-DENSITY LOCATION
in exchange for flexible part-time staffing and
upkeep of the laundry facility on the first floor. EST. PROJECT COST
■ ACQUISITION $0 - 75,000k
3CDC, Model Group, OTRCH and the Peaslee
Neighborhood Center have considered similar ■ RENOVATION $100,000k
prospects since 2005 as the neighborhood’s ■ EQUIPMENT $150,000k
population has grown considerably. A
collaboratively funded non-profit model can
make a difference in this case.
PHASE 1: OPPORTUNITY ZONE ONE
JASMINE METCALF | GRIFFIN RITZE
 OPPORTUNITY ZONE 2 OPPORTUNITY ZONE 3 FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
After completing the Race Street Corridor project in Phase 1, there
is potential for further affordable housing redevelopment north of
Liberty along Vine Sreet with plenty of developmental momentum
to close the affordable housing gap and introduce additional units
as the neighborhood grows which will benefit from the groundwork
set South of Findlay Market.

In the North-Eastern Corner of the neighborhood in Opportunity

Zone 2 there is an area which could provide paths toward
homeownership through a homesteading program or rent-to-own
program managed by a partnering CDC.

COMMUNITY INSTITUTION BUS STOP 1F RETAIL MIXED USE

SUITABILITY OF VACANT PARCEL 2F SF

APT 4-19 UNITS INFILL

PARK/PUBLIC SPACE

OPPORTUNITY ZONE BOUNDARY

PHASE 2-3: OPPORTUNITY ZONE 2 & 3

10 JASMINE METCALF | GRIFFIN RITZE
 CONCLUSION
Over-the-Rhine has the bones to provide
a resilient environment and community
for working class and low-income residents
by adapting development collaboratively in
in order to expand access to basic goods
and services, employment opportunities,
and promote economic stability within the
neighborhood through affordable housing and
home ownership programs directed toward
the neighborhood’s working class population.

The status quo of development in Over-the-

Rhine has been unable to provide affordable
housing for those who need it most and after
nearly 20 years of profit-driven development
our city has a historic opportunity to take a new
approach that will make Over-the-Rhine an
affordable and desirable place for all.

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