CINCINNATI — Since the pandemic, many have gone from working in downtown offices, to working from home.
Now, one of downtown Cincinnati's biggest office buildings, The Atrium, could soon be converting some of its space to housing.
Cincinnati City Council member Seth Walsh said the project is still in the early stages, but if it's successful, it could be a solution to multiple issues in the city.
"The Friday, Saturday, Sunday crowds are where you expect there's going to be a crowd," Walsh said. "It's the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday where businesses make it or break it."
The city has learned that downtown businesses have lost those who have previously kept them afloat during work hours.
Leaders believe the solution to filling the vacant office spaces is to convert them to residential units.
"This [is] actually a really creative and innovative approach with how we're gonna get some extra financing," Walsh said.
The project surrounding The Atrium building would be a TIF, or tax-increment financing, project.
“Getting a baseline tax value then using the increased property value and revenue to finance the renovation,” said council member Reggie Harris.
On Wednesday, council approved an ordinance to move the plan forward.
“This is the way to kind of offset this new work from home culture and lifestyle we have, and making sure that you can work from home and it’s still downtown,” Walsh said.
The city does need to get approval from the state to do this.
“This type of creative thinking’s what it’s going to take to get them again moving and moving quickly,” Walsh said. “The cities that are moving quickly on this are the ones that are going to thrive in the next 5 to 10 years.”
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