INTRODUCTION LETTER
We’re celebrating two decades of profound impact that Uptown Consortium, Inc. (UCI) and its partners have made in Uptown Cincinnati. Over these 20 years of collaboration, visioning, planning, and implementation, UCI has built partnerships with institutions, developers, and the community to fuel the transformation of Uptown into an exceptional destination for innovative institutions and businesses and has elevated its neighborhoods into unique, thriving places. Uptown is the region’s center for research and innovation. It is home to nationally-recognized institutions, led by the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, UC Health, and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Collectively, these institutions have contributed to advancements in Uptown, throughout the country, and across the world through economic development, research, and innovation.
Who We Are: Leading the Charge on Collaboration and Investment
UCI brings together local and regional leaders and works tirelessly on extensive planning and community engagement. Together, we have established a vision for Uptown as a connected, livable community with vibrant spaces, connected corridors, and varied housing options. UCI serves a crucial role in executing that shared vision and supporting the efforts of our Members and partner organizations.
Reflection on Our Progress: Bringing the Vision to Life
UCI and its partners have proudly and successfully facilitated initiatives on community development and revitalization resulting in billions of dollars in investments in Uptown neighborhoods and thousands of jobs created for the region. We have invested in a wide range of projects from office, mixed-use housing and retail, and healthcare to improve the lives of those that live, work, and visit Uptown.
Focused on the Future: Advancing Livability, Community, and Inclusivity
The outstanding progress made in Uptown in the past 20 years is only the beginning of decades of investment to come, with close to one million sq. ft. total of development planned or under construction, bringing an estimated one billion dollars in future investment. This document celebrates UCI’s accomplishments throughout Uptown supported by incredible partnerships committed to progress and innovation. It illustrates UCI’s objectives and vision for Uptown and ignites excitement for the future. This momentous upward trajectory of Uptown as Cincinnati’s innovation center is sustained through thoughtful planning and design, intentional and extensive community engagement, strategic partnerships, inclusivity, and continued investment in Uptown’s central role in the region’s innovation economy.
We know you’ll be impressed by the work we’ve done, and we hope you’ll be inspired to learn more and partner with us on this shared vision.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Uptown Consortium, Inc. Board of Directors
Beth Robinson, President & CEO, Uptown Consortium, Inc.
Neville Pinto Ph.D., President, University of Cincinnati
Ryan Hays, Executive Vice President, Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer, University of Cincinnati
Steve Davis MD, MMM, President & CEO, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Paul Jenny, Sr. Vice President, Finance & CFO, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cory D. Shaw, President & CEO, UC Health
Katrina English, Executive Vice President & COO, UC Health
Thane Maynard, Executive Director, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Dave Jenike, Vice President & COO, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
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WHY UPTOWN?
Where employment & innovation thrive
TWENTY
YEARS OF TRANSFORMATION
Implementing a shared vision
3
FUTURE & FORWARD
Accelerating inclusive economic growth
WHY UPTOWN?
Where innovation & employment thrive
THE REGION’S
CENTER OF RESEARCH, HEALTHCARE, AND LEARNING
Meet Uptown Consortium, Inc.
Since 2004, the Uptown Consortium, Inc. (UCI) has facilitated Uptown’s progress by leveraging the assets of its Member institutions to improve lives and create an exceptional urban experience for residents and visitors alike. UCI accomplishes this through a comprehensive approach to planning and development that includes initiatives to enhance economic growth and livability. Today, UCI and its partners are advancing catalytic projects in various stages of planning, design, and construction throughout Uptown.
Uptown is a thriving urban mixed-use district in the heart of Cincinnati, home to the region’s largest employers and research institutions, thriving business districts, and walkable historic neighborhoods. The pace of
new development in Uptown over the past two decades has been nothing short of astounding, with more than $1.4 billion in new investment. The next decade will bring even more growth as Uptown realizes its full development potential in the innovation economy.
Five Neighborhoods Whose Sum is Greater Than Its Parts
Uptown Cincinnati offers the urban setting that has proven so attractive to the innovation economy and the people who drive it. Uptown is a collection of five neighborhoods located immediately north of Cincinnati’s downtown/ Over-the-Rhine area, situated between I-71 and I-75 and including: Avondale, Clifton, Clifton Heights, University Heights, Fairview (CUF), Corryville, and Mt. Auburn.
The area boasts a mix of educational, regulatory, and healthcare institutions, with a population that cuts across all socio-economic categories. Over 46,000 people reside in Uptown, and 1,099 businesses are located here. Uptown is an eclectic mix of established neighborhoods, new construction, anchor institutions, and companies that want to be here because of those anchor institutions.
Uptown’s Strategic Location in Cincinnati and the Region
OVER 46,000 RESIDENTS FIVE DISTINCT NEIGHBORHOODS
OVER 1,000 BUSINESSES
75,000+ EMPLOYEES
THE REGION’S CENTER OF RESEARCH, HEALTHCARE, AND LEARNING
Cincinnati’s Second-Largest Employment Center
Uptown anchor institutions foster ideas, collaboration, and discovery— making the community, region, and even the world a better place. When you think about it, it’s hard to believe all of these organizations are found in one community.
Uptown’s anchor institutions and auxiliary businesses contribute $8 billion in economic output annually and employ nearly 75,000 individuals with earnings of over $5 billion. Uptown is known for its robust and inspiring community of scientists, engineers, artists, and designers. Uptown’s institutions produce more than $500 million annually in research.
Uptown’s Anchor Institutions
AVONDALE
CLIFTON
CORRYVILLE
MT. AUBURN
WALNUT HILLS
WHERE INNOVATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Meet Our Members
UCI’s Member institutions have made an impressive impact on Cincinnati’s communities and the region’s economy, and they contribute to advanced research on a global scale.
1,560
513,000+
McMillanSt
JeffersonAve
Burnet Woods
TWENTY YEARS OF TRANSFORMATION
Implementing a shared vision
A MAJOR MILESTONE: CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF SUCCESS
UCI’s Transformational Impact
Our project investments reactivate neighborhood business districts and commercial corridors, creating positive, sustainable changes in the community. In all, the Consortium’s efforts have facilitated $1.4 billion in development projects (redevelopment, new construction, and neighborhood improvements) in Uptown, inducing over $2.4 billion in total project investments throughout Uptown.
The Federal New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program has been a key component of our success. To date, UCI has been awarded $195 million in NMTCs, which we have invested in projects that have helped create jobs, provide access to healthy foods and healthcare, and expand retail and housing throughout the district. Combined, these projects have created a long-term positive impact in the community.
Over the next 20 years, UCI will implement a bold vision for Uptown’s future in the Cincinnati Innovation District as an inclusive and innovative world-class urban area.
TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT ECONOMIC BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY GROWTH
LEVERAGE THE ASSETS OF THE UPTOWN LOCATION
The Vision for Uptown’s Future
UCI is leading the land use, public realm planning and development, and the community engagement needed to create a world-class environment. UCI’s real estate efforts are focused on two strategic focus areas: MLK & Reading Road and Burnet Avenue.
Following UCI’s role in advancing the interchange development at the intersection of MLK and I-71, UCI initiated a strategic study to plan for the project’s transformational impact on the Cincinnati Innovation District. This effort produced a vision for the four quadrants at MLK and Reading Road, a mixed-use development supporting Uptown’s medical, research, and innovation industries.
BUILDING DESIGNS FOCUSED ON EXCELLENCE AND THE INNOVATION ECONOMY’S NEEDS
CONCERTED EFFORTS OF INCLUSION & COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
INTEGRATE WITH THE REGIONAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM
Clifton Gaslight District
AVONDALE
CLIFTON
BUILDING A VIBRANT INNOVATION DISTRICT
MLK & Reading Road Redevelopment
Area Master Plan
The vision for the area was formed using a threetiered approach to transportation management, community development, and design.
PLANNING & DESIGN
Create a unified sense of place for employees, residents, and visitors.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Promote residential infill and commercial uses that create jobs.
TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT
Improve multi-modal connections for better access.
BRINGING MLK & READING ROAD TO LIFE
MLK & Reading Road Redevelopment Area Master Plan
Nothing speaks to the shared vision of Uptown quite like UCI’s transformational project at the Martin Luther King (MLK) & Reading Road Redevelopment Area in the Cincinnati Innovation District. This 65-acre, mixed-use district is designed to stimulate private investment, increase housing choices, and attract new jobs and business opportunities. When fully built out, over $2.4 billion will be invested, more than 2.5 million sq. ft. of mixed-use development will be constructed, and 7,800 jobs will be retained or created with $635 million in total earnings. This shared vision is the result of an extensive and ongoing engagement process rooted in a deep appreciation of the transformative nature of Uptown.
$41+ MILLION invested in property acquisition
$80 MILLION invested in public infrastructure
$1.6 BILLION estimated investment for development
BRINGING MLK & READING ROAD TO LIFE
2012 - 2023
» Site visits to Best-in-Class Innovation Districts
» Economic Impact Study completed
» Sasaki and GBBN engaged to launch MLK Corridor Study
» Construction begins on the new I-71 MLK Interchange
» MLK Corridor Study adopted by City Council
» Uptown Design Review Committee formed
» Partnership with WEB Ventures begins
» Property acquisitions begin in the four quadrants
» MLK Steering Committee created
» Metro Uptown Transit District created
» UCI awarded $45 million New Markets Tax Credits
» Established partnership with Terrex Development & Construction in the SE quadrant
» Transit Center planning begins
» MKSK leads land use planning for the quadrants
» Property acquisition continues & development opportunities come into play
» Property rezoned to promote development in the four quadrants
» I-71 MLK Interchange opens
» NIOSH selects NW quadrant as location for new build
» Pathways to employment is established by WEB Ventures
Uptown Cincinnati is the only anchor district in the Cincinnati region. Research and innovation define Uptown. See how we got here.
» Sasaki leads master planning for the four quadrants
» UC 1819 Innovation Hub opens & high-profile tenants move in
» University of Cincinnati announced as the anchor tenant in the SE quadrant
» Innovation Greenway planning advances
» Economic Inclusion sees success with WEB Ventures
» Planning for lifestyle amenity concepts begins
» UCI awarded $45 million New Markets Tax Credits
» UC’s Digital Futures Building 1 opens
» SW quadrant is cleared
» Digital Futures complex breaks ground in the SE quadrant
» Established partnership with Queen City Hills in the SW quadrant
» Established partnership with Neyer Properties and Kulkarni Properties in the NW quadrant
» Economic Impact Study completed
» Over 20 labs are planned to locate at UC’s Digital Futures Building 1
» The CROWN transportation network announces plans to connect to the Innovation Greenway
» Multimodal transportation & wayfinding signage planning launches
» SW quadrant zoned and ready for development
» Digital Futures Building 2 is completed
» UCI awarded $20 million New Markets Tax Credits
1819 INNOVATION HUB
A place of thinking, making and doing, of discovery and delivery1819 connects you to what matters most
DIGITAL FUTURES
Creating a better future by solving problems that matter today
COMPLETED IN 2022 (PHASE I)
FUTURE & FORWARD Accelerating inclusive economic growth
MOMENTUM IN UPTOWN CONTINUES
Building on decades of success, UCI drives projects that create jobs, attract talent, and build a livable community. Our goal is to to accelerate economic growth for Greater Cincinnati and Southwest Ohio.
Our Vision for the Future
ADVANCE DEVELOPMENTS IN UPTOWN TO BUILD A LIVABLE COMMUNITY
Over the next 10 years, UCI’s planning and development efforts will result in an estimated $2.4 billion in total economic output and create or retain 7,800 jobs with estimated total earnings of $635 million.
BRING TOGETHER RESIDENTS, EMPLOYEES, AND VISITORS TO HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF UPTOWN
UCI’s engagement across all its programs will continue to engage over 1,000+ participants.
MAKE PROJECT INCLUSION A PRIORITY
UCI’s project inclusion will have MBE participation in excess of 25% and WBE participation in excess of 6%. In addition, workforce diversity participation will have 12% minority group members and 3% women.
CUF
MartinLutherKingDr
Straight
Ludlow Ave
CLIFTON
