Movement. In Motion. Momentum----Transformation is Underway.
As I reflect on the past year in Uptown, I keep returning to one word: momentum. As President and CEO of Uptown Consortium, Inc. (UCI), I am amazed at the pace of Uptown Cincinnati’s transformation into a 21st-century urban district. I’m pleased to report that movement happened in all areas of our work in 2022. As the new year begins, I’d like to take the opportunity to highlight all the collective work that we accomplished together to accelerate job growth, expand economic opportunity, and create a livable community---setting the table for even more significant transformation and movement ahead in 2023.
Accelerating Growth with Progress in Catalytic Development Projects
Substantial progress was made during 2022 on development projects in the MLK and Reading Road Redevelopment area within the Cincinnati Innovation District.
Stepping Closer to a World-Class Innovation District: Digital Futures Officially Opens
The University of Cincinnati Digital Futures building, the centerpiece of the $200 million Digital Futures Complex, officially opened in September. The Cincinnati region is one step closer to creating a world-class innovation district in Uptown. Terrex Development & Construction and Messer Construction developed the mixed-use project. UCI provided New Market Tax Credits to help make this project a reality.
Completing Office Building Two in the Digital Futures Complex
Demonstrating continued confidence in the Uptown market, Office Building Two in the Digital Futures Complex was completed in 2022, the building offers 180,000 square feet for companies to locate. Overall, the Digital Futures Complex is a three-phase project consisting of office, hotel, retail and residential developments. The Complex will include 520,000 square feet of office space and 1,800 parking spaces.
Improving a Key Location: Demolition of the Southwest Quadrant
The next phase of the vision for the MLK and Reading Road Redevelopment area is officially in-progress. Demolition of the southwest quadrant began in early October and was completed in December, significantly improving the appearance and marketability of an important location. UCI received funding from JobsOhio to cover the cost of demolition, the removal of all paved areas and the grading of the site.
And More in 2022…
UCI was awarded $45 million in New Market Tax Credits (NMTC), which we will use to spur development in Uptown. NMTCs are an immensely valuable tool that continues to advance UCI’s mission to revitalize Uptown. A key priority of 2023 will focus on determining which projects in our pipeline can move forward using NMTCs. This includes catalytic projects that can impact Uptown most by creating jobs and providing services to the community.
UCI signed a deal with Steiner & Associates for the Burnet Avenue Redevelopment. The multi-phase plan calls for a mix of residential and appropriately scaled retail/commercial uses.
UCI advanced the creation and development of the Innovation Greenway by taking the first step in schematic design. The greenway will encompass public roadways, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, water features, a promenade and an event lawn.
The work is never complete in Uptown, and we will continue to move forward on many of these development projects; subscribe to our newsletter to follow the action in 2023.
Advancing Inclusive Innovation
Ensuring that all members of our community benefit from the revitalization of Uptown Cincinnati has always been central to UCI’s mission. I’m pleased to report that our inclusion work continued in 2022.
As mentioned above, the demolition of the southwest quadrant happened late last year. Battle Axe Construction, a Black-owned demolition contractor, handled this phase of the site clearance—and they have been involved with demolition in the area since 2015. Battle Axe is a minority business enterprise (MBE) success story in Uptown. In 2015, UCI tapped WEB Ventures, LLC, strategic management, diversity and inclusion consultants to proactively ensure that minority contractors and existing residents benefit and grow with the new development. The relationship between Battle Axe, WEB and UCI has helped the company grow to increase its capacity and capabilities to seek out other demolition projects---they managed the entire southwest quadrant site clearance, which is a huge accomplishment for them—and one we are incredibly proud of. UCI continues to partner with WEB to meet inclusion goals and the partnership will continue in 2023.
Additionally, in collaboration with the Avondale Development Corporation and the University of Cincinnati, we kicked off the Avondale Digital Inclusion Project to assess digital access, needs and resources in Avondale. Recognizing the importance of digital inclusion, the project focuses on identifying how to connect Avondale residents to reliable internet, devices, technical support and training. In late 2022, we shared the final report of the efforts to date—data gathering and developing a preliminary strategy to address current digital barriers. In 2023, work continues to create short-term and long-term digital inclusion strategies. More specifically, the group is engaging with key stakeholders to launch a digital skills training program.
Building a Livable Community
UCI led and supported projects and initiatives to create a safe, livable, connected urban experience in 2022. This work included many projects and here are a few key initiatives.
Convening Conversations and Identifying Solutions for MLK and Reading Road
Throughout 2022, UCI focused on mobility solutions, transportation connectivity and access possibilities for MLK and Reading Road intersection. We led and supported discussions and walkabouts to meet the needs of all users, whether they walk, bike, drive or use public transportation. UCI convened a design charette with key stakeholders to discuss and map solutions at this critical intersection and the surrounding subarea. In addition, UCI and Metro completed an Uptown Mobility Roadmap, a strategic look at mobility to support continued growth and livability, emphasizing enhanced public transit services in Uptown. We are engaged in many conversations to create a fully connected district that caters to the needs and mobility of residents, employees and visitors, with an eye on positioning for next-generation transportation technologies and innovative solutions in 2023 and beyond.
Wayfinding Signage: Creating a Safe and Unified Sense of Place in Uptown
The need for unified wayfinding signage to give visitors, employees and residents a sense of arrival coming off the I-71 intersection and provide continuity as they travel through the Uptown area is needed now more than ever. A large part of the solution, and one that we have been focused on, is a comprehensive signage, wayfinding and identification system for the MLK and Reading redevelopment area, resulting in a graphically unified family of directional, contextual and identification signs across a range of signage mediums. UCI has and will continue to advocate for unified wayfinding signage to ensure successful integrations and cohesive navigation within the district.
Highlighting our Other Successes
We experienced many other milestones and successes throughout 2022, including our work featured in the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) as a best practice. We were proud to be recognized in the dotCOMM Awards competition honoring excellence in web creativity and digital communication. The Ohio Economic Development Association named UCI a runner-up in the Excellence in Workforce Development award and Excellence in Marketing & Communications award.
We completed engagement with our 2nd Talent Kitchen Cabinet cohort. We continued our virtual Uptown Insights series centered on hot topics with Uptown’s stakeholders, including A Look at the Area’s Desirable Housing Market and A Critically Important Connection of the CROWN Trail Network. Through video, we featured small businesses throughout the year, such as on Small Business Saturday and during Black History Month. UCI also upgraded its website to include a new and interactive Mapbox Tool.
We launched Uptown Perks, a new way for Uptown employees at the anchor institutions to eat, drink, shop, exercise and have fun in Uptown. It is proving to be a win-win for everyone: businesses are growing and expanding with new customers and employees are experiencing everything Uptown has to offer.
While UCI played a part in each project, success and award highlighted here, none of them would have been possible without the partnerships between Uptown’s member institutions, community leaders, employees, residents and visitors to Uptown.
Looking Ahead at 2023
2022 was a year of working together to create a district incubating talent, continuing to attract innovative businesses and collaborating with the Uptown neighborhoods to support livability. The growth and success of Uptown have always been and will continue to be our mission moving forward into 2023, and we can’t wait to see the continued momentum this year. Thank you all.
Best wishes for a prosperous new year.
