Federal New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs) keep Uptown growing, adding retail, jobs, housing and healthcare to benefit Uptown residents and beyond. Every month in 2024, Uptown Consortium, Inc. (UCI) spotlights NMTC projects to recognize and celebrate two decades of impactful investments. This month, UCI is showcasing six healthcare projects that have leveraged NMTCs to deliver critical care to the Uptown and Greater Cincinnati community.
CCHMC Winslow Research Pavilion: $20M in NMTCs
The Winslow Research Pavilion will be a 45,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility that will include the health system’s Vaccine Research Center and the Discover Together Biobank. The research pavilion will be located at 2850 Winslow Avenue, near Interstate 71 in Uptown. Construction is underway, with completion expected by mid- to late 2025. Read more here.
Blood Cancer Healing Center: $8M in NMTCs
The Blood Cancer Healing Center opened in 2024. This 212,000-square-foot facility is dedicated to treating blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, including 30 inpatient beds, a dedicated unit for clinical trials, an outpatient clinic and an infusion clinic, and an Inpatient-Outpatient Unit (IPOP) for 24/7 symptom support, keeping immunocompromised cancer patients out of the Emergency Department. The facility will serve 22,000 patient visits annually and is expected to create 147 full-time permanent jobs by 2025.
UC Health Emergency Department Expansion: $10M in NMTCs
UC Health’s emergency department expansion opened in 2023 to enhance its capacity as the region's only Level I trauma center. The second-floor addition features a new flex intensive care unit and observation unit, part of a larger 41,000-square-foot expansion project. The expanded capacities will increase patient volumes by 10% to 15%, accommodating up to 90,000 patient visits annually. UC Health estimates only 17% of the patients who come through the emergency department are commercially insured, and over 50% of patients are low-income residents. Approximately 120 new full-time permanent jobs will be created and retained because of the project. 56 new full-time jobs have been created in the first six months since opening.
UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute: $20M in NMTCs
The University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute (UCGNI) opened in 2019. This 114,000-square-foot facility consolidated 14 specialty centers for neurological care, improving accessibility for patients with movement disorders. In 2023, UCGNI served 63,222 patients with 27% of those being low-income patients. 294 FTE construction jobs were created, and 1 new FTE job was created. Overall, UC Health, as an organization, has created 500 new FTE jobs (physicians and support staff) due to this financing.
Good Samaritan Neuroscience Hospital Center: $5M in NMTCs
The Good Samaritan Neuroscience Center opened in 2018, providing specialized neurologic services for brain and spine conditions, as well as stroke patients, focusing on low-income patients in the community. It has earned the Joint Commission's Gold Seal for Brain Tumor Certification. In 2023, the center saw over 2,400 patients (an increase of 96% since the NMTC investment), of which 24% were racial or ethnic minorities. It employed 64 full-time permanent jobs with a median, non-overtime salary of just under $96,000.
Group Health Associates Medical Office Building: $24M in NMTCs
TriHealth opened a 65,000-square-foot medical office building adjacent to Good Samaritan Hospital in 2011. This facility enhances community access to healthcare by offering primary care, pharmacy, imaging and specialty services. Several additional sites outside of Uptown were considered for the new facility. However, the NMTC financing support for the project made it possible for TriHealth to keep medical services in Uptown, ensuring better accessibility for Uptown residents.
The future of healthcare in Uptown
Beyond NMTC-funded projects, healthcare anchors like Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (CCHMC) and UC Health continue to expand their presence in Uptown. CCHMC recently acquired the Digital Futures II building in the Cincinnati Innovation District for non-medical research, and UC Health’s Cancer Institute has joined the National Cancer Institute’s Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN).
UCI is proud of the role NMTCs have played in making Uptown a leader in healthcare innovation. UCI’s two most recent NMTC investments include the Winslow Research Pavilion and the Blood Cancer Healing Center.
Check out UCI’s NMTC investments by visiting the NMTC page on UCI’s website and follow UCI on LinkedIn and Facebook.