CINCINNATI — A $264 million multi-use development north of TQL Stadium is slightly closer to reality after city council passed two different items that help pave the way for FC Cincinnati to build.
Council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance approving zoning changes to the areas purchased by FC Cincinnati in 2020 and 2021. At least some of the sites are currently designated as manufacturing, which FC Cincinnati needs to change to move forward with its plans to build the mixed-use district.
Council also considered the sale of several streets and alleyways, including Wade St., Kuhfers Alley, Bard Alley, Central Ave., and Bauer Ave., to West End Development clearing the way for the construction of the large complex, which will include a hotel, housing, retail space, restaurants, a plaza and more.
The day before council passed the ordinances, several West End residents spoke to the Equitable Growth and Housing Committee, including from residents living on Bauer Avenue who refused to sell their properties to FC Cincinnati.
"I'm here to speak of the closing of Bauer, at the end of Bauer, I'm not for that either," said one woman who still lives on the road. "If you close the end of Bauer, if there's an emergency the ambulance has to go another two minutes. My husband has had four heart attacks. We're not really trying to be put in a position where emergency vehicles would have to have more time to get to us if there was an emergency. If they close the end of our street, that's what that would do."
On Wednesday, committee members heard from the community and saw a presentation about the changes proposed in both ordinances.
After the presentation, given by Stacy Hoffman, senior city planner, committee members asked about the impact the currently planned development would have — which includes plans to cut Bauer nearly in half, turning part of it into a site with tentative temporary parking for construction vehicles until later on in the development's building process.
Hoffman said she did not believe emergency vehicles would be impacted by the changes the company plans to make in the neighborhood, because police and fire officials have not objected to the changes to the road.
However, she didn't outright say whether response times by emergency vehicles would increase for residents on and around Bauer.
"I don't know that it would increase response times, I can't speak further to that," she said.
Still, the committee opted to put the ordinance on for passage.
The ordinance said developers would pay $100,000 for the properties to be used for the city's Permanent Improvement fund.
City administrators recommended the ordinance pass under an emergency designation to allow the developer "to close on the subject property, maintain competitive in pursuit of outside funding opportunities, and adhere to a strict project timeline" according to documents obtained from the city.
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