Department of Community & Economic Development Annual Report 2016

ANNUAL 20 REPORT 16

I

Downtown Cincinnati and The Banks

MAYOR John Cranley CITY MANAGER Harry Black DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Oscar Bedolla

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COUNCIL MEMBERS Vice Mayor David Mann President Pro Tem Yvette Simpson Kevin Flynn Amy Murray Chris Seelbach P.G. Sittenfeld Christopher Smitherman Charlie Winburn Wendell Young

COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SENIOR STAFF Philip Denning James Flick Daniel Fortinberry Roy Hackworth Monica Hardman Greg Huth Clifton Pendergrass Megan Ryan Bob Schroer Aisha Tzillah

CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

4

MISSION

6

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

7

2016 AT A GLANCE

9

DIRECTOR’S OFFICE

10

CINCY POP SHOP SPOTLIGHT

15

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

17

CINTRIFUSE SPOTLIGHT

23

HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

26

PARKING FACILITIES

32

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION & FISCAL

34

MONITORING & COMPLIANCE

36

POLICY & COMMUNICATIONS

38

CONTACTS

40

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MESSAGE FROM

THE DIRECTOR OSCAR BEDOLLA Thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on the successful year the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) had in 2016. Building upon the momentum we experienced in 2015, we exceeded our expectations and goals with the help of the leadership of Mayor John Cranley, City Manager Harry Black, City Council, key stakeholders, and the hard work of our team.

As a department, we were busy in 2016, facilitating more than $440 million in total investment through 58 projects, which also resulted in the creation of 816 housing units. The City also created 2,347 jobs and retained an additional 1,840 jobs through housing and economic development projects, nearly 1,800 more than 2015. This further cements the notion that we are a City on the Rise.

The changes introduced to the organizational structure in 2015 allowed the department to EFFICIENTLY and EFFECTIVELY manage projects and provide transparency to both internal and external stakeholders. Our restructuring through the addition of the Major Projects Division and the Policy and Communications Division, in addition to the expanded role of the Monitoring and Compliance Division, has allowed us to: • Promote the DCED mission and advance policy initiatives.

• Increase our ability to facilitate intricate urban development projects.

• Create a more robust incentive monitoring system while increasing data oversight.

Since this was the inaugural year under the new structure, we determined that our charge should reflect the recent changes. Hence, the team developed a new mission: To facilitate strategic development and services within the Cincinnati community that improve the lives of residents, increase business investment, and revitalize City neighborhoods.

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MESSAGE FROM

THE DIRECTOR This mission represents not only what we do, but also what we are passionate about.

It is this passion and dedication that helped drive the success of the department over the past 12 months. The following report will discuss the many successes we had, the projects we helped facilitate, and what we hope to accomplish in 2017.

Last year showcased that Cincinnati is a city on the rise on several fronts. We are gaining the attention of outside investors, both foreign and domestic, who are investing in our real estate. We used our incentives strategically to help startups get up and running, assist small and medium sized businesses with expansion, and attract new companies to the city.

I am proud to lead a team whose hard work and dedication has contributed to the numerous accolades the City received across the spectrum, such as Christie’s International Real Estate naming the City as a “Top City to Watch in 2017” and Travel + Leisure calling Cincinnati a “Top Place to Visit in 2017.”

To continue this rise in 2017, we must continue to be proactive in identifying trends.

We must drive innovation to cater to the needs of the new economy. We must be strategic in our development to create vibrant and sustainable neighborhoods and utilize intelligence gained from expanded data collection. Finally, we must be transparent in our process and inclusive of small, minority-owned, and woman-owned businesses.

I look forward to the challenges and successes 2017 will bring and leading the Department of Community and Economic Development. Join me as we continue to #WatchCincyRise.

Oscar L. Bedolla

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MISSION Our mission is to facilitate strategic development and services within the Cincinnati community that IMPROVE the lives of residents, INCREASE business investment, & REVITALIZE city neighborhoods.

Smale Riverfront Park 6

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART Director’s Office

Parking Facilities

Major Projects

Economic Development

Business Administration & Fiscal

Housing & Community Development

Monitoring & Compliance

Policy & Communications

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52 NEIGHBORHOODS

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REVITALIZING COMMUNITIES 8

2016 AT A GLANCE

#WatchCincyRise

INCENTIVES

$447M+ TOTAL INVESTMENT IN CITY PROJECTS

INCENTIVES REVIEW

816

HOUSING UNITS CREATED

COMPLETED

1,840

2,347

JOBS RETAINED

JOBS CREATED

$ $

$

8:1

1,800

181

PRIVATE TO CITY INVESTMENT IN 2016

METER POLES LOWERED TO MEET ADA ACCESSIBILITY HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS

BUSINESS RETENTION VISITS (170% increase from 2015)

LAUNCH OF

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DIRECTOR’S OFFICE The Director’s Office oversees the seven

The final report measured the City’s

divisions that make up our department

competitiveness in both the region

including Economic Development,

and the nation by profiling our major

Major Projects, Housing and Community

incentive programs against peer cities. It

Development, Fiscal and Operations,

also made several recommendations on

Monitoring and Compliance, Policy and

how the City can improve development

Communications, and Parking Facilities.

efforts, which we began implementing

Together, the DCED team is highly

immediately. For example, we created a

focused and responsive to the needs of

more robust process in which we provide

constituents and implements policies that

detailed information to City Council and

are innovative, transparent, and maximize

the general public about our investment

efficiency.

decisions.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS Looking back on 2016, our department achieved several major accomplishments which include: Incentive Review From July 2015 to June 2016, DCED

Capitalizing on development momentum is a key goal of our department.

actively collaborated with HR&A, an industry-leading consulting firm whose core mission is to reinvent cities into

In addition to making changes to our

vibrant urban centers that offer jobs

incentive tools, we expanded the role of

and sustain a high quality of life for

our Monitoring and Compliance Division

diverse communities. The result of this

to facilitate a more rigorous monitoring

collaboration was a comprehensive

process that includes surveillance

review of the City’s incentive policies. The

reviews, and tracking the progress of

primary objectives of this review were to

commitments made by incentivized

evaluate the effectiveness of the City’s

businesses. Finally, we formed a Data

incentive offerings, assess the processes

Integrity Team (DIT), inclusive of

by which projects were evaluated, and

members of each division and led by

identify how the department’s toolkit can

a Data Integrity Manager. The DIT is

be enhanced to help maximize the City’s

tasked with streamlining data collection

return on investment.

and ensuring accuracy. All of this was done to improve our competitiveness, minimize risk, and maximize return on City investments.

10 10

Development Opportunity Solicitations

Monday initiative utilized social media to

Capitalizing on development momentum

market these opportunities in addition

is a key goal of our department. To

to our traditional marketing strategies.

ensure the City continues to perpetuate

This effort drew in both community and

growth, we must facilitate a development

developer interest as demonstrated by

process that is transparent and includes

the attendance of more than 80 people

community involvement. This past year

at the initial informational session. This

we did exactly that by releasing a new

informational session was designed

initiative that identifies development

to discuss the opportunities, create

opportunities on City-owned land that

transparency of information, explain

requires, as a part of the process, the

the process, and promote inclusion of

development community to engage

minority-owned and woman-owned

residents prior to developer solicitation.

businesses on development teams.

The goal is to establish a process that is transparent to residents and holds

In total, 14 letters of interest were

the City accountable for building

submitted for the two development

projects that reflect the interests of the

opportunities. We are currently working

community.

through the procurement process to screen the RFP responses. Upon completion, we will select preferred

We understand the need to build strong partnerships with fastgrowing cities so we can share best practices and leverage relationships to meet our growing needs.

applicants who will be advanced through a more rigorous selection process with a preferred developer anticipated to be selected by August 2017.

Moving forward, this coordinated release of opportunities is a tactic the department will employ, at least annually, to activate development throughout Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods.

The inaugural event occurred in 2016 on the Monday after Thanksgiving, commonly referred to as “Cyber Monday.”

The event was designed to showcase the release of community development opportunities in the City of Cincinnati. The two development opportunities released were the Shillito’s West building and the Ninth and Plum Streets redevelopment site. Both properties have been underutilized for decades. Our Cyber

Economic Development Incentives Consortium As our department continues to identify innovative solutions to grow our local economy, we understand the need to build strong partnerships with fastgrowing cities so we can share best practices and leverage relationships to meet our growing needs. To that end, we recently partnered with the City of Kansas City, Missouri, which is currently in the process of conducting a 11

DIRECTOR’S OFFICE comprehensive historic review of their

(cont.)

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2017

past use of incentives, like the work we did with HR&A, as noted previously.

Building Diversity and Capacity

Together, we created an Economic

As Cincinnati continues to develop,

Development Incentives Consortium to

advancing diversity is a priority. By

broaden our collective understanding of

developing targeted policies and

the long-term impacts of these tools and

programs to promote diversity, we will

accelerate identification of policy and

ensure that “a rising tide lifts all boats.”

process improvements to the benefit of our communities.

To this end, we have created strategic initiatives that provide transparency and

To kick off this initiative, we brought

build capacity.

together economic development professionals from multiple cities to

Advancing Diversity in Development

discuss steps each has taken to improve

The Advancing Diversity in Development

economic incentive policies. Participants

program provides training and

included leaders from:

informational seminars to help individuals

• Baltimore, Maryland

learn about the tools and investment

• Atlanta, Georgia

resources that are available to them so

• Portland, Oregon

that they may successfully engage with

• St. Louis, Missouri

City and City-supported projects of all

• New Orleans, Louisiana

sizes and types. This program has been

• Tulsa, Oklahoma

successful in the past, and, looking ahead

• Columbus, Ohio

to 2017, we will build on this workshop by

• Chicago, Illinois

hosting additional informational sessions designed to educate minority-owned

This ongoing effort will enable us to share

and woman-owned businesses about

and evaluate best practices on how to use

opportunities for project participation and

incentives to promote greater economic

access to funding.

equality, and to benefit lower-income residents and neighborhoods.

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Aging in Place

Through our collective work, we

As the city’s population grows and ages,

will develop a city that provides the

we need to make strategic investments

necessary amenities, housing, and

now that will allow us to tend to the

infrastructure to retain and grow the

needs of the population of all our 52

population and allow all residents to age

neighborhoods in the future. DCED can

in place.

help promote those “aging in place” investments in several different ways,

Foreign Direct Investment Strategy

including changing our community

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an

reinvestment area tax incentive language

important tool we identified to attract

to help shape the types of projects

investment while thinking about

being built. One example of this is our

innovative ways to perpetuate economic

grocery incentives policy that encourages

development. Given the political

new fresh foods markets to open in

uncertainty in today’s world, this topic

neighborhoods lacking this important

has a broad appeal from real estate

amenity. Investments like this will ensure

developers and legal professionals to

that our city residents can live in their

investment bankers and policymakers.

own community safely, independently,

With the recent immigration changes

and comfortably regardless of the stage

and anticipated amendments to tax and

of life.

regulatory reform, it is important that we develop strategies that address the

The department is actively working on

changing political framework.

these aging-in-place issues with various partners, including People Working

In 2017, we will host a FDI symposium

Cooperatively, Cincinnati City Council

with leaders from REDI Cincinnati,

Member P.G. Sittenfeld’s office, the

SelectUSA, Cleveland International Fund,

City of Cincinnati Office of Data and

KPMG, World Trade Center of Kentucky,

Performance and Analytics, and others.

and many more. This symposium will

Downtown Cincinnati and The Banks

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DIRECTOR’S OFFICE

(cont.)

focus on how we can grow our regional

Cincinnati Area Geographic Information

economy (in turn growing our local

System (CAGIS) to create a “Momentum

economy) through leveraging FDI to build

Map.” This map is expected to launch in

infrastructure and real estate projects,

spring 2017 and includes activity in all

and attracting foreign companies

sectors of the Central Business District,

to improve our manufacturing and

including retail, office, residential, parking,

workforce sectors. The information

etc.

collected from the symposium will serve as the foundation for a robust strategy

We will gradually build upon the

that outlines the different forms of FDI

functionality of this map based on

and resources available to help Cincinnati

public feedback and input from key

court international investment.

stakeholders, including expanding the scope to be inclusive of all 52 of Cincinnati’s neighborhoods.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an important tool we identified to attract investment while thinking about innovative ways to perpetuate economic development.

‘Why I Love Cincinnati!’

To increase the awareness of the many great things happening throughout Cincinnati, DCED is embarking on a video marketing campaign designed to highlight the people and places that make this a great place to live and work.

The first is “Why I Love Cincy!” and will be an effort between the department and several local partners where we will

Momentum Map

ask people to submit videos explaining

Downtown Cincinnati is flush with

why they love Cincinnati. We will also

development activity and has been

feature various Cincinnati neighborhoods

for some time. Since 2013 alone, our

throughout the year in videos that

department has helped facilitate $672

showcase the unique charm that flows

million in investment in completed

throughout the city.

projects, with hundreds of millions of dollars more on the horizon. There is so much activity that we wanted to create an interactive tool to showcase this to developers and investors looking to invest in the urban core. Therefore, 14 14

our department began working with

SPOTLIGHT CINCY POP SHOP Following the release of the Downtown

for eligible merchandising materials, in

Retail Action Plan in June 2016, DCED

addition to a rent-free retail space during

led the charge to bring Cincy Pop Shop,

November and December.

a pop-up retail program, to Cincinnati’s urban core. Cincy Pop Shop addressed

The program received 16 applications

a goal of the Action Plan, which is “to

from aspiring vendors, as diverse as they

catalyze retail offerings that appeal to

were eager. A selection committee made

the diversity of the Cincinnati market

up of five members, including City staff,

by providing small and unique business

the property manager for the Carew

opportunities.”

Tower, a small business lender, and a small business owner came together

The program was created in partnership

to create a process that was inclusive,

with Downtown Cincinnati Inc. as a low-

collaborative, and fair. Each committee

risk opportunity for future Cincinnati

member had the opportunity to first

business owners to explore the potential

complete an evaluation survey based

of a brick-and-mortar retail location.

solely on the vendor’s application.

The applicants were then asked to

After searching available spaces in

come in and pitch their business to the

the Central Business District, the team

committee. Applicants were then scored

identified Cincinnati’s iconic Carew Tower

on predetermined criteria based on the

as the site for the inaugural Cincy Pop

retail goals from the Downtown Retail

Shop program. Partnering with the Carew

Action Plan. The scores from the pitch

Tower team and building management

day were added to the score taken from

company Belvedere Corp., three

the individual surveys, and eight diverse

previously vacant spaces in the building

vendors were chosen:

were activated for the 2016 holiday

• Barcode Glam

shopping season.

• Chapeau Couture Hats • Davis Cookie Collection LLC

Through strategic use of Community

• Flying Pig Marathon

Development Block Grant funds, the

• Green Box Gift Wrapping

Winter 2016 Cincy Pop Shop offered

• Jenco Brothers’ Candy

selected vendors $1,000 in support

• Sarah Center • Tronk Design

CINCY

POP

SHOP 2016

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Although diversity was a goal from the

for baking, although at the time she was

start of the program, the final number

using it to relax during graduate school.

surpassed expectations, with six of the

When coworkers began paying her to

eight selected vendors being woman-

make boxes of a dozen cookies, the couple

owned businesses, and seven of the

capitalized on the opportunity.

eight being minority-owned businesses.

Fast forward to 2016. Davis Cookie We sat down with two of the vendors to

Collection participated in the 12-week

talk about their experience.

entrepreneurship program at MORTAR, learning the ins and outs of starting a

Fernanda Vergara, co-founder of local

business and connecting with valuable

furniture manufacturer Tronk Design,

resources, such as University of Cincinnati

rarely does business in Cincinnati and

law students who helped them with legal

had a lot to say about how the program

aspects of running a business. The Cincy

helped her business. “It was a no-brainer

Pop Shop program gave them the added

for us,” relates Fernanda. “We had never

perspective of having a store and allowed

ventured into retail [space] before, and

them to get an idea of how to stock a

this was a great learning experience.”

brick-and-mortar retail location.

Tronk designs and builds contemporary furniture, but mostly online and mostly

bring our local story to Cincinnati. Our

“We had never ventured into retail [space] before, and this was a great learning experience.”

goal is to market to Cincinnati and tell

-Fernanda Vergara,

our local story, and open retail spaces.

co-founder of Tronk Design

to customers outside of Cincinnati – that is, until Cincy Pop Shop.

“The Pop Shop program enabled us to

After this experience, we feel more confident about what we need to do before we do that.”

“And it’s a family business,” Miles muses, “We’re both doing it. It really promotes

“We learned so much about how to

family. We’re creating something for

merchandise and sell our product to

our family to be able to call our own.”

the end user, not the internet,” reflects

The Davises’ goal is to pass the business

Fernanda. “We had never ventured into

down to their children and to become a

retail; it was a learning experience.”

Cincinnati staple, along with the likes of Graeter’s or Montgomery Inn.

For Davis Cookie Collection, it felt good to be able to answer the question,

What advice would the Davises give the

“Where are you located?”

next round of Cincy Pop Shop applicants?

“Be ready for that pitch and come with

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Christina and Miles Davis quickly realized

your best. It can really be a game changer

in 2014 that Christina had a tasty talent

for your business.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & MAJOR PROJECTS Projects Divisions serve as liaisons

BUSINESS EXPANSION AND ATTRACTION PROJECTS

between City departments, businesses,

In 2016, the Economic Development

and the development community. They

and Major Projects Divisions helped to

are dedicated to cultivating commercial

create and retain more than 4,035 jobs

development in all of Cincinnati’s 52

and leveraged in excess of $272 million

neighborhoods by providing financial,

in private investment through economic

informational and technical assistance to

development projects. This success was

businesses seeking to relocate or grow.

achieved by attracting new businesses to

The staff is adept at helping commercial

the City and helping existing companies

developers, business owners, real estate

expand their operations.

The Economic Development and Major

brokers, and site selectors navigate the administrative and legislative processes related to their projects.

FIGURE 1: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND MAJOR PROJECTS DIVISION PROJECTS Project Statistics Jobs Created

2,203

Jobs Retained

1,832

Housing Units

205

Private Investment

$272.1M

City Investment

$42.5M

Other Public Investment

$10.1M

Anthem Ribbon Cutting

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Development projects in our urban core

Jet Machine and Path Forward IT

get a lot of attention. However, it should

(Roselawn)

be noted that our department works

TechSolve II Business Park, located in

tirelessly to help attract and facilitate

Roselawn near the southwest corner of

investment throughout all of Cincinnati’s

Reading Road and Seymour Avenue, was,

neighborhoods, such as Lower Price Hill,

until recently, a blighted, underutilized

Roselawn, West End and Queensgate.

shopping center known as Seymour

Together with our community partners,

Plaza. The City partnered with the Port of

the Economic Development and Major

Greater Cincinnati Development Authority

Projects Divisions helped facilitate more

to demolish and remediate the property,

than $37 million in development in these

making it ready for new construction.

four neighborhoods in 2016.

Jet Machine broke ground on a Q-Labs (Lower Price Hill)

105,000-square-foot industrial facility

Q-Labs, a full-service laboratory servicing

on nine acres, the largest undeveloped

the food ingredients and flavorings,

parcel in the TechSolve II Business

cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and health and

Park, in September 2016. Construction

beauty care industries, will soon begin

is expected to cost approximately $5

rehabilitation of two buildings totaling

million, and the company will invest a

25,000 square feet and the construction

total of $12 million in the project. The new

of a new 30,000-square-foot laboratory

space will allow the company to create 52

within the Knob Hill City View industrial

new, permanent, full-time jobs, and retain

park on Radcliff Drive in the Lower Price

118 existing full-time jobs in Cincinnati.

Hill neighborhood. This $7.5 million

This expansion will also free up space at

project will retain 100 full-time permanent

one of Jet Machine’s existing buildings

jobs and create 47 new jobs.

in Bond Hill for an office tenant, Path Forward, to expand and create 150 new jobs and retain 151 existing jobs.

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Jet Machine

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & MAJOR PROJECTS

(cont.)

Messer Construction (West End)

SFA Architects (Queensgate)

Messer Construction acquired two

SFA, an architecture and engineering firm

properties on Cutter Street in the

with more than 47 years of experience, is

West End to construct a two-story,

renovating a warehouse building at 555

50,000-square-foot facility that will house

Carr Street in Queensgate. The building

the company’s corporate operations. The

is 60,000 square feet and located along

project broke ground in October 2016 and

a prominent gateway into Cincinnati

is expected to be completed by the end

off the Sixth Street Viaduct. This new

of 2017.The roughly $12.8 million project

expansion will retain their headquarters

will support the retention of 116 jobs, as

in Cincinnati and be a major investment

well as creation of 40 new jobs.

for the Queensgate neighborhood. The total project cost is $4.7 million and the company will commit to increase their employment from 60 full-time permanent employees to 85 full-time permanent employees.

Messer Construction

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHTS

Madison Square is being developed by RBM Development LLC. The project

Medpace (Madisonville)

features office and retail space. There will

Economic development activity in

also be a Dolce Hotels & Resort Lifestyle

Cincinnati also included a major business

Collection hotel, which will have 239

expansion project initiated by Medpace,

rooms and conference space. All in all, the

a clinical research organization for the

development could bring $200 million in

development of drugs and medical

investment to Madisonville.

devices. Medpace’s commitment to Madisonville started in 2008 when it

309 Vine Street (Downtown)

selected the former NuTone site at the

Cincinnati has seen its apartment market

corner of Madison and Red Bank roads

boom in the Central Business District due

for its headquarters, where currently

to urbanization.

it has 1,150 employees. Now, just eight years later, the company will add another 962 jobs at the new Madison Square development. The new jobs will have an approximate annual salary of $55,000.

The addition of these employees will positively affect neighboring businesses and will serve as a catalyst for new business attraction in Madisonville.

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Cincinnati has seen its apartment market boom in the Central Business District due to urbanization.

309 Vine St

There are two primary factors driving

in the Central Business District into

urbanization. First is the “millennial

approximately 300 market rate micro

effect.” It has been widely reported that

apartments, approximately 400 square

Millennials and those in Generation Y are

feet each, with 18,000 square feet of retail

migrating to urban areas. Second, it is not

space and 24,500 square feet of office

just the younger generations moving to

space. When finished, the $70 million

urban areas. Today, more baby boomers

project will be the first of its kind in the

and retirees are calling downtown home.

Cincinnati market.

These two populations converging on downtown forces developers to become innovative in their projects. They must

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

offer amenities that appeal to both Business Retention and Expansion

population segments.

Business retention and expansion One such change developers are

visits (BRE) are a top priority for the

making is the sacrifice of living space for

Economic Development and Major

entertainment and social common areas.

Projects Divisions. Our teams conduct

There is no greater example of this in

BREs with local companies to continue

downtown Cincinnati than the 309 Vine

to cultivate relationships and serve the

Street development.

needs of businesses located in the City.

The goals of these are to facilitate greater

The Chicago-based developer Village

communication and remain connected to

Green is currently converting the

local businesses. In 2016, 181 BRE visits

348,934-square-foot Union Central

were conducted, a 170% increase over the

Life Building Annex at 309 Vine Street

number completed in 2015.

Jos. Berning Printing

Brink Brewing Co.

Anthem

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & MAJOR PROJECTS

(cont.)

Neighborhood Business District

or wayfinding signage to make the

Development

district more appealing to visitors and

The Neighborhood Business District

residents.

Improvement Program (NBDIP) is a highly versatile program that

For the 2017 round of the NBDIP,

was created to assist communities

we estimate that $750,000 in City

in implementing projects that

Capital funds will be available to

stabilize, maintain, and improve their

selected qualifying groups. Final

neighborhood business districts. These

funding applications are due from

projects can come in a variety of forms,

neighborhood business district

including parking additions, façade

development groups on April 21, 2017.

improvements, or building renovations.

Funding recommendations will then be

The program can also provide indirect

made in June, with funding becoming

benefits by funding streetscapes

available in July and August, subject to City Council approval.

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Smale Riverfront Park

SPOTLIGHT CINTRIFUSE

INNOVATION ENABLED BY DIGITAL STARTUPS Cintrifuse is the

Cintrifuse is a unique institution for

epicenter of the

Cincinnati in the benefits and capability

Cincinnati startup

that it offers relative to economic

scene, and Cincinnati is

development. It is a public-private

no stranger to startups.

partnership that the City of Cincinnati

Two local soap makers

invested in through real estate

who turned their

development of its office space, as well as

tiny business into

support of its general operating expenses.

a consumer goods company that spans the globe; a small door-to-door insurance sales group that now owns and manages nearly $68 billion in assets; a four-person data mining team that recently reanimated an entire block of downtown for its now more than 600 employees – all have a story that is uniquely Cincinnati.

“I’m not building a kingdom; I’m building an economy.”

-Wendy Lea, Chief Executive Officer, Cintrifuse

Cincinnati has a long history of companies like Procter & Gamble, Western &

and invested here. The City continues

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO CREATE A THRIVING STARTUP ECOSYSTEM IN CINCINNATI?

to see companies like these take root

That is the question that drives Cincinnati

in Cincinnati, and strategically aligns

innovation hub Cintrifuse. With a lexicon

resources to better partner with them.

that includes Series A, super angel groups,

Realizing the value that startups can bring

growth hacking, and BigCos, the company

to economic growth, the local business

has brought life to the Cincinnati startup

community and the City of Cincinnati

scene that, until recently, had been

pressed for an innovative startup

reserved for large market coastal cities.

Southern Financial Group, and 84.51° that have grown here, stayed here,

ecosystem – thus, Cintrifuse was born.

23

There is a bustling energy throughout

simply, working with roughly 300 startups

the historic Over-the-Rhine building that

to link their innovation with investors and

you can link to Cintrifuse CEO Wendy

corporations.

Lea. All over the bright, open space, entrepreneurs are putting innovation

However, the work doesn’t end or even

to work. Groups and teams from the

begin at the front door of their offices.

community are also invited to fill coworking spaces throughout the building.

“I’m not building a kingdom; I’m building

Aptly named Union Hall, 1311 Vine Street is

an economy,” Lea explains. Cintrifuse

now headquarters for StartupCincy.

takes a holistic approach to building the next generation of digital startups,

Appointed in October 2014, the

nurturing a certain percentage of

magnanimous Lea has brought with

those through venture capital-backed

her a wealth of experience, spanning

startups. Lea continues, “Even that sector

dozens of countries and numerous

influences small to medium business,

prominent leadership positions on

because these businesses, meaning

tech- and innovation-focused boards.

bootstrapped, or loaned, businesses,

Additionally, she was instrumental in

thrive around the ecosystem of a venture-

bringing Techstars’ FounderCon 2016

backed startup segment. It’s not just one

to Cincinnati. The event brought more

or the other – it’s the combination of all

than 1,100 startup founders, investors and

of them that will lift us up, so you have to

others from around the world together to

watch all those different segments.”

network and share best practices around tech-based innovation.

Lea doesn’t see any reason why the next Uber or Amazon couldn’t come out of Cincinnati. She reflects on the city’s

Make sure startups are equipped, that

culture: “I love the tradition of us, but also

they come here, stay here, get customers

the desire to bring in some new, vibrant,

around here, and get funding. “That’s

digital-native next generation. There’s

really my day job,” says Cintrifuse CEO

a sincere desire for the tradition of this

Wendy Lea.

community to be cracked open a little bit to let new folks in.”

In an ever-changing business climate, Cintrifuse is a dot connector, to put it very

24

Union Hall

The region’s higher education institutions

she hopes to see more innovation

play an important role in bringing this

around those sectors, as well as others.

new talent to the city, Lea relates. She is

With industry strongholds like Kroger,

exactly right when she points out that it is

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical

not only her job, but the City’s job as well

Center, Procter & Gamble, and others,

to make sure graduates are connected to

Cincinnati is a perfect place to give big

the right degrees and career paths, e.g.,

companies access to innovation.

digital manufacturing, physical products, cyber security, etc. to thrive in Cincinnati’s

Lea emphasizes the importance

economy.

of Cincinnati’s longstanding larger businesses in the startup ecosystem.

Lea also credits Cincinnati’s burgeoning

These are the businesses that engage

startup scene to “gritty” entrepreneurship,

with, invest in, and rely on startups. These

and observes the Midwestern qualities

are the businesses that started out selling

that drive startups to be mindful of

bars of soap, and want to give today’s

investors’ money and work diligently for

startups their own story of growth that is

what they earn.

uniquely Cincinnati.

Looking down the line, Lea sees good

What’s next for the startup scene in

opportunities in several fields for

Cincinnati? The Cintrifuse team won’t rest

entrepreneurs looking to make an impact

until Union Hall is full and there is a line of

in Cincinnati. Given the high level of

next generation tech disrupters out the

customer service integrated in health

door.

care, retail, foodservice, and hospitality,

Cintrifuse Founding Partners Wall

25

HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT The Housing and Community

center with diverse housing options and

Development Division focuses on targeted

supportive housing services.

and transformative development to provide quality housing options for all

In 2016, the Housing and Community

Cincinnati residents. Through creativity

Development Division created 611 housing

and collaboration, our division works

units, leveraging approximately $106

to position the city as a thriving urban

million in private investment.

FIGURE 2: HOUSING DIVISION RELATED PROJECTS Project Statistics Jobs Created

144

Jobs Retained

8

Housing Units Created Private Investment

26

611 $106.2M

City Investment

$6.5M

Other Public Investment

$9.7M

Sands Senior Apartments

HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

The projects were selected based on their ability to make a positive and visible impact within our neighborhoods. The

Notice of Funding Availability

265 total units developed represent 43%

The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)

of all the housing units facilitated by the

program is the primary procurement

Housing and Community Development

process for accessing City funding for

Division.

housing development projects. It funds a full spectrum of quality housing options,

To help announce our newest round of

and, in doing so, improves housing quality

funding for calendar year 2017, the division

and affordability. The funding provided by

developed an informational webinar,

the program is significant in that it is an

which gave developers a preview of the

open and competitive process that allows

upcoming solicitation. The funding that

for transparency and aids in how the

will be available for 2017 was increased

department makes funding decisions.

by $2.5 million, bringing the aggregate funding to $6.5 million. Of the additional

In 2016, the Housing and Community

funding, $2 million was provided to

Development Division utilized the $4

support affordable housing projects.

million in funding, announced in November 2015, to provide financial assistance for 10 housing projects located in eight neighborhoods: Camp Washington,

NOFA funding breakdown: • CDBG - $1.5 million (affordable and market rate)

College Hill, Madisonville, Northside,

• HOME - $ 1.5 million (affordable)

Over-the-Rhine, Roselawn, South

• Capital - $2 million (affordable)

Cumminsville, and Walnut Hills. These

• Capital - $1.5 million (market rate)

projects encompassed a mix of market rate and affordable housing developments,

Applicants recommended for funding from

which included the development of 12

the money available in 2017 will be notified

owner-occupied and 253 rental units.

in the summer of 2017.

Housing

27

HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (cont.)

CiTiRAMA®

American Dream Downpayment Initiative

Cincinnati has seen a boom in the rental

The American Dream Downpayment

housing market. However, the department

Initiative (ADDI) program is a down

also recognizes the importance of creating

payment assistance program designed to

homeownership opportunities for city

assist first time homebuyers with down

residents.

payment assistance and/or closing costs up to $5,000. Participating households

With this in mind, the Housing and

must be at or below 80% of the area

Community Development Division

median income and must be willing to

partnered with the Home Builders

purchase a home in one of Cincinnati’s

Association of Greater Cincinnati to put

52 neighborhoods. Funds are awarded in

together the latest installment of the

the form of five-year forgivable loans with

CiTiRAMA® program. CiTiRAMA® has been

20% forgiven each year of occupancy.

and continues to act as a catalyst for the

In 2016, approximately $140,000 was

revitalization of urban communities and is

awarded to 37 households leveraging $3

a part of the team’s comprehensive plan

million in private financing.

to increase housing options throughout Cincinnati.

The 2016 edition of CiTiRAMA® took place at Gershom Grove in College Hill and featured 36 single family homes by four

The main component that drives business attraction is workforce.

builders: Brookstone Homes, Drees Homes, Maronda Homes, and Potterhill Homes.

Hand Up

Home prices ranged from $200,000 to

One of the main components that drives

$350,000. Of the 36, 23 were sold before

business attraction is workforce. To have a

the event kicked off in September 2016,

well-rounded and experienced workforce,

making it the most successful CiTiRAMA®

the City must provide job readiness

since the program launched in 1996. At

programs to cultivate employees who

the time of this report, there is only one

have the skills that employers are seeking.

remaining lot for sale.

This training is especially important for those who are struggling to break the cycle of poverty.

28

One such program that our Housing

expand the Hand Up initiative to maximize

and Community Development Division

the benefit it can have on our community.

administers is the Hand Up Initiative.

Launched in 2015 by Mayor John Cranley,

Strategic Partnerships Advancing

Hand Up is a comprehensive training

Communities (SPARC)

program that strives to alleviate the

2016 marks the inaugural year of the

burden of joblessness and poverty

Housing and Community Development

affecting many Cincinnatians. By helping

Division’s neighborhood-centric program

those who are out of work attain

known as Strategic Partnerships

employment and move their families

Advancing Redevelopment in

toward self-sufficiency, the Hand Up

Communities (SPARC). This program

initiative will improve the economic

provides technical assistance to

outlook and lead to better outcomes for

neighborhood organizations, including

the region.

but not limited to Community Councils, Community Development Corporations

In calendar year 2016, over 360

(CDCs), and Community Housing

participants successfully completed Hand

Development Organizations. In 2017 DCED

Up Initiative programming. Our seven

will partner with the CDC Association of

Hand Up service providers successfully

Greater Cincinnati to administer SPARC.

placed 72% of graduates into gainful employment. This initiative runs on a

The program’s primary objective is to

program year that is facilitated from May

leverage the available resources and

1st to April 30th of the following year.

the development expertise of City staff

Figure 3 below shows the breakdown

and the CDC Association to improve the

of Hand Up service providers and

development capacity and processes

participants for the current program year.*

of the participating neighborhood organization (PNO). Together, DCED, the

The team is continuously seeking

CDC Association, and the PNO will be

additional providers and opportunities to

the spark that ignites a neighborhood to achieve transformative development.

FIGURE 3: HAND UP BREAKDOWN* Hand Up Service Providers (May 1, 2016– February 28, 2017) Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community

Cincinnati Works

Freestore Foodbank

IKRON Corporation

Action Agency

Mercy Neighborhood

Eater Seals

Ministries

Tri-State

Urban League

Totals

Total Enrollments

22

122

84

73

32

11

109

453

Program Completions (Graduates)

21

100

58

45

28

6

59

317

Employments

17

93

27

20

26

4

33

220

*Figure 3 Breakdown of Hand Up service providers and participants for the current program year up to the time this report was finalized.

29

HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

(cont.)

Looking ahead, the 2017 SPARC awardee

The Sheakley Center for Youth

is anticipated to be announced in early

Many young adults are at a high risk of

spring. Once the awardee is selected, the

experiencing homelessness, especially

program will follow a 12-month, three-

those who age out of the foster care

phase schedule, including:

system, have mental and behavioral

• Phase I – Exploration and Inventory

issues, or are leaving the juvenile

of Neighborhood Priorities

justice system. The Sheakley Center

(two months)

for Youth is a creative, adaptive reuse

• Phase II - Capacity Building (eight months) • Phase III - Report on Success of

of a 64,000-square foot commercial warehouse in Walnut Hills into 39 affordable permanent supportive housing

Program and Next Steps

apartments for young adults (aged 18-

(two months)

24). Developed by the Sheakley Center for Youth Limited Partnership, the project

PROJECTS

will also contain a youth shelter as well as

As a division, the Housing and Community

a social service component designed to

Development team strives to develop

help stabilize at-risk youth experiencing

housing opportunities that assist residents

homelessness. Total project cost is

of all ages and all income levels. A primary

approximately $7.5 million and is expected

focus is to assist our lower income families

to be completed in early 2018.

with community resources and affordable housing. The following three projects are examples of how we worked towards that goal.

30

The Sheakley Center for Youth

Abington, Race, and Pleasant Apartments

Marlowe Court

Over-the-Rhine has a long, rich history

Marlowe Court is a new construction

as a diverse neighborhood. To maintain

of 53 senior affordable housing units in

this diversity, we must develop affordable

College Hill. The project will also include

housing options so residents of all income

approximately 3,600 square feet of retail

levels have quality housing options.

and commercial space on the first floor.

The senior apartments will contain a mix

Therefore, projects like the Abington,

of 22 one-bedroom and 31 two-bedroom

Race, and Pleasant Apartments are vital to

apartments and will be built to LEED

maintaining affordable housing options in

Silver standards. The project will be 100%

the neighborhood.

visitable and include a minimum of 5% Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-

The project is a collaboration between

approved and 2% sensory impairment

the Cornerstone Corporation for Shared

units. The development team consists of

Equity and The Model Group, and involves

Episcopal Retirement Services (ERS), The

the renovation of five historic buildings.

Model Group, and College Hill Community

The redevelopment of these historic

Urban Redevelopment Corporation

buildings will reduce blight, create jobs,

(CHCURC). The total project cost is

and help attract private investment in

approximately $11.0 million. Construction

the area. This project is also significant in

started in July 2016 and is expected to be

that eight of the properties are located

completed by September 2017.

south of Liberty Street, creating a rare opportunity to preserve affordable housing in this portion of Over-the-Rhine.

In total, this $13.7 million project will create 50 units of affordable housing totaling approximately 77,000 square feet with 22 of the 50 units designed as accessible.

Construction started in November 2016 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. The project is part of a larger affordable housing plan in Over-the-Rhine that will preserve historic structures as well as provide more than 300 units of affordable housing in the neighborhood.

Marlowe Court Groundbreaking

31

Parking Facilities One unique strength of the Department

functionality, provide data that allows

of Community and Economic

the Parking Facilities team to reduce

Development is the inclusion of the

downtime of out-of-service meters and

Parking Facilities Division.

implement predictive enforcement in high traffic areas during peak hours.

The Parking Facilities staff is committed to providing high-quality customer

Figure 5 outlines the increases in revenue

service to ensure the needs of our

in FY2016.

residents, visitors, and workforce are met.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

This is done through an entrepreneurial model that uses the latest technologies and data to enhance the user experience

Cincy EZPark

and develop a parking system that

The City of Cincinnati has partnered

supports the active and thriving

with Conduent (formally Xerox) for

Downtown environment of tomorrow.

on-street parking services since 2014.

After bringing the first iteration of

BUDGET AND REVENUE

the City’s mobile parking application,

The FY2016 operating budget for Parking

PassportParking, launched in 2015,

Facilities Division was approximately

Conduent and Passport delivered a

$12.7 million.

new Cincy EZPark-branded application to provide more convenient payment

The revenue from our parking operations

options for customers in Cincinnati.

increased, in part, due to our ability to deploy technological upgrades to the

In upcoming years, we hope to build

City’s parking meters in calendar year

real-time parking availability information,

2015 (CY2015). These upgrades have

bus schedules, bike share availability and

helped to improve overall parking meter

passes, and more into the application.

FIGURE 5: PARKING FACILITIES DIVISION REVENUE

Revenue

32

2015

2016

Year over year Increase (%)

$8.7M

$10.9M

25%

Cincy EZPark is now available at all on-

Parking Improvements

street smart parking meters. With Cincy

In response to parking data and

EZPark, smartphone users can:

recommendations received from

• Purchase parking using a debit or credit card.

Conduent, the Parking Facilities Division implemented several improvements to

• Get alerts when meter time is about to expire.

the City’s parking system. These include redefining parking zones, institution of a

• Extend time remotely (up to the maximum allotted time).

• View personal parking history.

predictive enforcement process, and the changeover of single-space meters to multi-space kiosks.

The Cincy EZPark application will carry

Looking ahead, we believe DCED’s work

current PassportParking users’ account

with Conduent will continue to deliver

features, profile, and stored credit cards.

useful data for more effective service

Users will be prompted to sign in using

delivery, and will enable Parking Facilities

the same credentials (email address or

to maintain its focus on data-driven

phone number) and pin number. The

technology to enhance the parking

new application also contains a feature

customer experience.

that allows merchants to set up and fund accounts to validate parking for

On-Street Parking Improvements

customers.

To make our on-street parking system more accessible, Parking Facilities

Looking ahead, with the improvements

helped to facilitate the lowering of 1,800

we have made to both the

meter poles to meet the American with

PassportParking and Cincy EZPark

Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility height

applications, we expect pay-by-cell

requirements. Additionally, signage

parking usage to become the preferred

and decals were replaced to provide

payment method for on-street parking

more information to users and enhance

throughout Cincinnati.

the aesthetics of our parking systems throughout Cincinnati.

Future Site of Fourth and Race Parking Garage and Development Site

33

Business Administration & Fiscal Operations Our Business Administration and Fiscal

FY2016 Operating Budget

Operations Division focuses on managing

DCED’s operating budget for Operations

the budgets and fiscal operations of the

(human services and monitoring), the

department and ensures daily operations

Housing and Community Development

and human resources support to aid in the

Division, the Economic Development

department’s vision and goals.

Division, and the Major Projects Division is

BUDGETS AND PROGRAMS The DCED total budget for fiscal year 2016 (FY2016) was approximately $46 million.

FY2016 Parking Facilities Division Budget Parking Facilities is an enterprise fund, meaning that its financial reporting is separate from the rest of the department because a fee is charged for parking services. The FY2016, operating budget for Parking Facilities was approximately $12.7 million.

As for the rest of the department, the Business Administration and Fiscal Operations Division managed over $33.3 million in FY2016, including general fund operating, general fund capital, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) administrative funds, and CDBG program funds.

comprised of both general fund operating and CDBG funding.

In FY2016, which runs from July 2015 to June 2016, the Department had a general fund budget of approximately $9.5 million.

Allocation of these funds was as follows: • 66% - Business Administration and Fiscal Operations Division • 8% - Housing and Community Development Division • 26% - Economic Development Division and Major Projects Division Additionally, DCED received approximately $1.7 million in administrative funding from CDBG. These funds are primarily used to fund staff that administer the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), CDBG, Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) annual programs and projects, as described in the 2015-2019 City of Cincinnati Consolidated Plan. The Consolidated Plan is approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and annually reported by the City.

34

Allocation of the CDBG administrative

CY2016 CDBG Programs

funds was as follows:

In addition to the administrative funds

• 65% - Business Administration and

received from CDBG, our department

Fiscal Operations Division

also receives program funding. These

• 21% - Housing and Community

funds, unlike the others, are distributed

Development Division

on a calendar year basis. In 2016 we

• 14% - Economic Development

were awarded approximately $7 million,

Division and Major Projects Division

which funded 19 different programs administered, either directly or indirectly

FY2016 Capital Funding

through agency service providers,

In FY2016, our department secured capital

throughout the department’s various

funding to support 26 projects, for new

divisions. See Figure 4 below for funding

housing development and neighborhood

allocation information.

business district improvements. In total, DCED was awarded approximately $15.1 million in capital dollars, 24% of which went to housing and 76% to economic development.

FIGURE 4: CDBG PROGRAM FUNDS ALLOCATION Division

Allocation

Programs Supported

Monitoring and Compliance

16%

• • • •

Summer Youth Employment Program Mill Creek Restoration Findlay Market Operating Support Vacant Lot Reutilization

Housing and Community Development Division

65%

• • • •

Affordable Multi-Family Rental Hand Up Initative CoreFour Strategic Housing Program Compliance Assistance Repairs for the Elderly (CARE) Blueprint for Success Emergency Mortage Assistance Fair Housing Services Housing Repair Services Operating Support for CDCs Tenant Representation Urban Homesteading

• • • • • • • Economic Development

19%

• Small Business Services • Neighborhood Business District Improvement Program (NDBIP) • Commercial and Industrial Redevelopment

35

Monitoring & Compliance Our Monitoring and Compliance Division

One pre-existing process that we

is charged with tracking and recording

improved this past year is the annual

community and economic development

self-reporting process for both the

incentives and programs. They ensure

Job Creation Tax Credits (JCTCs)

recipients of City support comply with

and Commercial Reinvestment Area

federal and local regulations, covenants

(CRA) incentives. This process requires

set out by City agreements, and key

recipients to provide updates on their

performance indicators developed in

compliance by submitting a report

coordination with the City of Cincinnati.

on jobs created and retained and

This process ensures investments made

confirming the amount of investment

by the Department of Community and

in their projects. The improvements we

Economic Development have the greatest

made include providing the option to

impact on the community and maximize

complete and submit the annual report

the City’s return on investment.

forms online. For the recipients, this makes the reporting process faster and

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

more efficient. For us, it reduces data entry (saving staff time) and ensures

Implementing the Incentive Review

data automatically gets stored into our

Report Recommendations

database upon its submission.

Over the last year, the Monitoring and Compliance Division has taken major

Next, to oversee and ensure the accuracy

strides to expand the department’s

and completeness of the reporting

oversight of incentivized businesses

information and all other department-

based on recommendations made

wide data, we created a Data Integrity

from our incentive review. These

Team (DIT). This team, which is managed

changes include building upon our

by a Data Integrity Manager, ensures

existing framework to make processes

data integrity by recommending

more efficient, ensuring accuracy and

improvements to our data-collection

completeness of data, and implementing

and reporting systems and regularly

a more rigorous monitoring process.

reviewing the accuracy and completeness of the data.

36

Lastly, following the incentive review

Operating Contract Monitoring Process

report, the Monitoring and Compliance

Improvement

Division began to develop a more

DCED began working with the City

rigorous monitoring process that

Administration to ensure the important

includes surveillance reviews. This

work performed by general fund

process requires division staff to select

operating contract recipients supports

projects and conduct in-person meetings

the mission and goals of the Department.

with recipients and visit project sites

To this end, we partnered with the Office

throughout the lifecycle incentive.

of Performance Data Analytics (OPDA)

Through surveillance reviews, our staff

to implement a process that provides

can proactively verify the accuracy of

greater transparency in the spending of

companies’ self-reported submittals

City funds by organizations that have

as well as build a better relationship

contracts managed by our department.

with those individuals making strategic

In 2016, this list included the following

investments within the City. To date,

organizations: African American Chamber

24 surveillance reviews have been

of Commerce, CDC Association of

completed that have varied by program,

Greater Cincinnati, CincyTech, Cintrifuse,

neighborhood, and project type.

Film Cincinnati (formerly Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Film

Tax Incentive Conversion

Commission), MORTAR, Port of Greater

The Monitoring and Compliance

Cincinnati Development Authority,

Division oversaw the conversion of 11

REDI Cincinnati, and the University of

Property Investment Reimbursement

Cincinnati Economics Center as well as a

Agreements to the tax credit method

variety of human services contracts.

of payment for these incentives in 2016.

This conversion is important because it

DCED staff worked with each of the

eliminated appropriations of general fund

organizations to ensure the goals,

dollars to reimburse companies based

objectives, and scope of services stated in

on the incentive they received. Instead,

their City agreements reflected the City’s

companies now receive a refundable tax

and DCED’s mission, and to improve the

credit against the company’s tax liability

quality of agreed upon key performance

without changing the tax incentive

indicators. DCED staff will continue to

benefit amount.

monitor these organizations and their programs through quarterly reports and regular evaluation reviews by OPDA and the City Manager. Through this new process, the City hopes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its service delivery through these programs, thus maximizing the benefits of each dollar spent by the City on them.

37

Policy & Communications Whether it is engaging with the

and under construction, browser-

community, working with the media,

responsive design, and additional

or producing marketing content and

features to better serve those looking to

materials, our Policy and Communications

partner with us.

staff serve as liaisons between the department and internal and external

The change was not only effective, but

partners, clients, and customers. The

grabbed the attention of the greater

division is also tasked with managing the

economic development community.

legislative and policy-related activities of

The website was awarded the 2016

the department.

International Economic Development Council Silver Award for “General

Our website was awarded the 2016 International Economic Development Council Silver Award for “General Purpose Website.”

Purpose Website.”

DCED’s website will continue to evolve to better serve site selectors, developers, and community members.

Webinars Our Policy and Communications Division partnered with both the Housing and Community and Development Division and our Economic Development Division to present a series of webinars designed

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS Improved Communications In our efforts to provide a more effective tool for communication, the department launched a new website design in March 2016. The new www.choosecincy. com is tailor-made, with a user-friendly layout and navigation structure, a page dedicated to projects both completed

38

to provide developers and community members with clear information about programming, incentive offerings, and some of our initiatives. The subject areas included: • 2016 Notice of Funding Availability • Available Incentives • Programs for Small Businesses These videos are available online at www.choosecincy.com.

Additional webinars will be offered

These videos can be found at

in 2017. If there is a subject matter or

www.choosecincy.com and feature

topic you would like to be covered, we

Director Oscar Bedolla, along with:

encourage you to contact us at edinfo@cincinnati-oh.gov.

• John Barrett, Chairman, President and CEO of Western & Southern Financial Group

“Why Choose Cincinnati?”

Marketing Videos

• Mario San Marco, President, Eagle Realty Group

As community and economic

• Stuart Aitken, CEO of 84.51°

development professionals, our

• Joe Allen, General Manager of GE

team members are some of the chief

Global Operations Center at

advocates for the City. We constantly

the Banks

work to attract and retain businesses and residents, largely through proactive

In 2017, we will continue to look for

marketing efforts.

creative and innovative communication tools that will showcase the city and

One such effort we undertook in 2016

highlight the great activity and people

was to work with the downtown business

found throughout Cincinnati.

community to create two videos answering the question, “Why Choose Cincinnati?” These videos are a powerful tool that speaks directly to the aspects that business executives consider when choosing a location for their companies.

Downtown Cincinnati

39

CONTACT

Director’s Office 513.352.1948 Economic Development 513.352.2435 Major Projects 513.352.1953 Housing & Community Development 513.352.6119 Business Administration & Fiscal Operations 513.352.6130 Monitoring & Compliance 513.352.3305 Parking Facilities 513.352.4526 Policy & Communications 513.352.6136

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